The last official letter

The last official letter. This week I wanted to make it clear that I loved the mission. I love the people, the missionaries, the food, the culture, Presidente e Sister Campos, and so much more. The week was awesome and started with a visit to the temple. Man the temple is always amazing. We can feel the spirit strongly when we enter the Lord’s house. After we went to our area and worked a couple hours. Man our area is huge!!! The next day we headed to Canoas. We were able to divide with Elder Astorga, de Mexico, and Elder Fernandis, de Minas Gerais. The week was amazing. Many spiritual experiences, laughs, blessings and memories. The highlight of the week was the baptism of Ana Clora! She was stoked to enter the waters of baptism and make a covenant with the Lord. My comp and I returned to Porto Alegre and talked with our families. It was funny to think that in a few short days, I would see them all. My sister Mads asked me a question I really enjoyed: “Describe your mission in three words.” In the moment, I didn’t know how to respond. But after thinking a little, I feel as though my mission can be describes as: Gratifying, Challenging, Spiritual. And in a 3 word phrase: “I was/am converted.” I think I could write a book about these 6 words and the experiences that I’ve had over the last 2 years. Ever since I was young, it was my plan to serve a mission, but I never thought how much effect it has had on me, my testimony, and my life. The mission was the best decision of my 21 years on this earth. Maybe in my letters it seems as though it was a cake walk, but I was faced with many challenges. I have learned the challenges have had the greatest effect on me. They have made me into the best missionary I can be. For all of those pondering on serving a mission, my advice is go and serve. It will not be easy, but I can guarantee that it is worth it. It will build you up to be the person the Lord needs you to be. The thing I love about the mission is that it gives one an extraordinary feeling of happiness. Where one truly loses himself in the work, he finds celestial glory working and serving others in the Lord’s vineyard. A scripture that touched me this week was Zephaniah 3:17. It reads, “The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing!” I know that my Savior is mighty, all-powering, and perfect. I can’t thank him enough for the joy I have found in serving him. I know He loves each one of us. It is my prayer that we can all return to his presence. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church on this earth. I know Russell M. Nelson is a prophet. I know that families are for forever. I know that this life is a challenging journey to return to his presence! And I love this Journey. May we all love this Journey! I’d like to end this Journey with the words of President Thomas S. Monson, “Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey and share our love with friends and family. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows. Let us not put off what is most important.”

With Love and until we meet again,

Elder Bodine

Uncle Hows mini missions

Well here is a photo of what I like to call Uncles Hows mini missions. All my comps and areas

Weeks to Days to Hours to Minutes

I’m hoping as the weeks count down to days and days to hours and hours to minutes, that I can fully take advantage of my time as a representative of Christ. Maybe you wonder, “How does he take advantage as his time as a missionary?” Over the last 90 some odd weeks, I’ve learned that through forgetting myself and serving others, I fully take advantage of every missionary day. Over the last couple of months, I’ve been perfecting this “serve others” mentality. I’ve seen that through the small actions, I have become a more Christ like missionary. Through smiling more, complimenting others, talking with everyone about Christ, serving my companion, loving to learn through the scriptures, listening to my leaders, striving to be more diligent, improving my Portuguese, and inviting all to come unto Christ through baptism. Of course, I’m not perfect, but I have seen major improvement. That is why it’s so heart breaking for it to come to an end. We strive to be perfect, but only in the next life we will arrive to this point.

The week was fantastic. Many miracles were witnessed, and I was able to serve my Savior. Life doesn’t get much better than that. On Tuesday, we went to an area of Sisters, who had an emergency, to follow up 2 of their investigators preparing to be baptized. We successfully taught and marked their baptisms for Sunday. They were both Baptized! The rest of the day we tried teaching other investigators but didn’t have too much success. We spent the whole day in a car because we didn’t know the area. Irmao Paulo, the mission leader in Campo Bom, chauffeured us around the city. The guy is crazy. He wanted everyone to have a chance to get to know the Gospel. Let’ s just say the day was full of laughs. The weirdest part of the trip is that we slept in Irmao Paulo’s house. We had dinner, fam scripture study/prayer, watched some General Conference, and I slept on the couch. Honestly, it was super strange. Woke up to an amazing b-fast, and I was like, “Is this real life?” Irmao Paulo gave us each a tie and drove us back to Porto Alegre. We spent the day in leadership meetings. For all of you that didn’t know, the general authorities of Brasil have challenged all the missions to double the number of baptisms in the next 3 months. So there have been a ton of meetings and plannings on how we are gonna accomplish that goal in Porto Alegre Norte. The next day we made a 5 hour bus ride to Passo Fundo, the first zone of my mish. Once again, it was like taking a trip down memory lane. We divided with Elder Pariente from Uruguay and Elder Wessman from Palm Springs, California. Elder Pariente and I saw many miracles. One of my favorite was a man named Adao. Adao was super humble and explained he started working when he was 6 in the fields harvesting wheat. Despite his lack of knowledge, the message of the restoration made so much sense to him. The spirit was so strong as he accepted to be baptized! We also taught an in-active pastor of a Protestant church. Usually these types of people love to Bible-Bash. As we taught doctrine using the Bible, he quietly listened and agreed with our message. When we invited him to pray, he promised us that that very night he would kneel and receive an answer from God! Man the mission is amazing! Everyday, I see miracles, feel the spirit, and see the lives of others change! How could I not be happy?! Two years of constant Christ like service has helped me in innumerable ways. The only thing I have to offer him is gratitude and my humble service. I’d like to end this post with a poem about my maker and I:

            Everyday I ponder on his name

            Lowly and meekly, he felt my pain

            Determined to liken myself unto him

            Except I find myself shrouded in sin

            Running and Running from the dark that never ends

            But now I find safety in the light he sends

            Opting for the light, my world’s horizons expand,

            Doubting before and believing again

            In his waking light, I choose to forget me

            Now with eyes opened, I let out my only plea:

            “Each day I have left on this humble ground, let me make my maker proud!

Love you all,

Elder Bodine

Transformation

almost two years after... crazy how time flies

Pajama party at Irmão Paulos... so weird

This little girl decided to sit with us in sacrament meeting. We tried convincing her to bear her testimony but she said she was too nervous. When Elder Shell and I went up, she quickly followed and bore her small testimony. It was awesome

My comp is from texas so naturally he wants to be a boot model

Elder Pariente and I in the streets

Passo Fundo sunsets

Elder Southwick

The house crew at Passo Fundo

Talent show in Passo Fundo