WHAT A WEEK!!
To start off this week was a blast. Loving my comp Elder Rojas. It´s he first time being Zone Leader and he is super nervous and exited. It makes the best type of companion because they are willing to work hard and learn. It was awesome to talk about new ideas, what has worked in the pass and what we want for the future. Also getting to know someone new is always fun. The current questions about the other ones life or crazy story help makes our bond stronger.
As a zone we are doing weekly goals to help get everyone motivate. This week was to find 15 new investigators. As leaders we can´t ask other people to do something if were not doing. So this week we focused on listening to the Holy Ghost and finding the Lords elects. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday was a disaster. It was as if nobody cared at all about what we had to say. It was difficult because we were really needing new people to teach. Then on Thursday it felt like everything went right. Every door we knock or every contact we did, it felt like the Lord put them in our path. They would say ´´Come in, I always wanted to hear what you had to say`` or ´´I was visiting your church where I lived and then I moved, I loved it there`` It was one of the most inspiring days here on the mission field. The Lord truly lifted us up that day and for the rest of the week.
We are starting to visit less actives that have fallen away from the Church. We know that they have a testimony about these things but they have a problem. We are visiting this less actives to help them with these problems. As a result they are returning to church and they are bringing their wives, kids, ect who aren´t members yet. This way we can help them return to church and find new people to teach.
I´m really excited to see the results of this transfer. We have alot of young missionaries in the zone that are willing to work hard and do what is right.
Through this the Lord will bless us. I know that being here in Brazil has a purpose in my life and the lives of the people i´m meeting. I loving the constant challenge we have everyday to work hard and say ´´I did everything I could`.
Thank you everyone for the emails and support. I pray often for you guys. Remember what ever problem you have your Heavenly Father is one prayer away from you, get on your knees and talk to him.
Com Amor,
Elder Seth
Sadly Elder Xavier was transferred today. I was really sad because we were literally best friends. We lived together for 3 Months but it flew by so fast. He was called to be Assistant to the President! He really deserved it because of his example as a missionary and leadership. I´m going to miss him alot. We have already planned to hang out after the mission so it´s gonig to be alright.
The members had a party for Elder Xavier, it was great to see all the lives he helped. Then we went around and said what we like about Xavier and half of the people we crying. He had a huge affect on the people of Gama.
But I´m really excited because of my new Comp. Elder Rojas. He is from Argentina and has a year and a few months on the mission. He was a District Leader for our Zone and had alot of success. He is really obedient and is always happy. I´m excited to learn from him and to become a better missionary. I don´t know everything about him yet but I know that he was baptized when he was 14. He was play soccer professionally but he decided to serve mission. His Dad was so furious that he hasn´t talked to him since. This just proves that he is a missionary who is here because he wants to. I´ll tell you guys more abut him next week when I know more.
This week we had a family go to church! It was a reference from a member. They are awesome. They loved the church and they have a 1 year old kid. They don´t drink, smoke and best of all legally married(what a miracle). The only problem is they are really hesitant about Churches because the last Church they went to stole their money. We are going to teach them this week about the Church of Jesus Christ and about how this is a only church with all the truths.
Nina, who was baptized a month and half ago, gave her first talk is sacrament meeting. Sure baptizing someone is an amazing experience but seeing your baptism progressing is the gospel is one of the best feelings. You can see the huge difference that Christ has made in their lives. I like to think about what will be different in their lives because of this church in 20 years. Mission, married in the temple, kids, free of drugs, ect. This church has such a powerful power to change people for the better. This is why I´m here. To help people use this power to better their lives. Not only their lives here on the earth but for eternity.
I love my time here in Brasil, at times it´s painful when people don´t accept something that will make them more happy but the pains are taken away when someone finally accepts.
Thank you family and Friends for the emails and prayers. I miss you guys!
Com Amor,
Elder Seth
First off, Congrats Dad on TAP. You earned it. Also thank you everyone for the emails this week, I was really needing it even though this week flew by.
Here on the mission my hate for Satan has risen. We found some really great people these past few weeks. We taught them for the first few times and they really felt the spirit. They were reading and asking questions. Elder Xavier and I were getting super excited with the progress that we were having. But... with the help of Satan they started to lose interesting for what ever reason. Friends didn´t approve, Mother heard something bad a able the church, ect. We were feeling really sad because we know of the truthfulness of this Gospel and the changes that they will have in there life if they applied it. Sadly we can´t force them to do anything. Just do our part of leaving our phone number and prayers. World keeps spinning.
I´m short on this week so I´ll cut to the goods. We had the division of the stake and it was awesome. We heard some inspiring talks that really got me motivated to work harder. They also talked about keeping that Sabbath Day Holy. They said that we should do everything possible to take the sacrament every Sunday. Through this we can renew our convenient that we made when we were baptized. Also how God has given us everything in our lives. He asked that we use one day to worship him and leave behind the things of the world to spend time with our family. I loved ever second of it. I hopé I can share this powerful message with my investagators. I was able to see all the member from Jardim Ingá(my first area in Brasil) I love them so much.
This week fly by super fast and I´m not remembering anything that happened. I promise next week will be more detailed.
If the mission was easy and perfect everyone would do it. Loving my time here. At times I'm frustrated with the difficulties but after i´m always grateful for them and the things I learned. In life we work hard to earn a good life. But the things we learned through that hard work is more valuable to us.
Love you guys. Pray often for your health, safe, and happiness.
Com Amor,
Elder Seth
Sthela was baptized this week! We were really happy and surprised of her progress. When Thainá first introduced us we thought that it would take awhile for her to get baptized. She has 3 tattoos, had nose rings, ect.When we first marked a date with her she said ´´Sure if everything goes perfect i´ll be baptized on this day, but I probably won´t be´´. But step by step she started to run. The magic was the gospel and the Holy Ghost. She was reading the scriptures, praying, going to church, and seminary. She truly was changed.
When we visited her the day before her baptism, her Mom was telling us how she was so grateful for what we had done. She said that Sthela was lost. She started to cry because she was to happy for her daughter.
After she was baptized on Saturday I had the privilege to give her the Holy ghost and to confirm her a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was a super spiritual experience to know that she has changed her life to follow the example of Jesus Christ.
The work this week in terms of find new people and teaching was alittle difficult because it was a Holiday here. Alot of our investagators were traveling or have alot of people in there house. But everything will be normal this week so i´m excited to get back in the groove.
Our stake is dividing this Sunday! The first time in 20 years. President Mazzagardi is coming to the dividing and will give a talk! Everyone is super excited for this historical event in the Stake.
Sadly, Karol wasn´t baptized. She was doing everything right, passed the interview but the day before she got cold feet and wasn´t sure if she wanted to. We are praying that she changes her mind because she really need the gospel in her life. She lives in a really rough house where they are doing really bad things. Unfortunately as missionaries we can´t force her to do anything, she has her free agency.
All in all this week was really great, although everything didn´t go perfectly I'm counting my blesses here on the mission. I´m glad that I have great President and comp that are helping me be a better person, and a better follower of Christ. I can´t believe that I only have 2 more weeks with Elder Xavier, he has taught me so much.
Hope everyone is doing well! Miss you guys
Com Amor,
Elder Seth
Well this week was great. The Ward that I am serving had two Elders that finished there 2 year missions. It was interesting to see the end product of these missionaries. From what the members told us, they changed alot. They change to be better people. This is why I´m loving the mission, it´s 2 years of changing yourself for the better and helping other be better through Christ.
I was so happy so see Grandma and Grandpa this week! Thank you so much for visiting me. It was great to see them even if it was just for lunch. I loved hearing there voices and there recent adventures. It also helped me alot to know that they are ok with there health, I´v been super worried because of the recent health scares. They were practically skipping around when I saw them! Thanks for tnking the time to see me, Love you guys.
This week we found a lot of people that were waiting to know about the gospel. We found Luana when we were search for a new apartment. She was really interested in why we were here in Brasil for 2 years. Eventually she invited us to her house to share a message. She is awesome. she has been looking for a church that ´´makes sense´´. She is super nice and she will help the church alot once she gets baptized. I´ll let you know what happens with her.
In Gama we usually don´t have time to do contacts on the street because our week is usually booked before its starts. We were racing to one of our visits and my comp said ´´We should talk to her.´´ I responded ´´I was feeling the same thing´´. And it ended up that she wanted to talk to us to, but she was to nervous to start a conversation. Jessica has already lived in the USA, received a Book of Mormon and has stopped going to her church for 2 years.(and wanting to return) I´m so grateful for the Holy Ghost and the impact it has on us. All 3 of us felt the same thing. I´v learned that missionary work without the spirit is worthless. Without out the Spirit of God we have nothing.
We are expect to have 2 baptisms this week. Sthela and Karol! They went to Church this Sunday with a few other investigators and there interviews are marked and ready to go. This Saturday they will be the newest members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They were both in doubt but we challenged them to ask God if they should be baptized. Of course God gave them the answer they needed! It´s a win win if they asked God with faith, because it´s the right way.
We saw many more miracles this week in Gama but time is short. Time is flying here on the mission. I don´t even like to know how much time has already passed. I know I have a purpose here in Brasil. I know that I need to do my part to help the Children of God know the truth. Até o próximo.
Com Amor,
Elder Seth
