Week 71

Monday, April 22, 2019

This week we had a lot of fun and met a lot of great people. Highlight was Easter Sunday! I got to give a talk with my old Trainer elder Satre and it was tons of fun to coordinate with him and get prepped. I taught in a story like manner reflecting on the life of the Savior and his true mission and purpose. I tried to imagine how Elder Holland would give the talk. It’s funny cause here people don’t know how the prophet and apostles sound because the all the videos are dubbed over into Portuguese. But here in Brazil the Catholic Church treats Friday before (when Christ died) as a bigger holiday. I’ve had the chance to boldly proclaim and teach that we choose rather to remember the success and victory that could only be won by Christ in the atonement and especially the resurrection. Satan has tried really hard to commercialize the holiday and distract its true and original purpose. But we get to sucker punch him in the face when we remain focused on its pure and simple meaning. Christ lives and rose from the dead so that we may do the same. 

This next week is stake conference and so we will wait until next week to baptize a few of our youth. But we are excited to help Erik and his older brother Gabriel be baptized. They are two young brothers who have cousins and a grandmother who are members. We have been trying to strengthen the young men’s quorum. 

Sunday I turned 20 and left being a teenager. Ha-ha I'm super grateful for all the time I had to spend with you guys! Thank you all for being wonderful influences on me and helping me grow. Ha-ha ill still need plenty of help growing up don’t worry. It was funny because I didn’t tell anyone that it was my bday and my trainer who I live with told bishop and he announced it in sacrament meeting and all the sisters in the ward got mad at me for not telling. We had a family home evening with one family who made me a cake and we taught their nonmember relatives. Sunday was an awesome day of work. We were tired as heck but God really made up for it in the blessings he sent. 

Over all I Love you all tons and hope you all had a great Easter and have a wonderful safe week!!! 

Elder Lee

Week 70

Monday, April 15, 2019

So not a lot to report this week. As every missionary knows you get to a point when you need to find new people and knock doors all day every day to get a new base. That was this week for us. We had only a few people progressing and had to replenish our supply of families to teach. So this week we went crazy finding new people. It’s not always the most fun work but a process essential. 

God knows everything and it is amazing and fun to see how he lets his work precede. We did a contact with a woman who gave us her info and we made an appointment the next day. When getting there we clapped hands and called but nobody answered. Thinking that nothing would come out of the experience, a boy came out across the street and we managed to teach him and mark a date. He asked us if baptism had the power to forgive all his sins. He is hard to find during weekends but we have high hopes for him. Please pray for Wellington. 

Another fun story was getting Acai (fruit like ice cream). We did a contact with the family running the store and taught their family. In the door way of the street. And every 2 minutes another person would come and listen until we were teaching in the road about 10 people. 

Spiritual thought: Prayer is action. We don’t pray that the lord with prepare people and send them to us to be baptized. We pray that we can find the people that the lord will put in our path. That we can talk to everyone and find where we teach and teach where we find. Miracles come only after all we can do. The Savior's grace saves after... all we can do. So let’s get up and do it! 

I love you all tons! Hope you all have a great week and a great Easter! 

P.S The Best soccer team ever... Flamengo 

week 69

Monday, April 8, 2019

This week was really great! First of all we had transfers and everyone that lives with me stayed. So I guess at least one more transfer in Rio! I was super excited stay. There are so many amazing people here. Transfers are always hard but I’m beginning to see that leaving here will be especially hard. But we just have to work and fight until the end and confide that these relationships and friendships we make are eternal.

This week I got to give a presentation in an English school for about 30 people. We taught the restoration and got a bunch of references to pass for other missionaries. But I enjoyed getting to practice a little more English ;)

Conference was super amazing! I loved how the topics were not assigned but worked so well together. In the recap we see that the topic of missionary work with members, repentance, temples and the gospel centered home was a majority of the talks. I got to watch the last session in English and I loved the talk given by president Oaks! He is so firm but in such a loving way. The other highlight for me was Pres Nelson in the priesthood session. He really hit hard that we all have a need for repentance. I loved how he taught repentance is not an event... But rather an eternal process required for exaltation. Another quote I loved (remember I’m translating into English so it might not be correct) But Salvation is an individual experience... But Exaltation is a family experience. 

I hope you guys all learned as much as I did. I love you tons and hope you all have a great week. Now is the time to act. Now is the time to present the never ending plan of redemption and happiness with our friends. Now is the time to prepare for the approaching and anticipated return of our Savior. I trust you all and God trust you all! Keep up the amazing examples! Love ya all! 

Elder Lee

Week 68

Monday, April 1, 2019

So this week we were super blessed to be able to baptize two little amazing girls Nataly (age 10) and her sister Nichole (age 9). They are daughters and nieces of a family of recent converts and less active members. But we have been really working to help the family catch the vision and fortify their roots in the church. The elders have been trying for a year and something always came up. Even I had cut them a few months ago with Elder Garcia. But I felt that we needed to return and the timing was just right. This little victory really helped us in our position with the ward. They all told us it was a lost cause and to let it go. Even when calling them to invite them they doubted. But in the end God and his mercy came through. Now we really have the trust and confidence. The only sad thing is that I might be transferred in a week. But in that case I can feel good in the sense that we left the area a lot better than where we found it. 

We also have another family that we have managed to help return to church. Lais is really progressing and seeing that the world doesn’t bring happiness. She is really experiencing joy in the church of Christ. We had a fun family night with her and a member who lives by here. I got to do my favorite thing and teach lots of young kids. Ha-ha I’m excited to be a dad and teach my kids the gospel. I’m super grateful for my parents and all that they taught me. 

Conference is coming and we are all excited to see how the church will change policies to better our efforts in building the lords kingdom here on the earth. I hope that we can all embrace and run into the changes and use them to grow our own testimonies. Change is a sign of progress. I have a huge testimony of revelation and modern prophets and apostles. As Joseph Smith taught, Salvation is impossible without revelation. I’m so grateful we have a God who loves and thinks of us constantly to give us divine help. 

I love you all and hope that you all enjoy the broadcast and have an amazing week! Thank you for all the prayers and thoughts. They really make a huge difference and I can feel them every day. Love you all!!!!

Elder Lee