Elder Collin J. Andrus: Week 56 - 10 October 2011 Wonderful Investigators

Opa família,

Como está? J This week was a super good week with the work here, probably one of the better weeks I have had as for the work. It was great. At the beginning of the week, starting with our trip to watch General Conference, we traveled 3 times to Castanhal and back in the space of 5 days haha. Yeah, this area here demands a lot of traveling. We always have meetings in Castanhal, and interviews in Bragança and stuff. But it’s good! We always keep busy.

So this week we had a baptism on Saturday of a 12 year old girl we have been teaching. It was cool because last week we were walking on the street and saw her and some friends in front of their house. We went up to talk to them, and they were telling us that they have already received lessons from the missionaries a long time ago and already went to church before and all. So we taught them, and the 12 year old girl was super good and accepted a baptismal date and everything. She didn’t even drink coffee! haha. So she was real ready to be baptized. So that was cool. The baptism was stressful cuz she actually didn’t show up cuz she was getting real sick cuz of an allergic reaction. But in the end her friend went to get her and it all worked out.

Yesterday was an especially good day at church. We had lots of investigators that showed up with their own desire and will. One investigator went for the first time all alone and liked it a lot. Also, one young man went to church and is getting ready to be baptized this coming Saturday. Another girl actually said she wasn’t gonna go, but she walked about 45 minutes all alone and showed up there on time and everything. It was pretty cool seeing all these investigators there. We're teaching a 17 year old boy. He does Capoeira (that sweet dance fight thing), and we started teaching him this week. When we went back the second time to teach him, he told us that he had a really spiritual experience about the Book of Mormon and he gained this HUGE desire to learn more and follow the gospel. We went to his house every single day during the week, and there isn’t one commitment he didn’t fulfill. He’s reading and praying everyday, and he was waiting for us outside his house on Sunday morning all ready to go to church. He has changed so much over the years. It’s hard to even imagine the great change he’s made in his life. While we were at church, he pulled me aside and he said some words that I’ll never forget. He told me "thank you for bringing this into my life." I’ll be giving him a white shirt, tie, and pair of pants for him to go to church this next week all spiffy. It has been so great. The only thing that is holding him back from being baptized is that he has a girlfriend and a little daughter with 2 months. So we have to wait for them to get married. But as soon as that happens, he will become a part of the Church of Jesus Christ. I’m not sure if I’ll be around when that happens, but I sure hope so.

Love you guys so much and thanks for the packages and support! I’m really seeing how the gospel changes people and how it can be such a blessing in our lives and in the lives of others. It’s incredible.

Tchau!

Élder Andrus