Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Jau

So, Conference pretty much rocked! We got to shake all of their hands! Totally worth the unpleasant 8 hour ride in a small van with 10 elders just to get there. Elder and Sister Goday were amazing and so were Elder and Sister Snow. Dad, Elder Snow, who served a mission in Germany, said that they had a saying...for every door that gets knocked on in Germany, someone gets baptised in Mexico...we all laughed. Also, there was a live translator there and during his talk, E.Snow said he was a pack rack and the interpreter paused and said, "Excuse me?" To which E.Snow explained to him and he said, ``Pao Duro,`` or 'hard bread' which is an expression here in Brasil and we all laughed. Elder Nelson talked about the Gathering of Israel, it was really really sweet, about how the work is rolling forth, how the prophecies of old are being fulfilled. He then commanded us to keep up the good work. Sister Nelson talked about obedience and how we can be pure.

The prayer went fine. I got to see all my dear friends. Sister Poast sends her love, and E.Corbitt is doing great, he´s been in the same zone for his entire mission, poor guy. E.Rasmussun is healthy, and Mom, E.Adam confessed his undying love for you and asked me to send you a big kiss to thank you for the book (it was a great book, I read it before I gave it to him), and S.Carvalho is good, too.

We've been teaching a young woman named Ana. She was about ready for baptism until our Zone leader 'burned' her and she ran. The gospel can help everyone to be better and live a better life. But, as members, we need to love them into the fold. It can be tough to change your life and we need to be patient with those that are trying.

Oh, to continue with the smallness of our world, my companion, Sister Forsyth, was companions with Sister Hart in the CTM. Yep. (insert our theme song here, 'It's a small world'!)

I dyed my hair. It´s dark brown now. I like it.

We got into a bible discussion on Saturday. So, we were teaching this man named Marcus and his friend who started talking about how we should perform miracles, how religion is of the devil, how only faith and works and salvation are individual and how we don´t need to be baptized, and how the Bible states that there can be no other bibles and all that jazz. Well, at first we began to explain a little, but when it became obvious that they just wanted to talk and not to listen, we just bore our testimonies and left. Oh, well.

Work is work, but you can see how the Lord is shaping us, day in and day out. Truly we are the Lord´s servants and this refiner´s fire is turning us into the Lord´s servants. We are becoming (for the most part) men and women of God with the power of heaven in our lives. This work, this happiness, is the most wonderful feeling in the world. I love my mission. I love the feelings of happiness, peace and wonder that are in my life. And this is just the beginning.

I´m probably getting transferred next week. I will be really sad to leave Jau.

Oh, Eric, Elder Pires is going home to Manaus this week. He's going to look for you.

That´s my life. Hope all is well. Love you all

S.Stapley

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