Ola! Happy Valentines Day! This week was better than the ones we’ve had lately. We have 3 people on date for baptism next Saturday, so we’re gonna work hard with them to be ready. One is a young woman, 16 years old, named Simone, one is an 8 year old girl named Cinita whose sister is a member and their mom is preparing to be baptized the following Saturday, and the other is a lady about 25 years old named Rozalia. Rozalia is probably the best investigator we’ve had and the best any missionary could ask for. There is a guy in our ward who is a professional with electricity, and he holds a free class every Tuesday and Saturday, and he invited Rozalia and a friend of hers to participate. He introduced her to us, and we found out she is a good friend with another member too. We started to teach her and her friend and challenged them to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. A couple days after when we scheduled to meet up with them again, she told us that she read the part of the Book of Mormon that we marked, she prayed to know the truth with a sincere heart, and she said that that night, the Lord touched her heart and showed her vividly that this was the right path that she needed to take in her life. How cool was it to hear her tell her experience! She bore a powerful testimony of the truthfulness of the church, and this was only during the second time we taught them! She told us that she has moved from church to church, but always felt like there was something missing or something she didn’t really agree with. And whenever she walked by our church building, she had a feeling that there was something special about it. So when the member here, Pingo, invited her to participate in an activity here at the church, she thought it would be a perfect opportunity to find out. She told us that there used to be a huge empty space inside of her, not knowing which church was teaching the truth and everything, but now she can feel that emptiness being filled as she’s learning more about the Gospel. She was attending another Catholic church here and was really involved with the organization for children there, but now is telling the pastor and everyone that she is moving to the Church of Jesus Christ and that she has a testimony that it’s true. The people are getting pretty mad at her, and she said it was a pretty ugly situation because of this change she’s wanting to make (because lots of other churches here really don’t like our church), but none of this chaos is making her lose her testimony or change her mind. This really is proof that if you search for the truth, seek for it with an open heart, are willing to receive an answer, and willing to follow this answer, this gospel can change the hearts and lives of anyone. So we’re really looking forward to her baptism this Saturday!
So right now, I’m actually in Santarém for p-day today and then for interviews and a conference with President Campos tomorrow. We took a boat here this morning, will sleep at the home of the zone leaders, then head back to Oriximiná tomorrow night. And oh man the internet here is so much faster than Oriximiná! I think it’s still probably 2 or 3 times slower than back home, but since I’m used to the quality in Orixi, I’m pretty excited! haha. President will be bringing letters and packages from the mission home to us tomorrow, so I’ll be looking forward to getting those Christmas packages you guys sent back in December haha.
Yesterday was Elder Costa’s birthday, and we went over to a member’s house to make cookies and cake and yummies like that. People here in Brasil don’t know what cookies are btw haha. It’s like they don’t exist here. The only place is near the CTM in São Paulo – “Mr. Cheney’s.” But since lots of missionaries know Americans, lots have recipes for cookies and scrumptious American sweets. And I came to realize that I don’t have any recipes for anything here! So I’ll send a little list of things in another email that I would like to know how to make.
Okay thanks and I think that’s it. Have a good week, and I can’t wait until Rio’s call comes :)
Valeu! Tchau!
Élder Andrus
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