Mission Slideshow

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Week #51

Bazinga!

Random Thought: I didn't see a Tucan yesterday....

Well it was a pretty good week! Let's start on Wednesday. The branch here has a Family night every week on Wednesday in the houses of the members. This week it was in the house of my recent converts, Elton and Jussara!! Elton was the one to give a message this time and it was fantastic! He decided to use the scripture that answered his prayers about joining the church! It was D&C 6:14-15. The message was really spiritual and then he left the floor open for comments. A few people spoke first and then Jussara, Elton wife said,"One thing that helped me know that the church is true was The Book of Mormon. I know it's true and if someone says it isn't, they're lying." It was so great to see them saying things like this. I just couldn't stop smiling!

On Thursday we had a great lunch with a member family here. After lunch the mom said,"Elders I am wanting to kill two chickens here but I am feeling lazy." So immediately we offered to help! So we went out into the yard and she grabbed the two chickens she wanted handed them to us and said to wait a minute. We waited. Then her and her husband came back out and showed us how we were supposed to do it! So I grabbed the machete, lifted it up over my head, then brought it down and......STOPPED. Ha it was a weird feeling. I hesitated because I had never killed anything in my life! I tryed again and still couldn't. Everyone was laughing including me! So I tryed one more time and this time WACK off went the head! Then we learned how to pluck out all the feathers and how to gut them. It was really cool and now I know how to if I ever have chickens!

Also on Thursday I took a bible over to that old man we have been teaching. He only has a really tiny one that is only the New Testament. I have NEVER seen someone so grateful in my life. It really left an impression on me.

Friday night we had a branch activity called "A Festa da Jeca". Jeca is like over exagerated hick. Everyone showed up in terribly matched clothes and straw hats, the women in pig tails. It was really fun! There was food, soda and everything! We even got a lot of references! It was a fantastic time.

Also I had a very spiritual experience. I've never had the strongest of testimonys about prayer and I wanted it to get better. So I studied prayer this week and then prayed and asked the Lord if he was hearing me. Then I felt impressed to read the book "True to the Faith". I didn't know where to start so I just opened it and started reading. This is the first sentence I read,"Your prayers, when offered humbly and sincerly are heard and answered." Wow!

Alma 22:15

Com muito amor,
Elder Roman Laws

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Week #50

Bazinga!

Random Thought: Avocado with sugar is good.

Great week!! Nothing too exciting until Wednesday! We had another baptism! The other two Elders baptized little Joice. She is eight and I had the privilege of interviewing her. She is super quiet and shy but she knows all about what the Elders taught her. The baptism wasn't anything fancy or big but there was a great spirit there.

Thursday was pretty normal and we went back to that old man again. I FINALLY learned his real name! I have just been calling him Casquinha this whole time because it's a nic name he's had his whole life. He got the name because when he was younger he worked on a farm and one time when he and his buddies went to get ice cream they all got milkshakes and he just asked for a small ice cream cone or "Casquinha". Anyway, his real name is Valdomir! We went to his house again to talk again and he is reading the bible a lot. He still didn't give a definite answer as of then. Please continue to pray for him.

Friday was divisions with the zone leaders! I love our zone leaders. They are good guys and it's always a lot of fun doing divisions with them. I decided to take Elder Fernadez with me to Valdomir again and we talked a lot about baptism again. This time he said that he is getting closer to an answer and that he thinks it will be "yes". It was a great lesson and then as we were leaving he needed to use a little machine that pumps medicine and air into a little mask for him to breathe. After he stopped, he had a lot of trouble breathing so he asked for a blessing. We gave him one and then said goodbye and left. I didn't know until Sunday when his son told us, but the rest of that afternoon he had trouble breathing, but the day after he had ZERO problems and breathed just fine. I love miracles . :)

Sunday was fantastic! A lot of people came to church! Priesthood quorum was a little weird though. There is a man here who is very intelligent, speaks a few languages, studies science and such. Well it was his turn to teach and the lesson was about tithing, but because he knows so much about history and the way tithing and the church and the world works, we ended up having a lesson on Marxism! Really weird.

After church Elton received the Aaronic Priesthood!! I helped ordain him and I felt the spirit so strong when it happened!! Happy Fathers Day Dad! I miss you!!

Moroni 1:2-3 (Put your name in place of Moroni)

Com muito amor,
Elder Roman Laws

Monday, June 10, 2013

Week #49

Bazinga!

Random Thought: Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm a schizophrenic, and so am I.

FANTASTIC WEEK!!!!

First I know my family wants to know about transfers. I will be staying here in Caceres as the DL and my new companion will be Elder Cayhuan. This makes me very happy because we are doing great work!

SO last Monday we went fishing! I hadn't been yet here in Brazil but it was fun! We used meat to try and get the fish to bite but they are sneaky. They eat the meat without us noticing and leave. They come, they eat, they leave. Then we went to our investigators house and had fish soup! It was sooo good!

The rest of the week was pretty normal until Wednesday. We had an appointment that fell so we decided to go to the house of an old man who is the dad of one of the members here. He is just skin and bones and is very week because his lungs don't work right so he can't leave his house. We've been to his house a few times and he has read most of The Book of Mormon. Anyway, he asked us a question that is pretty common here on the mission. "I was baptized in the catholic church when I was a baby. Is that baptism valid?" I will pause here and say that what I am about to say is not meant to offend anyone. I will only say what I KNOW to be true. When I answered him I felt like and decided to be very direct. I said,"No, for three big reasons. One, it was done before the age of accountability. Two, you weren't completely immersed in water like the example Christ left us. Three, and this is the biggest reason, it wasn't performed by someone who has authority from God." He looked at me and was silent for about 30 seconds, then I said,"BUT If you want your baptism to be valid we can baptize you here in your house, being that you can't leave." Now I thought he might ask us to leave or maybe be mad but he just said,"I'll have to think about it. We'll see." So for now we are just letting him think. I will be going back soon. Please for him.
Also on Thursday we taught a new family for the first time. We don't have any big story with them yet, but after hearing the first vision the mom just said,"Quemaravilha" or "How marvelous." We invited the family to church and she said we could be certain she would go. Then on Sunday SHE WENT! I love it when people say they are going to do something and then follow through!!! We'll see what happens.

Friday we had a family night at the house of Elton (our investigating family) and it was FANTASTIC! He is amazing with doing a barbecue. We had the family of the branch president and the family of the second counselor as well. It was a ton of fun and really helped Elton and his family develop friendships outside the Elders! The members here help so much and I am so happy that I am staying here!

Saturday was perfect. Elton and Jussara were baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are just amazing people and I feel so at home when I am around them! After the baptism I gave each of them gifts. Jussara teaches English so I gave her an english Book of Mormon and she was thrilled. I also gave her the DVD of 17 miracles and she is excited to watch it. Elton served as a sergeant in the military for 8 years and has a collection of knives. SO I made a VERY hard decision and gave him my Leatherman. BUT the look on his face and how excited he was made it TOTALLY worth it. I just want to give this people everything!

I have nothing else to say other than I am so happy.

Alma 5:14-16

Com muito amor,
Elder Roman Laws

Monday, June 3, 2013

Week #48

Bazinga!

Random Thought: This pen is blue!

Fantastic week!!! SO remember the family I talked about in my last letter? Elton and Jussara? Well in Thursday we marked there baptisms for the 8th! They are super excited! They are reading a The Book of Mormon AND Doctrine and Covenants AND The Pearl of Great Price AND the Gospel Principles book AND talks from the apostles and prophets!!! They are so excited about the gospel and everything they learn just makes them want to learn more!

On Saturday we went to there house to teach more about the commandments. They have no problems and immediately accepted to CONTINUE living the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity. Elton then ask if hew could say something. We said of course, and he started:

"Well I wanted to say something about this whole situation of joining the church and being baptized. I have been thinking a lot about the date we set and I will admit that I have had my doubts. Doubts like,"Maybe this is going too fast" or,"Maybe it isn't the right time." But then I started reading the talk you gave me (see below) and I saw this phrase "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." And I decided that I believe everything I have learned and that you have taught is true. 100%! So yes I will be baptized and become a member of the true church of Christ."

Lord I Believe by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/lord-i-believe?lang=eng

What an amazing experience as a missionary to hear our investigators bear their testimony to us!

We went to visit them again yesterday and because Jussara couldn't make it to church, Elton wanted us to teach about the priesthood and priesthood blessings because he learned about it in church! So we did and he was sitting there commenting every once in a while and smiling. He is super excited about the fact that all worthy men can have the priesthood authority and that he can have it and use it in his home and with his family.

Then we went through a bunch of questions they had about the sacrament and such until we got to the subject of temples. They didn't have too many questions but they are already excited to go and Jussara said,"It's going to be a marvelous experience the first time we go." Today we are going fishing with them!

I want you all to know that this is why I am here. To see and experience this. Elton and Jussara are no doubt prepared by the Lord to receive the gospel with their arms open and smiles on their faces, and I am here to make sure that happens. I challenge and invite ALL people who read this who are not members of the church to search to learn more and be baptized into the only true church of the Savior Jesus Christ. His gospel has been restored!

Mosiah 27:14-15

Com muito amor,
Elder Roman Laws