Monday, January 30, 2012
Elder M. Russel Balard came
Hey Everyone,
This Week was a great week. We started the week with a meeting with an Apostle of God, Elder M. Russel Balard visited our mission last tuesday. It was great, he was making jokes and every once and a while he would make a coment in spanish, I think that he thought in Brasil the people speak spanish. When we ended the meting with Elder Balard everyone was excited to go out and teach the gospel.
Our investagators are Claudiono and Joice who are married and they have already recived an anwser about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, it´s so great to teach them because the spirit is strong and there excited to learn. They are marked for baptism, the 18th of febuary. Antônio and Mariana, they were not sure if they wanted to get married because they said that they fight all the time. Mariana said that she wanted to live Antonio, but we talked with them and they seem very happy. Arlindo is still having problems with the divorce papers. And francisco(our 21years old Golden investagator) was baptized on saterday!
I love you guys , I wish I had more time to tell you everything but... Don´t worry I am safe, healthy, and happy. Have a great week everybody.
Elder Stephen Larson
Miracle
Hi My Family,
This week was also a good week even though the numbers don't show it.
We taught Luis and he told us all about his past and he is looking
positive. but we might be giving him to the spanish Elders because he
might understand better in spanish. We had planned on getting three
investigators to church this week but they didn't make it. Big Jo
actually was waiting for us but we got there a little late and one of
her friends picked her up to go to thier church. She has short term
memory loss so she forgot that we were coming. Man she makes me laugh.
Saturday we went to the Adult Session of Stake conference and it
was very spiritual. This Lady talked about her daughter who had gotten
in an accident and she was in serious shape. Her mom couldn't even
recognize her. She had broken her spine is 7 places and her foot was
messed up and her vains on her neck were cut like a cat on curtains.
The Docters said that she wasn't going to make it and if she did she
would be a vegetable. They said there was nothing they could do. But
her mom comely and couragously she that she could do something. She
called her hometeachers and they came and gave her daughter a
priesthood blessing. Everything was calm and it was in the lords
hands. The daughter came out of the coma that she wasn't supposed to
come out of. The girl had bad head trauma and would be able to
remember anything but when her mom came in and asked her "do you know
who I am?" she squinted her eyes open and said," your my Mama." It
was a miracle and the Miracle doesn't stop there, The girl made a
COMPLETE recovery. I was so touched by this mothers experience and
when she was finished speaking Her daughter got up and I couldn't
believe my eyes. I had seen this lady sitting on the stand before but
I had no Idea this was the same girl. She was absolutey beautiful and
whole and healthy. the Lord can heal us completly. What a powerful
manifestation of gods love and power.
Then the next day I had the blessing to give 4 blessings one of
which was heart peircing. We got a call for a lady named Millie who
was in a nearby hospital. she wasn't a member and she probably had no
idea what a blessing was. We never saw her before or talked with her
so it was a blind walk in. When we walked into her room she was
weezing as she slept. We were about to leave but she called out in a
raspy quiet voice. At first I didn't know what we could do, But then
she cried out and just wanted the pain and the sickness to end. I felt
so much love and compassion. We gave her a blessing and I felt a good
peace afterwards, And she opened her eyes wider after that and thanked
us for coming. We are going to stop by again to see her. I have no
doubt in my heart or mind that she can be healed and better.
I love these people so much. I love you all aswell. have a wonderful
week and be safe.
--
Elder Spencer Larson
This week was also a good week even though the numbers don't show it.
We taught Luis and he told us all about his past and he is looking
positive. but we might be giving him to the spanish Elders because he
might understand better in spanish. We had planned on getting three
investigators to church this week but they didn't make it. Big Jo
actually was waiting for us but we got there a little late and one of
her friends picked her up to go to thier church. She has short term
memory loss so she forgot that we were coming. Man she makes me laugh.
Saturday we went to the Adult Session of Stake conference and it
was very spiritual. This Lady talked about her daughter who had gotten
in an accident and she was in serious shape. Her mom couldn't even
recognize her. She had broken her spine is 7 places and her foot was
messed up and her vains on her neck were cut like a cat on curtains.
The Docters said that she wasn't going to make it and if she did she
would be a vegetable. They said there was nothing they could do. But
her mom comely and couragously she that she could do something. She
called her hometeachers and they came and gave her daughter a
priesthood blessing. Everything was calm and it was in the lords
hands. The daughter came out of the coma that she wasn't supposed to
come out of. The girl had bad head trauma and would be able to
remember anything but when her mom came in and asked her "do you know
who I am?" she squinted her eyes open and said," your my Mama." It
was a miracle and the Miracle doesn't stop there, The girl made a
COMPLETE recovery. I was so touched by this mothers experience and
when she was finished speaking Her daughter got up and I couldn't
believe my eyes. I had seen this lady sitting on the stand before but
I had no Idea this was the same girl. She was absolutey beautiful and
whole and healthy. the Lord can heal us completly. What a powerful
manifestation of gods love and power.
Then the next day I had the blessing to give 4 blessings one of
which was heart peircing. We got a call for a lady named Millie who
was in a nearby hospital. she wasn't a member and she probably had no
idea what a blessing was. We never saw her before or talked with her
so it was a blind walk in. When we walked into her room she was
weezing as she slept. We were about to leave but she called out in a
raspy quiet voice. At first I didn't know what we could do, But then
she cried out and just wanted the pain and the sickness to end. I felt
so much love and compassion. We gave her a blessing and I felt a good
peace afterwards, And she opened her eyes wider after that and thanked
us for coming. We are going to stop by again to see her. I have no
doubt in my heart or mind that she can be healed and better.
I love these people so much. I love you all aswell. have a wonderful
week and be safe.
--
Elder Spencer Larson
Transfers are coming
Hey dad kris and kids.
I am doing good. This week was a little hard but good.
I am still hard in the language, but hopefully it starts coming.
This week, nothing too exciting happened, I have almost been here in Pasig 3 (my first area) for 6 months. In Feburary, I will have been in the field for 6 months. I am learning a lot, hopefully I learn everything I need to, Like this language. Sometimes I wonder if I will get better at it after I have a 2nd area, maybe it will force me to open my ears and mouth more and stuff. At the same time I don't want to leave the people, here. I love them, the families are great, and I am getting closer to some of our frequent investigators. I know it will all work out.
The reason why I am talking about transfers right now is because they are next week. I think i might be transfering. I will know by tuesday I think. Or wednesday. Our P-day next week I think is on wednesday.
Oh I gave a talk in church yesterday. I spoke on service, cause saturday we helped this family, the Cinco family (my favorite) move to a different house, it wasn't far, just another street in the town, but we and only like 3 other members showed up. So we ended up only getting 3 lessons that day cause we were busy helping them move all there stuff. I was so tired, and sore the next day. They didn't have many stuff, but the heavy stuff I had to carry, cause no one else could lift them, and then their new house is at the top of the building, 4th floor. I was stinky and exhausted at the end of the day. But I was glad to help them move, and see them settle into their new house.
Also my talk, I thought it was pretty good, then the second councelor in the bishopric leaned over to me after I had finished and he told me I wasn't close enough to the microphone, no one could hear me, my voice was too weak. Well that's that. I felt pretty dumb, but it's ok. I have that feeling a lot out here.
I love you guys. And Davo I am so proud of you and helping your friend learn the gospel, good job buddy. And Anni, you are probably so beautiful!! All the boys asking you to dances! Just remember, no dating until you are 16, and on that day, I get to talk to you date and ask him a billion questions and embarrass the crap out of you in front of him. haha, no but really, Listen to your parents, they know what they are doing, and you will be happier if you obey them, I promise.
I love you all, and hope you are all happy.
Love
Elder Benjamin L. Larson
I am doing good. This week was a little hard but good.
I am still hard in the language, but hopefully it starts coming.
This week, nothing too exciting happened, I have almost been here in Pasig 3 (my first area) for 6 months. In Feburary, I will have been in the field for 6 months. I am learning a lot, hopefully I learn everything I need to, Like this language. Sometimes I wonder if I will get better at it after I have a 2nd area, maybe it will force me to open my ears and mouth more and stuff. At the same time I don't want to leave the people, here. I love them, the families are great, and I am getting closer to some of our frequent investigators. I know it will all work out.
The reason why I am talking about transfers right now is because they are next week. I think i might be transfering. I will know by tuesday I think. Or wednesday. Our P-day next week I think is on wednesday.
Oh I gave a talk in church yesterday. I spoke on service, cause saturday we helped this family, the Cinco family (my favorite) move to a different house, it wasn't far, just another street in the town, but we and only like 3 other members showed up. So we ended up only getting 3 lessons that day cause we were busy helping them move all there stuff. I was so tired, and sore the next day. They didn't have many stuff, but the heavy stuff I had to carry, cause no one else could lift them, and then their new house is at the top of the building, 4th floor. I was stinky and exhausted at the end of the day. But I was glad to help them move, and see them settle into their new house.
Also my talk, I thought it was pretty good, then the second councelor in the bishopric leaned over to me after I had finished and he told me I wasn't close enough to the microphone, no one could hear me, my voice was too weak. Well that's that. I felt pretty dumb, but it's ok. I have that feeling a lot out here.
I love you guys. And Davo I am so proud of you and helping your friend learn the gospel, good job buddy. And Anni, you are probably so beautiful!! All the boys asking you to dances! Just remember, no dating until you are 16, and on that day, I get to talk to you date and ask him a billion questions and embarrass the crap out of you in front of him. haha, no but really, Listen to your parents, they know what they are doing, and you will be happier if you obey them, I promise.
I love you all, and hope you are all happy.
Love
Elder Benjamin L. Larson
Big Jo
Dear Family,
It is so wonderful to receive all your thoughts and words of encouragement in your emails. This week was a really good one with some challenges. We have been trying to get Mia and her Family and Jannett and her family to make it to church. They both didn't make it this week but one of our investigators did. Big Jo did. She sat with us and even though she didn't quite understand what was going on she had fun socializing with all the members. As Jo was walking up the church building she grabbed Elder Ryan Larson's hand and held it. When I saw the situation I laughed and Elder R. Larson was just feeling all awkward. We came to the conclusion that 83 year old ladies know that they can get away with stuff like that. What can we do.
We had an amazing experience with Jeff this week. We brought Bro. Ojukwu who is from Africa, and played College Basket ball because he is so big and tall. Jeff has been struggling with life and just want to find that peace and enjoyment of life. So we asked how he has been doing and about the Reading in the Book of Mormon. He was depressed and not reading the Book Of Mormon. Then as we talked Bro. Ojukwu share his life and conversion. Jeff is very opened minded and very honest with how he feels. He didn't feel like a story like that could happen to him with his experiences. But we all persisted and bore our hearts to him. Once we started talking about his relationship with his family he began to feel hope and at the end of the lesson we were all laughing so much and we were all filled with the love and joy of god. I love Jeff so much. He said that he would like to continue to meet with us. That was a miracle.
On Sunday we had a lot of success in finding new investigators, we also found a Alligator .............. Snapping Turtle. Jess and mom don't worry I didn't touch it. I still have all my toes and fingers. When we were in that part of the neighborhood we talked to this guy named Luis who was very open to us. He is into drugs but he is open to listening to us.
We went biking for the first time with elder Elizondo last week and he almost crashed about 5 times. We also ran out of english planners so now I am using a Spanish planner this transfer.
Davo and Annika I am so proud of all the choices that you are making. I always wished that I could've grown up where I had to be the example to others in living the gospel. Davo you are a great missionary already.You are a great example to me of the courage. It takes courage and faith to share with your friend something that can change their life for ever.
Kris here some of the answers to your questions.
I do get to teach the Plan of Salvation A lot. We actually just finished teaching Mia the Plan of Salvation. She really likes it. and I have gained a great knowledge and testimony of it as i have studied and taught it.
Most of the people we run into are catholics or Baptist so it is kind of hard to get them to listen passed their Family traditions.
Concerning My living quarters, I live in a pretty nice apartment complex, with hundreds of people living in them. All the people in our building know or have at least talked with us a little bit. The lady down below us really likes us and she even told us one day that she had a book of Mormon and she read a little of it.
On P-Days in this area it is hard to get together with a lot of missionaries together because everything is so spread out. but we usually try to go to the stake center and play some B-Ball. I actually have gotten a lot better at it.
Well I love you all, Take care and have fun.
--
Elder Spencer Larson
It is so wonderful to receive all your thoughts and words of encouragement in your emails. This week was a really good one with some challenges. We have been trying to get Mia and her Family and Jannett and her family to make it to church. They both didn't make it this week but one of our investigators did. Big Jo did. She sat with us and even though she didn't quite understand what was going on she had fun socializing with all the members. As Jo was walking up the church building she grabbed Elder Ryan Larson's hand and held it. When I saw the situation I laughed and Elder R. Larson was just feeling all awkward. We came to the conclusion that 83 year old ladies know that they can get away with stuff like that. What can we do.
We had an amazing experience with Jeff this week. We brought Bro. Ojukwu who is from Africa, and played College Basket ball because he is so big and tall. Jeff has been struggling with life and just want to find that peace and enjoyment of life. So we asked how he has been doing and about the Reading in the Book of Mormon. He was depressed and not reading the Book Of Mormon. Then as we talked Bro. Ojukwu share his life and conversion. Jeff is very opened minded and very honest with how he feels. He didn't feel like a story like that could happen to him with his experiences. But we all persisted and bore our hearts to him. Once we started talking about his relationship with his family he began to feel hope and at the end of the lesson we were all laughing so much and we were all filled with the love and joy of god. I love Jeff so much. He said that he would like to continue to meet with us. That was a miracle.
On Sunday we had a lot of success in finding new investigators, we also found a Alligator .............. Snapping Turtle. Jess and mom don't worry I didn't touch it. I still have all my toes and fingers. When we were in that part of the neighborhood we talked to this guy named Luis who was very open to us. He is into drugs but he is open to listening to us.
We went biking for the first time with elder Elizondo last week and he almost crashed about 5 times. We also ran out of english planners so now I am using a Spanish planner this transfer.
Davo and Annika I am so proud of all the choices that you are making. I always wished that I could've grown up where I had to be the example to others in living the gospel. Davo you are a great missionary already.You are a great example to me of the courage. It takes courage and faith to share with your friend something that can change their life for ever.
Kris here some of the answers to your questions.
I do get to teach the Plan of Salvation A lot. We actually just finished teaching Mia the Plan of Salvation. She really likes it. and I have gained a great knowledge and testimony of it as i have studied and taught it.
Most of the people we run into are catholics or Baptist so it is kind of hard to get them to listen passed their Family traditions.
Concerning My living quarters, I live in a pretty nice apartment complex, with hundreds of people living in them. All the people in our building know or have at least talked with us a little bit. The lady down below us really likes us and she even told us one day that she had a book of Mormon and she read a little of it.
On P-Days in this area it is hard to get together with a lot of missionaries together because everything is so spread out. but we usually try to go to the stake center and play some B-Ball. I actually have gotten a lot better at it.
Well I love you all, Take care and have fun.
--
Elder Spencer Larson
Arlindo
Hey everybody,
Here are some of the poeple that we are teaching. Arlindo that youguys already know is a boyfriend to a member. They were livingtogether and then they felt the desire to come back to church andfollow christ. The only problem was that they weren´t married so theygot married on the 17th of December, but then 3 weeks later the civilmarriage office called them and said that the marriage wasn´t valid because she was still married with x-husband. And now we have to wait for them to cancel the marriage with Arlindo to get the divorcefinalized with her x-husband. What a crazy mess. But Arlindo will getbaptized sooner or later. Cicero and Sara said that they don´t want to get baptized anymore. Antônio, we can never find him at home. We have a couple that we arereally excited about, there names are Claudiono and Joice, they´remarried, so we´re not going to have any problems with that stuff. Our week was good, we had interviews with our mission President ontuesday which were great, we helped a member move into another houseon thursday which was a pain, and we did an activity on friday whichwas realy awsome.
I know that god loves us, Have a good week.
Elder stephen Larson
Monday, January 16, 2012
Awesome pic
I found this picture of Ben in the MTC at my Dads house when I was there for New Years and I just had to put it up.
He's crazy!!
Hey Everyone,
On Saturday the 14th of January Gildásio was baptized. And then on the next day he was confirmed a member and then he received the Holy Ghost. At Gildásio´s Baptism his mom, brother, sister were there and we had some other non-members that whached the Baptism. Erivaldo was choosen to baptized his friend Gildásio, erivaldo was so nervous I thought that he was going to faint in the font. Erivaldo had to repeat the baptism 3 times, the frist time he forgot to say ´Amem´ then the second time Gildásio´s elbow didn´t go under the water.
We are teach Arlindo(39), Cicero(26) and Sara(30), Antônio(34) and Mariana(19), Antônio(20), Claudiono(about49) and his wife Joice(about33). These are the people we focusing on.
I love you guys, I hope you all have a great week. and everything is going great here in brasil.
Elder stephen larson
On Saturday the 14th of January Gildásio was baptized. And then on the next day he was confirmed a member and then he received the Holy Ghost. At Gildásio´s Baptism his mom, brother, sister were there and we had some other non-members that whached the Baptism. Erivaldo was choosen to baptized his friend Gildásio, erivaldo was so nervous I thought that he was going to faint in the font. Erivaldo had to repeat the baptism 3 times, the frist time he forgot to say ´Amem´ then the second time Gildásio´s elbow didn´t go under the water.
We are teach Arlindo(39), Cicero(26) and Sara(30), Antônio(34) and Mariana(19), Antônio(20), Claudiono(about49) and his wife Joice(about33). These are the people we focusing on.
I love you guys, I hope you all have a great week. and everything is going great here in brasil.
Elder stephen larson
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