9/29/14

Week 39

Hello friends and family! Here in Lucas it has started raining almost everyday... and its not just a little shower, it rains hard here. haha Luckly, we have only been caught in the streets once when it just starts poring, but the members here say it´ll start raining all day, everyday. So thatll be fun. hahah 

This week has been pretty good! We got alot of help from the members this week. 3 nights of the week, members were helping us make our investigators into members! We baptized a kid name Anderson a couple weeks ago. He is 17 and already loves being a member. Sunday we suprised him with a white shirt and tie. Before, he went in jeans and a tshirt, and felt a little off because everyone else whas in a white shirt and tie. So we gave him a white shirt and tie as a present and now he looks like all the other young men! It´s awesome! 

We met a lot of new people this week. One miracle was this: We made a contact with a woman a couple days ago, and Saturday we went to here house. But she wasnt there, so we decided to go door to door on this street. Literally no one was at home. It was around 3 pm so pretty much everyone was working. My comp said, ´´No one´s here. Lets go to another street.´´ But I felt the Spirit tell me to go just a little bit more. We walked for a little bit longer and found Sandra! She said she was suppose to be at work but something happened so she didnt go. Thats one miracle. 2nd miracle, the Lord has definitly prepared her. She use to go to a church, but stopped 4 years ago. She knew she needed God in her life again. We taught her the Restoration and she liked it alot. She couldnt make church yesterday, but she said she´ll go this Sunday. 3rd Miracle: her kids dont like to party and do things like that. Here in brasil that is super hard to do, especially if youre not a member. We have high hopes for her and her family.

We are also teaching another family. Katia (mom), Michael (son 19), and Julie (daughter 18). They went to church last week, but they were traveling yesterday. Yesterday night we visited them with 2 young men. Katia said she prayed and she feels like she has recieved an answer that our church is true! We asked them to ask God if they should be baptized Sunday after General Conference. My area, Lucas do Rio Verde is super blessed. The members here are super excited for missionary work and are willing to help a ton. This was my week! I love it here. I love my mom.

I cant believe next week is my 40th week on the mission. Time is literally flying!  I love yall. and again, I love my mom!

Com Amor,

Elder Marstella 

9/22/14

week 38

This week was really good! We had a baptism Saturday night, so that was awesome! His name is Anderson. He is 17 and has really changed since the first time we met him. He lives with his cousin Junior, that still needs a little bit more time before he can be baptized. I sent some pictures of us and Anderson at his house before his baptism.

This week was really good! We had Zone Meeting in Sinop Friday with the missionaries in our zone. It was awesome. I served there for my first 4 months of my mission. It was cool to see some of the people I baptized and worked with while I was there!

 Then on Sunday, we had Branch Conference. And we had 137 people at church Sunday. And President and Sister Reber and 2 couple missionaries came. President Reber talked about trusting our leaders and following their counsil.

I dont have much time again, Im sorry! I love you all and I love you mom!!

Com Amor,
Elder Marstella 23

9/15/14

week 37

This week was pretty good!! We recieved 2 new Sisters on Tuesday.They are both Brasilian and they both are super cool. This week, we worked super hard. We have 5 people with a date for baptism. 2 young men, and a family of a mom, 19 year old son, and 18 year old daughter. We tried to visit the young men everyday. They agreed to be baptized on Saturday, so expect photos next email!! 

Saturday, we held a FHE for our investigators and one came. But we held the FHE at a family´s house and it was super good. Anderson, one young man came. He is 17. Then he went to church the next day and met some really cool young men and women. He and his cousin agreed to be baptized this weekend!! 

I dont have much time today, sorry! but i finally got my birthday box!! After a month of waiting, the box finally made it to my city from cuiaba! haha anyways, i love yall!! And i heard BYU is 3-0! keep it up!!

Love you mom!

Elder Marstella  

9/8/14

Week 35

Hello friends and family!! This week was a really good week! Tuesday we had a mission tour with President Campos. He was really good and uplifting! We talked alot about teaching simple and letting the Spirit touch the hearts of our investigators. President Campos was really excited to talk to us. It got all of us missionaries even more motivated to work! Lucas to Cuiaba is about 6 hours. On the way back from cuiaba, i met a guy on the bus who lived in canada for 10 years, so we talked in english for a bit! Then I taught him about the restoration and Book of Mormon! He started crying because he heart was full of love. I know for a fact the Spirit was testifying to him that the things I taught were true. He lives in Sinop so the missionaries there will visit him for sure!

Then we came back to Lucas and went to work again! We focused on Valdir this week and he got baptized Saturday! The sisters here had an investigator be baptized on Saturday too, so it was awesome. Valdir is truly awesome! 

Yesterday, we did exchanges, and I worked with a young man here. He is 13 and reminded me of Dillon. He gave a short message at one lesson and it was super good. He already is ready to serve a mission! 

I dont have much time todya, but i love you all and i am so happy to be here in Brasil!

P.S. LETS GO BYU FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Com Amor,

Elder Marstella 

9/4/14

Week 34

Mom!! First off, I´m sorry that I just stopped emailing you on Monday. The internet here stopped and we had to leave to catch a bus to Cuiaba. So today we are just emailing really quick to our families. Last week was a super good week!

Last Monday night, we taught a family and read the Book of Mormon together. We had already taught them 2 times before, so they knew about Joseph Smith. During this lesson we read Alma 32 together. When we finished, the wife was almost crying because the spirit was so strong. It was seriously the best feeling ever. Then 2 days later they said they didnt want our visits anymore. The wife said she knew our messages are true, but they dont want to change religions right now... I seriously almost started crying! It was super sad. THey were the first family that i could actually talk to and listen to their problems and help them. I seriously loved them! It´s said to see them feel the spirit super strong and then not want to feel those feelings again. But the lesson after that on that night, we set a date with a guy to be baptized this Saturday. And he will be baptized this Saturday! His name is Valdir. He is super cool. He is 24 and did some pretty dumb stuff when he was younger, but he has changed alot and said God gave him this opportunity to change. He really is super awesome.

 Sunday, a recent convert brought his neighbor with him to church. And after church he said he wanted to come to this church every Sunday and be baptized because he feels a different feeling here in our church. His name is Dallas! Haha I know thats a sign from God that he is an elect! haha

At church, we asked some of the young men if they could help us and do exchanges to teach more people with members. I expected only 2 to come, but 6 came! haha it was awesome! The young men here love the elders and are so willing to help us! I love it.

Ohhh so my new city is called Lucas do Rio Verde. It is a super modernized city. Its super nice. And the ward here is about 110 active members, which is a ton for this part of Brasil! I love it here! And im training a Peruan! Haha Life here is good! All write about Cuiaba (monday and tuesday) on next week´s letter! I love you all!

Com Amor,

Elder Marstella