Opa! Boa Tarde Irmaes and Irmas,

I hope all is well in the Eagle Park Ward. It’s been a while! Probably, most of you have forgotten about me. I can’t believe that it has been over 20 months since my farewell talk. Man the time flies when you’re serving the Lord. I’d like to thank you all for your love and support. I’s also like you to know that I’m loving every minute of the mission and not wanting it to end. I love Brazil because everyday I get to see change in the lives of others. I would like to share a quick experience about an investigator that very much confused me. I remember it was about 8:30 pm, and my companion and I were without plans. We said a prayer and asked the Lord to show us someone ready to have our message. An image of a place came to my mind, so we went there and found a man named Geovane. We taught him the message of the restoration, left a Book of Mormon with him, and we marked with him to pass the next day, he told us to return in 1 week because by then he would have his answer and if he would follow his answer. One week passed, and with a different companion, I returned to Geovane’s humble abode when we sat to share our second message. He told us the night before he had finished the Book of Mormon, that he had prayed and received an answer that the Book of Mormon is true, the Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church on the earth. We were thrilled. But when I was filled with joy from hearing his testimony, he said something that I don’t think I’ll ever understand. He told us that despite feeling this truthfulness/answer, it wasn’t his time to follow becoming a member.  We read scriptures, testified, and promised blessings, but his mentality and lack of desire to follow did not change. I left his house confused and almost angry. Many why questions came to my head. In the next couple of days, I tried to identify why something like this would happen. I never found an answer, but a scripture taught me a lesson of great value. 1 Nephi 11:17 reads, “Know thou the condescension of God? “ and Nephi replies, “I know that he loveth his children, nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.” This scripture truly impacted me. I know this life will be filled with trials, challenges, and struggles. Sometimes we don’t and will never know why we pass for these sufferings. But we must learn to accept the will of the Father, love him and grow. My greatest wish is that we can all confide in the Lord, do his work, and be perfected in his beloved Son. I know these things are true, that the Lord loves us and cares for us. I know this gospel is perfect. I know that exists prophets in these days. For these reasons, I stand firm in the faith and am serving a mission in Brazil. I love you all and wish you an excellent week.  In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Elder Bodine