Just a quick note.

A semana foi bom. (The week was good) We had a baptism yesterday, 16 year old Joelene  I am grateful for the amazing young women here in our ward. Who befriended her and invited her to activities and church. They helped her make high standards and gain a testimony of the truth. 

Last week she went to the Christmas concert with us, my companion and I asked if we could visit her. We set a lesson with her and her parents for last Friday. 

The young women in the ward wanted to go with us, to help, encourage, and be there for her. We ended up bringing 4 of the young women to the lesson, and they bore testimony and kindness. (My companion and I didn't even teach a lot, it was cool) 

Elder Briggs began to give her a baptismal invite something like ´when you feel these things are true, will you be baptized,´ But she interrupted with a powerful conviction of  "I do feel"

She was baptized 2 days later, the young women sang at it. Her mom came and felt the spirit strongly. I asked her mom, if she would come next week to church with her daughter, she replied that she would love to, and come to church here for a while. So we hope to teach her parents as well. 

December in Brazil

Wow! Man, those pictures of seeing you at temple square made me trunkie. Opa! My little sisters are getting old, it makes me want to be there so bad. You look like you haven´t aged mom ;) My companion and I laughed at dad´s winter beard, looks good. It´s like I can just see dad cracking a joke before the picture, and you looking at him because it was probably inappropriate (but you´re actually laughing on the inside) I miss you guys. Things are going great. I love these people, they are the most childlike people I've met. The members in our ward recently returned from a temple trip. They save up for months, to pay to ride a bus together for about 14 hours to the nearest temple. Once there, they stay for a week, all day in the temple, and then return home. They strive to do it twice a year. Most of the members are rather poor, but they are some of the happiest people I've met, and I've loved working with them.  They have great perseverance and faith. Yesterday, my companion and I rode a bus with our members for a couple hours through the jungle to another city. Where we saw a Christmas concert done by President Hart´s (my mission President) family, his son sings in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and His young daughters are fantastic violinist. Even in the heat, we could feel the Christmas spirit, it made me think of singing in Tapestry too and of home. 

As the Lord has blessed me a lot with the language, I think often, that I want to live here. I want to return and live. I love the food, the culture, the people, and the experiences. But I don´t think I could, I want to be close to my family, I love you all so much, that I couldn't. (but when I become a multi-millionaire I´ll buy a home here and we can take vacations here and other places as a big family and stuff so it´s all good) 

I am loving the work. I am happy, and having lots of fun. I have learned that losing yourself is more than just being obedient to all the rules and working as hard as you can, it´s to be happy as well. Part of losing yourself is losing stress and worries, and developing stronger faith and hope, manifested in optimism, enthusiasm, and confidence. To lose yourself you must BE yourself. The language comes easier and quicker when I am having fun and making jokes and being me, the lessons often more powerful, because I try to teach who I am, not what I know. 

Eu Sei, com todo meu coração, que José Smith foi um profeta, e ele ja viu o Pai Celestial e O Fiho Jesus Cristo. Esse é a igreja de Jesus Cristo, Ele guia esse igreja com autoridade. Eu sei nos temos doze apóstolos e um profeta ojé, como antigamente. Neste últimos dias, Deus restarur todo.  Eu testifico de anjos, e bem importância para fazer trabalho de historia da família. Eu sei disso.   

Eu amo minha família, digo este coisas, em nome de Jesus Cristo, Ámen.

I know with all my heart that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and he already saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ The Son. This is the church of Jesus Christ, He leads this church with authority. I know we have the twelve apostles and prophet today, as formerly in the last days, God restore whole. I testify of angels, good and important work to do family history. I know that.

I love my family, things I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.