December 21, 2015

Hey everyone. So this week was very special for me. We saw many miracles  and felt spirit very strongly. To start off the family that we have been teaching for a few months got married on Wednesday. we went to the cartorio and the Judge legalized there married.(picture included) It was such a great event. After living together for 13 years together they were finally able to make the right choice and follow one of Gods commandments. It was so great there 2 kids went wearing tie and everything. It was a privilege to be a wittiness for their wedding. 

  Then the same day at 7:30 was their baptism. Victor and Lorenna didn´t know if they should ask their son Author if he would want to baptized also. They were in doubt because he had just finish a major achievement in the Catholic church.  I called Author over and explain about baptism and how it needed to be done. I told  him that his parents were going to be baptized and ask him if he wanted to be baptized also. He responded without a doubt,

I want to.

   It was very spiritual for me because I had the honor to do the 3 baptism ordinances. There were so many people at baptism. I was so happy that the ward is getting excited and coming out to support this new family. I love this family so much. I know that they will help the church alot and I can already imagine there 2 sons going on missions one day. I know that Victor is a great Dad and that he will be a great Priesthood holder when he receives it. They were ready for that special day. 

  Anderson our recent covert received the Melchizedek priesthood this week. after 2 and half months. Also Moisés and Helena we confirmed this Sunday. Moisés couldn´t stop asking  about when he was going to receive the Priesthood and how it works. He loves the church so much. 

  This week passed by really fast. I can´t believe that it is already Christmas. We are working hard now it find new people to teach. It is just a little complicated because everyone is traveling or doesn´t want to receive visits because they have so many things to do this time of the year. But the Lord always finds a way. 

Merry Christmas!! 

Com Amor,

Elder Seth

December 14, 2015

So this week I was showing the area to Elder Josephson. He met a lot members and the recent converts. He was stunned because he has been serving in really humble areas where everyone has little money. I think he is going to love this area a lot. 

  We had the ward Christmas dinner this Saturday. The entire week the members were telling me that it was going to be full of non members. I was think how in the world am I going to get contact information of all these people at a 2 hour dinner. Then we came up with the idea to do a raffle of American Candy. It was a success. Everyone filled out the papers we made that asked for name, number and address. Now we have a lot more people to teach!

  This week we focused a lot on updating the members list to see if there was a less active or if they had moved. There was this one house we visited were the member had moved away. But another member who moved from São Paulo had moved to the same house just 15 days before we knocked on his door. He said that he had stopped going to church and that he wanted to return. His wife and 2 kids aren´t members yet! I´ll keep you guys posted on how it goes. What ia miracle

  

  This Sunday was the baptism of Moisés and Helena. It was fantastic. I have never seen so many members at a baptism in my entire life, the ward really showed up and gave them support. Gabriel the first Counselor baptized both of them. It was perfect because we really worked hard on the integration before they we baptized and it paid off. I love  this family so much. Moisés is one of the smartest people I have ever met. He has a college degree in physics, administration, and law. They are really going to help the church a lot. They are really involved and ready to serve.

  When we were finishing up the baptism we announced the baptism of Vitor, Lorenna, and Author. A family that we have been teaching  for awhile submitted their papers  to get married and this Wednesday. They will be baptized and married! It is going to be a really special event. I can´t wait till it happens.

 Thanks Mom and Dad for the Christmas stuff! loved it. Miss everyone. time is passing by really quick.

My last Christmas on the mission is coming up. I have never felt such mixed feels of happiness and sadness. I love the mission so much!

Com Amor,

Elder Seth

December 6, 2015

Hey everyone!

This was my last week with Elder Montes sadly. Love that kid. He was one of my best comps and we work hard and well together. I know that he will do great things on the mission and in his life. I´m really grateful for the things he taught me, including the love and patience he had with everyone. He will be missed but I´m super excited because my new comp is Elder Josephson. He was in the MTC with me and we have always been buddies. This was inspiration from God to President without a doubt. I can´t wait to learn from him and become a better missionary.

 This Sunday Rose was baptized. She caused us to stress out alitle bit because she was more than ready. We had already taught everything she needed to know. Then she went through the baptismal interview and she passed. But she said ´´I don´t know if I have desire to baptize right now.´´ We told her to pray about it and see what God has to say about this. The next day she pulled us aside and told us she recieved here answer. She was baptized Sunday right after church. It was awesome and she was crying the entire time. We are so grateful for her and the spirit that helped her be baptized.

 Update on our elect family Moisés and Helena. This family is amazing. They are the family that said they want to be baptized and enter in the kingdom of God. They are loving the church. This Sunday we all went over to the house of the 1st Counselor and ate lunch. They opened up and said they feel the changes happening in there lives. Then we left a message about temples. They were super interested and asked a lot of questions, gladly we had 2 families there that was able to share there experience they had when they were seal in the temple. The only thing they didn´t like was that they are going to have to wait 1 year after the baptism to be sealed! This Sunday will be there baptism!

I have never been so busy in my entire life. We are help people be baptized, visiting the people that were recently baptized, finding new people to help, taking care of 30 missionaries, and helping member return to church. I love this so much. At time I stop and think about it and get sad because everything is happening to fast that I can´t even take advantage of each special experience I and having.

The mission is awesome. Love this scriptures, love prayer and love the presence of the Holy Ghost.

Com Amor,
Elder Seth

November 30, 2015

Finally after 3 months of going to Church Julio, Sandra and Mel were baptized. On Friday we went to legalized their marriage. It was really great to see a family be legally married and that they were able to keep a commandment of God. They are going to be really blessed. Then that night a few members helped us do a small reception. It wasn't  a typical  wedding party but it was a great way to celebrate. Every member did something so it turned out to be super great.

Then on Sunday they were baptized. Most of the members thought they were already members because they always go to church and they know so much. There were so many people that went to the baptism that everyone didn´t fit in the room. The best problem a missionary can have, when there are too many members supporting the people getting baptized. Next week they are going to be confirmed.

Moisés and his family went to church this Sunday and loved it. We are helping them get ready for their baptism on the 13th. He pulled me aside and thanked us for the visits and the differences that are happening in his life. He is going to be a great leader and is going to help many people in the church. We are going to keep praying and helping them so that they will be ready for the 13th. The ward loves them and is helping a lot in the process of them feeling at home.

The ward is so excited that they are inviting us to teach all their friends. This week is already super busy just because the members marked all the visits.

Time is passing by so fast here on the mission. I am always telling my missionaries in my zone that they can´t afford to waste their time. They can always buy a new car, get more money but time on a mission  is something that passes and we can´t get it back. The mission is just 2 years of our lives and after these 2 years we will have an eternity to think about what we did. Things are so busy here, which I love. It´s better to be super busy than sitting at home playing video games.

Love the mission, love to work.
-Elder Seth

November 23, 2015

Hey everyone! 

This week was great. To start off Francimere was baptized this Saturday. It was truly a miracle because I didn´t know if she was going to be baptized because she seemed really uneasy. But we went to her house Tuesday and she said that she had a dream. She had a dream that she was being baptized. Then she still had doubts about whether or not she should be baptized. Then the next night she dreamed the same thing. She took this as an answer from God and was baptized. I know that she will be really blessed because of this act. 

   Then on Sunday Yasmin and Fancimere were both confirmed. they were the first people to walk into church on Sunday morning. It was such a special experience to see my recent converts blessing and passing the sacrament. They have little time as member but they are growing so fast in the gospel. It just adds to the strengthening of my testimony of this Church and the affects it has on people.

  HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK. So we received a reference from a less active member who has stopped going to church for awhile. The reference he gave us was  Moisés. Moisés is a lawyer who is super smart, he graduated from the Federal College and has a family. Anyways we got to his house Friday nightand it was pouring rain. We started teach the lesson and it felt that it was a disaster. His Wife had to feed the baby, then had to give it a bath because it got dirty. Then the pizza arrived. I was dying inside because I was doing everything I could to maintain the spirit but I felt that the situation wasn´t going to let it happen. Then we explained about baptism and the need of it. With the lesson torn up because of the constant interuptions we bore a simple but firm testimony of how we need to be baptized and that everyone needs to be baptized in that form to open the gates of the heavens. Moisés sat there thinking until he said, ´´Elder Seth, Elder Montes, I want to be baptized, how can I do this?´´ I had to catch my falling jaw. It was literally a miracle because I was almost certain that we had failed to share the important message. We asked his wife if she also desired to enter in the Kingdom of God. Without hesitation she said she was thinking the same thing as her husband. We marked a date for the 13th of Dec! I learned that very moment that baring a strong testimony in the things that you believe allows the Holy spirit penetrate the hearts of people.

   This Friday will be a wedding reception of Sandra and Julio. Then on Sunday they will be baptized as a family! Can´t wait

  These as just a few of the many miracles I saw this week. I´m so grateful for the inspiration of my President to put me in this area right now. I know that I was called to serve here for a purpose. Not just to teach others but to learn and strength my testimony with them. The mission is an amazing experience. Love it. 

Com Amor,

Elder Seth

November 16, 2015

Where to begin? 

  To start off Yasmin was baptized.She was really prepared and was a great was for her to start her life over. I was so happy that we got to her before Satan because she is a really great person. Now that she is member of the church she will have a lot of support and friends that will help her keep the commandments. Her situation is a little sad because she never knew her dad and her Mom is hardly present in her life. She said that she is going to serve a mission! Not only will the church make a huge difference in her life but she will also make a huge difference to the people around her.

  We went with Bishop to organize the reception party for Julio and Sandra. Everything is begging organized now. They will be married on the 27th of November and baptized on the 29th! They are really excited and they love the church and always tells us how they are already members just need to be baptized to make it official. We have been waiting a few months and final it has arrived! Two more weeks!

 

We are working hard and loving every minute of it. The computer that i´m using is filled with Viruses and it causing a lot of problems. Loving the mission. I promise that I will write more next week.

Com Amor,

Elder Seth

November 9, 2015

This week was filled with excitement and miracles. To start off the week we went to the cartorio with Vitor and Lorenna! We put there papers in on Tuesday so that they can be legally married on the December 16th and baptized the 17th! we are super excited that they finally made this big step to get married and be baptized as a family of 3! Picture is included.

We received a references of a family that is really, really awesome. We went there on Thursday and we shared the message about Joseph Smith. At the beginning they were alittle sceptical but by the time the wife was reading Moroni 10:4-6 she was in tears. The spirit was really strong that night. We returned the next day and we left videos and other material of the church. On Sunday they rolled up in there Sundays best and half of the members asked them what ward they were from. To put the cherry on top they went to the fireside Sunday night which was about how to be self sufficiency. They loved every second of it. We marked a family night on Thursday. I´ll keep you guys posted. 

  This week we had the baptism of Emily. We found a family that wasn´t going to church for 6 years. We started visiting them until the mom returned to church and started bringing her five kids! Emily is the oldest of the 5 kids and the entire family is super excited to returned to church. The baptism was a great way to help this family remember to feels they have already felt in the church. Emilys Grandpa was able to come and do the baptism! 

  This week was amazing. We were blessed to have 13 investigators at church and we are praying that everything will go right until they are baptized. I had a weird experience where I woke up an hour early than I usually do. I woke up with this overwhelming feeling of joy. I was in a stage of excitement and peace, I have never felt this so strong in my life. As I sat there reflecting on the people and miracles we have encountered, I received a confirmation. A confirmation that this is exactly where I need to be, exactly what I need to be doing. I love my mission and I love the people that I serve. The things I am learning are priceless and without a doubt God is putting them in my path for me to learn from them. 

Cherish  every moment in life because life is to short to complain. Thank you for the prayers and support!

Com Amor,

Elder Seth

November 2, 2015

‎
To start out Victoria was baptized! I was such a great experience for her and the ward. Everyone is starting to get excited and is offering to help us. There were a lot people at the baptism and some investigators who loved it to. The spirit was really strong and it was such privilege to be apart of it. Vitoria will do great things. Our next goal is to send her on a mission!
   This week we found some great people who were put in our path by God. At times I think that God is being to nice to me right now because he is giving us so many things to be grateful for. I really feel his love and support in this work. With the help of the lord we are getting more and more excited. One person that we found this week was Yasmin. Usually we don´t have time to do contacts on the street because we are always running to our next visit. But we had 10 minutes until our next visit and we started looking on the street. We found a group of people and started to talk to them. Within a matter of minutes we could  tell who is wanting to listen and who isn´t. Yasmin asked a few questions and we knew that she was special. We got her address and number. To make a long story short, we taught her, she went to church and she is reading the Book of Mormon. she lives really close to the chapel. She will be a member soon!
  We are working with Emily to get he baptized this week. She is a daughter of a less active. She is turning 9 so we wanted to do a Birthday party and a baptism. Let see how this turns out.
  There is so many things to write but little time. I love this work. Without a doubt it is tiring because you are using your spirit, body, and hard. Everything at one weighs on you but through the miracle and experiences we are having I wouldn´t trade this experience with anything else in the world. My comp is awesome we are working hard and joking around. Working with a your head up smiling is one of the best things ever.
Love the mission so much!
Com amor,
Elder Seth

Pic the family we baptized last month bought a new apartment at a really cool building. He had his birthday part on the top floor and it was awesome. Also I was able to mark a few visits with his friends this week, lets see how it goes.

October 26, 2015

We had transfers this week and President made some inspired transfers. I super excited for the new missionaries in the zone and I can´t wait to see the results. I stayed in the area with Elder Montes and we are filled with excitement for this transfer. We can´t wait to see more miracles and to find more people to teach.
  Looking back on this week, it passed really fast because we are super busy and we are having alot of spiritual experiences. I´m loving it.
  This week we visited Victoria and it was amazing. She said that she read the Book of Mormon and prayed. That night she woke up at 2 in the morning and said she had one of the greatest feelings she has ever had. She took it as an answer from God that these things are true. She came up to us on Sunday between classes and said ´´It´s descided´´ We asked what was decided and she said ´´my baptism date on the first of November´´ We were so happy when she said this; Not only that she had received a answer from God but that she is acting on the answer. She is showing her faith in these things and putting them in to practice. We are getting her ready for this Sunday.
  A few weeks ago we stopped at a churro stand to get a churro filled with doce de leite to reward ourselves after a great lesson.(at times you have to put the cherry on top) As we were leaving the owner asked us a quick question and we suddenly realized that she had alot of interest in our message. We left a pamphlet with her that had our number on the back. She didn´t give us her address because she was moving that week but we got her number. Three  weeks passed and Elder Montes felt inspired to call her. She said that she was thinking alot about us and lost the pamphlet in the move. We ran over there and left a message with her. Rose(her name) is 21 and has a 3 year old child(João). To make a long story short we invited her to church this passed Sunday. They showed up and she brought her friend. they loved it, they said ´´finally a church that didn´t ask for money and didn´t scream in our faces.´´ We visited them that same night and introduced the Book of Mormon. and we confirmed the baptized for the 15 of Nov!!! I´m so grateful for the spirit and how he lead us in our work.
  The Family that we baptized 2 weeks ago is progressing so much. They received the Aronic Priesthood last Sunday. The sons are blessing and passing the sacrament now. Also the Dad is getting the Melchizedek priesthood at the up coming stake conference.
  Things are starting to pick up. This Sunday we had 13 investigators in church. It was crazy for us, running to everyone and explaining everything. I love the feeling of being so busy that I forget about my personal needs. Hungry, thirst, home sick, ect. It is just a race to do more and more each day.
  The mission is awesome. At times I feels different  that I don´t miss home more,  but I know that that Lord is doing this so that I can put heart and soul in this work. Everyday is a better day.
Don´t have a lot more to say but that the sky is blue and the church is true. até a semana que vem gente. de mais
Com Amor,
Elder Seth 

October 19, 2015

‎Waiting for that October rain

Sorry for last weeks email, we didn´t have time to write but it all good because I will write alittle more this week.
 To start off it´s getting super hot here. The fan we have just blows hot air at night so at times we sleep on the cold tile floor to give us some relief.
  The work is picking up here in Aguas Claras. We went to the cartório and put in the papers for Sandra and Julio. 27th of Nov they will be married and the family of 3 will be baptized on the 28th. We are really excited for them and we can´t wait till they are married it´s going to be such a special event.
   One of the many miracles we had this week was when we were lost in a part of the city that we have never been. We asked a family that was sitting on the street and they told us where our destination was. As we were leaving a young girl said that she knew are church. As we started to talk alittle bit more we discovered that they had alot of interest in the church but the missionaries that were teaching them were transferred. They lost contact and that was the end of the story, until we found them. Sandra(mother) has a serious problem with smoking. In 15 mins she smoked 6 cigarettes. We are going to keep working with her. Her son already has a baptismal date and will be baptized in 2 weeks(31 de Oct) It was amazing how the Lord put them in our path. We were lost in the middle of no where and the Lord showed us the way.
   We have marked 2 other marriages but they are wanting to get married in Dec. We are excited and we are going to keep preparing them to get baptized. I love this area so much because we are finding alot of families that are reading the stuff we are leaving with them and going to church. I know that because of this these families will be blessed.
  This week we planned on bringing 20 investigators to church. It was set in stone, rock solid. On Sunday we were sad because only 11 went because of the day light savings time chaange. Half of the ward showed up late or didn´t even go. Luckily we have next week to get at it. I´m loving every second here on the mission, my comp is awesome. We play around alot but we are working like dogs. The time is passing so fast. We have 6 weeks together but it feels like I got here yesterday.
  Elder Xavier is going home this week sadly. His mission finishes on Friday. We played soccer today for the last together. I´m going to miss him alot because he truly was a great friend and example. The mission will miss his presence as one of the best assistants to the President ever.The good news is, is family is coming to visit his areas with him and....I´m going to be able to meet his family and eat lunch with them!  I will be at his wedding when I finish my mission.
  Happy Birthday Dad. Thank you so much for everything you have done for me and my family. I know that I am who I am because of the way you taught me. You are a true role model to me in someone who is humble and caring. I know that because of your example my life is better and happier than it would be without you. Although you never played basketball with me again because you are scared to lose you have always been a loving Father. I can´t wait to have my kids and treat my kids the way you always treated me.
I just have time for this but thanks everyone! time flys to live it up and be productive.

Com Amor,
Elder Seth

‎

October 12, 2015

There is no time to write today. Congrats Vanessa. That family was baptized! Found great people. I will see if I can write more tomorrow!!! Love all of you guys!!

October 5, 2015

This week was a blast. Running place to place, having to do splits with the members to visit all of investigators. The rushed life, is the real life. I´m loving every second of it.

 To start off the family of Anderson will finally legalize there marriage on the 8th! We are so proud and excited for them. They are so ready to be baptized on the 10th! They have already invited all of there relatives and friends to watch there baptism, it will be a great time to show the outside world how special the church is. They also moved in to there sweet new apartment and after they took us to a sweet restaurant where we ate a lot of Picanha. They are going to help the Church so much with there love to serve others.

  We marked a baptismal date with the Family of Vitor and Lorenna for the 7th of November! Lets see if there already married. The next visit we will give the low down on Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity. I hope they will leave these things behind because of their desire to be a happier family. We are praying alot for them.

  Sandra and Julio are going to do there paper work for their wedding on the 8th! We are finish a marriage on the 8th and starting a new one. I´m so excited because Sandra said´´I´m tired of wasting time, I just want to get baptized´´. I can´t wait to see there family of 4 get baptized. The ward is helping so much in making them feel apart of the family. They are just having a few struggles with money but nothing the Lord can´t solve!

 Conference was amazing, I loving hearing the words of the prophets that are called to give us personal guidance. I felt inspired many times about things that will help me be a better person. I´m downloading the talks right now so that I can listen to them over and over again, so that I can remember and apply these things in my life.

 We are super happy and we are visiting less active and reactivating them. We visited a family who hasn´t go to church in a really long time(15 years). She is married and has 5 kids, no one was baptized yet. We are working a lot with them and they went to conference this week! I´ll keep you guys posted.

Times out but the fun keeps going. Thank you for the emails everyone. I´m sorry I haven't sent pictures, my memory card is being fixed  by a member. Next week I´ll send them.

Love you guys!

Com Amor,
Elder Seth

‎

September 28, 2015

‎Miracles to say the least. This week was so busy and so eventful. The work here is catching on fire in our area and all the members want a piece of it.

 To start off we are teaching  all of families who are look for a better life through following the steps of Jesus Christ. Our  days are chalk full of visits, at times we have to run to the next appointment so that we don´t show up late.(have to be super professional  in this area.) It was awesome because we are using the technique of getting to know the people, gaining there confidence, and the leaving a powerful message.

 This Sunday the Lord helped  us bring 15 investigator to church, and the best part is that we didn't pick anyone up. They all went by themselves. This is when you know that you are teaching people with desire. When they wake up early, put on there sundays best and take the kids to church on Sunday morning. I couldn´t stop smiling with joy this Sunday.
 Also we have been working a lot with less active members so that they can return to church. We were able to bring back 9 less active to church this week! 1 family hasn´t gone to church for 2 years. We will do everything we can to get 3 of them on missions! I´m so grateful for the spirit and the power it has to soften the hearts of men. Through this power people have a desire to return to church.

We are finishing up the marriage of Sandra and Julio this week! they asked if we could be witnesses at their  marriage, one of the best questions and honors I´v ever heard in my life. Everyone is really excited to see this family get baptized.

 The Anderson family is going strong still, they are practically already members, they will be married on the 8th and baptized on the 10th.

 We have Vitor and Lorenna a golden family who wen to church. The lesson was perfect because it was about what happened after death. Lorennas Mom died a few months ago and she was super close to her. We have a family night with them today, I´ll keep you guys posted.

 Something that we are doing that is making the biggest difference is what we are doing with members. In the past missionaries have passed through here and were just talking about all types of things. My comp and I are just talking about the work. We talk about our investigators, their  needs, where they live, what activities we are planning ect. This gets the members attention and gets them excited. Then we leave a message, as were leaving the house they give us a reference of a friend they have been holding on to for a long time. I wish I knew this in the beginning of my mission. The members take serious the missionaries who take the work serious. through this you gain respect, help, and confidence of the members.

 I´m loving it here. the area is amazing, the members are solid gold, and my comp is the best. We are super excited to see more miracles  this week!

I can´t wait for conference this week, I know is will be a conference that we will never forget. I know that we have a prophet that lives and guides us. This work is a work of miracles. I know this through my personal experiences. At  times I wish time could slow down so that I can cherish all the moments I´m passing.

I love you guys and I´m happy here to say the least.
Com Amor,
Elder Seth

September 21, 2015

   To start out I would like to start off by talking about my new Comp, Elder Montes. he is one of the most humble, loving, pure, and friendly guys I have ever met. He is from a small poor city in Peru. He taught English before the mission so that he could pay for his clothes and shoes to come on the mission. He loves playing basketball and is always smiling. He never speaks a bad word about anyone and always looks at the good in others. One of the best things is that he isn´t prideful. He is hungry to learn and be a better missionary. Poor guy has had many health problems with teeth, sight, skin, ect. At time his parents didn´t have the money to pay, but he trusts in the Lord. He has never complained about his situation, I only know because I don´t stop asking questions. i´m really going to enjoy our time in Aquas Claras. I have alot to learn from him.
 This week was fantastic. I was able to visit the members and our investigators. I´m really excited because the member are here to serve and help. A majority of them are living in good conditions so they are able to spend more time helping with everything.

the investigators we have are awesome. They are families!!! It was always a struggle to find families in my other area but here it´s way easier. We have 4 families that we are working on. One  family is getting married on the 8th of Oct and will be baptized on the 10th. We found them because there son went and studied at Australia, he was baptized. And now his entire family will be! Miracle.

 My new zone is a little different from the other zone. In this zone we have 2 areas that were opened up recently. It´s hard because the trip is 5 hours to visit them. But luckily they are really great Elders and I trust them alot. I´m really excited to met new areas and Elders. Things are starting to pick up here, we had 8 investigators that went to church this week. We just need to keep visiting them until they are ready to be baptized and find even more.
Time is short but thank you everyone for the support. I am happy here. there is no other place in the world I would rather be. I know this work is sacred.
Com Amor,
Elder Seth

September 14, 2015

   This week one of the the best weeks of the mission. A week a gratitude and a week of thoughts.This past week was the last week in Gama, my home for the passed 6 months. I really felt that the members and the people I taught were apart of my family. It was a sad moment to say bye to them, but I know that the Lord will bless them.
   Where to start. Well that family that I said we threw the coffee away was baptized. We did the interview of the Father first, then as the Mother was being interviewed he put on the white clothes and was waiting outside the door with her baptismal clothing. It was perfect. Then within 10 minutes of finishing the interview they were both baptized. It was such an amazing experience to see the progress of this family, and until they were finally baptized. They will continue progressing in the Church, raising there family in righteousness.
  This week Kayla called us asking if we could visit her Wednesday morning. We said that we would. then after 2 hours she called and cancelled say that she couldn´t receive a visit.  felt a strong prompting to visit her anyway that morning when I woke up, and I told my comps that we would go anyways. When we got there everything was normal, until she bursted into tears. We finally calmed her down and figured out that she was having alot of difficulties with her Ex-husband and her family. When I heard these problems my mind was filled with a scripture that gives hope to those who are in need. Mosiah 24:13-14 ´13 And it came to pass that thevoice of the Lord came tothem intheir     afflictions, saying: Liftup your heads and be of goodcomfort, for I know of thecovenant which ye have madeunto me; and I will covenantwith my   people and deliverthem out of bondage.
 14 And I will also ease theburdens which are put uponyour shoulders, that even youcannot feel them uponyourbacks, even while you are inbondage; and this will I dothatye may stand as witnesses forme hereafter, and that  ye mayknow of a surety that I, the LordGod, do visit my people in their   afflictions.

In that very moment she said that she felt a peace that everything would be alright because she is doing that the Lord wants. It was a testimony builder to me of how the scriptures are about to give comfort to those in need. She will be baptized and I will ask President if i can watch her baptism!

  I don´t have alot of time but this Sunday was my favorite Sunday on the mission. We had the primary presentation. During this time of the primary kids sing and sharing the things they have learned I was about to learn a memorable lesson. I was able to see the simplicity, humility, and love in the children. In that very moment in the sacrament meeting I finally understood the counsel of the Lord and his prophets when they say ´´Be like a little child´´ I was about the feel the God like traits that children have and that we need to apply more of this in our lives. The innocents and love they have for other is the same way God is. I now understand more about the way God wants us to be and I have a strong desire to be more loving and pure because of it.
  I know this Church is true and that the things taught are the only way we can return to the presences of our Father in Heaven. I had so much to say but sadly time it out. I hope everyone can remember that God visits us in our difficulties if we say strong in hes gospel.

My new area and new comp is a adventure that I can´t wait to experience. Thank you all of the love and support.
Com Amor,
Elder Seth
These photos are of member and my recent coverts that I was able to help to be baptized! We also ate burritos for the first time in a year!

September 7, 2015

The 1st week of September.

Well this  week was excellent to say the least. I was able to feel the spirit really strong and I was about to see the others feel its presence too.

  This week I did a 3 day trade in Santa Maria North to see how they are doing. It was a great experience to be with Elder Josephson and Elder Barreto. They are great Elders that are trying to do everything right to be the best missionaries they can be. When I was there we were teaching a family. They were having alot of problems with coffee. Finally I couldn´t stand it anymore. I stood up and we threw out all the coffee in the house. We explain that it´s so much harder to fight temptations if we are always in places that tempt us. The father was totally for the choice to throw it out, but the wife's face looked like she had been stabbed in the back. Finally she realized that what we were doing was to help her and her family live the Lord's commandments. We bought substitute for the coffee and she said that it is basically that same thing if not better.

 If everything goes right, they will be baptized this next Saturday!!! I love doing these trades but it´s sad that I can't see how they progress until they are baptized.

 When I returned back to my area I was about to see more miracles. When I went to teach Kayla on Saturday she was vacuming everything so that I wouldn't  have to suffer from my cat allergy. Her son said that she spent an hour before we showed up cleaning the house for me. I felt really good thinking that someone I´v meet only two times would spend so much time cleaning for my comfort. Lets skip to the good stuff. So were teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is Faith, repentance, BAPTISM, Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. The lesson was fantastic, I was with Thainá(recent convert), and Cleriston(other recent convert). I was about to explain each principle and they testified about what I said and how it changed their  lives. It was really spiritual to say the least. And at the end it was time to invite to her to be baptized. In the moment I had a battle with my brain and my heart. My brain was telling me that it´s too early for her and that she will just say that she has already been baptized. But my heart was telling me that she need this invitation right now. For 30 seconds I was silence until my heart finally won the fight. The same invitation that I have done with countless of people was said one more time. With out hesitation Kayla said YES. I was so surprised that I had to ask if she understood my question. Then she responded YES  I will be baptized in this church.   I had one of the biggest grins on my face when she said yes. I was so happy that I was able to hear the whispers of the Holy ghost and then act upon it. I love being apart of situations like this one. where people show there faith by following the prompting of the Holy Ghost.

I´m loving my mission and it is flying by so fast. I´m so grateful for the people I know and  the experiences I am having!

This past week I download the general conference talks for 1995 the year I was born. I was so interesting to here the talks because they are about the same things that are said recently. They just were said in a different form and 20 years ago. This was a strong confirmation to me that this church doesn´t move that its doctrine in firm.

Love you guys!!!
Com Amor,
Elder Seth

August 31, 2015- A week of Miracles!

This week was full of miracles and great experiences. We worked really hard and we saw the Lord bless us for our efforts. I love the feeling when you collapse on your bed dead tired because you did everything you could that day.
   To start off meu filho (my son) had his first baptism! He was really nervous but he did great. He deserved it because he has been trying so hard! When I saw the baptism I had a flashback of my first baptism and how it was an event that I will never forget. It was an experience special and spiritual to me. I sure that he will never forget his first baptism also.
  This week we receive a reference to visit a woman with the name of Kayla. We went to see here and the lesson was amazing. She is an elect to say the least. She was married for 20 years and her husband controlled her  life. She couldn´t study, she had to go to his church, she didn´t have any freedom. Finally she couldn´t take it any longer and she ended her marriage. Since this moment her life has been super busy because she is working to pay the rent and studying law to live up her dream to be a judge. During the week she leaves her house 5:30am to work and then she studies at a college, she gets home a 10:30 every night.
   When she told me how busy her life is I was so shocked  that she accepted to let  us  visit her on her Saturday. This showed us that she has a strong desire to find the right path. We taught the Restoration and I was dying because she has a big old cat and my allergies still are killing me. But In the end everything we fine. She accepted the invitation to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. The we invited her to go to church with us on Sunday morning. I was thinking in the back of my head that she wouldn´t accept because it´s early and she will be tired from a long week. but to my surprise she accepted! We went by her house Sunday morning and she was waiting for us in her Sunday clothes. But wait there is more. She stayed for the 3 hours and at the end I asked what she thought. She said ´´Eu adorei´´ (I loved it)She stayed  for 1 hour after at the Church to watch the baptism.
  I´m filled with such joy and happiness that the Lord has put someone so special in my path. I know that the things we will share with her will change her life for the better. I´m just sad that we can´t get the ball rolling fast because we can only visit her on the weekends, but God will give us a way.
   Transfers are coming up in 2 weeks and sadly after being in Gama for 6 months I think I´m getting transferred. I´m going to work my hardest so that I can leave the area better than when I found it. I love this place and the people here.
 Thank you so much Family for the box that I received. I´m so grateful for the letter and paintings that I received from my nieces and nephews. I can´t believe that they are so big now! I hope that when I return they will recognize there favorite uncle ;)
  This work that I´m doing is without pay of money but I can fill the personal and spiritual payment that I am receive everyday from the Lord. I know this labor that I am doing is a sacred labor and that I was called by a prophet of God. I know that my mission is being led by President Lundgren who is a inspired man to guide us. I know my Savior lives and that we can us he blood that he sacrificed to clean away our sins so that we can be free of the guilt and pain.
  I´m happy so say that our mission will have the privilege to be visited by Elder Costa the 9th of September. I can´t wait to her his inspiring words.

Thank you for he support everyone!

Com Amor,
Elder Seth

August 24, 2015- 20 years of Life!

‎20 YEARS OF LIFE

This week I was doing a lot of reflecting about my life. About the things I have done well and the things that I wish I did differently. Looking back I realized that all of my success that I have had in my life was because of my family, leaders, friends  and course Jesus Christ my savior. I´m so fortunate to have been blessed with so many great people in my life who have been instruments in the Lords hands to make my life a better experience. One of the most special things about being on the mission is that making friends that will last forever. The friends that we make on the mission are made because of the great and hard times that we pass together. Through the laughter and the tears we are brought together to be a higher level of friends. But most importantly we share the same purpose here on the mission, to help other come unto Christ. With this common desire we share the same desire to preach the gospel to others. I think alot of my Grandpa Gary who served his mission 60 years ago, even today he meets up with the friends that he made on his mission. I´m cherishing the moments that i´m passing on the mission now and excited to have more to come.

 Elder Rojas comp(Elder Oliveira) was having problems on the mission with health so he returned home early after only being on the mission for 7 months. I was wanting him to stay but he said that his body couldn´t handle it any more. So we are in a trio Aliser, Rojas, and I. I was thinking of how I could use  this trio to help the zone improve. So I went to one of our areas (Santa MariaSul) for 3 days. It was the fastest three days of my life. We worked like dogs. We were able to find 15 new investigators and mark 6 baptismal dates. One of the Elders was feeling sick because we were working so much. So we left him at the house of a member. I was super happy because usually trades are only 1 day but with three days we were about get new habits and kill the bad ones. I was able to see a huge improvement in these Elders throughout these 3 day.

  I´m short on time so I´m skip to what happened on my Birthday.

Since its been 5 months that I´ve been in my area I am really close with all the members. On my Birthday I had to cut 5 Birthday cakes. It was literally they most crazy thing in my life, I have never eaten so much cake. I was so grateful for the love that the members showed me, I really felt like I was at home. I have pictures of everything but sadly I forgot my camera at home so I will send them next week.

 Today we played  soccer with President and after we went to a really great place to eat. I have never eat so much food in my life this weekend. I´m so grateful for this time I have on the mission. This is my second birthday on the mission and if I stay one more transfer I will have the privilege to have 3 Birthdays on the mission.

 Thanks you everyone for the emails and the prayers. It really means a lot to me.

Com Amor,
Elder Seth

August 17, 2015

‎WEIRD WEATHER

To start off the weather lately is extremely weird. During the day is super hot and you feel like you are melting in the sun. Also it has been without rain for months and  it dryer than a desert. And at night is super cold where you need 2 blanks to keep warm. Because of this rapid changing of temperatures I´v had a cold with a stuffy nose for 2 weeks. But it plays part in the mission.

Looking back this week was blur. It passed really fast with great moments and difficult moments. Since I´m training I´m trying to do everything I can to teach my comp how to be the best missionary on his mission. Through these moments I´m getting a sample of how it is as a Dad. Your kid is a reflection of the parents. The apple doesn´t fall far from the tree usually. I have been trying to be more like Christ to help my comp be a better missionary and person. Boy is it a test. I fine myself being harder on myself than any other person so that I can be that example. At times I wonder what else I can do. Through this process I can feel changes happening in my heart.

 This week I was pondering alot about my purpose here on my mission. Why I had to leave my house for 2 years  to talk about The Church of Jesus Christ. When I got here I thought my purpose was to just baptize. But with time,  I realized that I´m a farmer in the Lord's plantation. Without a doubt one of my functions is to harvest the ready crops and baptize  the people that are ready. But also I´m here to plant the seeds too. At times when teaching someone something, at that moment they aren´t ripe, they aren´t willing to listen. But maybe in a few months or years they will need that message. At times I feel like no one is wanting  to follow the example of Christ, but I need to try to understand that, at  this very moment they don´t want to follow Christ, but later in life they will. And because of that planted seed they will grow in the gospel.

  I was blessed to have a talk with the Stake President and he was able to pass many words of wisdom. He said: At times what you are doing doesn´t seems  affective but if you are doing everything you can. Some day  you will look back at see all the changes you made. This gave me a feeling of comfort because in life we will do everything we can, and in the moment nothing happens. But after we can see the seeds we planted and the fruit that is ready to be harvested.

 I´m so grateful for the mission. I´m so grateful the lessons I´v learned that have helped me to be  more patience and more loving. These lesson would never be learned without a trial. The trial is what pushes us out of our comfort zone and causes a change. It can be a good change or a bad change. This change is determined by our will power during this time of chaos. I´m so grateful for the Savior and his presences during these difficult times so that I can have the will power to make a good change.

I invite all of you to remember that we can´t control what difficulties we will have in life but we can control how we react to them.

Thank you for the love and support of all my friends and family members. I feel your  prayers helping me everyday.

Remember that you can make a good change but one with the assistance of our Heavenly Father. Amo vocês!

Com Amor,
Elder Seth

August 10, 2015

With my new companion

This week was great. My first week with my son(new missionary on the mission). Elder Aliser a sweet kid from Argentina. He was born in the church and so were his parents. He Dad lives in Brasil and his Mom lives in Argentina. He has a huge desire to do the right and is hungry to learn. This is the recipe for success. It´s going to be a fun 6 weeks.
   This week was great because we were just inviting people to follow the example and to be baptized how Jesus was baptized. we were able to mark 9 dates this week. These people are excited to have the door of heavens available  to be baptized. We are praying, planning and fasting that they will make it to the waters a baptism.
   One of the experiences that we had this weeks with Mayda; she is a investigator who loves coffee. We taught her about the word of wisdom and the blessings that she will receive if she would keep this commandant of God. She decided to stop drinking coffee and she threw all the coffee she had in her house away. We then helped prepare a hot drink that is like coffee but isn´t harmful. It was a great experience to see someone really want to follow the Lord and to leave a habit behind.

  This weekend was really difficult to bring people to church because it was Fathers day  Sunday. It was a disaster because we confirmed 10 people to go church through out the week. I had certainty that we would have a lot of people in church, but Saturday night everyone remembered  that Sunday is Fathers day. They started to call and text us to say sorry because they had a event, party , etc with their father. It was a heart breaker for me and my Comp because we worked  so hard this week. I was feeling super down and sad because it felt like all  we did was in vain. I was sitting in sacrament meeting really down and I opened up the scriptures to Mosiah 24 which talks about the suffering people of Alma and how they never complained and never blamed God. It then says  if we are faithful, God visits his people in their suffering. This gave me hope to hang in there and keep going. At times  it doesn´t seem  like there in light at the tunnel, but if we keep going with good attitude, the good times will arrive.

The scriptures are a guide of comfort and knowledge. I challenge you to ready at least 10 minutes everyday.

Thank you everyone for the support and love. Time is flying. I can´t believe that i have less that 1 year to fight for the Lord's army here in Brasil.

Com Amor,
Elder Seth
   ‎

August 2, 2015

Sadly I don´t have time this week to write but here are some photos of this week.

I passed one year on the mission!!!

Also I will train a new missionary...will be a great experience.

Sorry for not writing more!!!
Com Amor,
Elder Seth‎

July 27, 2015

I had a blast this week!!!

This week was so much fun to say the least. Nothing better that working and seeing the results. To start off we had service project as a stake. We went to a catholic church a redid everything. We built walls, painted, plastered, cut the grass, ect. It was amazing to see the difference we made. This is why I love is church, it doesn´t matter who you are, we are trying to serve everyone.(picture with the Padre)

This week was a little difficult to work with members because everyone went to the temple! This is the best excuse to be traveling. Everyone loved it and felt the spirit really strong. And guess what..one of our recent converts went, Thainá! She was baptized only 3 months ago. She loved ever second of it and said she can´t wait to go again. The this Sunday she gave her first talk in church about Faith and the temple trip. I love seeing people become better because of the gospel of Christ. The Lord truly blessed me to me an instrument in her life and to see her progress.photo at the temple

The latest on Isabella. We passed by a few time this week to get her ready for her baptism. We taught the word of wisdom. She was shock that coffee is a no no. She said she loved coffee and drank it everyday. At the end we talked about the blessing and the Lords promise. she said if it´s a commandment of God I will have to follow it. We confirmed with her that she would go to church this Sunday.
  We Sunday came around we were waiting in the front for her. 10 minutes passed, 30, 40. We called and there was no response. We thought of everything about why she didn´t show up yet. We said a prayer that she would come to church. Finally we jumped in the car to go get her. We went to her house clapping, calling her name, basically everything...we woke up all of her neighbors but nothing from her house. We returned to church with our heads hanging down. We said a prayer  that she would come to church even though the chances were slim.

Two minutes didn´t pass when she called us frantically saying  sorry. She was sick the night before and took a really strong pill that made her sleep really deeply. She got a ride to church with her Mom and strolled in right as sacrament meeting started. What a miracle.
  After church we were at a member house and she sent this text message

´´Elder Seth and Elder Rojas, Today I had one more sign that I am on the right path. I woke up late, and was feeling really sick, but I got up with the purpose to go to church. Arriving there, I found you guys in that place of peace, I realized that there isn´t a pain in the world that would stop me from going to the house of the Lord. I thank you one more time for visiting my home and teaching me about these things, That I know with certainty is true and pure. I am immensely happy to be a part of this church. I hope you have a great Sunday and I can´t wait to see you guys on Wednesday.´´

To start off I didn´t make this up. this was exactly what she sent to us,cray right. This is why I´m here. to help people change there lives for the better. With all the people who shut the door in our faces or people that mock us. Miracles make it all worth it in the long run.

I´m loving my mission and I love the spirit I feel. Hard work is always rewarded in the end. I know these things that i´m sharing are ´´true and pure´´ and during these 2 years there in no other place I would rather be.

 Thank you for the support and love.

Com Amor,
Elder Seth

July 20, 2015-

Things are getting better!!

This week was great to say the least. We were blessed immensely.  We were working closely with the members and it paid off. I saw a lot of miracles in how the Book of Mormon is true and how  people are influenced by its power.

  To start off a we received a reference from someone that was living in the USA and was baptized there. She was talking to her  friend in Brasil and she asked for us to visit them. We went to the house of this friend. There we found Isabella(friend 17 years old), Lucas(brother 11 years old), Mayda(Mom). We talked for awhile  to break the ice and we discovered that they received the missionaries 3 years ago. The Mom had a lot of interest, but Isabella wouldn´t  even say hi.
Eventually they told the missionaries they had lost interest. Isabella told us that she changed alot and that she is looking for a church that she can feel good and somewhere she knows that she is following Christ. We taught the Restoration and we left a part marked in the Book of Mormo for them to read and pray.

 We returned after two days  and we asked how was the reading and praying was going. She said that when she was reading she feeling this warm feeling of joy and  happiness. Then she said that when she prayed she felt it really strong. She went to bed and woke up with the same feeling. She received her answer! We taught about baptism and how it is necessary. We taught them and we invited them to be baptized on the 8th of August. They accepted! Such a spiritual experience. Isabella went to church and loved every second of it(even though the power was out at the church this Sunday). Sadly her Mother didn´t go because she was really sick in the Hospital. Isabella say that her Mom asked if we could pass by again, or if we couldn´t go there house anymore because she didn´t going to church. haha I love teaching people that had desire to better there lives.

 Other miracle that happened  when we were teaching Julia(Friend of the recent convert). We were teaching here at a playground because her Dad doesn´t like to hear our lessons. Let's just say it was cold and windy. Everyone was shivering. Then we started to talk about the Book of Mormon and we asked what she thought. She said ´´I did as you asked, and I received my answer.´´ When we heard this we were grinning our faces off. With this knowledge we marked a date with her and she said: ´´I thought you would never ask´´. We cut the lesson short because we didn´t want anyone to get sick.

 The work is picking up here and we are getting really excited. These next few weeks are going to be really fun!

 I hope everyone is well. Happy Birthday Erica, I love you so much and I will never forget your kindness to me in my life.

                                      Com Amor,
                                      Elder Seth
Photo of a recent member how was baptized. He was a leader of a gang, now he going to church in a shirt and tie. Giving lunch to the missionaries

July 13, 2015

The ball keeps rolling

I´m really short on time because we were traveling this p-day so I will give a quick update of the week.

  First off i´m loving our ward. The kids are awesome. They are all getting excited with the missionary work and they are all wanting to do visits with us. Because of them,  we managed to 32 lessons with member this week. They are also getting the spirit of sharing the gospel and they are wanting us to teach their close friends. We are doing a lot with the young people of this ward because they have alot of friends and a lot of time. It´s really great because we are using them to help us to do visits and their testimonies and knowledge of the gospel are increasing.

 Funny moment. Our ward had Americans visiting this Sunday. Being an American I went to talk to them. The only problem is they could barely understand me because it has been so long since I've spoken  in English. They couldn´t stop laughing because I wasn't making sense. You pay the price to learn a language.

 We are teaching Julia who is a friend of Nina. She is really sweet and has a lot of interest in what we are teaching. We always like to talk about families and the joy we  feel with them. When we started to say that at times our families hit a rough spot,  she just started to cry. She said that her family was going through some difficult times and that she is looking for help. We explained that gospel is the way to have a family really happy. It was a really touching experience to see the peace she felt after the message. She said  that Nina(recent convert) has changed a lot and that she is a better person. . This is why I love this church, we don´t have to go door to door to help baptize people. At times we just need to be the firm example in what God wants us to be.

 We are working, and with time we will see the fruits. It´s taking its time, but it will come.

Thank you Dad for the package, means a lot.

Hope all is well. Be the example that God wants.

Com Amor,
Elder Seth

July 6, 2015

‎What a week!!!

‎Happy 4th of July to everyone. I hope it was memorable. My week was way different than my usual week here in Brazil.
  To start off on the morning of the 3rd I did a trade with my First comp Elder Najarro from last year! It was really great to be back with him and to teach together. It felt like we were back in our first area, walking on the dusty streets of Jardim Ingá. The day in Novo Gama was fantastic. We were able to find alot of new people for him to teach. Also we marked 4 baptismal dates with people that wouldn´t accept in the past. It was a blast because I was able to do alittle more teaching this time, unlike a year ago when I understood nothing.To finish off the day we ordered pizza. Elder Najarro, Freitas, and Goodsell(my close friend from the CTM). This picture is included.
  The next day we had to leave early because we had a baptism interview to do in Santa Maria. As we were arriving Elder Goodsell called us with a stressed voice. He said that President had called and said the Elder Freitas's Grandma had died and that he wanted going home. (Elder Freitas has had 7 months on the mission, and 3 months ago his Aunt died. He was also really close to his Grandma.) We told Goodsell to keep calm and that we were returning right away.
   When we got back to Novo Gama, Freitas was packing his bags and he was crying hysterically. We tried everything to keep him calm and to stop packing his bags. Finally after 2 hours of gentle encouragement he calmed down. We told him that eating would help so we went to lunch at a members house close by.
  We started to eat at this sweet old lady´s house who loves the missionaries. It was dead silent because of the loss of his Grandma. Then during lunch with food still on the plate Elder Freitas received a call. It was his family. He started to cry and shout because he discovered that his Grandma would be buried that same day. We started to calm him down again.Then suddenly the sweet old member passed out. At that moment everyone was scared. For five minutes this sweet old lady was lights out. We were feeling for a pulse and fanning her. It felt like all chaos was let loose. Finally we felt the prompting of the Holy Ghost to give her a Priesthood blessing. As we finished the blessing the her eyes opened and she stood up as if nothing had happened.
   We looked at each other dumb struck. My testimony of the Priesthood was re confirmed that day from the moment I had the feeling to give a blessing to when she stood up. I know that this power is real and it is the power of God.
  We were all praying and fasting for Elder Freitas that he would have courage to stay here on the mission. He had an interview with the mission President and he was here today at our Zone activity!! I was so happy to see his face. I know that the Lord with bless him for his courage during this difficult time. I respect him so much.
 I am short on time but thank you everyone for the emails. Means alot to me. I missed all of you guys during this week of the 4th. I hope all is well!(I included some photos of the week)
Com Amor,
Elder Seth

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