May 28, 2012

HEY ALL!!!!!!!

This week Lucas was baptized (he’s the one dancing in the photos) He had told us many times... I know I need to be baptized and I know you have the authority so let’s do this.  We plan on getting him the p-hood this week so then he can baptize his friend, Glaydson  this Sunday (my 20^th birthday WOOT WOOT).  Glaydson was going to be baptized yesterday but something happened not sure what... we will visit him tonight, he has been having problems at work at home and also headaches from giving up coffee.

The miracle this week... Michael (I’m not sure what I’ve told you about him... probably nothing). Two weeks ago we did a street contact with Michael, invited him to be baptized... he accepted went to church that Sunday we gave him a Book of Mormon at church, by Tuesday when we visited him he had read up to 3 Nephi  11 and then started at the beginning (the introduction and everything) and read till chapter 5... He accepted to be baptized on the 3rd (my birthday) then this Sunday he came to church and stayed for the baptism at which he talked with Elder F Souza he said " I’m moving Saturday... can I be baptized Wednesday.. I already got a response I know this is what I need to do." We told him yes! Now we are teaching him everything before he moves to Brazilla to baptize him and confirm him. I just am wondering where these people were the first 12 weeks I was here...

Also this week we have a wife of an active member who we will baptize. He started coming back to church with the birth of his child and she is excited to build her family on a sure foundation. We will also be baptizing Wanda, her son Ivan and his son Cassio. All 3 were references of a member... she is 95 years old.... EVERY MEMBER A MISSIONARY!!! Cassio has already said he wants to serve a mission!  The lord is blessing me here is Brazil.  I have been learning lots; mostly the importance of baptism... talking about baptism... eating baptism and sleeping baptism you know all baptism, missionaries baptize, members convert.  It took me more than 6 months to figure that out... but now I LOVE my purpose. LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Howe

 The photos this week are of of us and Lucas. Then us at our lunch yesterday, the kids wanted to play with my camera. It gives you guys a good look into Brazilian life. Maybe I'll have kids take more pictures :) hahah

May 21st

Baptism of Hermina, it gave me another opportunity to feel like a giant

HELLO ALLL!!!!!!!!!!!

Another good week here in Brazil... things are starting to heat up... the rain has stopped so now it’s just a lot of sun I think we hit over 40C a few times this week... I don’t even know what that converts to, anyone have an easier way of converting then the whole -32 x (9/5) thing it would be helpful. haha The missionary work is going along great; One story, my miracle this week.

Michael is his name he is 18 we were walking in our area going to an appointment in the afternoon (this is the same time of day when everyone is sleeping so no one is out on the streets) this guy was waiting for the bus we did our normal street contact and  talked about Christ, the apostasy and the restoration of the priesthood to baptize (in simpler words) we then invited him to be baptized... he said "yeah I’ve actually just been waiting for an invitation to be baptized, I don’t really like my current church." Elder F. Souza and I nearly fell over backwards!!!! We invited him to church and the next day he was there at church! We plan to baptize him on the 3rd of June.

Other story: walking down the street (by the way this one is just funny) a man is weeding the road... yeah it happens. We pass by; he says “HEY a little help!” so I give my comp my bag and start weeding for him, he talks to Elder F Souza and then after 3 minutes says, “thanks for the help, it’s hard work weeding the road, next time you pass by I’ll buy you some ‘smokes’” I declined... haha

Lucas and Glaydson should be baptized this week. We are helping Glaydson with coffee and Lucas just wants to be baptized with his friend. We have resolved their doubts of tithing and now it’s off to the font!!!

Please keep me in your prayers!! I love you all and wish you all a super fun summer... enjoy the pool!

Love Elder Howe

Irma Lindalva and Valiera (she helps out alot with missionary work and will leave on her mission this year)

Hunting for baptisms with this hat

The river in Teresina, I foget the name

May 14th

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT HELLEN!!!!!!!!!!

This was another awesome week. Had a baptism, Hermina, she is the mother of my first baptism, Liliane. Sorry no photos this week I will remember my camera next week :)

This week we also met a young couple that has an 8 month child and are very open to being baptized. They had never met an American before... and they recorded me as I was trying to get to know them... it was weird, they even recorded me presenting my pictures of my photo album... I finally said “can we pray?” and they were going to record the prayer TOO!!! I said “I don’t feel right recording the prayer” so they turned it off. haha it was funny. I felt like a freak show.

I had a talk in sacrament meeting, and spoke about Missionary work (big surprise) I gave the ABC's of missionary work they don’t translate to English but I’ll give them to you guys and you can apply them. Today we have many members who want to share the gospel but just have a fear about it, so I hope these steps can give those of you with fear some light on the situation:

1.   Present the information (“The Book of Mormon testifies of Christ, we have the old testament, new testament, and another testament of Christ”)

2.  Share your basic testimony (“I know for myself the Book of Mormon is true”)

3.  Invite them to church or to read the Book of Mormon (“I have 2 friends who would like to explain more about this and how to know for yourself it is true, come on over to my house...”)

4.  Just speak simply and clearly

5.  Don’t fear

Follow these steps and I am sure you will increase the baptism in your ward. Lessons in members’ homes are GOLD!!

I love you all!

May 7th

Well it’s almost MOTHERS DAY!!!!!!!!!!! Which means I get to call home! In my mission we get to use skype!! I’m excited, this has been the longest in my life I have gone without hearing my family (6 months)......... on that note I have now hit my 6 month mark!

If I could express in this letter all the things I have learned... well it would be a big letter, but sadly time and my finger strength are not enough to write it all. So I will just hit some highlights:

1. By praying we are legit talking to God. He hears every one of our prayers and will answer them if done with faith, real intent and if the prayer is sincere. ( D & C 98 1-3)

2. Active patience is the key to learning. We will not nor cannot learn everything all at once, we are to continue in diligence studying and little by little, we learn, aka you can’t "cram" to learn a language it might work for the SOL´s but not a foreign language or the teachings of Christ.

3. Education has an immeasurable value

4. Christ asks us to be humble so that we can learn to be what he wants us to be. If we are humble he will shape us through our challenges and weaknesses. Trust in him to make you better, and he will.

5. He never said it would be easy, just worth it.

Love you all!

Love, Elder Howe

p.s. sorry for no pictures, I've become lazy with my camera.

30 of April



Roasting marhmellows (my comp is pretty inexperienced in the whole roasting buiness) I also taught him about Smores!



Then we just had a boss photoshoot out in the forest (where we eat lunch alot of times) The members live out there.

And we had a baptism

 The Brazillian equilivant of Aunt Helen. She lives with a member family and just was never baptized due to her inability to walk. With a lift from a member we had a baptism with both of us in the water!

Opá!!!!!!!!!

This week we baptized, after many fasts and hours of praying the Lord truly helped us; we found a mother of a member who really just wasn’t baptized because she hadn’t been asked or hadn’t  the means provided to be baptized; mainly a car ride to the chapel which is on the same street that she lives. We provided those things and had a baptism. I thought when we got in the water she would change her mind… but her faith was strong and with two missionaries in the water we had a baptism!!!

We are also teaching Genival he is a brother of two members of our ward, we have been inviting him to be baptized for quite some time and we have continued teaching him mainly because he keeps reading the Book of Mormon and has a solid testimony; now he has accepted a date, the 19^th of may. When we first asked if the 19^th was good for him, he sat there with his family (we will have to marry them too) for about 8 minutes in silence... waiting for a reply... he thought and thought, and then responded "Irmão aquela dia eu vou ser batizado" or in English, “Brother that day I will be baptized.” What a sweet feeling. He actually was the first person I taught here in the field way back in January with Elder Harding... so slowly but surely the work of the Lord is going on in this area.

Love you ALL!!!!!!

Elder Howe