Trobalho Duro e Conferencia Geral!

Eating acerola!

Washing clothes by hand

Tuna for lunch!

(General Conference is broadcast around the world 2x a year, in October and April). Member of the church around the world gather to hear inspiring talks from church leaders. Scott got to watch it online in Brazil)

  

Rapaz, conferencia geral foi bom demais! General Conference was awesome! The only drawback was that it went by way too fast. I’m excited to download, listen to, print, and read all the great talks that were given. Some of my favorites were given by Sister Oscarson (the true church and it’s essential role in God’s plan), Elder Bednar (the Priesthood and it’s ordinances), Elder Ballard (family councils), Elder Uchdorf (Priesthood session—marriage and families), and Elder Holland (the blessings and guidance for those who love and serve God). I don’t think I’ve ever heard a better talk to finish up conference than Elder Holland’s yesterday—humorous and spiritually powerful. General Conference on the mission is the best!!

I’m so grateful for a living prophet and apostles. What a great blessing it is to be led by men called of God and given his divine authority to receive revelation and guide the children of God through this mortal journey and back to our heavenly home!

In Araxa, things are going well! It’s only pure hard work here. It’s tiring and tough, but building the kingdom of God in a city where His church never before has been, isn’t and shouldn’t be an easy calling! I think it was Tuesday night that I was so tired I fell asleep during our prayer to end our nightly planning session. Elder Lisboa thought I was just praying personally, but after 30 minutes he woke me up hahaha. Never been so tired, nor happy and grateful!

The big miracle occurring here is that we’re finding several people that used to be members of the church but moved here and became inactive because the church wasn’t established here. Both times we’ve gone to the center of Araxa, someone stopped us, saying they had been baptized a long time ago and never found the church here. Yesterday morning, a woman called us saying we had made a contact with her daughter who then told her that she had seen missionaries in the city. After about 14 years, she’s excited to have the church here! The Lord will keep leading us to these people, or He will lead them to us!

We had an awesome experience this week with Guilherme, who we found our first day here. When teaching the Restoration to him a second time, we emphasized the importance of praying to know if this is the true church. At the end of the lesson, we said a kneeling prayer, and he asked if all we had taught and the church was true. All of us felt the peace and comfort of the Holy Ghost super strong, and after the prayer, he said “It’s the truth. This is the true church!” (translated). Even though he didn’t come to the church meeting this week (in between the Sunday sessions of conference) we’re hoping to help him continue to grow his testimony.

The granddaughter of Maria Lucia, the member in whose house we meet on Sundays, has wanted to be baptized for a long time, only never had the church close to home. We started teaching her and she’ll be baptized this month! She reminds me of Heidi a ton haha!

We are working hard. Exercising hard too. Elder Lisboa told me, after I decided we’d go running up the biggest hill around one morning, that he wrote in his journal “Acho que men companheiro esta tentanda me matar!’ (I think my companion’s trying to kill me!) Hahaha, there’s nothing like pure hard work , and I’m glad E. Lisboa is willing to work hard too.

Have a good hard-working week America!

Elder Anderson