O Ye that Embark in the Service of God!

This past week was bit of a battle; we are very busy and time sure seems to be flying by! We had splits or a division this week and I was able to go to my old area, Cursino! I was able to go back there to help  find a few more people to teach. I spent all of Tuesday, February 5th there  and it was great! Also, I was able to see a few of my recent converts Dorival, Patricia, Thaissa, Cris, and little Matheus - if you remember them. Patricia and little Matheus ran up and gave me a big hug. Also, I was able to see an old investigator, Anna and I made a call to talk to Isabel - which was also super awesome!
This week we were able to start teaching a man named Rafael! He said that Sister Missionaries had been teaching him in the past but he feels that now is the moment for him to start following a religion. He expressed that he knows that God guided us to him and knows that it has purpose that we found him again, given he works almost 24/7 and we were able to speak with him again. He is a great miracle because he was a contact that we were able to do when it was pouring rain!
We are teaching Rian still;  his mother said that she wants to give it a few more weeks before baptism. Yet we are going to try this week to commit them to a baptismal date. We will also try to set a date for a woman named Lucia that has a daughter that is less active and has a ton of desire to receive the Holy Ghost and follow the Savior and his teachings.
Luis, a recent convert is super active. He memorized D&C, section 4. By doing that he was able to get a tie to wear to church! Rita was also at church even though she just had surgery.  She knew it is important and is going to start giving lunch to the missionaries and prepare for attending the temple. Washington is also preparing for attending the temple. Sandro is doing super well! Flavia will being going to girls camp and her whole family now is super active in the church - it is so neat to see their smiles and feel of their happiness! Benedito decided that he will, for now, keep going to his church because his pastor said that he shouldn't change his tradition and what he is used to -  ughhhhh..
Have a great week!

Doctrine and Covenants, Section 4, verses 1 to 7

1 Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.
2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.
3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;
4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;
5 And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.
6 Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.
7 Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.

The Beauty of the Gospel!

It was a blessed week, yet a hard week at the same time; I will be staying in this area of Vargas as we just had another transfer. I am positive that we will continue to see the area grow with many more hearing the Gospel message; supported by our testimonies. We hope many of those we will come in contact with and teach can be invited to the waters of baptism. It seems like yesterday that I was asked to reopen or as a missionary says, "whitewash" this area that was closed for sometime prior. We have seen some great things happen in this short time here!

This past week we were able to see some of our wonderful new investigators be baptized. That being the baptism of Ruan,  Isabelle and a friend of our recent convert, Ingrid! Sister Feres and I were super excited! Rian was not able to be baptized this past week because he will be going out of town, however we are working with him for this coming week. Benedito said to us, that prior to this coming Sunday he would decide what path or what church he would follow and then be baptized. We reminded him of what he knows to be true and to ask Heavenly Father in prayer what he should do. It was also a great time to bear my witness; my own testimony of the blessings of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Also, we reminded him to ask Heavenly Father and that he would answer his faithful prayers. He was not able to be at church this past Sunday, yet hopefully he is doing what we asked him to do to find answers. We will be checking at his home often to see what his feelings are. We are praying a lot for him and each of our investigators! On a lighter note, Sandro, for his work, does parachuting classes - you know jumping from a plane with a  parachute, crazy huh. I told him that I would come back with my family to visit and go parachuting! He smiled and said okay!
We are enjoying the warm Summer here in Brazil!  God bless each of you!