Being a missionary is so awesome!

WOW! THIS WEEK WAS AWESOME! On Monday, we had family home evening with Alessandra. She was baptized recently. She lives alone with her three young kids (with another on the way) in a very humble home. But, working with the members, we have brought the spirit of Christmas into her home. Among other things, they´ve got a small Christmas tree, a large photo of the Temple of São Paulo, and a beautiful painting of the Savior. We´re working with her son, Davi, to prepare him to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. On Tuesday, we had a HUGE miracle! So, we were walking home from lunch after district meeting, when it started to rain, out of nowhere. I swear that it was flash flooding (actually there was devastating flooding in the neighboring missions). Because we were returning from district meeting, we had our area book with us, and other study materials that we consider sacred. So, we decided to pray. Ducking under a canopy, we said a fervent prayer, asking God to stop the rain just enough for us to leave our stuff in the apartment. We both acknowledged a feeling of great faith as we continued our walk home. Immediately, as we left the cover of the canopy, the rain stoppped completely, for the rest of the day. I feel impressed also to mention that right before the rain stopped, two beggars, who were also under the canopy, asked for food. Luckily, at that moment, we had some chocolate chip cookies. We gave them some, and they were so grateful! On Thursday, we had a mission tour with President Claudio R. M. Costa, in the stake center next to the temple. It was amazing. I learned so many great and wonderful things! It turns out that he was so impressed by our mission, that he shared things that he usually doesn´t share. After the meeting, On Saturday, we had stake conference! Isaura, who we are preparing to be baptized on the 27th went to church and loved it! Especially President Dalton´s talk about the Spirit of Elijah and temples. President Dalton gave us a ride home. Elder Sharp got two Christmas packages! Peanut butter snickers and gingerbread cookies! Woo! On Sunday, we had a huge lunch, with the Bishop, his second counsellor, the Relief Society president, one of her counsellors, the YM and YW presidents, and their families. It was so great! I love my "familia Interlagos"! Yesterday, we had the Christmas Conference! A team of podologists (foot doctors) came and gave us a training, and a check up. They gave us tie clips! Also, the First Presidency sent a Christmas card to all the missionaries! Sister Dalton made us ornaments! She´s so sweet! She got hurt recently (she did something to her knee, similar to what happened to Dad), so keep her in your prayers! She´s recovering from a surgery! President and Sister Dalton furnished a great breakfast AND lunch (churrasco) with dessert! We also had many musical numbers, including that was just my zone, and another that was the mission choir. I loved singing in that choir! I now know how to sing the tenor and bass parts of "Joy to the World"! I finished the Standard Works! WOW! I learned SO MUCH from the scriptures! What a privilege it is to have them! I also finished Preach My Gospel, and I´ve arrived at Alma 34. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. And I know that God speaks through his living prophet, Thomas S. Monson! We´ve been getting a lot of rain (which is needed), but today is a great sunny, warm day. I´m stoked! It´s going to be great! Being a missionart is so awesome! The 22nd of December is arriving! I hold this day in sacred remembrance because this is the day that Mom and Dad were sealed to each other, to me, and to our Heavenly Father. This week, I´m excited to share with everyone the good news of the Savior´s birth, and also of temple blessings, which come through His infinite atonement. I glory in my Jesus. He is my Hope, my Strength, my Rock and my Redeemer. Without Him, I am nothing, and through Him, all things are possible. I´m so happy that I have been able to get to know Him through my trials and afflictions. And I am so excited to see Him again in the flesh at the last day. He lives and He will come again. Of this I testify in His holy name, even the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. -- Élder Thomas Richins Ala Interlagos (antiga Cidade Dutra) Estaca Interlagos Missão Brasil São Paulo Interlagos

What a blessing it is to be alive!

Bom dia, minha família bem querida! I´ve got so much to tell you guys! First of all: PARABENS! I´m still in shock over your family history explosion (como assim?!) I feel really bad now because I thought there was no more work to be done. You guys sure showed me! Wow, I am so proud of my wonderful family! You guys are so great! And thanks so much for the wonderful package. I know that it was intended to be a Christmas package, but it arrived last Thursday. We thought it was Thanksgiving (I´m not positive when exactly IS Thanksgiving), so we opened it after the ward barbecue. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I needed new socks so badly! And the ties are awesome! And I LOVED the t-shirt! So great! I loved everything! So, this week was so eventful, that I have to start at the beginning: Monday: When we left the lanhouse to go home, we stopped by the market and I bought ingredients to made chicken parmesan (the poor missionary version). We returned home, ate lunch, cleaned, and relaxed. I boiled 4 gallons of water because we didn´t want to buy mineral water. So glad we did! Saved R$15! We didn´t get to do visits with William because he forgot. We marked visits for the next day, but it fell through again. This continued until today (he´s determined to at least say good-bye to us tonight). But he went to church! Woo! Tuesday: Nothing much happened on Tuesday, except that in District Meeting we got esfihas (mini-pizzas) and going home, a member pulled us aside and gave us a ton of espetinhos (barbeque). Wednesday: Service Project! WOOOO YEAH! FINALLY! It was construction! So awesome! So great! And we got more free food! Lunch was in the form of money, so we ate at a member´s restaurant. He refused to let us pay the full price. Later that night was English class (did I mention that I teach weekly English classes?). Thursday: Interviews with President Dalton! It was an awesome interview! Sister Dalton made chocolate chip cookies for everyone! They tasted just like Mom´s! After the interviews, we had the ward barbeque (there was also karioke, but we didn´t stick around for that). The zone leaders arrived at the barbeque with my package! Awesome surprise! Elder Sá and I went home and opened it (there is a video), and then we studied and worked normally. Friday: Lunch with an awesome elderly couple in the ward! He´s from Fortaleza, and she´s from Madrid (SPAIN!). They are really cool! And the food was soooooo good! Ice cream for dessert! At night, we missionaries were in charge of mutual for the youth. So, in Brasil, there is a candy called "Bis". It´s our district´s "official" candy, "bis" meaning "baptism, endowment, and sealing". So, we started by having all the youth look for "bis" that we said was hidden outside of the church. In reality, we missionaries had the "bis", and we gave it out secretly. Some got bis and some didn´t. But no one was allowed to eat this bis until they paid for it by doing push-ups. But told them that they couldn´t do it themselves. They needed someone to pay for them. Just as we planned, one of them volunteered. His name is João. I wasn´t really sure if he could handle it. But he insisted, so we let him. Most of the youth watched in reverent silence as João did more than 120 push-ups. I had him do them one by one (two for Rayane, three for Sidney, five for Marcos, three for Ana Paula, etc.) As I did this, I felt such an appreciation for Heavenly Father. I nearly began to cry as João begged me for mercy, asking if he could stop, if it could end. I could only hold back tears as I told him that he had to finish. In the end, he stood before the group and testified of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. And, as one of the youth publicly pointed out, there were some young people who didn´t even pay attention to João, nor what he did. I hope you can see the analogy here. What a great experience. Many of these youth sent pictures to their friends, inviting them to next week´s mutual. When Sunday came, our mutual was the talk of the entire ward! Saturday: Lunch with Rosilma. Isn´t she an angel! I love that little couple! Her husband makes wooden furniture! They´ve got family living in the U.S.! And they gave us ice cream, so they get double blessings. Today, we had two really great visits (among others). The first was with Ivanete and Vinicius. They were baptized just days before I arrived. We are helping them to stay firm, bringing members of ward council to meet them. They have overcome so much. It´s amazing to see what the gospel can do. The same can be seen with the second visit, Cristina. Cris and her mother and son were baptized last transfer. She has another son, Tiago, who is 13 and is a special needs child. He can´t walk, nor can he talk more than a few words, but he is so great! I love this kid! He understands so much and I feel the spirit so strong around him! Cris has also overcome so many trials! Her transformation is amazing. She is much happier, healthier, and has a wonderful spirit about her. She got a new job that allows her to attend church, and she´s so eager to pay tithing. Being a missionary is so great. Saturday night, we got our transfer calls. Elders Maynard and Hernandez (the zone leaders) and Elder Sá and I are all being transferred. I´ll be staying close to home, because Elder Dean (mission secretary) told me to pack my bags but leave them in the house. I´m so sad to leave this place! I love Interlagos so much! But I trust in the Lord, and I know that things can only get better! Sunday, Reynaldo and William and Caio (another less-active) all come to church thanks to our efforts and a lot of prayers offered this week. Reynaldo is coming to church completely on his own, William also. I guess we´ve left our marks on this ward. We gave parting hugs to bishop and we went to lunch (feijoada! Yum! look it up!). So now, I´m feeling great! We have a great last day planned! I finished Doctrine and Covenants Section 48 and also 1 Nephi. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this gospel! How blessed are we to have the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, Ensign, New Era, Friend, Liahona, General Conference, Gospel Principles, Preach My Gospel, patriarchal blessings, Mormon Messages, Hymns, and so much more! I´m so grateful that our Heavenly Father has so many ways to talk to us! We are about to go eat lunch with a part-member family that invited us last minute to eat lunch. I love Brasil so much! (I´m not getting fatter, don´t worry!) Mom, Dad, the desire of my heart right now is to send a package home! I do not want another package until I send one home! Please? Can I? I´m trying to do better with not using my personal card so much, but I might need to rely on it a little more to save up. I really want to send you guys some stuff! I love you all so much! I know that this Church is true! What a blessing it is to be alive! -- Élder Thomas Richins Ala ? Estaca ? Missão Brasil São Paulo Interlagos

We went to the temple!

So, this week was really great (setting aside the depression)! I´m in 3 Nephi 20! I LOVE the Book of Mormon! Every time I pick it up, I have a hard time putting it down! Wow! On Tuesday, we went to the temple! It was so great! Our mission had reserved enough seats throughout the day so that the ENTIRE mission can do a session. But when we got there, we found out that the other FOUR missions in São Paulo showed up! So the temple was (wonderfully) full of workers! Our scheduled session was already full, so some of us were chosen to do vicarious baptisms. I was chosen, however, to work in the laundry room. The temple president led us down to the laundry room, where we folded clothes for an hour or so. He read to us what has become one of my favorite scripture passages, found in 1 Corinthians 12: "For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." No matter where we serve in the temple, whether it be in the kitchen, folding clothes, cleaning bathrooms, etc, we are doing temple work. All of this is necessary and contributes overall to the work of salvation. In the temple, we can receive revelation, whether it be on the grounds, in the kitchen, the laundry room, or the celestial room. God will have us serve where we are needed, and where we need to be. I´m learning that this is the same in any place in the church. Whether you are an apostle, a nursery leader, a sunday school teacher, giving a talk or cleaning the chapel, you are participating in building Zion. No matter our callngs, we are members of the Church of Jesus Christ. Each and every one of us is important and necessary. Thus, we must magnify our callings, all of them, including home and visiting teaching, and the duties we inherit when we are baptized. This week, Elder Sá and I haven´t had much time to work. Actually, we´ve had very little time, between meetings and service projects, and bouts of depression. So on Friday, I got really discouraged. I felt ashamed that we had done nothing... because of me. But Elder Sá reminded me that we had done many things. We´ve received revelation in the temple, we´ve discussed the ward with Bishop, we visited a struggling recent convert, we helped clean a member´s house, and we helped both the zone leaders and the sisters by traveling to the mission office to get boxes of the Book of Mormon. Elder Sá reassured me that Heavenly Father is seeing my desire and will reward us. That same night, three things happened: (1) immediately after he said this to me, we both felt suddenly really uncomfortable and unsafe, so we went to get our investigators. Once we were far away from that spot, I felt the Holy Ghost confirm, in my heart, that we had been protected once again. (2) The investigators, Murilo and Kelly, despite our inability to follow up with them this week, were ready and waiting for us. We went together to a family home evening in a recent convert family´s home. Josie and Amauri, who were baptized almost a year ago, testified about eternal marriage, and got Murilo and Kelly excited to be married. Our neighbor bought us pizza when we got home. (3) Yesterday, a member from the ward brought his brother to church. He and his wife will be married and baptized! I love you all so much! But i´m out of time! This gospel is true! -- Élder Thomas Richins Ala Interlagos (antiga Cidade Dutra) Estaca Interlagos Missão Brasil São Paulo Interlagos

I Know that Christ Lives.

Well, I´ve got some news! I finished the Bible! Woo-Hoo! What a great experience! I also finished "Evocando os Poderes do Céu" ("Invoking the Powers of Heaven")! Remember how our district has a goal to finish the Book of Mormon in six weeks (before November 23)? I´m in Alma 31! Woo-Hoo! I´m a cuz-cuz addict! It´s really good, really filling, really healthy, and really cheap! I´m going to the temple tomorrow! Oh yeah! President Claudio Costa (of the Brasil Area Presidency) will visit our mission this month! This Saturday, we will have Mão Que Ajudam ("Mormon Helping Hands") in our stake! It´ll be great! Elder J. Barker (my last companion) is in my zone, after an emergency transfer! Three companions in the same zone! We went to Bishop Lima this week and we asked him where we should work, as he receives revelation and holds the keys for this ward. He pointed out a neighborhood where we have never worked before. From what we´ve seen, it´s a great area! What a testimony to me of the divine calling of bishops in the work of salvation! This Sunday will have a Formula 1 race at the Autodromo. It´s going to be huge! Tourists are already coming in busloads! We saw 10 buses of tourists as we walked home from lunch yesterday. Pretty soon they will block off the streets. Sunday, November 16th, will have a nation-wide fast, under the direction of the Brasil Area Presidency, to recieve rain. The city of São Paulo will be without water in just a couple of months. Yikes! Elder Sá gave me a haircut! He thought he could get away with giving me a favela-style (pretty ghetto) cut. I made him finish. But not before I got a some pictures. Never before have I been so close to my Father in Heaven. I know He is there. I know that He loves me. I know that He sent Jesus Christ to suffer for me. What I am going through right now is just a glimpse of what He went through for me. I am thankful for this privilege, because I appreciate the Atonement now more than ever. This gives me hope. I know that Christ lives and because He lives, I can be made perfect one day. I know that the Plan of Salvation is real. And I know that I can be healed through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This Church is true. I am absolutely certain of this. I stand as a witness of the divinity of the work of salvation. It is God´s work. And I love Him so much. I leave you with my testimony and with my love in the sacred name of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen. -- Élder Thomas Richins Ala Interlagos (antiga Cidade Dutra) Estaca Interlagos Missão Brasil São Paulo Interlagos

I know we were protected from harm because we obeyed the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

Wow! This week was AWESOME! First off, I want to bear my testimony of following promptings from the Spirit. My companion and I have been trying really hard to follow the impressions from the Holy Ghost. This has led us to 13 new investigators, including families! Murilo and Kelly were walking with their cousin, Talita, when we found them. I almost walked past them. I don´t like making street contacts with groups, I´m still uncomfortable doing that. But Elder Sá told me to talk to them. I felt, very briefly but very clearly, a promption of confirming revelation. I did so and, now, we are helping Murilo and Kelly to get married! I´m so excited! Shortly after meeting them, we entered a dark street. We both felt very unsafe and the Spirit clearly told us to get out of the neighborhood quickly. So, we got out! As we walked away, some men were calling after us, but we didn´t pause to listen. I just know that we got ourselves out of what could have been a very dangerous situation. The next day, we were walking and a car pulled up to us. There were two men in the car. One of them called to us and said "Elders! I´ve got a question!" He gestured for us to come to the car, but we both felt the Spirit whisper for us to stay put. "Go ahead and ask!" Elder Sá said from the curb. The man made a strange face, then simply asked where the church was, then sped away. Once again, I knew that we were protected from harm because we obeyed the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Second, I want to tell you about Reynaldo. I was on exchanges with Elder Assunção in my area, visiting less actives. When I reached a certain address and called for Sonia from the gate, a man appeared at the door. He didn´t look very pleased. But when we said that we were missionaries from the church, his expression changed dramatically. He asked us to enter. We reached the door and I shook the man´s hand. He used a crutch and walked with difficulty due to an injury, and was almost completely blind because of diabetes, but he was so happy to see us. He welcomed us into his very humble home. Sonia is his sister. He lives with his 75 year old mother, Ana, and takes care of her and the house as his three sisters work. The Spirit I felt from this man was very strong. In the name of the First Presidency, and of Bishop Lima, I reassured this brother that he was not forgotten and that the prophet, the bishop, and we love him very much. We then downloaded the Book of Mormon in audio so that he could listen to the book. He was in tears as he heard the word of God after being unable to read for so long. Yesterday, Reynaldo went to church, alone. I sat by him in Sacrament Meeting. He could not read the hymnbook, but he listened reverently to each hymn. He struggled to partake of the bread, and I had to help him take the water. But this did stop him, nor me, from feeling the Spirit. As the Sacrament prayers were read, it began to rain, which is very much needed, as water supplies are running low in São Paulo. It was a wonderful Sabbath. At the end of the day, I felt so great. As I conversed with my Heavenly Father in prayer, I felt His love for me so strong. I know that He is my Father in Heaven. I know that I am a son of God and that He loves me. I testify of Jesus Christ. He is the Son of Man and is my Older Brother. This is His world. This is His church. I testify of this in his name, even the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. -- Élder Thomas Richins Ala Interlagos (antiga Cidade Dutra) Estaca Interlagos Missão Brasil São Paulo Interlagos

So I got transferred!

So I got transferred! My new area´s got a name that´s really hard to remember! I´m in the Interlagos Area, Interlagos Ward, Interlagos Zone, Interlagos Stake in the Interlagos Mission! This ward is of historical importance, as it has one of the older chapels in São Paulo, called Cidade Dutra. Unfortunately, this ward has seen better days. The Interlagos Ward is actually two wards: Cidade Dutra Ward and Interlagos Ward. While the Cidade Dutra Ward began a new era of growth, the Interlagos Ward threatened to close. To preserve the name of the stake and the mission, the wards were combined under the name of Interlagos. But there are other wards in this stake that are threatening to close, so it was starting to look as if the stake would have to be closed. And now, I´m here. President Dalton is working with all of the bishops and ward and stake leaders of Interlagos so that we can save this stake (if it closes, it can never reopen with the same name). So this is a very serious situation. We are entering a new theater of war. Every missionary in the mission is being equipped with the book "Invoking the Powers of Heaven" and we are learning to do exactly that. Personally, my vision and faith have been greatly increased! It´s an amazing experience! Yesterday, I gave a talk in church. Really, I am feeling the weight of my calling on my shoulders. The more I think about it, the more excited I get! I already love this ward so much! We have one batism marked for this Sunday and my companion and I are ready to keep finding more! My companion is Elder Sá, from Recife, Pernambuco (the same city as Elder Paiva), but he grew up in Olinda, Pernambuco. He´s got 10 months in the mission and this is his first transfer as District Leader. He´s just a couple months older than I am. He´s really funny and a great guy. There are four other missionaries in our ward: Elder Maynard (from Pocatello, Idaho) and Elder Hernandez (from Boston, Massachusetts), and Sister Soares da Silva (from Fortaleza, Ceara) and Sister Boulangger (from Lima, Peru). Remember Elder Almeida, my trainer? He´s in my zone! His area is right next to mine! Well, I´m out of stuff to say. One of the packages arrived! I will get it tomorrow when Elder Sá comes back from the meeting in Santo Amaro. I bear my testimony that Jesus Christ lives and that He loves us and is more willing to help us than we are to receive help. I know that God exists and is watching out for us. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Sants is the very church that Christ organized during His mortal ministry. I testify that the church was lost after the death of the Apostles, and that the priesthood was taken off the Earth. I tesify that both the priesthood and the church organization were restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith and that the kingdom of God is filling the whole Earth. I know that Thomas S. Monson is the chosen prophet of God, that he talks with God face to face and that he cannot lead us astray. I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. I love you all and have a great week!

What a week! General conference!

What a week! GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!! SO MUCH BETTER THAN CHRISTMAS AND BIRTHDAYS!!!!! I don´t know about you guys, but for me, these last two days were two of the best four days of the year! GENERAL CONFERENCE! So, about the sickness: it sumiu (or disappeared). But I think what´s going on (from what the doctors told me) is that I had inflamed intestines due to a lot of really bad diarrhea, for a long period of time (sorry for the grafficness, I try to make my emails family-friendly). The thing that baffles me is what caused the diarrhea in the first place! But I´m on a special diet, that has helped a lot. The pain went away and the other symptoms are almost gone, too. Whatever happens, I know exactly where to go for help! I´m also eating less pizza. :( But back to General Conference! The TV connection in English wasn´t set up, so we had to watch the first three talks in Portuguese (not the same). But we got to watch it on this little TV in the "English room". That means snacks, and talking in English! Oh yeah! When Godoy started talking, we switched back to Portuguese. It was so cool to see him speaking Portuguese in GENERAL CONFERENCE! THAT´S NUTS! It seems like Conference gets better every time! I´m downloading all of it so that I can listen to it every day! The work is going really difficult in Palmares. Despite this, we are seeing miracles still. I know for a fact that I will be transferred on the 14th of October. It´ll be sad to leave this ward, and the people I love so much, but I know that I´ll go where the Lord wants me. Besides, change is good. I´m ready for a fresh start. Well, that´s about it. We´re coming into the last week in Palmares! Time to leave this area better than I found it for the incoming missionaries! Keep up the good work and stay true to the faith! I love you all and thank you for all of the prayers on my behalf. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that He loves us. I know that He speaks to us today through personal revelation and also through His chosen servant, Thomas S. Monson, and the other leaders of the church. I testify of these things in the sacred name of Jesus Christ. Amen. -- Élder Thomas Richins Ala Palmares Estaca Casa Grande Missão Brasil São Paulo Interlagos