Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there.  This week I received the wonderful opportunity to speak with my mother. She has always been such a great example to me. I am truly grateful for the never-ending love and support she gives to me. I love the story of the 2000 stripling warriors in the final chapters in the book of Alma. As we read verses 18-21 of chapter 53, we learn of the strong standards, characteristics and firmness these young men held and were examples of. It is only till chapter 57 that we learn that these men practice exact obedience because of the teachings of their mothers (verse 21). This story has shown me the priceless importance of having a loving and caring mother with a firm testimony in Christ. I can truly say that my mother’s example and testimony have carried me so far and molded me into what I am today. But most importantly, she has let me decide who I want to be and who I want to become. And like the young stripling warriors, I want to have a firm and focused testimony in Christ, trusting in him and His father continuously. I want to try my best to follow him with exact obedience. Overall, I love my mom and the wonderful person and example she is to me. I hope all you mom’s out there felt super special on your special day. But never forget that there is never a day where you stop being mom and therefor never a day where you stop being loved. Once again, thanks mom for being so awesome.

This week was pretty normal and of course had its ups and its downs. One of our investigators we had prepped to be baptized this week didn’t show up to church. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to have her baptism this week, but I hope and pray that it will all work out in the weeks to come. One awesome event this week was when we found a family with a daughter who is extremely interested. Her name is Yara, and she promised us a church visit, to read the Book of Mormon, and always pray. She is incredibly smart. Also, we met an extremely religious family who loved our message which took away some doubts about their church. They loved the message of the Book of Mormon. Overall, it was  a week where I could see progression in myself.

The highlight though was a wonderful talk home with the fam and mom. I love you all and thank you for the support and prayers.

Love, Dave

PS Keep praying that we find people who are prepared to hear our message and make covenants with Heavenly Father.

Happy May!!!!!

Another great week in the books. It wasn’t quite as eventful as last week, but it was still awesome. Some of the highlights included heading back to Porto Alegre, teaching tons of people, and the baptisms of Dener e Rainer.

Dener and Rainer are awesome. Let me tell you the story of them. Dener and Rainier are the 2 sons of Alini, on of our investigators. When we first taught Alini, Dener barely talked and Rainer hid in his room. Alini told us how Dener was an atheist and Rainer had little or no interest in church. We slowly started to talk to them about music, soccer, work and build an amizade (friendship). Then we started to throw in small messages. Eventually, Dener went to a stake dance, and everything changed. He started to have a desire to hear our message and pray. His example helped Rainer see the importance of God’s plan for us. This week was awesome because we met with them everyday and conversed and clarified questions. Then, Dener told me he was ready to get baptized leaving his old habits, coffee addiction, and beliefs in the past. Rainer quickly followed his decision. Their baptism was awesome. Super spiritual, and they were smiling the whole time. Also, they set an awesome example for their mom who has been having problems with the law of chastity. But I know she received an answer at the baptism and has a new desire to keep the commandments. Overall, highlight of the week was Dener and Rainer’s baptism!!

One other cool experience was when we returned to Josue’s house to reteach the lessons. Before his whole family hid from us when we arrived and even his 85-year-old dad cussed us out and told us we were going to hell because of our malicious actions. We got there, and mean pops was waiting for us at the doorstep.  He started off by saying a few rude things and to leave, but I just told him that we were at the house to share a message about God and his love for you, your family and me. He immediately calmed down, and we entered the front gate. Immediately after, I felt a new spirit in their house. The whole atmosphere had transformed only a week after his baptism. We got to share an awesome lesson with several members of the family including his crazy dad.

This week had so many other highlights, but overall, I learned a lot about gratitude. The mish is great because I can see my progression.  I love 1 Peter 2:21. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, the ye should follow his steps.”  Christ suffered for me and left his eternal example. How can I become more like him everyday? Be grateful for his sacrifice, apply His atonement in my life, and help others come to know the saving power of His suffering in Gethsemane. I would say that’s my mission in a nutshell. Through accomplishing or a least giving my absolute power to achieve this purpose, I can slowly progress to become like Him. It is never easy but it is always worth it. In verse 23 – 25, we are taught to live unto righteousness. What does it mean to live unto righteousness? (rhetorical question) I think for every person the answer could be different, but I know Christ is our pastor, and we are his sheep. In any high or low, struggle or triumph, He will be watching over us, showing his perfect love, and giving his eternal example. He truly is the author and the finisher of our faith, and through Him, it is so possible to sit beside his side (Hebrew 12:2). This knowledge is why I’m grateful. How blessed am I to share this knowledge with others. Thanks for all of your love, care and support.

Elder Bodine

With my good bud Elder Maciel whos now in his house..

My new bff in taquara

Alini is next 

Dener and Rainer baptism extravaganza

Baptizing Basics 101

Week of Miracles

Brazilian holidays and district meetings has got me writing this email on a Wednesday.

This week was sweet!!!! hahaha. My comp and I saw so many miracles. It was awesome. Of late I have been praying a lot to find people who are really prepared to receive our message. This week we found so many great new investigators. My testimony of diligence and hard work has grown immensely over the last couple of weeks. I know that we have to focus on our purpose to see miracles both small and large. Focus = Progression.

First miracle was Josue. Josue is the son of a member in the church who started visiting a couple weeks ago. The other week he came up to us and asked us if he could be baptized... so we said of course. The last week we spent visiting him and his mom prepping him for baptism. His life story is pretty tragic. He got in an accident when he was about 13 years old and his mental state has stayed the same since then. Or in other words he is 50 years old but has the thoughts, ideas, and energy of a teenager. Overall he is an awesome guy. And his baptism turned out stellar. I said he was beyond happy the day of his baptism. His dad tried to stop his baptism, but he pressed forward firmly and said that there was no way that he wasn’t going to be baptized in the true church. His mom was unbelievably happy on the day of his baptism. 

One of the young women in our ward in our branch invited two friends to church last week. They are amazing. They have so many questions want to know what church is true, and have been attending seminary, church and ward activities.

This week while doing contacts in the street, we found a middle aged man who had little interest in our message. He told his wife about it and she went online to mormon.org to search about our church. She ended up chatting with a woman in Sao Paulo who sent us her address. We showed up at the house and found the same guy who we had mad the contact with... it was kind of trippy finding the same dude that denied us in the street, but we ended up having one of the most powerful lessons of my mish preaching about the power of the Book of Mormon. Everybody was feeling the spirit in that lesson. 

One investigator we have been teaching forever has a son who in the beginning had no interest in our lessons or god. He was actually atheist.  But he started to listen and his perspective changed. Last week he went to a stake dance and when he got back, he told me that everyone there was so happy and that he wanted to feel that same warmth. He will get baptized this week. Denner is such a stud haha. I never thought I would be so grateful for a  stake dance... just kidding stake dances are awesome. 

I can’t even begin to explain the countless miracles that happened this week. Thank you so much for your much needed prayers.... I love you all and hope you guys have an amazing week. 

Love 

Dave

Baptism of Josue.... I´m a giant here. 

P-day hike to the top of Monte da Fé

Everyone on the top of the mountain enjoyed our headstands... 

Monte da Fé 

It was freezing at zone conference with presidente... hoody and suit

Another Week in the Books!

This week I learned a ton about diligence and hope. In my last letter, I wrote a lot about faith, and after studying Moroni 7, I have noticed the importance of having hope along with your faith in Christ. On the mish if you don’t hope to witness to people to come unto Christ then you clearly aren’t fulfilling your purpose and won’t see results. Because in hope we have desire to work and achieve what we hope. Verse 41 of Moroni 7 is excellent. “And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.” Having this faith, hope, and desire allows us to see daily progress in ourselves and others or what I like to call mini miracles. I was reading in John 2 this week when I was struck by Christ’s first miracle, turning water to wine. Yes, I have always been baffled by Christ’s extraordinary miracles, but sometimes forget to look at the symbolism of his many miracles. In that very moment, Christ changes water to wine he showed us that he truly has divine power to change us through hope and faith in his infinite atonement we can truly be perfected in him. The atoning sacrifice of Christ is marvelous because we all can be purified even as he is pure. I love teaching about Christ and his pure love for us to the people in Brazil.

As I mentioned in the start of the letter, I also learned a lot about diligence. This Saturday, my comp and I ran around Taquara personally inviting 25 of our investigators to church the following day. It was awesome cause I was completely dialed into my purpose.  I had faith and hope and we were seeing many mini miracles happen. I went to bed dead tired. Haha. I was stoked for Sunday to reap in the rewards of our work. We got to church after trying to wake up a couple investigators, and we found no one who had promised us a church appearance. At first, I was bummed, but then I started to notice people who I had never seen at church before. Four families in the ward brought friends to church. It was truly awesome! I can’t wait to get out and teach these awesome people. I know faith, hope and diligence are all Christlike attributes that we need to develop to return to his presence. I love this work and how it changes who I am and who I am becoming. Have an awesome week! Pray for miracles! And know that I love you all!!!

Dave