Updates from Brazil

Heloo everyone!!!

How are you all this week?  Well this week was amazing for us here in Santo Antonio de Jesus.  We had the baptism of a man who is amazing. His name is Rafael and is has 20 years old.   He told us this week how he started going to church because of a girl (see why its good to "flirt to convert"!!!)  But then he realized that Heavenly Father was using her to bring him into the church. Yesterday he went to a family night with us and bore an amazing testimony about the gospel of Jesus Christ.   We also had the baptism of Adriano he is the young man who has been going to church for over a year and his mom didn’t want him to be baptized.  This week he surprised us by saying he got the signature of his dad.  It was a complete miracle and the baptism service was one of my favorite services here on the mission.   They asked me to sing the music from EFY "one voice" in Portuguese and it went really well.   This Sunday they both received the priesthood and Adriano told me that in two years he would serve a mission.  It’s always nice to hear that your converts have an eternal perspective.   It seems like the Lord has been pouring out his blessings on our work the last few weeks.  It is an amazing time to be a missionary here.   

   We are teaching two families who are really amazing. One is a young man whose brother is already a member and he has a lot of problem with the commandments but has made a ton of promises to himself the lord and his family. It is the most amazing thing to see the changes that are happening in his life as he studies the Book of Mormon and is praying. I can really see his testimony growing.   The other family is a family from Argentina some of the family are members and others now.  It has been so much fun to teach this family. Sometimes i have no idea what they are saying but im grateful for the spirit that helps me know what to say!  We usually have really fun lessons full of laughter and the spirit.

    Well this week is Carnival and luckily here in this city it doesn’t mess-up our work.   The only thing that happens is the city completely shuts down and the people who don’t leave to go to Salvador get really drunk but we still manage to find people to teach. Im loving the work.  Hope you all have a great week.   I’ll write more next week. Love you!  

Love, 

Elder Mender