Wow! What a week!

Wow, what a week! PAULO WAS CONFIRMED AS A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH! I had the privilege of confirming him and also giving him the gift of the Holy Ghost! Later on in the meeting, he recieved the Aaronic Priesthood! He wants to baptize his whole family! We´re going to help him! MARIA DOS DORES WAS BAPTIZED! Irmá Maria was about to give up, when we taught her about temples and family history work. She felt the Spirit of Elijah and decided to continue on the covenant path! Now, we will help her three grown kids to also come to church! She will be confirmed next Sunday! FRANCISCO AND ANDREIA NEED YOUR PRAYERS! This is the last week we have to mark their wedding in the city hall. Please join us in asking for help from Heavenly Father that we will be able to mark their wedding. They are willing to temporarily separate (in order to keep the law of Chastity) to be baptized. This action is authorized both by President Dalton and Bishop Mario. THREE YOUNG MEN RECEIVED THE PRIESTHOOD! These three young men were once less-active, one of which was found and taught by Elder Paiva and I. Three more recent converts also were sustained to their offices in the Aaronic Priesthood. In total, there are SEVEN priesthood holders in Jardim Mirna. It was so great seeing the Priesthood power grow in one ward! BISHOP GERALD CAUSSE WILL SPEAK TO US! This Friday, as a mission, we will meet in Santo Amaro with Mission São Paulo South to hear the words of Bishop Gerald Causse of the Presiding Bishopric. I´m really excited to hear what the Lord has to tell me through one of His chosen servants! I hope my brother and sister will watch this week´s Worldwide Broadcast about strengthening testimonies! More about it on the church website! A TEMPLE IN CORDOBÁ, ARGENTINA! This week, the temple in Cordoba will be dedicated and consecrated to the Lord. One more House of God in the world means that Satan´s power over the hearts of men will be weaker! This is so much needed in today´s world of disasters and distractions! ELDER ALMEIDA WILL GO HOME... After completing an honorable two years (and a little more), Elder Almeida will go home to Fortaleza, Ceará next Tuesday. He is such a great companion! It´s a privilege to serve with him again and to have been trained by him. I testify that this church is true, and that as we embark in the service of God, we are allowing our Heavenly Father to bless us with more blessings than we can count. President Thomas S. Monson is our prophet. He talks with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Salvation is only found within the bounds of holy sacred covenants made in temples. Jesus Christ is our Savior. He opened the way for us to have our families forever. I testify of this in the holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen. -- Élder Thomas Richins Ala Jardim Mirna Estaca Grajaú Missão Brasil São Paulo Interlagos

I'm being transferred tomorrow.

Yeah, so I lost track of time and will have to write a small letter this time. I´m doing okay. It´s been a really stressful week, with lots of good stuff. We took Junior and Melissa to the temple and taught them about eternal marriage, and ended up talking to President Pinho (who is now an area seventy) We did two service projects! I´m being transferred tomorrow. The ward is pretty sad to see me go, and I´m already missing this ward. We´ll have a family home evening with Bishop and Junior and Melissa tonight. Packing bags and getting everything ready to go. I love you guys a lot! Thanks for all your support! I´ll talk to you next week! -- Élder Thomas Richins Ala Interlagos (antiga Cidade Dutra) Estaca Interlagos Missão Brasil São Paulo Interlagos

What a Holy Week this was!

What a holy week this was! To start off, we had a great meeting as a mission after the transfer on Tuesday! A brother came and talked to us. He has some kind of disease which results in his legs not having any skin on them. When he was born, the doctors said that he would not live more than 20 years. As a young adult, he had a dream where he saw Mormon missionaries, and a beautiful church, and a pool of water. The next day, he ran into the missionaries and demanded to be taken the nearst chapel. It turned out to be the same one from his dream. He asked if there was a pool of water inside. Then, he refused to leave the chapel until he was baptized. A few years later, he prepared himself to serve a mission. Although his stake president was hesitant (because this brother have much difficulty walking, especially in dress pants, which stick to and tear at his exposed legs, causing him to bleed) he sent the application to church headquarters. This brother´s call arrived a little bit later. He told us a few stories from his mission. In the end, he served an honorable, full-time mission, without complaining, baptizing many. He bled 2 liters of blood every night. That should be impossible, but this brother prayed every night for strength from God. And he recieved it! He not only changed the missions of his companions, but he also caused a ripple, affecting the salvation of generations. He baptized the Maia family, in Goias, Brasil. A little girl later born into this family grew up and is now serving in my mission. SIster Maia as since helped many more people. It was so cool to see how one man´s decision to not give up, despite excruciating pain and difficulty, can affect so many people! On a funny note, I got to eat two of my favorite foods on Tuesday. Liver and chicken heart! So good! We went to the psychiatrist´s office on Thursday. Dr Carmen says that I am making excellent progress. We will keep reducing the sleep medicine and upping the anti-depressant. Our goal is for me to not need the sleep medicine soon. W had to go back there the next day to pick up a perscription that I forgot to ask for that I needed (look at our dedication to making me better!) Since Friday was a holiday, there was very little traffic. But we took the train, and there were so few trains that they only came every 30 minutes. It was really annoying, because we had to wait so long and the train was still packed full of people! Good thing we got cat tongue McFlurries at McDonalds! On Friday morning, we had a very special experience. Our goal (President Dalton, Elder Sharp, and I) was for me to be healed by the end of last transfer. For some reason or another, neither Elder Sharp, nor I, felt ready for this blessing last Sunday. But he came and talked to me, after I had just calmed down from an anxiety attack. It had been bugging him the whole week. He begged me to help orient him on this. I responded that I just didn´t know if I was ready, or if I had the faith. After a long talk, we decided to listen to the Spirit. I felt that we should read John 10:27 (actually, the thought was put into my heart and my head). It reads: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" The scripture touched our hearts, and we prayed fervently for faith to perform the blessing. Then, I recieved the priesthood blessing. I can testify that I felt something leave my body. It felt as if my mind had opened, that the dark clouds of depression were scattered and I saw light for the first time in a long time. It was glorious. We both knew that it was a miracle. When I was set apart as a missionary, President Pulsipher said that I would have wisdom to know what and what not to put into my body, and also that I would listen to what the doctors have to say, and do it. This counsel, along with confirming revelation, tell me that I am not yet 100%, but as I keep taking my meds faithfully, I will get there. But I can testify that Heavenly Father had mercy on me and gave me a much needed, and very helpful head-start. Conference was wonderful. I took so many notes! It´s like I got so many tips on helping me endure to the end happily! I got so much revelation! I´ll definitely be looking back on these notes after I finish my mission. It seems as if every conference gets better and better. How great it is to be taught and prepared by prophets and apostles who talk with God! It´s amazing! All thanks to a loving and loyal Heavenly Father. I am so grateful to Him. I testify that He sent His Son, His Only Begotten Son, to suffer and die for all of us. The infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ gives me so much strength! He suffered for me, so that my load could be lighter, so that I could never be tempted, nor have problems, greater than I could bear. He took upon Himself all of my sins, sicknesses, weaknesses, and pains, and mistakes, so that I did not have to suffer them all by myself. It´s wonderful to know that the Mighty God of Israel, the great Jeovah, condescended to earth to save me. He even died for me. Jesus Christ broke the bonds of death. He was resurrected on the third day, and He lives today. Because He lives, I will be able to live forever, not just on this earth, but in the eternities with my family, friends, and my Heavenly Father. I testify of Jesus Christ and everything that He has done for us, His younger brothers and sisters, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. -- Élder Thomas Richins Ala Interlagos (antiga Cidade Dutra) Estaca Interlagos Missão Brasil São Paulo Interlagos

I'm so excited to watch general conference this week!

This week was CRAZY! On Monday, we went to the mission office (I got my package!) and we went to Kalunga, an office supplies store. They had Sharpies. Legit Sharpies.... I got one. On Tuesday, I went and worked in Jardim Mirna with Elder Almeida (sounds familiar?) and we visited Paulo and Thassya! We helped them to set a goal of when they will go to the temple to be sealed! The goal is September 15th! It´ll be so awesome! I pray for them and for this goal every day. On Thursday, we had a PANCAKE BREAKFAST! So, there´s a member in our ward with a daughter who lives in Idaho Falls (YEAH). She was visiting São Paulo and decided to bring ingredients for PANCAKES and BLUEBERRY MUFFINS! She ran into the sister missioaries, and got our number, then called us on Wednesday night, inviting us to eat with her and her mom. There was PEANUT BUTTER and MAPLE SYRUP! It was a dream come true. And, she gave us the rest of the pancake mix and the syrup, along with more muffins and Nerds candies! It was so cool! We talked with her in English. Her 7-year-old daughter doesn´t even speak Portuguese! It was so trunky! Elder Sharp and I will visit her family once we are in BYUI. On Friday, we had a service project. It was awesome. I chisled a hole in a wall. How can it get better than that? On Saturday, we ate lunch with a sister whose son just got back from his mission in Fortaleza. It was really weird seeing him in person, for we had only seen pictures of him. His mom asked "why is it that you guys don´t tell us everything that happens on your mission until after?" We responded that it would scare the folks at home. She disagreed. Then her son told her about a murder that happened right in front of him. She changed her mind. Yeah, I´ve got lots of stories for you guys after the mission! :D It´s getting a lot cooler and starting to rain more often. Good bye summer, I´ll see you in Idaho! This transfer, I will be in Interlagos for a week or two, and then I´ll be transferred to Jardim Mirna and work with Elder Almeida for his last transfer! I´m really excited! I love you guys so much! Thanks for your prayers! I want you to know that I know that this work is true. This is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is the only true and living church. I´m so excited to watch General Conference this week. I testify that Thomas S. Monson is our prophet. He and the other Apostles are prophets, seers, and revelators that talk with God. I testify of this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. -- Élder Thomas Richins Ala Interlagos (antiga Cidade Dutra) Estaca Interlagos Missão Brasil São Paulo Interlagos

I heard Grandpa Frei's voice encouraging me.

I saw "Meet The Mormons"! It was so good! We had a zone conference in Santo Amaro last tuesday and saw it there. President and Sister Dalton made us popcorn! I went to the doctor and she said that, by the looks of things, I am getting better. We are still hoping and praying and working towards a miracle. On the way back from the doctor, Elder Sharp bought us ice cream cones at McDonald´s. On thursday, we went to the nursing home and ended up helping them throw a birthday party for Raimundo (he turned 75!) and also, that day marked his and Lurdes´s 40th wedding aniversary! Woo! With the depression and the anxiety, it isn´t getting easier. For example, we didn´t even leave the house of friday. I slept most of the day, but we are moving closer and closer to the solution. I´ve got a new pill for anxiety that also helps with sleeping (my sleep is improving a lot). We are seeing that taking 30 minute walks in the morning and eating a good breakfast help a lot And herbal tea at night just before I go to bed helps, too. And I´m taking my meds faithfully! We used some leftover lunch money to buy bananas to donate to the nursing home, since the folks there love bananas, and the home is going through a financial crisis. Few of the people we worked with this week went to church. Most of them promised they´d go, but didn´t end up going. I was really sad because of it. But I was happy because many of the recent converts I helped in my first transfer here showed up to church, and also a family who had been inactive for a long time came back because Elder Sharp went there with their home teacher. Look at the power of home teaching! It brought back a family that had previously told us (the missionaries) that they don´t want to go to church. I´ll be sure to do my home teaching visits faithfully when I get home! :) After church, I fell into a deep depression. I felt as if my mission, and even the ward, were just lost causes. but Elder Sharp assured me that our work isn´t in vain, and that we are planting seeds as we go. He also said that Grandpa is here with me, helping me to overcome this trial. As soon as he said that, I heard Grandpa Frei´s voice encouraging me. In that instance, I was reminded, once again, that the day of miracles has not ceased, that the plan of salvation is real, and that this Church is true. I am so grateful for Jesus Christ. He is the central point of the plan of salvation. Because He lives, I will have my family with me forever, and we can reach exaltation. I testify that this is true in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. I love you guys and have a great week! -- Élder Thomas Richins Ala Interlagos (antiga Cidade Dutra) Estaca Interlagos Missão Brasil São Paulo Interlagos

He is my Savior, and He lives!

To start off, I think the medicine is working! And we are getting a LOT of rain! I´m going to the doctor again this thursday! On tuesday, we got a new roommate! Elder Jesus was transferred and replaced by a short-term missionary from a neighboring stake, Elder Do Val. On wednesday, we were going to Isaura´s house, to see how she was doing. We got there twenty minutes early. She lives in a super rich neighborhood, where there is no one to make contacts with. We decided that it would be best not to stress her out, by her thinking that we were just sitting there, waiting for her, so we decided to use some of our leftover lunch money to buy ice cream cones at the nearby Burger King. Just as we got up, a man pulled up in his car and gave us R$50, telling us to go buy dinner. We tried to refuse the money. He said that he saw us and felt that he needed to talk to us and give us money. We still tried to refuse it. Turns out he´s a police officer and was coming home from work. He had a good friend who served a mission, and decided to do a good turn. Finally, we accepted the money, but I got his address and I´m going to send a thank-you card to him (and the missionaries where he lives can teach him). We got back just after Isaura got home. It turned out to be a very significant visit. She had almost given up. But Elder Sharp and I (thanks to the Spirit), were able to help her. My experiences with depression helped her put her own difficulties into perspective (she´s losing her house because of a dishonest landlord). I promised her that if she reads the Book of Mormon and prays every day, keeps the commandments and goes to church, she will find a house, and her son, Tiago, will go to church and be baptized. I called her every night to follow up. We were unable to go to our ward because of civil unrest in downtown São Paulo, but we later found out that not only did Isaura go to church, but Tiago did, too! On friday, we had another service project in the nursing home. They are almost ready to receive one ton of food storage from the bishop´s storehouse. And another one of the workers there is being taught by the missionaries where he lives (in another mission). The owner wants to take everybody (who wants) to church. The owner´s mother made us a delicious lunch with foods from her state of Bahia. Carne seca, feijão de corda, rice, salad, etc. Dessert was oranges and "sour milk", made from old milk, lemon juice, and bread. On saturday, we visited Alessandra towards the end of the night. Her landlord and his family hate her. She says that they always harrass her about the church, swearing at her, literally putting curses on her (black magic), hitting her son, stealing, and a lot of other stuff. We didn´t see everything, but I can say that they do persecute her and treat her really badly. The landlord actually cut her electricity, and threatened to cut her water and (while she´s at church) throw all of her furniture into the street. We stayed with her and helped her relax as Bishop showed up. We went with him to talk to the landlord. He said many things that are untrue, and a couple things that are true, trying to slander Alessandra. He called her "the devil himself". Bishop calmly and cooly promised the landlord that he would get his money, but that he needs to turn the electricity back on, since she has a newborn to take care of. The landlord was in the process of cutting off water from her house when we talked to him. As the bishop, the landlord, and Elder Sharp fixed the electricity problem, I made popcorn for the family, and washed the dishes. Bishop then sat down with Alessandra and Davi and talked to them about what they should do to avoid future problems. I received a very strong testimony of the power of magnifying our callings, and the love that bishops have for their members. Bishop then took us home. I know that this is the true Church of Jesus Christ. He is my Savior and He lives. I testify of Him in His holy name, even Jesus Christ. Amen. I love you guys! Have a great week! -- Élder Thomas Richins Ala Interlagos (antiga Cidade Dutra) Estaca Interlagos Missão Brasil São Paulo Interlagos

Camila was baptized!

Camila was baptized!!!!!!!! We got Alexandre, a recent convert we are helping to stay firm (and whose brother was killed a couple of weeks ago), to baptize her. He bore his testimony and said that now he wants to serve a mission really badly. Thanks to help from the Bishop and from Ana Paula (the Young Womens President), and all of the young women in the ward, she is well-integrated. The YW even prepared a little gift basket for her and made her feel really special. We worked really hard to make this baptismal meeting spiritual. Sister Maia played the piano for us and I played the violin. Missionaries from the Primavera and Castro Alves wards joined us in singing "When I Am Baptized". The youth also sang a hymn. It was so great! Camila brought her little sister, Carina (11), and invited her friend, Davi. Davi didn´t make it, but we´ll meet him this week. Carina went to church the next day! We´re planning on using the "lei de dupla colheita" and teaching her along with her sister. It was so great watching the transformation in Camila from before the baptism, before the confirmation, and after. I had the privilege of confirming her as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and giving her the gift of the Holy Ghost. She was so happy afterwards. She just seemed to glow! There was definitely a spiritual change. She was born again! And I made sure to completely fill out her baptismal form right after church! On the side of the nursing home, Maria Del Carmen, who is marked to be baptized this week (we might need to re-mark her for next week), came to church. She has doubts, and said that last time she went to church, she didn´t feel what she was wanting to feel. We´ll follow up good with her and follow the Spirit. Cris, the less-active sister, may not have been confirmed, which means that she would have to be rebaptized. We´ll try to get in contact with the bishop of the Jardim Record ward, where she was baptized. Gianne, the recent convert, and her son, Lucas, are doing really well. He received the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday. They are helping Evailson and Iracie (the owner and his mother) learn more about the gospel. Evailson told her that he wants to be baptized. Bishop took them on a tour of the Bishop´s Storehouse, and they say that they know that this church has to be true. They couldn´t come to church yesterday because there was an emergency at the nursing home, but we will start teaching them this week. We´ve been kinda "staking out" the other patients, and we feel good about one of them. We´ll try to teach him this week, too. On Friday, we will have another service project there. Isaura, who we baptized around New Years´, came to church! We hadn´t been about to talk to her in more than a week, and we were so worried! She´s having a rough time. But I talked with her, made her smile, and helped her schedule an interview with bishop. We´ll visit her on Tuesday when her son, Tiago, is home. Tiago likes us a lot (he´s our age) and I feel really impressed that now is the time to help him be baptized. Isaura also said that she´s convincing one of her friends to come to church! Alessandra, another recent-convert, had her baby, Pedro Henrique. He´s a beautiful, healthy little baby. She wasn´t able to go to church, but she did make sure that her son, Davi, got there to pass the sacrament. So she missed me playing the violin in sacrament meeting. We went by there and I played the violin for her and her baby. Elder Sharp and I are doing great. The depression seems to be getting a little better, but it´s still really rough. I´ll be going back to Doctor Carmen on Friday. I´m taking my medicine faithfully, though. I´ll get the lab results tomorrow. I´ll keep you guys updated! Sure do love you! I know that this church is true! -- Élder Thomas Richins Ala Interlagos (antiga Cidade Dutra) Estaca Interlagos Missão Brasil São Paulo Interlagos