Ola Familia!!!
Hey guys. Every week is just great on the mission. It is going by so fast. I can’t believe I have been out for this long. My mission has been such a blast! So for this week we had lots of things happen.
Monday
So for p-day today we just took another chill day and relaxed. I actually started to draw again which is really great. I feel more calm and relaxed when I draw.
Tuesday
We had our District meeting here in Guimaraes. The Sisters and Elders in Braga almost missed their bus to come here. They literally ran at the last second to get on it haha. After our District meeting Elder and I went to try a new area and see if we could find a new person to teach. So we were knocking on some doors and we found a man named Luis. He told us that he already had a Book of Mormon and that it was left in his house when they moved in it. He said that he hasn’t really read it but now he will try and start reading it. He loves to study religion, so he said he would study this and that we could pass by again.
Wednesday
Today we had a division with the Zone Leaders (Elder Simpson and Elder Josi). Elder Josi was actually trained by Elder Doxey (my second companion). So in the mission we are basically "Brothers" because we had the same trainer. I went with Elder Josi and Elder Simpson when with Elder Belo. We had a really great day. We were teaching like crazy. We had a lot of lessons and we found a lot of news. It is always fun to work with different missionaries and learn some new ideas from them.
Thursday
So this morning we ended our Division with the Zone Leaders. We took them to the train station so they could go back to Porto. Today we had a lesson with Madalena. The weather was really nice today so we sat outside on a bench. During the middle of the lesson an old lady asked if she could sit on the bench next to us. We said she could and kept going with the lesson. After the lesson the old lady talked to us and said that we had really strong testimonies. We were a little confused why this lady had said this. But after she explained that she was already a member. She has been less-active for a long time. She is the only member in her family. She said that she knows that the church is true and what we were teaching is true as well. She is less-active because of her husband. He doesn’t like church so they will always stay home. It is also hard for her to walk a lot as well so that’s a small problem. So we told her that we could pass by some times and talk with her. When we were walking home a man walked by us and said hello in English to us. So we said hello back and then we started to talk. He asked us some questions (where are we from, why are we hear) the usual questions haha. So we answered his questions and then asked if we could share this message with him. (This is all in English by the way) He told us that he doesn’t believe in religion but in science. So we shared with him a brief message. What was even cooler was that we had an English Book of Mormon with us (we had planned to teach a man who only speaks English that day, but the lesson fell that is why we had a Book of Mormon in English with us), so we gave it to him and marked some scriptures to read. We asked if we could talk with him another day to explain more of our message. So we got his info and then headed back home.
Friday
So we had a couple of lessons that fell this morning so we had some time that opened up to go and find some news. We were walking for a while then we saw a man in front of us. We went up to the man and told him who we were. The man said that he believes in God but not religion. He says that religion causes lots of wars and sadness. But he loves to read the bible and to study it. We asked if he had some time to hear our message right in that moment. He told us that we could teach him. So we walked over to some stairs to sit on. We talked about the First Vision and how our church came about. He really liked it and when we started to talk about the Book of Mormon he was really interested in it. He told us that in a week he will read the whole book and study it. We were like WHAT?!? Cover to cover? He told us that he loves to read and that he wanted to find more truth. Yea, that was a fantastic lesson. So we will check up on him during the week to see how it is going with him.
Saturday
Today we had a lesson with Suely (she is the lady from Brazil who already knows the church) we invited her to come to a class the church has every Saturday. João Martins (our Branch Mission Leader) teaches this class every week. She loved the class and talked with the members there. She is becoming more open to the members here. After the class João Martins and we talked with her for about an hour. She told us about her live in Brazil and about her daughter. She has a problem with coffee so we are going to help her with that so she can be baptized soon. Sunday
Today in church we had about 31 people in church. We had Suely in church today. She was our only investigator in church today. Today a man contacted us. He asked if we were from some religion because of our white shirts and ties. So we told him who we are and what our purpose is. He told us that he is on the lookout for a new religion or at least more solid truth about God. He is not catholic but he study’s the Bible and is part of a religious group kind of. So we ended up talking about what we believe in for about an hour. He uses the same Bible as we do (the same version but not LDS). He committed about how well I study because all the scriptures he shared with us i had already marked and read. It was pretty cool. We traded info and set up a time to talk another day. That was such a great conversation. He could be such a strong, amazing member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This week was awesome. We met so many amazing people who have so much potential.
*Info: So this week I will receive my mission card and my package. So I will be good on money. I think after this transfer I will go to a new area. Because you don’t really stay in one area more than 3 transfers, and I already have 3 transfers here in Guimarães. All I know about the mission split is that where we are during the split is where we will stay. So if I’m in the north I will stay in the north, if I go to the south I will stay in the south. I don’t care what mission I stay in all I want though is one area that I next to the ocean haha.
So I am in Ether in my personal studies and I came upon these scriptures in Ether 12: 11-18
11 Wherefore, by faith was the law of Moses given. But in the gift of his Son hath God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled.
12 For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith.
13 Behold, it was the faith of Alma and Amulek that caused the prison to tumble to the earth.
14 Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost.
15 Behold, it was the faith of Ammon and his brethren which wrought so great a miracle among the Lamanites.
16 Yea, and even all they who wrought miracles wrought them by faith, even those who were before Christ and also those who were after.
17 And it was by faith that the three disciples obtained a promise that they should not taste of death; and they obtained not the promise until after their faith.
18 And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believed in the Son of God.
It talks about Faith. We need to have faith in our lives, but it is only AFTER the trial of faith that we will receive a witness of the truth. Many people believe that we will receive the truth (by faith), but no they are wrong. It is only till after we exercise our faith. Just like to prophets in the Book of Mormon, they received a witness of truth AFTER they applied their faith. So first remember to have faith, second apply your faith, then third watch the blessing and wonders come unto you. I hope you all can apply this is your lives. I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week.
Com muito am
Elder Rusnell
Hey guys. Every week is just great on the mission. It is going by so fast. I can’t believe I have been out for this long. My mission has been such a blast! So for this week we had lots of things happen.
Monday
So for p-day today we just took another chill day and relaxed. I actually started to draw again which is really great. I feel more calm and relaxed when I draw.
Tuesday
We had our District meeting here in Guimaraes. The Sisters and Elders in Braga almost missed their bus to come here. They literally ran at the last second to get on it haha. After our District meeting Elder and I went to try a new area and see if we could find a new person to teach. So we were knocking on some doors and we found a man named Luis. He told us that he already had a Book of Mormon and that it was left in his house when they moved in it. He said that he hasn’t really read it but now he will try and start reading it. He loves to study religion, so he said he would study this and that we could pass by again.
Wednesday
Today we had a division with the Zone Leaders (Elder Simpson and Elder Josi). Elder Josi was actually trained by Elder Doxey (my second companion). So in the mission we are basically "Brothers" because we had the same trainer. I went with Elder Josi and Elder Simpson when with Elder Belo. We had a really great day. We were teaching like crazy. We had a lot of lessons and we found a lot of news. It is always fun to work with different missionaries and learn some new ideas from them.
Thursday
So this morning we ended our Division with the Zone Leaders. We took them to the train station so they could go back to Porto. Today we had a lesson with Madalena. The weather was really nice today so we sat outside on a bench. During the middle of the lesson an old lady asked if she could sit on the bench next to us. We said she could and kept going with the lesson. After the lesson the old lady talked to us and said that we had really strong testimonies. We were a little confused why this lady had said this. But after she explained that she was already a member. She has been less-active for a long time. She is the only member in her family. She said that she knows that the church is true and what we were teaching is true as well. She is less-active because of her husband. He doesn’t like church so they will always stay home. It is also hard for her to walk a lot as well so that’s a small problem. So we told her that we could pass by some times and talk with her. When we were walking home a man walked by us and said hello in English to us. So we said hello back and then we started to talk. He asked us some questions (where are we from, why are we hear) the usual questions haha. So we answered his questions and then asked if we could share this message with him. (This is all in English by the way) He told us that he doesn’t believe in religion but in science. So we shared with him a brief message. What was even cooler was that we had an English Book of Mormon with us (we had planned to teach a man who only speaks English that day, but the lesson fell that is why we had a Book of Mormon in English with us), so we gave it to him and marked some scriptures to read. We asked if we could talk with him another day to explain more of our message. So we got his info and then headed back home.
Friday
So we had a couple of lessons that fell this morning so we had some time that opened up to go and find some news. We were walking for a while then we saw a man in front of us. We went up to the man and told him who we were. The man said that he believes in God but not religion. He says that religion causes lots of wars and sadness. But he loves to read the bible and to study it. We asked if he had some time to hear our message right in that moment. He told us that we could teach him. So we walked over to some stairs to sit on. We talked about the First Vision and how our church came about. He really liked it and when we started to talk about the Book of Mormon he was really interested in it. He told us that in a week he will read the whole book and study it. We were like WHAT?!? Cover to cover? He told us that he loves to read and that he wanted to find more truth. Yea, that was a fantastic lesson. So we will check up on him during the week to see how it is going with him.
Saturday
Today we had a lesson with Suely (she is the lady from Brazil who already knows the church) we invited her to come to a class the church has every Saturday. João Martins (our Branch Mission Leader) teaches this class every week. She loved the class and talked with the members there. She is becoming more open to the members here. After the class João Martins and we talked with her for about an hour. She told us about her live in Brazil and about her daughter. She has a problem with coffee so we are going to help her with that so she can be baptized soon. Sunday
Today in church we had about 31 people in church. We had Suely in church today. She was our only investigator in church today. Today a man contacted us. He asked if we were from some religion because of our white shirts and ties. So we told him who we are and what our purpose is. He told us that he is on the lookout for a new religion or at least more solid truth about God. He is not catholic but he study’s the Bible and is part of a religious group kind of. So we ended up talking about what we believe in for about an hour. He uses the same Bible as we do (the same version but not LDS). He committed about how well I study because all the scriptures he shared with us i had already marked and read. It was pretty cool. We traded info and set up a time to talk another day. That was such a great conversation. He could be such a strong, amazing member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This week was awesome. We met so many amazing people who have so much potential.
*Info: So this week I will receive my mission card and my package. So I will be good on money. I think after this transfer I will go to a new area. Because you don’t really stay in one area more than 3 transfers, and I already have 3 transfers here in Guimarães. All I know about the mission split is that where we are during the split is where we will stay. So if I’m in the north I will stay in the north, if I go to the south I will stay in the south. I don’t care what mission I stay in all I want though is one area that I next to the ocean haha.
So I am in Ether in my personal studies and I came upon these scriptures in Ether 12: 11-18
11 Wherefore, by faith was the law of Moses given. But in the gift of his Son hath God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled.
12 For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith.
13 Behold, it was the faith of Alma and Amulek that caused the prison to tumble to the earth.
14 Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost.
15 Behold, it was the faith of Ammon and his brethren which wrought so great a miracle among the Lamanites.
16 Yea, and even all they who wrought miracles wrought them by faith, even those who were before Christ and also those who were after.
17 And it was by faith that the three disciples obtained a promise that they should not taste of death; and they obtained not the promise until after their faith.
18 And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believed in the Son of God.
It talks about Faith. We need to have faith in our lives, but it is only AFTER the trial of faith that we will receive a witness of the truth. Many people believe that we will receive the truth (by faith), but no they are wrong. It is only till after we exercise our faith. Just like to prophets in the Book of Mormon, they received a witness of truth AFTER they applied their faith. So first remember to have faith, second apply your faith, then third watch the blessing and wonders come unto you. I hope you all can apply this is your lives. I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week.
Com muito am
Elder Rusnell