November 19, 2012

Dearest Mother (and family who read), 

This week we had a conference with parts of two missions!!!! Zones in Porto Alegre North and Porto Alegre Sul close to Porto Alegre (who many times will I write POA) got to go! So I got to see some of my friends from the CTM serving in Missao Sul. It was a member of the 1st quorum of the 70. Elder Aidukaits. He reminded us of Jim Carrey but was a little more spiritual. He spoke about planning and obedience. He read us D&C 4 and told us it is a promise of the Lord that the field is white. It is a promise that the world is ready for our message. But then he read us another that when we do not what he says we have no promise... why aren´t we baptizing as much as we´d like?   obedience....     (So we´ve been trying harder than ever to be more obedient). 

I´d love handwritten things. A--- and I have been writing, thats been fun. But its a little more expensive and takes a lot more time to get it. Don´t stress about the makeup, i still have quite a bit. And i figured out how they buy makeup here...through the magazine. (avon etc). 

 Thats such an awesome experience! (I had shared a missionary story about two elders who were wearing their white shirts and ties on p-day and were able to make contact with someone who would not have recognized them in p-day clothing.)   We have the same rule -- we are always in skirts wherever we go! There are so many little miracles. This week we´ve been contacting less active members (there are a lot here) we´ve found two really special families. We´re really hoping that they will start coming back to church. OH Free agency it really is frustrating as a missionary. But we are learning to be a little or a lot more forceful and direct with people. I´ve been studying the new testament...Jesus taught with authority, Peter and John taught with boldness and authority. We have authority; we need to exercise it. That is something really hard for me sometimes...especially in another language. 

Well not very many new things this week. Our RC (recent convert)  is firm and faithful. We passed by and he told us we was studying tithing and needed an envelope so he could pay it. We pretty much just jumped for joy. I haven´t had this experience. from beginning to end and seeing the change they make. He told us we was talking with someone at work and they asked him when he was gonna be `mormon´ and he told them he already was. With all the other people we´ve baptized its been complicated or i was transfered the next day  :(

Ya they told us they received 7,000 applications after they announced the change.  (Carissa is referring to a new policy that allows young men 18 years old to go on missions, and for the young women the age was changed from 21 to 19.)  It will be a little longer until we have tons of sister from the states here but this or the next transfer we´re expecting sisters!!!! 

Anyways love you, have a wonderful Thanksgiving...does NOT feel like christmas or thanksgiving time here. Although everyone is starting to decorate. So Christmas is almost everywhere...it just doesn~t seem right to have christmas in the heat haha

But no i hadn~t heard about the media thing.  (I had written to Carissa about a church website dedicated just to Christmas.  http://mormon.org/christmas)    How cool. We don~t really use the media because its hard to find people with a DVD player. Let alone internet.