I am as good as ever and extremely happy! Everything here is perfect!! My companion is Elder Lindsey from Saint George Utah, aka, my first American companion ever! ha. He has a year and a half on the mission and is going to be a super-great companions, that is easy to see. He has been here in the Areal ward 6 months already but is still loving the area, the people and the work. Elder Lindsey has 3 sisters and a brother. He is in the middle of the five. His dad is Bishop there in Saint George. I will try and send you all a few pictures today. Oh! and Kenia was baptized Friday night!! I was able to see her before I left and tell her congrats and share my testimony. Because of the visit of Elder Bednar and her work, Cevanir is going to be baptized this next week. It was great to be able to help these two be baptized. Monday night Luiz accompanied us to the mission office at the end of the day to pass a little more time with me before I went away. He is very special. The gospel is changing his life. Everyone is saying that his countenance is changing.
To respond to your questions, yes, I am in the same Ward where I served last year. I pretty much knew that I would serve here this whole last transfer, that is what I was feeling and it made sense too. I am very very excited to be here. I stayed such a little time and it is such a great Ward. I am serving on the other half of the Ward. I will be sure to take a picture of our area map and send it next week. We live very close to the museum/ park Baronesa. You will find it very easily. We live in an good apartment.
The work here is really really good!!! The four Elders here are working very hard! This January there were about 7 or 8 baptisms if I remember correctly. We are looking for some more investigators, but we are doing a lot of work with the members. We had two family nights this week where families invited some friends to their house. I will tell about the family night with Élder Victor Askonavieta, he is in the Quorum of the 70. They invited a married couple over for churrasco and invited us as well. Earlier that day we stopped by to lay out the game plan with Elder Askonavieta. They presented us to their friends, Claudio and Caia, and we were all able to talk a little bit. Then, because of our curfew, we shared a message and left . There was nothing hidden about our purpose there. We simply told them that our purpose was to help them receive an answer from God that these things are true and be saved through baptism. Elder and Sister Askonavieta were very good about explaining things too. We shared a short message comparing Joseph Smith with Moses. Moses was called to the ministry in Exodus 3. Then we shared how Joseph Smith was called by recieving an answer to his prayers and beeing visited by God and Christ. We then shared how Moses was given his staff as proof that he was a Prophet in Exodus 4. We then went on to the Book of Mormon and how it is proof that Joseph Smith was a Prophet. It was a great lesson. Caia was much more receptive. But we were able to visit again yesterday with Helamã Askonavieta, their son, and they promised that they would read, think and pray. It is as simple as that. Just ask with willingness to follow whatever God asks of you. They said that they would be baptized if they receive an answer.
We don´t hide the fact that we are here to baptize people. But of course we are here for that, how else is one to be saved if they are not baptized?? Even Adam, our first earthly father, asked God why it is necessary that someone be baptised in water, with authority and the Lord told him what is necessary. Então, vamos lá!
It is sad that all missionaries are not able to take full advantage of their mission. But as it is said in the Doctrine and Covenantes, the Gospel is to be preached by the simple and weak in our days...if all of these amazing missionaries that I know, the simple and weak, then what are those that don´t take advantage of this time? coitados.
Elder Lindsey and I got a call saturday night at 10:00 from our Bishop asking us to talk in church the next day. With honor! It was great! Elder Lindsey spoke first about the importance and why we do missionary work and then I spoke about how we do it. I listed 3 ways to share the gospel. 1) be the example 2) D&C 24:12 Open your mouth! and 3) invite someone to your home. Elder Haight, an Apostle from a few years ago said that 1 in every 1000 people will be baptized when missionaries go door to door and 600 of every 1000 will be baptized when invited by a member to their home to hear a message! I may get nervous before a talk, but right when I start to talk it all goes away and the time flies by. I would have loved to be able to talk more, but I only had 10 minutes.
Jordan Abner is getting home in 10 days?!?! whoa! That is so weird. Please tell him hello for me.
Thank you Adam! I would love to do ER in Kingman :)
So I was not able to see ELder Bednar because only those that were close to Porto Alegre were permited to go. But I heard it was amazing.
Doug Evans! I love that guy. I will show him how to play soccer when I get back, haha kidding, we aren´t even allowed to play anymore.
Dad, go on and reminisce! I like hearing about the Mission! What would be awesome is if you could write something up with a bunch of stories and lessons from your Mission...I accept this as my bday present. :)
I am loving everything here and you will hear of much sucess here in Areal!!! Pray for us to work very well with the members and baptize please.
I am so gratefull for the Mission and everything that I have learned here. This is the Church of Jesus Christ. There are many others out there that have a belief in Christ, but we have His church.
I love you!
Elder Bradley Joseph Dawson
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