Authority is undeniable

This week had highs and lows and many inbetiveins. This week, I was doing my daily language study, and I decided to open to a random chapter in the Old Testament. To my luck, I opened to Deuteronomy 10. So I began to read out loud to practice my pronunciation. Let’s just say the chapter struck me. In verse 12, the Lord tells Israel that all he requires of him is to love and serve Him. The Lord also requires him to keep the commandments. However, this love/service is not an easy task. The Lord implores Israel to serve with all his heart and soul. As a missionary, this is my goal that I can dedicate and sacrifice my weakness (Omni 1:26) to develop more Love for my Savior, Heavenly Father, and all his children. I love verses 14 and 15, “Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.  Only the lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them” The Lord created EVERYTHING that we can imagine and more, but of all of his creations, he finds Joy in his children’s love for him. These few scriptures filled me with the spirit and gave me a greater desire to be more grateful, loving, and kind, because I want my Lord to rejoice in my love for him. Overall, a great language study!

We had many great experiences in the area this week. One included a lesson with Jão Luis. We were knocking doors when I felt that we needed to knock a door of a pretty rich house. I knocked and an old man with shirt off and bible in hand came to the door. He started to preach to us about his biblical studies, church experiences, and revelations… I’m not quite sure, but I know that the spirit provided a way for us to enter his house. In the beginning of the lesson, he was completely closed off, but when I recited the first vision, something changed in him. After he asked us, “But prophets can see God? Show me an example in the Bible.” After we found his doubt, we began to teach with POWER and AUTHORITY. Man the spirit was so strong. And when I thought he would get offended and defensive after claiming his church didn’t have prophets/authority, I learned an important lesson. When we teach and testify with authority, no one can deny because first off, the spirit is so strong, and second off, no one can deny this feeling of truthfulness sent from God. At the end of the lesson, he graciously thanked us and said we had answered a long time doubt of his. Another special experience was with Helena. Helena is a mother of 3 super intelligent kids, and had recently undergone a heart procedure. Her son got baptized last year, Bruno. He is 18, but she has been going to church here in Santa Cruz for 20 YEARS! On Wednesday, we decided to give Helena, and her husband, Bira, a visit. Never have I seen a non member with a testimony so strong. We asked her how she was feeling about the church and about being baptized. She lowered her head and looked to the ground, I expected the worst, but what she said shocked me. She told us that her time had finally come and that she had wanted so long to follow because of her desire of knowledge and preparation. She told us that a heart filled and humble prayer had given her a feeling or revelation from God that He doesn’t require us to be all knowing or perfect in anyway. He wants us to be willing to be imperfect and willing to use Christ’s sacrifice to become a little better everyday until the day arrives when we are perfected in him. Her testimony was powerful, and I honestly felt privileged to be one of the missionaries who has participated in her conversion. We marked her baptism for Sunday next week. Her son, Bruno, will baptize her, and she told us that in October, she will go to the temple. Let me tell you, these are just two stories of many miracles that happened this week. I wish I could tell you about all of them, but my time is up. My testimony was strengthened so much this week. I don’t know who reads these emails, but whether you are a member with a strong testimony, weak testimony, in-active or non member, God’s authority is here on this earth. He created the heaven and the heaven of the heavens, we are his humble children, and I know that we must love him. No trial is too great, no sin too grave, God’s love is forever provided through His son’s, Jesus Christ’s great and eternal sacrifice. These things are true and will forever be true. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

We made breakfast burritos for zone conference.... ten pounds of bacon

My comp with the bacon... hah

It was a week of gaucho holidays so we celebrated by doing an in house churrasco

Fruit salad with... Orange, mango, papaia, kiwi, bananna, apple, pear, melon, grape, and pineapple... all of the fruit totaled 8 dollars... I love Brazil!