June 17, 2019

Three of the pictures are of a Come Follow Me Sunday night study session that the missionaries do for the branch members. The other is right after his toe procedure and the hiking picture must have happened before it.

I have been able to walk around the house and stuff and I am hoping this week I will be able to walk more after taking out the stitch! My health has been kind of down, I think I am getting dehydrated or I am losing weight from being on the bed for so long haha. But other than that I am doing fine! Elder Gardner is doing great as well so its all good! I am going to try and drink more water so I can get hydrated again.

Sadly no one came to church this week and it was actually a hard day for the whole branch. The frequency was down and we were missing 30 members that usually come. We would have been up to 70 if they had all come!! That is what we want to do is strengthen the members and help the members to do the work as well!! That is truly how a Branch can become a ward! I actually have not done that yet. I am going to offer Ricardo a blessing to help him with the word of wisdom.

I love the fact that our Father in Heaven helps us to see the things that matter the most. As I have spent my time in this last area with Elder Gardner and with the members here I have come to love this area and these members so much. My joy is imense every time that we have an opportunity to talk to the members and help them learn about the Restored Gospel. We learn so much from the Branch President and from his counselor and it has been an amazing ride. I am super excited for these last couple of weeks where I can focus on the Lord and focus on serving the people here in Brasil. Wow has it been incredible. We are working hard to unite this family that we are helping and the two sons, the twins, now have a date to be baptized!! We are hoping that everything works out fine and that the Lord will help the Dad to realize how important the church is and how important his Savior is as well! He will remember the feelings and the times he had as he grew up in the church and I hope that he will want that for his two sons. They are both ten years old and both have the desire to be baptized! As I was studying the scriptures this week I was able to notice some great examples and some great verses in the Book of Mormon. Alma teaches us that every time he saw one of his brothers or sisters coming back to the Lord he would remember his own conversion story and how the Lord was merciful with him. In Alma chapter 17 the sons of mosiah tell us that we need to be examples of patience in our hard times. So that we can come out stronger. I love the scriptures and there are so many teachings in both the Book of Mormon and the Bible that we can learn. This weeks come follow me is about when the savior was rejected and whipped and beaten and how he beared it all thinking about us. What a great opportunity we have to be able to see his example and show our love for him by repenting and being better every day! I love the gospel and I love my savior!! Have a great week!!

Thanks for everything mom!! Dont worry about me too much. I will be fine and I am starting to learn to be happy with what the Lord gives me. I think I have always been happy with what he has given me but this time it is different. And I am excited to seek the Lord in everything I do. My mind will stay focused on this last part of the mission and I am excited for this next week to come! What you wrote me is completely true! I am grateful that the Lord has shown me the important things on my mission and I am excited for more to come!! Have a great week!