71st Letter 7-28-14

Pictures: 1-Before Cesar’s confirmation, 2-The cookies I made! : )

 Dear Best Family Ever,

Another great week here in Itaqui! This week was very cool because Elder Cotrim had the opportunity to be senior comp. for a week. This plays part of the new missionary training program. It was awesome to see how great he did and to feel proud that I did a well job training him as a missionary. He is very organized, obedient, diligent, spiritual, and teaches great! He thinks I have helped him a lot, but really it is me that was helped in this whole process! He has helped me a lot with my vision as a missionary. I feel a lot more confident in all aspects of the work and in my testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ! I feel like Alma the younger! Ha-ha

This week we had some great opportunities to teach. We taught a lot of people about the Plan of Salvation. I am understanding more about this plan! Some things that I didn´t quiet understand completely about Adam and Eve and the Fall (Agency) are much more clear now. How amazing is the Plan! And how amazing is it that we can always learn new things. This is a sign to me that our Heavenly Father loves us so much.  He will never limit our learning! Yes we limit our understanding and learning when we sin and don’t have faith, but if we are faithful and act with our faith we will learn line upon line and precept upon precept! 

We had a lesson with Algostinho this week that went very well! Algostinho is a guy that likes to joke around a lot. He is reading the Book of Mormon and has doubts, but we are responding to every single doubt. He begun to joke around about the gospel again and said a few things disrespectful and we waited patiently until our time. The spirit returned and I bore my testimony with as much love and strength that I could that The Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet! And that if he would sear (seek & hear) with a sincere heart he would find answers that would change his life forever. The look on his face changed completely. Elder Cotrim then bore his powerful testimony and Algostonho said few words after this...he said, ”Give me a little time to read and pray.”

Another night this week we taught a couple that are new investigators. They are so nice and welcoming to us! They remind me of Chris and Debra! Ha-ha. We taught them the restoration and it went so well! I won’t lie I was a little nervous because this family is elect!! Ha-ha, but the lesson finished great and we will return this week and follow-up with their answer from Heavenly Father! The spirit is very pure there in their home and makes it very peaceful to teach!

This week we had a great activity with the Branch! We had a few trainings for the teenagers and the adults about how they can prepare for a mission and how they can prepare their kids for the mission. Also had some fun trainings, one being learning how to cook Mom´s Famous Cookies! : ) Ha-ha. It went very good! The branch paid for the ingredients so I could make over 120 cookies! Ha-ha. 

Yesterday night we had a lesson with Jucelino that went very good! Joabel, a member, helped out with the lesson. Jucelino is doing very well, just is sad that his “wife” (girlfriend) is being so difficult with things. She isn´t against the church, but definitely isn´t for it. Ha-ha! Her son Matues wants to be baptized, but she doesn´t think he is responsible enough. We believe differently. Jucelino has a lot of the Light of Christ! He has changed so much in his life! He had many problems with the law of chastity, but when he found the true and living gospel he changed completely! He has such a strong testimony! What a great example to me and all the other members here in Itaqui!

This week went very smoothly and I know things will only improve! We have a baptism this week that will be awesome! It is the baptism of a 9-year-old girl that is the daughter of two less-actives that are returning now.

Mom, that is awesome everything is going well! Looks like the weather there is very good! It was pretty cold this week here! I hope Papa Joe’s birthday will go great! Give him a hug for me! Love you so much Mom! : )

Dad sounds like you had an awesome week! The air show is super cool!  Did someone teach you Portuguese? Patos means duck or swan...ha-ha! What are you trying to say? Love the Pictures! Love you Dad!

I love all of you so much!

Elder Hauck

70th Letter 7-21-14

 Photos: 1-Cesar's Baptism, 2-Family Night

Querida Família,

Another great week here in Itaqui! Elder Cotrim and I are really finding those elect that hear His voice! Everyday is a great blessing and being a missionary is an even better blessing. This week we worked a lot more in the city and found some great new investigators that seem elect! The weather here is very nice! The daytime is warm and the night is cold. The people here are saying that this winter won’t be like the other winters. It usually gets a lot colder, but this year nope. I hope this doesn´t mean summer will be hotter...Everything is going very well here and we were blessed to have another BAPTISM! 

César was baptized Friday and it went awesome! So his whole family is members and he held off to be baptized for 8 years. After many, many missionaries helping him out, we were the blessed elders to baptize him. It has been so amazing to see him change so much in the past 3-4 months. When I arrived here he had many doubts about the Word of Wisdom, tithing and why people aren´t perfect in the church. After many spiritual lessons we began to see a great change in his heart. He began to accept and understand the truth and he followed the truth that he received. If you all remember we gave Cesar a blessing about a month or ago and it was very, very powerful the feeling that we felt with him. I believe that this is when he began to make those big changes in his life and he truly has a testimony now. The light that he has in his appearance is very different from before.

Thursday, Elder Bento (LZ) traveled here to give the interview to Cesar. Cesar passed and said one of you will baptize me, but I don’t want to choose. Of course I wanted to, but I knew of how happy and grateful Elder Cotrim would be to baptize him. So I told him he would! He was very excited and gave me a big hug. Ha-ha! The baptism was on his wife’s birthday and it was very late, because he had to work until 7. The baptism went very well, and everyone there felt the spirit very strong! Romilda, his wife was very emotional and bore a strong testimony, which brought tear to all of us. Cesar is awesome and is kind of funny. He reminds me of you Dad! Ha-ha! He loves cars and is super goofy, but serious when he needs to be.

Remember the baby we gave a blessing too? Well, a miracle happened with this little baby. So when we gave the blessing I didn´t remember too much of what I said, but the Mom and the family remembered. The aunt of the baby, who is a member told me, “Thank you so much for the blessing for Eduardo and for blessing that the doctors would be guided to perform the surgery perfectly, because when the baby arrived in Porto Alegre the heart doctor was studying the examinations on the heart and realized that the heart wouldn´t be able to handle the surgery. He called the other doctors that were ready to do the surgery and told them to not do the surgery!”

Now the baby is doing well, but does feel a little pain in his chest, but the doctors said if they would have done the surgery the baby would have died. What an amazing miracle. But it wasn´t me or the doctors that saved this baby. It was Heavenly Father working through us with the Spirit.

This week was full of amazing experiences, but I don’t have time to share them all. I barely have time to write them all down in my journal every day! I get to see the work of the Lord everyday here on the earth! He lives!! (Mormon 9: 8-10)

Mom, I love the pictures of you girls having a blast together! Wow, are the girls in my family beautiful! Ha-ha, Tell Cam and Grandpa Porritt happy late birthday! The Graffs will be great senior missionaries! There is one senior couple in our mission. In Colorado we had like 4 couples. Cool that you were able to teach the Gospel Doctrine lesson Sunday! The lessons here in Gospel Principals are all right. I miss the organization we have in the US. Ha-ha! I also miss the temple so much! At times I think a lot about the temple! I am super excited to find my wife when I get home and be sealed for all time and eternity....But, glad I don´t have to think about this yet. Ha-ha!

Dad, glad to hear you and the family are doing well. Amy will leave for college when? Then you and Mom will have the house to yourselves for a few months and then I will crash the party. I am pumped for football to start again! I hope the updates will be as good as last year Dad. Make them good!

I love all of you so very much and miss you too!

Boa Sorte com tudo,

Elder Hauck

69th Letter 7-14-14

Photo: I got my hair cut!!

Dear Amazing Family,

A Seminal Joya! All right, so I don’t have too much time to write today, but I hope I can share a few experiences that happened this past week! The work here is going well. We are working really hard to keep the work moving strongly and we pray it won’t slow down! Elder Cotrim continues to do awesome and we work great together. I think he is the companion that I have made the most progress with in the work as well as in myself. I feel very content with everything. The District is doing great. The other elders are improving and finding more success!

So this week we had a zone meeting that went super good! We got to hear two trainings, one from Elder Henderson and the other from Elder Bento. Both trainings were very good, but Elder Bento´s was top notch! He is a stud and brought some great ideas and understanding to all of us. He talked a lot about goals and how we can improve our manner of organizing and accomplishing goals. He taught a lot about faith and how using faith intelligently we can accomplish these goals diligently, effectively, and more in harmony of the will of God. I want to improve my goal making skills a lot! 

Another experience that happened this week was when we got a call to give a blessing to a baby that was born 1 month early and has many physical problems, including problems with his heart. The Mom is not a member but almost all of her sisters and daughters are. I remember when we entered the room where the baby was I saw the baby and knew at that moment that the baby would be fine and that he would continue his life healthy. The spirit there was so pure and calming. I had the great opportunity to give this baby, Edwardo, a blessing. My spirit felt very calm and I was able to give the blessing clearly and I was guided by the Lord to say what was needed to be said. Don´t remember exactly what I said, but that he would be cured and the doctor would perform the surgery with exactness! I will never forget the spirit that we felt there. Felt like we were in the presence of an angle. This little baby is very special to Heavenly Father!

This week was full of excitement, but sorry I don’t have time to share everything! The mission is amazing and I feel my spirit grow everyday! I feel like I understand things better. Heavenly Father really does love us and will give us wisdom if we just act with faith!

Mom, sounds like the visit to the Haucks went awesome! I would have loved to be there with all of you! I miss those times with the family! I definitely won’t take them for granted after the mission! Ha-ha. Super funny about the car searching. You always stay strong in your decision! The van is pretty cute still! Ha-ha...I can imagine Dad´s reaction when you told him you want to keep the van. Sounds like the whole trip went very good! Glad to hear Jaden´s farewell went great! He will be an awesome missionary! Tell Cam happy birthday from me! And I love the pictures! Thank you for the testimony, Mom! You are exactly right about the gospel being the great blessing in our lives. We owe it to Him to dedicate our live to Him! I love you Mom!

Dad, I am glad you were able to see all the family this week and talk with them! The weather here is very strange! A few days this week it was pretty hot! Ha-ha. Many people talk about the cold, but where is it? Ha-ha!  Love you Dad!

I love all of you so very much and can´t believe how fast time is flying by! Stay well!!

Love, 

Elder Hauck

68th Letter 7-7-14

Photos: 1-Thaliene’s baptism, 2-The flood! 3-Tasting the bean and chicken stew!

Hello Família!! :)

Can you say flood!? Ha-ha, here in Itaqui and other surrounding cities have been suffering because of Rio Uruguai raising 14 meters in the past week! Maybe you heard of it on the news, but I doubt it. Ha-ha! I will send some pictures.

Other than the flood, the week went very good! We finished the week with the baptism of Thaliene and it went great! We worked a lot with her this week, preparing her for baptism and everything. She is awesome and invited friends to the baptism and we had a family night with her family and 2 of her friends after the Baptism. One friend of hers is very interested now! This teenager is elect! She reminds me of Amy! Ha-ha!

This week we spent a lot of time checking in on the members close to the river to see if they need help with anything. Some members lost a lot of things because the river raised so fast they weren’t ready and couldn´t move furniture out of the house fast enough. It was raising about 1.5 meters per day.

This week we found a new investigator through a less-active family. He is a boyfriend of a member and he is very interested and has great questions! We will try meeting his family this week to help them receive the restored gospel. 

I want to share one experience that was very spiritual! All right, so we were walking to a less-active family’s home and stopped to take a picture of the river. Which was surrounding some of the homes in the street, as Elder Cotrim was shooting some pictures a lady was finishing taking some pictures and said a few words to me about the muddy roads. I said a few words back to her and she started walking back to her home. As she was walking back to her house IT his me! “What are you doing Elder, You need to talk to her!” I then said to Cotrim, “We need to talk to her!” We rushed normally behind her to catch up to her and once we caught up to her we started talking to her. She isn´t from here and is from a city that doesn´t have missionaries yet, but we begun to share with her about Jesus Christ! She had a few questions that we answered and then she opened up to us and got a little emotional as she told us of how her 16-year-old son died recently and that she has lost her faith. She asked us why this happened to her. We answered this question by teaching a little of the Plan of Salvation. The spirit hit me very strong when she asked, “Is there really a life after this?” The spirit was so strong as we talked with her and she told us that she feels we are sent from God to talk with her. She understands that everything happens for a reason and the God has great purposes! This experience was very cool because it was almost too perfect to be true. Felt like a dream! I know how powerful the promptings of the spirit are and that we must fallow them!

I don’t know if we will ever see her a gain, but we left her with the restoration and Plan of salvation pamphlets with our number and invited her to read and pray about the Plan, if it really is true. She will be baptized someday!

How amazing is the Holy Ghost and how He worked with us!

Mom, sounds like Cuzzy Camp was awesome! I can’t believe I will be able to go next year! Ha-ha! Awesome to hear Amanda and Shaye’s move-in went well and that you got to play with Emme! I love the pictures!

Dad, I feel like the big family we were teaching will warm up to the gospel over time. The flood completely covered their home and we, as well as members, went by to help them out. Maybe this will humble them for the gospel. I am excited for Dresden! I am thinking of how it was for me starting the mission! It truly is a change of life! Ha-ha...Dad thank you so much for everything! (I keep saying it, Dad! :) You and Mom have helped me so much in life. Like it is said in Alma 32, and 3 Nephi 14 good fruit can only come from a good tree! I am a fruit of my parents! I believe I am a good fruit because I was grown on a good tree! :) I love you all so much!

Have a great week everyone!

Love,

Elder Hauck

67th Letter 6-30-14

Photo: Maria's Baptism

Dear Awesome Family,

This week went by very fast and man were we busy! I had a little cold throughout the week, but this work is more important than me having a little cold. This, in its self was a miracle. I would wake up feeling like dirt, but after telling myself “If you will get up and work your hardest the Lord will support you through this day,” this happened everyday this week and the Lord blessed me everyday with energy and health to do the work. What a blessing! It is getting pretty cold here and is raining all the time. Really helps me appreciate the sun! Ha-ha. I guess reporters have been saying the river Uraguai will be almost 17 meters higher this year. This means our apartments will be under water. Ha-ha, we will see what happens. Many of the Itaquniense (ha-ha) are talking and worrying about it. Oh, and we had a BAPTISM!!!! I will explain how it all came through in the email. But, wow this week was rough work!

This whole week we had lessons with Maria. She was doing very good all week, reading the BOM and praying. We taught her everything and she is keeping all the commandments. Towards the end of the week, closer to her baptism, she was getting very nervous and confused. Friday we went there with a member and resolved some concerns and everything was ready to go for the baptism. Saturday, the day of the baptism, she called us and had a bunch of excuses, like how her son was sick and what not. She wanted to know if we could move the baptism to another week. We rushed to her home to talk with her. She was very scared and confused. We tried to remind her of all the answers God has given her and talked about how she is ready for baptism, passing the interview and everything, but she was still confused! We told her boldly, with faith and love, “Maria, you already know that this is your day to enter the waters of baptism; you are only lacking a bit of courage. Can you pray and ask Heavenly Father to give you the courage to be baptized today?” We entered the kitchen where it was more quite and away from the T.V. that had the World Cup game (Brazil vs. Chile?). We kneeled down and she started to pray silently. Elder Cotrim and I started to pray silently like crazy that she would receive the courage and some sort of answer that she needs to be baptized today! We stayed there kneeling for about 10 minutes on the Moutaines’ dirt floor. As our knees were aching, we stayed there waiting for her answer to come. When she stood-up she was a different person. She said, “I don’t know which one of you will baptism me, but I had a vision of us 3 in white at the church. Both of you were facing the other way, but I saw a light there and felt the spirit very strong.”  She tried to say the vision was telling her to be baptized next week, but we cleared up that doubt real fast and helped her realize today is the day! Maria decided on me to baptize her and the whole baptism went very, very well! We had a good turn out with members and everything! What if we wouldn´t have rushed to her house hours before baptism and asked her to pray? I have no doubt that if we hadn´t been obedient to those promptings she wouldn´t have been baptized.

Now the sad story that happened...So we were walking to Ari´s house to teach the whole family, but when we arrived Ari and Natanael were waiting for us in the front yard. Ari told us that many problems have arisen there in the home and that they need to be done meeting with us. We tried to explain that we could help, but Ari indirectly said that because of his wife, Silvia, we are not welcome there anymore. This was very sad to hear, but we can’t force them to receive us. We invited them to read the BOM and pray everyday and that they are welcome in our church always. Ari almost started to cry when he told us goodbye and rushed in the home. The kids all gave us hugs as they were crying. I was a little confused and sad, but this was the first real rejection Elder Cotrim had to face and it was very hard for him. As we walked away from the home he began to weep. I put my arm around him as we walked and tried my best to explain that these things happen, but we can´t do anything about it. I told him, “We can’t force righteousness. We did our best and we can’t keep feeling down because the Lord has more work for us to do.” This was a very humbling experience for me...Elder Cotrim has a lot of love for these people. 

This week was hard work, but I know that the Lord is blessing us every step of the way! I am so grateful for these challenges, it wouldn´t be a Mission without them!

Mom, it sounds like it was an awesome week there in the US! I am excited for Dresden to leave on the mission!  He will do great things! Mom, I am very impressed with your desire to be better in all aspects of life! God will bless you with these righteous desires! I love the picture of Emme! She is so cute! :)

Dad, the World Cup is slowing down some of the work, but not nearly as much as I thought it would. We are still finding a lot of success! Awesome to hear about Chris getting his call and all the other missionaries leaving! Dresden is looking like a stud in the photo!

I love all of you so very much! :) Have a great week!

Elder Hauck

66th Letter 6-23-14

 Pictures: 1-Dinner & World Cup celebration at Crisiani’s. 

2-After cutting some wood logs Elder Cotrim and I had a fight. I won!

Dear Family,

All right, so I don’t have too much time, but this week went very good and was very crazy as well. We have seen some great miracles together. Elder Cotrim and I are doing great together and are working super hard. We had a ton of lessons this week, more than usual, and 7 investigators visited church with us! They are all progressing very well and we continue to find people wanting to be baptized. The work is going so well that the time is flying by! Thank goodness I have my journal up to date so I can remember all of these amazing experiences. I wish I could share everything with you guys, but there is no way I have enough time to write everything I want to.

First thing that happen, which was super cool was at lunch Tuesday we ate with Lisandra and her Mom and Grandpa. The lunch went super good! So a little about Lisandra, she is super strong in the church and has a baby daughter only a few months old and a son, who is a handful for her, who is 6 years old. Her husband cheated on her and left her about 4 months ago leaving her and the family alone. During all of this she stayed strong in the church and could hardly tell she was sad. After lunch she opened up to my companion and me and she cried a lot. It was so sad...I couldn’t imagine being in her position. Her family is beautiful. How could this guy do this to her? She told us that he has been returning everyday asking for forgiveness and permission to return. Lisandra has stayed strong during all of this and said at times he sits on the couch and just cries and she leaves to another room. She has been reading the book "Miracle of Forgiveness."  She said she has forgiven him and doesn´t know exactly what to do. She wanted help from us. We, teenage kids, being a little shocked with all this, tried helping her the best we could and told her she needed to receive counsel from President Alisson. She agreed and wants to talk with him. This was a great testimony builder and really touched me of how strong of a woman she is. She told us of her testimony and I know it is because of this testimony she is so strong! What great faith she has to forgive her husband for doing this to her...I can´t imagine what I would do if my wife did this to me. I was also touched by the confidence she had in us 2 missionaries. She was so grateful for our help and told us of the different spirit she feels around us. She told us that we are different from other missionaries. This also shocked me a bit.

During the whole week we had experiences where many members, less actives, and investigators open their hearts to us and tell us that they feel very comfortable with us and trust us. 

This week wasn´t exhausting physical it was exhausting spiritual! I don’t think I have cried more in one week than during this week. We had moments where the spirit was so strong. This Spirit has helped so many people resolve problems, doubts, and concerns. I am so grateful for the spirit that is with Elder Cotrim and me.

Another experience that wasn´t the best was when we visited the big family. So their baptism was scheduled for the 28th of this month, but now things are difficult. So we arrived there and talked about the baptism and everything was cute and ready to go. We talked about the interview and the 4 kids said they were ready. We talked about the papers that needed to be signed for their baptism and everything was calm until Silvia returned to the room and said, “NO, I will not sign it!” When she said this the spirit left and the look in her eyes was evil. I don’t know what is happening with the parents, but they are seeking bad spirits...They wont even pray with us anymore. They were so elect 2 weeks ago, had an answer that this church was true and everything, but now they rejected the answers Heavenly Father gave to them. Ari said, "If she won’t sign it, I won’t either!"  Elder Cotrim and I kept calm and explained the importance of their authority in their baptism. We explained again that this baptism is valid here on earth and in heaven, and that no other church had the authority to baptize. This is when Ari went crazy. He started yelling to us that we are lying and that God would never only have one church with the priesthood authority and that we can´t say this to them. I explained to him that this is what we believe; we have received answers from God that these things are true and we are not lying. He stayed very prideful and was very difficult after this. We shared our testimonies and left them. I had a bad feeling in my stomach after this, felt like throwing up...How can someone receive the truth and then reject it like this? The 4 kids were super sad during all of this and they all were crying. They want to be baptized, but they think it is too early and they need to wait longer. 

We are praying a ton for them and will return there and see if they will humble themselves and receive the promptings of the spirit.

Sunday the 3 kids visited church as well as Thalini, with a date of baptism, and Maria, who will be baptized the 28th. Church went very well and I had the chance to give a talk on members and missionaries! I felt really good about it and hope the members will be better member missionaries!

This work is tough, but elder Cotrim and I keep smiling all day long! I am so grateful for this mission I get to be part of. This church is true and the work of the Lord is progressing! 

Mom, I know you love me and I LOVE you! :) Awesome to hear about the family. I miss those lunches with the Jones family. Ha-ha! Mom the one thing I have learned above everything is how to Love. I know now that Love is the greatest commandment and I have seen this Love grow in me a lot in the past year and months.  I really feel like the Lord has been shaping me into the man I need to be. I feel like He trusts me to follow those promptings of the spirit always. I believe through this is how I have been so blessed in this work. Really anyone can be a missionary, just requires obedience to God and Love for others. If someone doesn´t has the opportunity to serve a mission you can very well find these talents there in home. These talents can be found in all places and all moments. I love you so much Mom! I can´t wait to have more time with you to share my experiences.

Dad, the World Cup is crazy here. During the games we can´t teach...it is impossible! President Parrela counseled that during the games we return home and study. Surprisingly the work isn´t being affected too much! I love the pictures you sent, ha-ha! I love you Dad! I have so many things to share with you!

I love you FAMILY!!

Elder Hauck

65th Letter 6-16-14

Picture: Us teaching the lost sheep.

Família,

HAPPY FATHERS DAY OR FELIZ DIA DOS PAIS!

Another pretty good week here in Itaqui! Some good things happened, as well as some bad things. Like in every week. But every day is a blessing! 

Monday we had a great P-day. The Elders and I are building a strong relationship! We really are so close to a lot of success! This night we met a new family. Crisiani is a member but her husband isn't. They are both super nice and the husband speaks fluent English. He was practicing with me for a long time and it was pretty rough speaking English for me, ha-ha. But this family is super cool and they have potential to be baptized. We will return tonight and teach them the restoration of the gospel. We also had a family night with a few less-active families here. It went super well and the spirit was strong. They fed us dinner as well, which always is awesome! The members here are starting to really like my companion and I!

Tuesday we had district meeting and it went super well! The elders here are awesome! We then had a great lunch with a member who has been a member for 5 years and only him and his daughters are active out of the whole family he has. His wife is a little tough to communicate with. Don’t know why yet. Later in the day we taught Ari, Silvia and family about the plan of salvation! They loved it! A few months ago I made a little cut out of the POS in Portuguese and I should it to them and the whole family was in Awe! Ha-ha! Very clear that they believed in the Plan and want to follow it.  The whole family was very excited for baptism the 28th of this month and we left shooting a few rocks with their sling shots! :) We then had a family night with Paulo, Isabel, Sandro, and a few other members as well as Isabel’s sister and boyfriend who aren't members. We shared the "Mormon Message" about the better women in our lives or something like that in English. It went super good! The spirit was very strong and the members bore strong testimonies! This family night helped Isabel, Paulo and her sister’s boyfriend realize the importance of women and the importance of marriage. 

Wednesday, today we taught some great lessons. Of course the lesson with Ari and family went very well, had a great lesson with Maria and had a family night with the family of Cesar and a few members. Maria was very confused about which path to follow. She has been visiting another church almost every day and I believed this is what was confusing her. Like always, the spirit is very strong when we taught her. I wanted to invite her to stop going to this other church, but I was a little afraid it would be too bold. I prayed more about it during the lesson and I asked her if she believed her home is a special place where she can receive revelation and feel the presence of the Holy Ghost and I invited her to stop going to the other church and stay in home reading the BOM and praying for answers! Surprisingly she said yes, like it was a relief to her. Elder Cotrim and I were very happy that she accepted the invitation!

Thursday, today we had an amazing lesson with Paula, a less-active member that is having some difficulties. Her mom was there with us and we shared a message. The spirit hit very strong and we all felt it in that home. Paula usually is very closed-off, but she opened up to us. Our words that we said were not our words! The spirit was firmly with us and we were inspired to say, ask, and do what was needed to help her resolve problems and concerns! Many tears were cried, but in the end Paula was a lot more happy. She has depression and said that the depression was starting to hit before we got there, but when we got there it started to go away and by the end of the lesson she was full of joy and the depression stopped! This was a real testimony builder! I love the Spirit that we receive when we are righteous!

Friday we had exchanges. Elder Rodrigous and I were comps. and my son (Elder Cotrim), and Elder Saregent worked in the Golden Area (My area). Ha-ha. I had many plans of how I could help Elder Rodrigous and their area and I think I was able to fulfill those plans. We talked a lot about where they are using their efforts and how we can be better. The whole day went very well and we found some good success. The Elders here are awesome! I hope you all have good missionaries in your wards and stakes there.

Saturday, we taught Maria and Nina, a new investigator from a part member family. Maria was in a motorcycle accident not too long ago and broke 8 ribs. We gave her a blessing last Sunday and she said it helped! We shared a lesson with her and as well as her friends and it went very good! We then arrived at Ari´s home and the whole family was sad...I was scared that something very bad happened and they wouldn't want to follow Jesus Christ in the True Church. Ari was fast to say, “My children will follow your church, but my wife and I will not. We will follow the church that our parents followed.” This made no sense too us because the past 2 weeks they have been agreeing with everything we say and they also said they will stay together as a family and follow Christ in His church (our church). We tried hard to resolve the problem, but Ari and Silvia were blinded by pride. The kids all have a strong desire to follow Christ still and actually as we spoke with the parents and expressed our love for them, it strengthened the children’s desire to be baptized. We will see what will happen. I believe they will all be baptized in the true Church, maybe not all of them right now, but soon, yes.

Church went super good and we had 7 investigators there, including the 4 kids of Ari and Silvia! :) Irmão Joâo, our ward mission leader is improving a ton with new great ideas! When I first got here he was a little lazy, but now he is super excited to work!

Mom, the investigators we are working with are progressing mainly through their efforts to reading the Book of Mormon. The ones that don’t read the BOM and pray (Ari and Silvia) are the ones that don’t progress! A BOY!!!!!!!!! No way! I am so excited for Amanda and Shaye! I love them soo much! Maybe their family will be Girl, Boy, Girl, Boy, Girl like our family! Sounds like Amy´s talk about Dad was awesome! I am glad you liked my letter from last week! Cool that the whole family was together for a bit Sunday!

Dad, YOU ARE A STUD! I hope you have a great week! Remember that you are an awesome Dad and I have always looked up to you! You helped me change to be the man I am today. I love you so much, Dad! Thank you so much for your letter, Dad! The mission really is an amazing time of life. I don’t know when I will renew my visa. I heard that I only can renew it once it expires. You are right about the weather being more cold and humid here. I like it a lot more compared to the sweat dripping in my food weather I had before. Dad, I hope you had a great Fathers Day! :) Love you and sweet pictures man!

I love you ALL! 

Elder Brad Hauck