Bencaos, Milagres, Felicidade!

 My July 4th planning 

 P-Day lunch com o cara e PÃOZÃO!

 Letters from the fam!!!!!!!!!!

 Digitizing the taxi receipts...Chato demais!

No fluxo executivo/financeiro

Ola ao meu povo! It’s  Friday right now and I’m at home. Elder Vercosa, who has a problem in his feet and does physical therapy every day, is staying with us and since he can’t walk much, he has to just sit at home each night with one of us. Tonight’s my night. It’s been nice to take a little break and have time to clean the kitchen floor, work out some more, and now, write to you guys! Each week it’s been a rush trying to write my letter and so I’ll take advantage to cover some things that I’ve forgotten here or there in the last while.

One Sunday afternoon we were looking for a less-active member’s address. We found it, but it was an apartment building and the address we had didn’t list the apartment number. I didn’t want to not find the person (double negatives are not grammar crime in Portuguese) and so for 10 minutes I used the doorbell/intercom to call to every one of the 16 apartments. We didn’t find the person or family, but it was funny, haha.

I believe it was in March that Pres. Kuceki gave the mission the goal of finishing reading the Book of Mormon before Pres. Buhrer got here. Since that time I read a lot in the Book of Mormon every day. I actually started reading it in Portuguese before I left for Brazil, though I didn’t understand it, and as I read more and more and strove to reach the goal that Pres. Kuceki gave us, not only my ability to read Portuguese but also my testimony of and love for the Book of Mormon grew tremendously. The last two weeks before Pres. Buhrer got here I had to read a lot every day to get on track, but I  (I’m really losing or at least having difficulty finding, my English right now) finished the morning of the day he arrived. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God—along with the Bible—and that it is the most correct and true book on Earth! How I am grateful for it and also for an inspired mission president who led me to strengthen my testimony.

The 4^th of July was awesome wasn’t it!!? I did get pretty homesick here BUT throwing the American pigskin with American Elder Banz talking some American English about stuff in America helped me celebrate the day well. I love American football. Yet I love the gospel more! There’s nothing better than being on the mission here in Goiania!

That’s something I thought about this week—how grateful and happy I am to be here. I think it’s the mission call letter that says something like “more happiness that you have ever experienced awaits you as you labor among the children of God.” IT’S TRUE!

The joy of sincerely helping people, teaching people the restored and full gospel, seeing lives changed and testimonies built, losing myself in the work, growing in my conviction of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement, and knowing that I am doing exactly what God wants me to do is the greatest I have ever felt. I love serving this mission and fulfilling the will of my Father in Heaven, just like the Savior did!

(Now it’s P-Day) The weekend was excellent! Saturday I was on a division (exchange) with Elder Souza, the district leader’s companion. He only has 4 months on his mission but is already teaching and working well! We really didn’t have a plan for the afternoon, we just prayed to be led to a good person or family. We walked around and talked to some people. I saw a guy in front of a house and started to talk to him, but stopped when I realized he was talking to someone inside the house. I waited to talk with him when he finished, but as he left, he said to the person inside “Tem dois rapazes aqui para voce.’ (There are two young men here for you.) Well, it wasn’t our intention to talk to the person inside, but we went with the flow of things and ended up meting a humble and legally married family that was looking for a church to belong to! We taught them and invited them to church. They were planning to go to another church Sunday morning but changed their minds and came and loved the meetings yesterday and already committed to come next Sunday as well!  Milagre! I knew we had been guided to find them.

Another miracle happened! Neide is still progressing excellently but couldn’t come to church because of work. She and we have been praying that somehow she could go, and on Saturday one of her co-workers asked if they could trade shifts on Sunday. She happily accepted and loved attending igreja ontem tambem! Miracles!

Man it was a great week! There are even more great stories, but there just isn’t time sufficient to tell them all. That’s a good problem to have: so many blessings that you can’t count them! This morning I read all the letters from the Anderson reunion! I loved them and love you guys a ton! Thank you! I am always so grateful for my wonderful fan club of friends and family.

-Elder Anderson