45th Week Out, 25th week in Juazeiro, Fortaleza

Feliz Natal e um ano novo!

     Sorry to everyone, I haven't sent an email in a while, Things have been crazy. Anyways these past couple of weeks we have been working with a man named Junior. the way we found him was really cool. So I never nock doors here in Brazil because I always have other ways of getting to know people, but this day in particular I was walking in the road when I had an Impression that I should nock on a door (Juniors Door, but at the time I didn't know who lived there) And I felt like I should ask if a less active by the name of Eduardo lived here... So we knocked on the door and within 2-3 seconds Junior answered the Door and before we could say anything he was like "hey! come on in!" so we started talking with him and he seemed to be upset about something; he revealed to us that he has a problem with drinking and that he wants to stop but he's tried so many times and it never happens.  We revealed to him what it says in 1Nephi 3:7

7 E aconteceu que eu, Néfi, disse a meu pai: Eu irei e cumprirei as ordens do Senhor, porque sei que o Senhor nunca dá ordens aos filhos dos homens sem antes prepararum caminho pelo qual suas ordens possam ser cumpridas.

(Your going to have to translate that or look it up in the Book of mormon)

But this scripture says I will go and do the things which the lord hath commanded for I know that the lord giveth no commandment save he prepare a way before hand.

I know that Junior would stop drinking because the lord doesn't give us a commandment we cant fulfill. So we worked hard with Junior to stop his drinking and I mean HARD, let me explain his situation: He lives ONE street over from the bar of his cousin who is constantly inviting him to come drink. His dad, and whole family drinks and they have like family outings a the bar drinking together! Let me tell you it was not easy, many times we had to go into the Bar and get him to find him drunk... But brothers and sisters we got him to stop drinking and till today he will be almost 2 weeks without drinking and still going strong, and thats a lot for a man who drunk EVERY SINGLE DAY!  He wanted to stop so bad but he has SOOO many bad influences in his life but Junior has given up that life. He was baptized and confirmed this Sunday and he was SOOO happy you should have seen the smile on his face. He has a wife and a little girl 6 years old. His family is so much better, They went on vacation for christmas and had so much fun together! I love this time I have brothers and sisters to watch peoples lives change for the better. Junior did a 180% with his life. I love you all and thank you for all your love and support!

Impressions of Juazeiro Brasil:

• Prisoners are allowed to go home for Christmas! but.... they all have to be good boys and return.... (Like that happens, no one goes back! lol)

Elder Brennen Horton

elderbrennenhorton.blogspot.com

My Companion and I with Junior

44th Week Out, 24th week in Juazeiro, Fortaleza

Was at Zone Conference.  Didn't write a letter this week.

43rd Week Out, 23rd week in Juazeiro, Fortaleza

Dear family and friends;

This week was crazy!  Started off the week by going to teach an investigator that lived WAYYYYY out on the outskirts of Juazeiro.  We had been there one time at night when he took us in his car, but this week we had to take the bus.  There is only one bus and it's not even a bus, it's a van and it was packed because it's the only bus that goes to this place in the day so everyone that wants to go has to fit in this bus.  That was very uncomfortable, but anyways, we are on this bus and people got off and we continued, and people got off, and it got to the point where it was just me and my companion on this Bus.  The driver stopped and said, "Are you guys getting off?"  I was like "no why?" and he's like "Because this is the last stop, I'm going home now."  So I asked him if he knew where a soccer court that I remembered was close to the house of our investigator, and he's like "Yea.... it's like 30 minutes maybe more wayyyy back" where we had stopped a while ago.  We got off and he drove away.  He dropped us off in the middle of nowhere.   I looked in all directions and saw nothing... just a dirt road that looked like it went on forever!  We ended up walking back and finding this investigators house after A LOT of walking in a lot of nowhere.

This week me and my companion had worked REAL hard with helping the people we`re teaching understand the importance of the day of the Lord.  We had 14 Investigators we are teaching in church Sunday!  It was crazy to keep track of all them!

I am so happy to be able to stay here in  Juazeiro a little while longer.  I love my companion Elder Azevedo.   He's just like me how we have no fear to talk to anyone about anything, so we like to have fun with all the people we are teaching!  We help people realize we are normal people too.

I love my life here and I thank you all for all your love and support you send!

Impressions of Brasil:

- They have knock off buses here, people that drive around all the buss stops in their vans.(topike)

Address:

Rua Republica da Armenia 765

Agua Fria

60821-760 Fortaleza-CE

Brazil

(Note mail in Brazil is regulated as you might have heard, packages and even letters have a high chance of being opened if you do not cover the letter or package in pictures of Jesus and Catholic Mary. Shipping takes about a month time sometimes longer.

The middle of nowhere.

This is why you USE Sun Block...

Just some random statues

Pizza de calabresa (the best kind of pizza)

Members in Brazil

42nd Week Out, 22nd week in Juazeiro, Fortaleza

SOOOO transfers came...... and I did get transfered.... Im now a Zone leader here in Juazeiro so looks like I get to stay a little bit longer!!! Oh im so happy I just love this people here! Im so blessed to be able to stay! And im excited to my new responsibilities as a Zone leader! we have a super nice phone now, usualy everyone other than zone leaders has terrible phones. So Im not about that terrible phone life any more! My companions name is Elder Azevedo hes a Native Brasilian from Sao Paulo. He has 2 transfers left in his mission, he might end it here with me. He was my zone leader before, We lived in the same house! so I just moved upstairs in our Huge house. Did I mention we have a HUGE house here, in fact its the nicest house in the mission and EVERYONE knows it! why because whenever the mission has conferences they will be held either here in Juazeiro or all the way in Fortaleza so for a mission conference theres a lot of missionaries that need a place to stay for the night so they will stay in our house theres like 12 beds and spots for like 10 hammocks, 4 bathrooms. We literally have the nicest house all to ourselves now! my companion Elder Correa was transfered to fortaleza and they wont be sending more Elders to our house for now. When I got here with elder Hwang there was 6 elders staying in this house and there was still plenty of room. But 2 areas of elders were closed here, now its JUST me and Elder Azevedo! and our area is HUGE because we took on the area of the other elders that left its like 2 hours by foot ( missionary speed) to get from one side to the other. its great we have plenty of people to teach! We had a baptism for this week for a man nammed Reginaldo, this man moved his life 100%. In the begining he was drinking smoking, etc but now we always pass by his house and run into him reading the book of mormon! he has been free of drugs and alcohol for a couple weeks and has no desire to go back. He was so happy the day of his baptism! He was allready baptized in the catholic church and it was hard for him to understand why he needed to be baptized again? As it says in John 3:5 only he that is born of water (baptized) can enter the kindom of God. I know that ONLY and I mean ONLY the church of Jesus Christ Of latter Day Saints has the authority to baptize people so they can enter the kingdom of god. Anyone can know for themselves that THIS IS the church of Jesus Christ and that we have the authority to baptize EXACTALY how Jesus christ was baptized by John the baptist. Pray and ask heavenky father for yourself, thats how I know.I love my life, I love this gospel, I KNOW KNOW KNOW it to be true! and nothing or noone can take this knowledge from me! I love you all and thank you for all your love and support!

Impressions of Brasil:

-whenever you ask people here whats new in their life? they almost always respond with "Its super HOT here" or "Its hot isnt it"?

I lost a good amount of weight when I was sick so I will be eating a lot to gain it back!

41st Week Out, 21st week in Juazeiro, Fortaleza

Dear family and friends;

Transfers should come today so your going to have to wait till next week to see if I stay here.  As for this week..... well I don't have anything to talk about and that's because... I was sick all week.  I was SOOO bummed.  I was home for 4 days!  And as a missionary you don't have no smart phone to sit on or television to watch.  I caught a virus/ Infection but I'm all better now so MOM you don't need to worry!  The people in the hospital here took good care of me!  I'm great and looking extra forward to getting back to work this week!

Impressions of Brasil

People have cloth lines in the streets here! like everyone just leaves their clothes in the front of their houses!

-During church everyone uses like a paper or something to fan themselves because its so hot!

Address:

Rua Republica da Armenia 765

Agua Fria

60821-760 Fortaleza-CE

Brazil

On an IV in the Hospital

These monkeys are everywhere here!

This is right near our house..... just nothing haha

This is what everyone makes their houses out of here, these bricks that are hollow and weak!
but they make everything with these!

40th Week Out, 20th week in Juazeiro, Fortaleza

Dear family and Friends;

This week was a special week. I now have 9 months on my mission!  Times flying!  I have had pizza for the last 4 nights!

So this week we reactivated a member here and this member wasn't just like all the others.  He was a leader in the church here, but he fell away.  We got to his house and he had just about every book, pamphlet, movie, card you name it he had it all!  He is a very intelligent man.  He was a leader in the district here which is like a counselor in the stake presidency.  He is married in the temple with his wife and has 2 little girls, but his wife and girls are all active.  Just him that went inactive.  We stopped by and we talked with him.  Me and Elder Correa knew we didn't know as much doctrine as him so we went in and simply bore our testimonies how we KNOW this church is true.  The spirit in that lesson was so strong! I know he felt is as I looked at this man tears running down his face.  He thanked us so much for stopping by, and Sunday he was a church with his wife and 2 little girls!

This Sunday I also had the opportunity to watch my recent convert Cicero baptize 2 of his kids; Rafael (25years old) and Fernanda (9 years old).   We have been teaching his family about eternal families and that it's our goal for them to be sealed together 1 day in the temple!  I know that ONLY through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, families can be together forever!  This is why I came, this is why I'm here.  Oh how lucky am I to have these experiences.

Thank you all for all your love and support!

Impressions of Juazeiro Brasil

- People here don't stop at stop signs, they just honk when their getting close to let you know their going!

Address:

Rua Republica da Armenia 765

Agua Fria

60821-760 Fortaleza-CE

Brazil

(Note mail in Brazil is regulated as you might have heard, packages and even letters have a high chance of being opened if you do not cover the letter or package in pictures of Jesus and Catholic Mary. Shipping takes about a month time sometimes longer.

-- 

Elder Brennen Horton

elderbrennenhorton.blogspot.com

39th Week Out, 19th week in Juazeiro, Fortaleza

This week we had a baptism for a man named Janio!  He is a midget and is 21 years old!  He is such an amazing man!  He reminds me of the midget from the film "17 miracles" literally!  Cicero was confirmed this Sunday and also recieved the Arronic Priesthood!  I did an exhange with my district leader Elder Larson and that day everyone rejected us! haha people were like... "YOU? You are a representative of Jesus Christ? um no!"

I know I am a representative of Jesus Christ and I know this is his church.  As Joseph Smith said, "This is his message and not mine."  Jospeh smith suffered so much more persecution than I could ever suffer!  I'm so greatful for this oportunity to preach the gospel.  I KNOW its true!  I AM a representative of Jesus Christ.

Impressions of Brasil

• Brasilians Love giving Thumbs up for lost of things! its like what you see everyone doing

Address:

Rua Republica da Armenia 765

Agua Fria

60821-760 Fortaleza-CE

Brazil

(Note mail in Brazil is regulated as you might have heard, packages and even letters have a high chance of being opened if you do not cover the letter or package in pictures of Jesus and Catholic Mary. Shipping takes about a month time sometimes longer.

38th Week Out, 18th week in Juazeiro, Fortaleza

This week we had mission conference in Fortaleza with the whole mission so we had to take the 10 hour bus ride there and another 10 hours back again but it was really cool to see all the missionaries I knew! 

This Sunday Bruno was confirmed a member and he also received the Aaronic Priesthood. We had a baptism Sunday for a man by the name of Cicero. I have been working with him now for two months and he finally made the decision he wanted to be baptized. I found him one day as I was passing by houses of less actives and he had moved into the house.  He let us come in and share a message with him.  We invited him to church that Sunday and he went. After that we started passing by but it was difficult, he wasn't at church because he got a new job working as a motorcycle taxi driver.  He was on call so we couldn't never find a time he was home.  We found out that he was there in the mornings, so this week we passed by every morning, sacrificed our studies, and taught him.  He received an answer to his prayers in a dream.  His dream was that he was in a chapel (the exact chapel here which he had never seen yet).  He was looking for me but he had forgot my name.  He found me in the middle of a group of people and he said I was waving to come.  

I know he received an answer this church is true. I know he feels in his heart this church is true and asked me to baptize him this Sunday.  He has his wife and 6 kids and he is determined to bring them to the truth of this church that he now has.  I know that everyone receives answers in different ways, not everyones answer comes in a dream, mine didn't. But it definitely comes. I 'm grateful for the knowledge I have that I to KNOW this church is true.  I love you all and thank you for your love and support!

Impressions of Juazeiro Brasil

• They don't have trash cans here for the garbage man, sometimes there's small crates but just about everyone here makes a pile of trash in the middle of the road.

37th Week Out, 17th week in Juazeiro, Fortaleza

This week I got to experience miracles! 1st things first our emailing time has been changed I know only have 40 minutes to email instead of 1 hour and 30 minutes so I'm sorry if I don't email back! This week I taught English class for the first time to try and find more people to teach! I had a class of members and non members. I taught how to pray in English! So this week Our Mission President told everyone they needed to baptize this week! So me and my companion did everything possible to have 1. we worked incredible hard, fasted, and prayed for miracles. Sunday morning started the 1st miracle when 1 of our past investigators showed up at church. her name was Marcia, we had dropped her about a week ago because she didn't want to hear anymore and just doubted everything we said. We spent hours and weeks with her. She yelled at us some times and I would get up and say Marcia I'm not here to fight, I will leave if you just want to fight. I gave her a blessing, she was the first person I ever gave a blessing here in Brazil in Portuguese, I didn't even know how that day, so i had asked my companion if he knew but he didn't know either, so we were siting there looking through the missionary handbook to know what to say. Sunday at church she told us how sorry she was for all the work she put us through and she told us she had received an answer to her prayers that she knew this church was true! and she would be baptized! So that night she was baptized and we had another baptism planned that night along with her. His name is Bruno and hes 21 years old but he didn't show up for the baptism. we called him after it was 7:30 and told him we were still all ready and everyone was still here waiting for him but he said next Sunday... so we started walking home and almost got there, it was 8:00 when Bruno called us and told us he wanted to baptized tonight still, so we RAN all the way back to the church, told everyone to stay because by that time everyone was leaving, we planned another baptism and Bruno was baptized that night! the spirit was so strong! I know both of these baptisms were miracles. My faith grew so much and I know if we have faith we can do all things! I love you all and thank you for all your love and support!

Impressions of Brasil

-Every restaurant has a picture of "the last supper"

Bruno and his girlfirend who is not a member as well but she is investigating the church.

Marcia Baptism, also the first person I ever gave a blessing here in brasil in portugese

36th Week Out, 16th week in Juazeiro, Fortaleza

Hello;

This week transfer calls came and my companion was transferred.  Then I found out I would be training!  I traveled to Fortaleza by omnibus.  The trip was 10 hours there and another 10 hours back!  We had a training there and I met my companion.  His name is Elder Correa.  He is a Native Brassilian from Porto Alegre North.  He is the only member in his family!  His parents are divorced.  He is 19 years old.  I love the kid!  He has a big heart!  I'm so excited to be training already!  I know I will learn much from this experience!  

We only worked 2 days this week because we were in Fortaleza all week, but we managed to have 6 investigators at church!

I love you all and thank you for all your love and support!

Impressions of Fortaleza Brasil

• Onibuses here Double the maximum capacity of passengers! (ex maximum 100 and theres like 200 people on these buses!)

Address:

Rua Republica da Armenia 765

Agua Fria

60821-760 Fortaleza-CE

Brazil

(Note mail in Brazil is regulated as you might have heard, packages and even letters have a high chance of being opened if you do not cover the letter or package in pictures of Jesus and Catholic Mary. Shipping takes about a month time sometimes longer.

35th Week Out, 15th week in Juazeiro Fortaleza

Dear family and friends this week I have hit 8 months! man time is picking up speed!

Transfers come today but I want to stay here! I love my area, I love my companion, I love this people! I know 1 day I will have to leave, but it will be a hard day. This week me and my companion worked hard on making new investigators because our teaching pool was running low. We found 27 new firm people this week. 2 of which said they WILL go to church this sunday unless they die. They have so many missionaries from this litte Ramo (group) serving in the field! 10! its such a strong Ramo and I love seeing it grow! To experience people being baptized and confirmed every sunday is deffinetly not the normal from home. I loved fast sunday here in brasil like allways! its amazing to see so many people get up and bear their simple but strong testimonies of how they know this church is true. Me and my companion had a lot of rejection this week. We had a baptism planned this sunday but the day before he slammed his gate in our face and told us never to come back. But despite the rejection we face I can say with all my heart that this is worth it! I add my FIRM testimony that I know this churchy is true, I dont just really think so... I KNOW its true and its something NO ONE can take from me! My answer came as I got down on my knees and offered a simple prayer and asked heavenly father if it was true.,I didnt see some pilar of light or hear gods voice but I had a simple answer that I cant deny. I know everyone can recive an answer! and thats why im here to help people know of this truth! I love you all and thank you for all your love and support!

Impressions of Juazeiro Brasil

-Everyone loves bannanas! they have bannana everything here! (fried bannana, the lists are endless) and the best part is you can just grab bannanas off the trees here as your walking around!

I asked the RAIO here if i could take a picture with them! the RAIO is sweet its like a special military force that deals with drug trafficing. they use bullet proof black clothes and ride around on motorcycles through town in a group of 4 and 1 has a big assult rifle. if you have never heard of the RAIO before look them up on the internets its very cool to see them in action!

City of Jauzeiro

All the kids in the streets here and from their roof tops fly Pipas (kites) Pipas are a huge cultural thing here in Brasil! I walk by kids every day flying Pipas! They even have wars here with kites and they will try and cut eachothers lines. So Thago taught me how to make and fly a pipa this week!

34th Week Out, 14th week in Juazeiro, Fortaleza

Dear family and Friends;

This week we didn't have much time to work due to General Conference, and we also had a Mission Conference as well so not much to report.  I have been spiritually filled and uplifted this week and I would strongly suggest anyone who did not have the opportunity to watch Conference to watch it recorded!  It was very spiritual as Elders; Rasband, Stevenson, and Renlund were sustained as new Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I was lucky to be able to assist all the sessions of Conference in English, along with some other Americans.  We all crammed into the little clerks office!

This past Sunday made me step back and look at my life and realize how my Portuguese has improved.  I talk with just about everyone with no problem.  I can always seem to explain what I want to say.  I understand what people are saying.  I know that through my efforts of studying and correcting myself, that Heavenly Father is blessing me for my efforts.  There's no way I could have done this on my own.

It was funny to see new Americans arrive this week at the Mission Conference who were in the same position I was when I first got here.

Brothers and sisters I know my Heavenly Father is with me.  I thank you for all your prayers, and for all your love and support!  I know that it's blessing me!

Impressions of Juazeiro Brasil

• Everyone wars soccer jerseys for T-shirts everyday.

Address:

Rua Republica da Armenia 765

Agua Fria

60821-760 Fortaleza-CE

Brazil

(Note mail in Brazil is regulated as you might have heard, packages and even letters have a high chance of being opened if you do not cover the letter or package in pictures of Jesus and Catholic Mary. Shipping takes about a month time sometimes longer.

33rd Week Out, 13th week in Juazeiro, Fortaleza

This week we were going through our list of less active members, and we were going to pass by a man named Chrysten.  We got to the address listed for him but no one answered the door.  Now at this point we could have just gone on to the next less active, but I felt an impression to "try harder." So I knocked the doors of some of Chrysten's neighbors and quickly found out that Chrysten no longer lived there and no one knew who Chrysten was.  We did ended up finding a man that knew Chrysten!  He explained how to get to this long road where he lived but he didn't know which house.  (Roads here in the center of Juazeiro are long!  They can have thousands of houses on a road!)  I wanted to give up, but I still had that feeling of "try harder."  We made our way to this road and we asked people, restaurants, knocked doors, anyone on this street but no one knew who Chrysten was.  We were walking down this road and I saw a woman through a small window as we walked by and had a STRONG feeling to go and talk to her.  She said the name sounded familiar and she called her son over to ask if he knew Chrysten, and he did!  They described the house but didn't have the number.  We started down the road to find it, and while we were walking, this kid that knew him yelled from behind us and said we had passed it.  This time he guided us to his door.  We clapped our hands and Chrysten answered the door!  He hadn't been to church in 10 years, nor seen missionaries since because he had moved and no one knew where.  He was so happy to see us and we bore our testimonies that Heavenly Father truly guided us to him.  We invited him back and Sunday morning as we walked into church, Chrysten was standing at the doors and said "I beat you."  He was baptized at 28 and now is 39, at the time there wasn't even a church building here yet, just a small group that met in a 2 story house.  We could have given up many times with finding him, but because of our efforts, and listening to the promptings I felt, Heavenly Father guided us to one of his lost sheep. After 10 years, Chrysten took the sacrament this Sunday.  

This Sunday we also had 2 baptisms.  One was Daniel who is the younger brother of Thiago!  Through Thiago, we were able to help Daniel come to a surety that this church is true.  Ezikel was our other baptism.  He is 17 years old and suffers with depression.  He is the son of Jovelina, the woman we baptized last Sunday.  When we first met him, he didn't want to talk with us.  I asked him if we could talk with him for 30 seconds one day and we told him how much Heavenly Father loved him.  We told him that he could feel of that love if he would just pray to our Heavenly Father.  After that lesson, he prayed with us and told Heavenly father he was sorry for not believing in him.  The spirit was so strong.  His mom was crying and from that point on Ezikel wanted to hear more and more.  Last Sunday I motivated him to try and go to church one time!  Just one time.  I told him "If you don't like it, you don't have to go again."  But I know if anyone goes to church one time, they will feel something different than they have ever felt before, that is the Holy Ghost!  It testifies of truth to all of us through this feeling.

I know that this church is true!  I also had the opportunity to become close to one of the sisters investigators.  His name was Cicero and we have become good friends over the last 2 weeks.  I had the opportunity to baptize him as well.  I love this program Heavenly Father has created for us! Brothers and Sisters, I hope you all know that I'm here serving a mission because I want to.  I'm not serving because anyone made me!  I am here because I wanted to!

I love you all and thank you for all your love and support!

Impressions of Juazeiro Brasil

1. Brasillians play Just Dance using YouTube!
2. Brasillians really love birds! Almost every house you enter has pet birds.
3. Dont baptize your camara.....yea

Address:

Rua Republica da Armenia 765

Agua Fria

60821-760 Fortaleza-CE

Brazil

(Note mail in Brazil is regulated as you might have heard, packages and even letters have a high chance of being opened if you do not cover the letter or package in pictures of Jesus and Catholic Mary. Shipping takes about a month time sometimes longer.

32nd Week Out, 12th week in Juazeiro, Fortaleza

Dear family and friends;

Not much to report this week.  Some of the world mission rules have changes and my mission doesn't even have to use suits anymore so I decided to give mine to my recent convert Thiago for his 18th birthday.  

Sunday Thiago received the Melchizedek priesthood.  That night we has a baptism for Jouvelina Maria Carvalhas De Freitas.  She asked me to baptise her and it was hard because she was scared of the water.  She is such a strong woman.  She has one girl and four boys.  One of them has depression and we have been crucial friends in his life.  We have been teaching her for a couple weeks.  It's amazing to see people, who at first you go by and start teaching them about gospel principles, but once they pray about our message and receive a answer, they truly have a desire to know more and share it with others. 

Brothers and Sisters, anyone can know that this church is the true church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints here on the face of the earth.   All you have to do is pray and ask Heavenly Father.   You don't go and research on the Internet because who can lie?  All of us?  We are all human?  But who cannot lie?  Heavenly Father.  If you don't ask you will NOT receive an answer.  I know this is true because I have gotten down on my knees and prayed and received an overwhelming feeling.  This feeling is the Holy Ghost I talk about nearly every letter.  It's better than any feeling in the world, 40 times stronger than any drug.  I love this feeling that I cherish every day. 

"If our lives and our faith are centered on Jesus Christ and his restored gospel, nothing can ever go permanently wrong."  On the other hand, if our lives are not centered on the Savior and his teachings, no other success can ever be permanently right…"

I love you all and thank you for all your love and support.

Impressions of Juazeiro Brasil

1. It's loud here!  There's always some kid screaming, a crying child, someone pounding something, music blasting, a motorcycle... forget your peace and quietness.
2. They have a drink here by the name of Guarana Jesus!

Address:

Rua Republica da Armenia 765

Agua Fria

60821-760 Fortaleza-CE

Brazil

(Note mail in Brazil is regulated as you might have heard, packages and even letters have a high chance of being opened if you do not cover the letter or package in pictures of Jesus and Catholic Mary. Shipping takes about a month time sometimes longer.

31st Week Out, 11th week in Juazeiro, Fortaleza

Dear Family and friends;

This week I hit 7 months and time just continues to fly.  This week was filled with miracles.  So a while back I was on a street looking for a man that someone referenced to me, but with the directions given to me, I was brought to a road but didn't know what house.   I felt prompted to talk to a lady in the street and ask her if she knew him.  Her name was Rosa.  She didn't know where he lived but she told me that she had a cousin that was a member of our church, and it seemed that she knew a lot about Mormons.  I asked if one day I could come by her house and share a message with her, which she accepted.  Now we started passing by her house and teaching her like an investigator, but after 3 or 4 visits, she revealed to us that she was a member of the church 10 years ago but fell away.  She had lived in Sao Paulo and moved here so she was not on the church records because no one knew where she lived.  Brothers and sisters, I invited her to "come back" and this last Sunday,  after 10 years, she sat next to me in church.  We knocked nearly every door on her street but we never found that man on her street... 

I now know that Heavenly Father sent me there for her.  My joy was so great yet again this Sunday, to have Rosa in church with her son.  During sacrament meeting Joao Neto and Thiago both stood up and were called to be ward missionaries for Juazeiro.  

Brothers and Sisters, this is the church of Jesus Christ here on the earth today.  It changes everyones life for the better!  Miracles DO happen and will continue to happen until that glorious day that our Savior comes again!  I love you all and thank you for all your love and support!

Impressions of Juazeiro Brasil

Walmarts here don't have anything American, not  food, clothes, nothing! you would forget its Walmart without the logo.

Address:

Rua Republica da Armenia 765

Agua Fria

60821-760 Fortaleza-CE

Brazil

(Note mail in Brazil is regulated as you might have heard, packages and even letters have a high chance of being opened if you do not cover the letter or package in pictures of Jesus and Catholic Mary. Shipping takes about a month time sometimes longer.