Letter #85

(Stake President Udo Uhlmann, President of a company of Padlocks. I don't make these things up!)

Dear Family,

I love the mission. I love to feel the Spirit day by day and to learn and to work and especially to help direct our mission here, and the hosts of missionaries. I'm not so sharp on cleaning the house but I'm starting to love that too ; )

This week we enter the last week of the transfer! Here's what happened:

Monday we had a fantastic lesson with our investigator, in the chapel. The Spirit was STRONG! and he asked to be baptized, which he will be but not by us as he lives in Sao Paulo and returned this week. My companion was slightly unable to contain himself as he invited him to be baptized, and other similar invites. . .

We also had an FHE with our reactivated couple who brought six friends to hear the message and made a host of food. She this week was called as first counselor in the stake primary presidency (!) and started her mission papers : ) It's a wonderful feeling to be a part of this work. She also sang in the ward choir this week, is attending and bringing friends to institute and learning to lead music in the stake's class each Tuesday. Reactivation complete.

Tuesday we taught and found and prepared information for our meeting with the president about transfers on Wednesday...and Wednesday we held our meeting with him, beginning early in the morning. It's always a pleasure to be with him.

Thursday my companion was back at the doctors and I took advantage of it to apply a little soul medicine from the Book of Mormon, finishing Jacob and so forth. Jacob is one of my heroes. We taught all night as well,

Friday we taught a lot and all with members, the way it should be. We taught one lady who went to church last week with the Relief Society president and it was a wonderful lesson. She grabbed the last bit of coffee in her house and threw it out! She was back at church again on Sunday with more family than we brought. We also had an FHE with a couple that we are teaching. They decided in the lesson that they would marry and both will be baptized. I've never married anyone in the mission so this will be a first. Both were in church Sunday as well. . .

Friday we were kidnapped. President called us at 9 in the morning asked us if we were ready (for what!?) and told us to meet him on the highway in 5. I've never gotten ready so quick in my life! We flew out of there running to meet him on the highway where we left for Marília, he to designate the mission's new councilor and us to train the zone and district leaders on interviews and teaching. Two hours to get there and two to get back. We had some quality time to get to know what president refers to as "his common man" indeed a privilege. He has jokes and wisdom and the Spirit of Captain Moroni. For if all men were like unto him, the foundations of hell would be shaken indeed. We lunched at a classy buffet and he even got to do a contact with a couple at the table next us, the head of the local police, who wanted to know why we were all called "elder." We obliged him an answer and invited him to come and see ; )

Saturday after lunch we trained the newly called ward missionaries using Preach My Gospel and held our weekly meeting to meet and talk about the work and what should be done during next week. One young man held his missionary farewell and it was FULL. We each were able to speak and bear our testimonies about the work he was leaving to do and how it was sure to change his life, and we also invited all to come and see and know why he was doing this. The spirit was STRONG! and many in attendance openly wept. We gathered the addresses and will go to work this week : )

Sunday was ward conference. We showed up in grand style with over thirty people in church because of our efforts, fourteen investigators watching for the first time. That was enough to shatter any previous ward attendance records and we brought down the house with the new record of 175. The best part though was watching the spirit as it touched each and everyone one of the investigators hearts. One investigator as she left the meeting said to us, "If you see me again next Sunday it will be because it is the day of my baptism." This week I hope will be more gathering than planting as we harvest the fruits of this last week.

We managed to grab one more p-day today, the last I'm sure for awhile. I'll make good use of it writing lots of letters ; )

I leave you with one of my favorite scriptural passages: "Having been wrought upon by the power of God that I must preach and prophesy unto this people, and declare the word according to the truth which is in Christ. And I have declared it in all my days, and have rejoiced in it above [the things] of the world. And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen.:

Love,

Tanner