October 13, 2014

What a WONDERFUL WEEK!  So many good things happened!

First off, my apologies for not sending out a letter last week... after 30 minutes, my computer booted me off, got some kind of virus, and wouldn't even turn on again... sooooo there went my email time!  Brazil is sketchy sometimes!  I hope you all had a great week, too!

Because of General Conference last week, the temple was closed, so we were unable to take C___ to the temple grounds to teach her... but, this week, we had it all planned.  C___ has been going really firm in her church for 15 years, but ever since her son,Maicon, got baptized 5 months ago, she has felt like her progress in her church stopped, and she has been searching for an answer... she told us how she felt like God was calling her to something else, as if He had more for her to do, but she still didn't know what.  We have been teaching her for a good while now, and I have been so touched by her sincerity to search, ponder, and pray to know the truth of things.  C___ is a little different than the majority of people here in Tamandaré.  She is very intelligent, lives in a large, custom home, has a car, and is very blessed with the material things of life.  Generally, people like her don't open a door to people like us ;)

This Saturday, we went over early and hitched a ride with her and her son to the Curitiba Temple.  Before we got there, we promised her that she would get her answer there on Temple grounds.  As soon as we pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car, a peaceful quiet settled.  The Spirit was already there.  It was a beautiful, clear, sunny morning, and the Temple was gorgeous.  We let C___ and M_____ have some time alone walking around the Garden of the temple, and we went in to see if we could arrange to teach her IN the temple.  We talked to the temple president, and they prepared a lovely reception room for us to enter in and teach C___.  Before we went and got C___ to teach her within the walls of the temple, Elder Boyd and I had a prayer together.  I have NEVER wanted someone to accept baptism as badly as I wanted C____ to accept.  As I said that prayer, the Spirit bore powerful witness to me of the necessity of baptism to return to Heavenly Father one day.  I could feel in that moment how badly Heavenly Father wanted C___ to accept baptism, too.  I felt His love for her, and prayed that He would help us in our limitedportuguese teach her in a way that she would recognize, understand, and accept the Savior's invitation to follow him.

As soon as we got C___ and M_____ in the Temple, everything went better than planned.  C___ is a mother of 4 adult children.  She loves them SO much but worries that they will stay off "the path".  Teaching about the plan of Salvation, I felt like I needed to bring a few pictures of our family and of Dad.  I showed C____ my family, and told her about Dad... how much I love him and miss him and how I want, more than anything, to be a forever family.  We testified through tears that we knew that God had an eternal plan for her, and her family.  I told her that I knew that because of the blessings of the Temple, I will be with my family for all time and eternity.  In that moment, she told us, "This is the answer I have been waiting for, searching for, and praying for.  I know that God brought me here today to His temple to show me what I need to do."  We invited her to be baptized in that instant, she accepted, and we all cried and cried and cried.  Gosh... As a missionary, you truly have NO greater joy than to see the miracle of the Gospel take root in one's heart.  It was literally a miracle and SUCH a powerful experience there in the temple that day...

I am SO thankful to be here.  C___ was literally one of the people I KNOW that I needed to come to Brazil to find and teach.  It is incredible to see how the Spirit will teach and mold even the most stubborn of hearts the truth.  I love the blessings of the temple.  I know that they are real.  I am so eternally grateful for the restored knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and the power of the Priesthood that makes these wonderful, binding ordinances possible.

I love my family!  I'm so glad that we are a forever family.  I am soooooooooooo thankful for the opportunity God gave me to help others have those same blessings.

Have a wonderful week, and remember what wonderful blessings we have.

Love forever, 

Jason