Week 76

Monday, May 27, 2019

This week the windows of heavens were truly opened and rained down blessings. My companion and I stood outside with five gallon buckets catching them all

 P DAY - so this last pday was one of the best in a while. We ate lunch with a member and taught her friend. Played a good bit of ping-pong and took off to play some true basketball. It’s fun because the Brazilians go so hard! They see America as being the land of basketball and having an American team to play against is the dream of a life time for them. We also bought chords for my guitar and my comp taught me how to put them on and get everything prepped. During the night we had an appointment with a family divorced. The ex-husband is a member less active and gave the reference. The family is really progressing!

     The real highlight of this week was Sunday (yesterday). We have a couple we are teaching that are really struggling in life. We were able to help them a little to have food in their house and they are even hungrier for the gospel. Sunday morning we were trying to figure out how we would get them to church. All the members in our ward that have cars (which is very few) all were not able to help due to ward conference assignments. We also had to get Gabriel to church to be confirmed and that was stressing us out. But we left the house early ready to make something work. I felt prompted to call a less active member who has helped us multiple ties and has become a real friend to me. But I pushed it aside because I knew he worked all night and lived far away. But again I felt to call him. After calling him we discovered he was in a park two blocks from us and had finished taking a client to an event. We were more than willing and excited to help us get this couple to church. We also went to get Gabriel who was supposed to sleep with his cousin (who is a member) but last second couldn’t and was without money for a bus. He wouldn’t have been able to go if we didn’t go get him. In the end he was confirmed and our couple loved church and accepted baptism. 

    Another fun miracle: We had an ex pro soccer player that is a member of the church that came and did a fireside with our ward and stake. He is friends with our bishop. He played on the team that won two world cups and 3 Brazilian titles. And he helped create the program that became my favorite team ever! I got to sit with him on the stand and converse with him for a while. Of course we took pics and he signed my jersey. But the miracle was that he was there to teach about temple work and family history. And because Gabriel was confirmed in front of him, he will pay the price for him to visit the temple next month. This will really shape and found Gabriel’s testimony that will leave him firm for life. Gabriel was supposed to be confirmed last week but was sick. While we were sad and discouraged a little we didn’t realize that God was preparing this all to happen. It’s truly a testimony builder to know that God has everything under control. He knows all, See´s all and truly all loving. How can we not follow him that only wants the best for us?

Anyways this week was amazing and we are excited to start another one! Love you all and hope you all have a great week! Keep being examples and the lights of the world! 

Love Elder Lee

Week 75

Monday, May 20, 2019

This week was very wet. My house mates and I considered building an ark but the materials here in Brazil are very expensive. Every day we had hours and hours of rain. It makes the work a little bit harder. Not a ton of people want to receive two sopping wet young men in their houses. But what matters is that Saturday Gabriel da Silva Santos was baptized and I got to get in the water with him and see him come up perfect. The baptism was marked for 5:30 but happened at 6:30 because they tried to cancel because of the rain. My bishop explained that Gabriel would get wet coming to the baptism. I responded to him that yes, He would get wet. That is what a baptism is. He laughed and said, well then let’s make it happen. 

This week we were surprised to see a member who moved away came back to spend a week here. She is one of my favorite people here. Worthy to be called my Brazilian mom. We went out with her two nonmember friends to teach and eat pizza. We ordered an 80 cm pizza bigger that any pizza id ever seen. Nothing better than Pizza and new investigators at the same time. 

Also we discovered that our church has a ping pong table so we bought paddles and started a few p day tournaments... ha-ha it actually gets pretty intense. The youth love it. It does gonna be a great way to bring their friends to activities. 

Other than that life as always. My companion Elder Paulo is great! We are really getting results. And he is my first companion who loves to clean and be neat so our house looks great. Mother would be proud ;)

I love you all. Hope you all have a great week! Keep being stellar examples! 

Love Elder LEE

Week 74

Monday, May 13, 2019

So sorry for that outrageously long title... But that’s about my week... 

    

 First I would like to write a special note to all the mothers and especially mine. 

´´A Mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take´´ (Cardinal Meymillod) (Also sent to me by JA)

     

Sometimes we take for granted what we have right in front of us. It took me traveling half way across the world to realize that there is no one on this planet that loves me more than my mom. I’ve always known but it feels more real when you’re distanced. Thank heavens for technology, email and skype. Love you mom!!!!!!!!!!!

This week we had transfers and I will continue here in Rio for 6 more weeks. I’m super excited. I’ll be the companion of Elder Paulo who is a convert of almost three years. His three year anniversary of membership is the day I go home from the mission. He is very excited and has a year and two on the mission. My old comp went to São Mateus where I used to live so I got to give him lots of references which were special. 

   

We had the chance to have a tour with elder and sister Bassett of the seventy. The conference was very well organized and the spirit was genuinely felt. The theme was being the missionary that your mom thinks you are or at least hopes you are. We can only sacrifice one thing to god... And that is our will and desire. Our time, money, and everything else is already his. That is why we follow the example of the savior. In Matt 26 we see him three times tell the father that it is his will to be done. How inspiring! We must do the same!

   

But that is about all I have for you guys. This week we are excited to work and have a goal of three baptisms for Saturday. I think Rayanne after lots of time is finally ready. She is learning about syncing her will. We've changed her prayers form looking for an answer to praying for the strength to follow the answer. She already knows the truth. Now it’s in her hands to follow. 

Side note... we found a house upside down... I’ve passed it for three months and never noticed that is upside down. Interesting how we can be so focused on one thing and never notice others that are so simple to other people like my new comp. Here are some pics of it...

I love you all tons! Hope you guys have a great productive week! Always be ready and willing to share the gospel! 

Week 73

Monday, May 6, 2019

So this week all the missionaries will travel to the capital of the mission to have a tour with Elder Basset of the seventy. It’s gonna be a great opportunity to seek inspiration and personal revelation and see how we can become better and fulfill our calling and magnify it with more intensity. Also it’s gonna be fun to see a bunch of old companions and friends. But this means that they are going to do the transfers one week early and take advantage that everyone is already there for transfers. I have no idea what will happen. 

     

So this week we moved the baptism of Eric and Gabriel because we are waiting on one of their moms and we wanted to give her more time and more chances to accept the gospel with her child. So next Saturday we will have the baptism. I may or may not be here which is sad but what matters is that they accept the gospel and preform the ordinances of salvation. It would be fun to get to share that special day with them though. 

     

May 5th... First is the birthday of Becca. But also was the day that I got baptized 12 years ago. I was reflecting a lot about that. With 8 years we don’t have a lot of knowledge. But knowledge isn’t the main requirement. Baptism is an act of faith and repentance. Not an act of understanding and knowledge. These things (knowledge and understanding) definitely help and are great resources. We are members of the true gospel of Christ and must have the faith to accept that we may not know everything. But we do know that Christ is our savior and redeemer of the world. He truly leads this church!

     

Sunday I was given the chance to teach the entire ward in a special combined 2nd hour class. It was a lot of fun and great to see the members open up with each other. The person who assigned me apologized for giving me one minute to prepare. (He literally asked me on our way to the class). But thinking back we all have had a lot more time to prepare to serve and edify Gods Kingdom. We can’t let small things stop us from working and gaining the blessings. Always be ready and willing to serve. 

Anyways, I hope you all had a great week and wish you another great one as we start with this wonderful Monday!

Love you all tons and wish you all God has to offer!

Week 72

Monday, April 29, 2019

This week was really good and long. Going to bed everyday tired is a great feeling. There are many days that it literally hurts to keep your eyes open. But that’s one way to know that something right is happening. If a mission isn’t hard you’re doing something wrong.

This week we will be baptizing two youth Erik and Gabriel. They are step brothers and are really excited. They have cousins who are members and love church. For them baptism is cleanliness. It’s truly amazing to hear the humble answers to questions we ask. The gospel really is simple. And there is no better way to learn that then by hearing children bear testimony. That’s why I loved teaching primary before the mission so much. 

     

This week our president came and we had interviews with him. Looks like I’ll stay here in the area for some more time. He is happy with the district and results. We got to hear him and his wife speak at a stake conference this Sunday. Luckily we walked into the door with investigators because he was there waiting greeting people... It’s nice to show him results of our work. 

     

Highlight of this week was last pday playing basketball with the Brazilians and teaching English in a school after. It’s truly amazing to see that there are opportunities in everything we do to share the gospel. Not just being a full time missionary knocking doors as we often think. I would invite you all to continue taking advantage of those opportunities. I love you tons! Please pray for Erik and Gabriel that they can be baptized this Saturday. 

Have an amazing week!!!! 

Elder Lee