Come Back 8/18/14

We had transfers, my new companion is Elder Reynalds from Layton, Utah. He´s the most humble missionary I´ve met. A great desire to get better and learn and work hard. We´ve become close friends quickly and have learned so much together. We laugh quick and often.

We are so grateful for the amazing opportunity we´ve had working here. We´ve been having lots of lessons with less-actives and the Lord´s been doing miracles. With each less-active returning to church they almost always bring someone who´s not a member with them. 

As we´ve prayed, we´ve been finding many. On one occasion a 15 year old girl came sprinting across the road to stop us, trying to catch her breath she told us her name was Bionca. She´s from my first area Alagoinhas (I know her aunt), she´s a member of the church, but when she moved here a year ago she stopped going because she didn´t know where the church was. In tears, she expressed how she felt so alone. Her parents separated and are not members, her older brother had passed away and just the day before she had knelt done and asked God `have you abandoned me?´ 

When she saw us, she felt a large impression of ´I haven´t abandoned you, you´ve abandoned me.´ She ran over, and felt her prayer was answered. She´s came back to church. 

We have learned so much, how we must get out of the way of the spirit, so He can teach. Sometimes that´s asking a question that invites revelation and personal reflection, other times that means just shutting up and listening. At the home of a less active woman named Kelly, who hasn´t been to church in years, we knelt down with her and said a prayer, we looked her in the eyes and said ´If the Savior was Here, Here´s what He´d say to you......´Then we just sat there in the silence. My companion and I praying quietly that He may speak through us, but in that silence, before we spoke, Kelly began to cry. Then the words came `Come back.´  She has. 

I know the mission, truly is the university of the Lord. I´ve learned things that I would have never learned had I not come. I feel so much more fully prepared to return home and become as the Lord would have. I love you all so much. 

Reactivating Members 8/11/14

Late at night my companion and I were on our knees praying, and my companion asked an inspired question ´what is the greatest thing I could learn on the mission?´The answer came, was ´To Become.´

We then began to discuss and receive revelation. We spent about an hour of excitement writing down impressions and getting back on our knees asking if there was more. But in short, we learned the greatest thing we can learn here is the process of how to become. If we learn to become, we can learn to be whatever the Lord would have us be. All the rules and life-style are to help us become missionaries. We are to become humble, faithful, charitable, patient, and all other good things.  The word BE COME means  literally through the atonement of the savior we change. BE COME is the past tense or the after affect of us living the savior invite to come unto Him. How do we become? We become when we are willing to sacrifice everything we are for that which we could be. We, through Him, can become a missionary, a spouse, a parent, a church leader, successful, most importantly we become like Him, our fullest potential. Become as God is.  

Our purpose is to invite others to COME unto Christ, so that they (and us) can BECOME like Him, through us arms where we are WELCOME. (As Joslyn once taught me, we are welcomed at all church meetings to become)  

It is the moment we decide to do something, that we start this process, and give our will to His.

We aren´t accepted of Lord when we are perfect. We are accepted once we decide to act. ´Decisions do determine destiny.´ (Thomas S. Monson) 

I got THE PACKAGE!!! Oh you guys are trunking me out, I was good before, working hard, but I open the package and see all the love notes and the pillow and all other things I´ve asked for and you guys gonna make me cry. It was awesome, just got here this week. 

This transfer has been so amazing. I have changed so much, I feel more confidence, love, and joy. We´ve been focusing on the less-actives here, once we learned there are about 150 active members and over 600 inactive. As Gordon B. Hinkley said ´If they are worthy of baptizing they are worthy of saving.´ One has told me that here in our state of Bahia, there are enough members to have 2 temples by now, if we could just active the members we already have. The closest temple is far away in another state, so let´s get going! We´ve been creating good relationships with active members, who take us to the homes of inactives, I have come to know on a much deeper level the power of the Atonement of Christ through the sacrament as I often pondered why we go to church. I bear witness of that divine sacrifice, I know He gave his body and blood for each of us, we can´t give up, we must be strong, because He was. 

A 55 year old woman named Angela was baptized 8 years ago, months after seeing the amazing change the baptism of her daughter Ana had done to her. Angela struggled with an addiction to coffee before her baptism, but over-came and told us at her baptism she felt amazing, so clean, and uplifted. But, later, fell short and began to feel unworthy to take the sacrament, returned to drinking coffee, stopped going to church, stopped reading scriptures, etc.  

We asked her if she could feel the same way now, that she felt at her baptism, she said she couldn´t and asked why the Lord would do that, and leave her. We told her, that the Lord never leaves us, it´s us who leaves him, and then we try to fill our lives with sins to fill in that emptiness we feel from the lack of His presence. We testified and read of his love from the Book of Mormon. Than we invited her to repent, to quick drinking Coffee in the moment and return to church. She responded she would try. But as Yoda once said ´Do or do not, there is no try´ Because just saying I´ll try, shows doubt, and doubt and faith can´t exist in the same person. 

We gave her a blessing for her pains and for strength. After which, she was smiling and expressing how good she felt, like she use to feel. We asked if she knew why she felt so good. Then tears filled our own eyes as the spirit spoke through us and said ´It´s because you´ve been forgiven of all our sins, go and sin no more. ´ She then answered in her own tears, that she will. There was no word of doubt when we invited her again to quit drinking and get to church, that she would. 

Among others and amazing miracles. there is a family very close to my heart that I love greatly. That is Gilson, his Wife Luicana, and their 5 kids age 11 Samira, 9 Yasim, 6 Ruan, 4 Mateus, and a few months Samuel. Gilson was a less active, who isn´t married to his wife. He use to be really strong in the church, but fell away. He thought things were all good, he had lots of friends, drinking friends, and party friends, soccer friends. 

His leg became infected, nearly having to be taken off. Was in the hospital for 40 days, without any visit from his so-called friends. Just his family, and other good Christians who invited him to return to church. Humbled. He has returned, and we´ve been visiting his family nearly everyday. Samira and Yasim were baptized yesterday. We love them so much. They live at a bottom of a massive hill down by the jungle in a dangerous area. They live in a small one room brick home, just months ago, they had nothing and slept on the floor. But now with beds and never lacking food we are grateful for the Lord Blessing them. It´s tough for Gilson to make the walk to church, with his still very infected leg, but He does it every Sunday, and promised us he will until the day He dies. He and his wife are working on marriage papers, because she wants to be baptized as well. They are family to me here. 

The other is a photo of Gabriel who was baptized last week. 

I love you guys so much. I love you mom, I enjoy every email each week, and with excitement I tell my companions and others your primary stories, each time we feel the spirit. I love you dad, the greatest role model I could have is you. As I have felt the mission has prepared me for parenting, I often reflect on how kind and generous you were to me and sacrificing for my wants, but without spoiling. I love you Joslyn, I think you did a lot of the package, and I´m so grateful for your testimony. I love you Nate, I treasure every word of advice that you learned on your mission, send more. I love you Kendyl, I know you´re just being amazing and I love your personality and humor. I love you Rayna, I´ve never seen a more loyal friend (except for Toby) I love you Sienna, you´re just awesome, how´s the braces? I love you Lilly, I´m grateful for your angelic prayers for me. I love you Dylan, your friendship and support means the world to me. I love you Seth, when I think of pure in heart and intention you come to my mind. Also grateful for my Grandparents, other Family members. And friends, incluiding Moranne who has been a ray of sunshine and support as well. With love, (and that´s about all the word love I can take for the day) Elder Pollard

Understanding the Atonement 8/04/14

This week, has been............difficult. Yet, at the same time I´ve loved every moment of it. As my companion and I reflected on the week, we came to the conclusion our Heavenly Father looked down at the start of the week and said ´Well, Elder Driscoll and Elder Pollard, I´m going to teach you about the Atonement this week.´ Then Boom! He brought it.

We´ve had an amazing symbolic week of the events that make up the atonement. Now, I´m not saying we went anything near of what He faced, but through a special and symbolic experiences our testimonies of the Atonement have been strengthened through a very personal way. We were amazed by the ability for the Lord to teach us of these events in a way that caused pondering and personal reflection. Though I will not tell all the events here, I would like to tell some and how I experienced it.

Elder Driscoll fell sick on Tuesday, he stayed in bed all day. Wednesday Elder Spiller (Who lives with us) became sick as well, I took His companion Elder Marchado and we went to work, but ended up coming home early because Elder Machado came down with a fever. I was the last one, until Thursday night it finally got me. I awoke in pain, the sound I could hear was that of ´Father, please heal me......´ Repeated over and over, then I realized I was the one saying it. Buring up with a Head-ache and stomach pains, I finally got up and went outside and threw up. While I was there outside on the ground, the scriptures from Luke 22 came to mind as the savior was in agony.  `Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me, nevertheless not my will, but thine be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.´  

In that moment, I began praying that the Lord´s will be done. Yet, I felt alone and thought my prayers where being left unheard. So I asked that the Lordif he would send an angel to me, to comfort me. As I prayed with earnestness, there came a real and loving voice from behind me. Dressed in white, in the language of Portuguese, was a concerned voice of a man behind me `Elder Pollard, are you okay?´ 

He sent one to me.  

In that moment I knew He had answered my prayer. He awoke Elder Machado, who came out and with love and compassion and helped me up. He gave me some medicine for my stomach. I asked him for a priesthood blessing. He made me a promise that as I remember the atonement and continue to cry to the Father, I would be healed.  I was comforted. I felt a great feeling of peace and appreciation for my Father in heaven who knows my pains, and my Savior who passed through all of them. I was grateful for Elder Machado, who told me he had just awoken in the middle of the night with a feeling he needed to do something. He heard me go outside and went to see what was up. He was an angel sent from God to me. His promise to me was fullfilled and I was soon healed. 

I am so grateful for the Atonement in our lives. This experience had me contemplate a lot of what the Savior went through that night He bled from every pore, no human mind can comprehend. But I know I personally have been cured, healed, lifted and strengthened for that which He did for me. The Atonement consists of His suffering in the Garden, to the beatings and difficult pass to the cross, to his cruzfication, to his organizing and preaching to those in spirit prision, to his glorious resurrection, and this week I have come to know deeper each part on a level I didn´t think possible. I know it is through this eternal atonement that all mankind can be saved and that all unfairness in the world can be resolved. I know the Savior Lives and He never leaves us alone, it would be against His character to do so.  I am so grateful for the miracle He has given to my life. 

We´ve been teaching an amazing family of Dilson. I´ll tell their story next week, but it´s a complete family with 5 young children. I am amazed of your teaching techniques for children and how you do it in a simple way and a fun one. I am lost when it comes to teaching them. Please send me tips on teaching children. What have you learned over the years? If you could, read the topics of chp 3 of Preach my Gospel and tell me what Ideas you have to teach these things. I want to create an atmosphere where they can feel the spirit like you do for your primary, I feel the spirit so strongly just sharing with others what you do in primary. I love the ideas and want to apply some here. 

Among other families we´ve been helping a less active Diane come back to church with her son Gabriel (who´s 8) Her mother is an active woman who´s been great a great example. Yesterday Gabriel was baptized. I was so happy to that family return to church. 

Elder Pollard.

The Gift of Discernment

On last Monday, we were lead by the spirit to a home of a less-active woman, Carinha. It was the first time we met her. As we sat and spoke, I sincerely listened and thought about she was saying. Each time I paused to think what I could ask her, and the right question always came. Within minutes we were both feeling the spirit strongly and I said ´The Savior wants to forgive....´She and I both had tears fill our eyes as the spirit confirmed that truth. The message was short, and we left, i felt excited and joyful. (she was at church this week) My companion was frustrated. He asked me how I felt in the lesson, I told him I felt the spirit strongly. He told me that he didn´t, he didn´t feel anything. he said "I just opened a scripture and shared it, but I didn´t feel anything, I didn´t have any desire to cry like you guys did. Why not? I´m obedient, I´m working hard, why didn´t I feel the spirit in the lesson?" I didn´t know what to tell him.

We went to another lesson with a less-active woman Antonita and her husband (Himundo, i think). Himundo isn´t member, and we´re the first missionaries he´s taken the time to listen to. He was rather closed, and I didn´t feel like were we´re getting anywhere. I looked to my companion to trade off, he just stayed quiet, than after moments of silence asked an inspired question and began teaching with power. I could see in his face and the face of the investigator, they were feeling the spirit, but I felt nothing... just normal. After the lesson, we found our positions had been switched. Elder Driscoll was fiery and pumped up, and I felt discouraged. We conversed asking what does the Lord want us to learn from this.

The Gift of Discernment has been one we have both been searching to receive. We learned how we must first use the gift of observing, listening, and then the gift of discerning before even teaching. We have been making a more full effort to get out of the way of the spirit, He is the only true teacher. A missionary who thinks he knows more than the investigator and takes his knowledge and just throws it at the investigator is neither teaching people nor lessons, rather he is talking to himself in front of the investigator. He may wonder why the people lack desire or don´t understand. That way of teaching is not of God, and the moment we think we know more than the learner and that we are the teacher, we need to repent. (Alma 1:26)

We learned, what I did in the first lesson that my companion failed to do, was that I first sincerely loved and believed in the less active. I sought to understand her needs through the spirit, I was in constant prayer, before I asked a question or said anything, I listened and thought what would the Savior have me say? She and I were both edified by the spirit, because he taught us both in those moments of silence as we asked for it.

Where as the 2nd lesson, I had failed to see the man´s potential. I couldn´t see him changing his ways. I had failed to ask God in the very moment what his needs were. My companion, said a silent prayer, and asked ´Lord, what would you say?´Than he said the words the spirit gave him. It wasn´t his thoughts or his lesson, it was given him.  (2 Nephi 32:4-5)

Now, those scriptures mean more to me.

We use to have an attitude of finding the Lord´s elect, the people prepared to receive the gospel. Another gift we have been searching for has been charity, and He has taught us about that. These few weeks have been difficult to find these people, then in our struggles He taught us this amazing truth. They are all elect to Him. All of them are His children, and He loves each of them eternally. I could hear His voice ´Do you love the investigator who progress quickly, just has much as you love those with many challenges, because I do.´ He see´s all as becoming perfect. That´s how He can love us so much and forgive so many times. When we see the potential in others, and believe and trust them, we start to have charity, we´ll start to love them. Looking at even the most vial sinners as future bishops and stake presidents has helped me, to have compassion and stop judging them and rather look to how to help them, get where I know they can be. The moment we think on cannot change, or their heart is too hard right now, we cut ourselves off from God. We cut of ourselves off from Faith, Hope, And Charity, revelation and discernment for that person. The Lord will give those things, to those He can trust that will love His child.

On Tuesday, met a lady in front of her house smoking. We tired to introduce ourselves, but she cut us off with a rude remark and a statement of ´I´m Catholic, I´ll stay Catholic,  not interested, I don´t want to hear it from you Mormons.´That would have normally been enough for me to just give up and leave her alone. But we sought to love her, we asked for help from on high and asked. ´who´s Jesus Christ for you?´ She answered ´He created everything, us, the world the heaven....everything.´ Than we paused and asked ´But.....why? Why did he make all this?´ In a frustrated way she said ´I don´t know! Why? You tell me, why did he?´ We told her, we knew, but would only tell if we could go inside, after assuring her it would be quick, 7 min, she let us in.

We explained that the spirit will teach the lesson, not us, so there may be moments of silence, it´s not odd, we are just searching for revelation and thinking about what´s been said. The spirit filled the room, within moments, by the time we left. This woman had completely changed, committed herself to stop drinking coffee, beer, and stop smoking. She was committed to be baptized after she stopped, she had a new countenance a large smile. 

This is the Lord´s work. I am sure of it. I love preaching the Lord´s Gospel. I hope I can stand spotless before Him at that last day, that I found all those He sent me to find. I don´t want any regrets. 

Love you! 

Understanding the Spirit in Conversion

I am in Cajazeiras, Salvador. I´m right by the ocean, In fact I can see it in some parts of our area, one of these P-day we´ll go to the beach and I will send some photos. (No worries, the good part of the beach, there are some off limits, as you can imagine) 

The ward here is amazing, they love the missionaries and are so kind. (Though it´s true we eat beans and rice every meal, I always have feeling that the member gives their very best for us and I feel so grateful for them) Yesterday a member named Washington came to us and  asked that after church we would go by his house and he would take us to some friends of his. Washington is a man in his late 40´s he and his wife and kids have been members of the church for a many years. 

He told us how he was reading the Book of Mormon waiting for the bus, when he started a small conversion with a 17 year old boy next to him. The teenage boy took an interest in the Book of Mormon as they talked. Washington got his address and passed by and gave him a Book of Mormon and also watched a couple of videos with him about the restoration and the plan of salvation.

He asked if he could bring us to get to know him as well. The interested teenager accepted. We went with Washigton to the home, but only his mother Mirici was home. Mirici a woman with 9 children and 4 grand children, was just the sweetest lady. Raised catholic, than took an interest in other religions, she has studied with Jehovah´s witness, 7th day Adventist, and quite a few other evangelical churches. She expressed how she wanted to learn more of God, and wanted the truth, and that motivated her to keep studying and searching through her life. 

We told her, though we may have weakness like everyone or not be able to answer every question she has, we have been called by a prophet of God to share what we know, we know our message is true. The church of Christ is once again on the earth. 

When the lesson was over, she sat and just thought. The spirit had testified to all of us in feelings of peace that the events we related had truly happened, We invited her to come to know for herself that we had said happened to Joseph Smith was true, by saying a prayer in that very moment and ask God if he was a prophet. 

She gave an earnest prayer, showing her true desire and humility, even asking us for our help to pronounce Joseph Smith´s name to ask if he was a prophet. (We call him José Smich, it´s how all accents are here) She said ´Father, I want to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet......´than we just waited. There was an immense peace that filled the room. Like many others,  She had gotten an answer in that very moment. 

Yet, my favorite part, was the member after the lesson. Oh, he was excited! He was so giddy and happy. He was crying in the lesson, during the prayer.. He told us how amazing that miracle was, and how his own testimony was renewed. Also saying, how she´s going to be baptized, she´s like instant potatoes now, just add water! He gave us a good laugh, because my companion and I were the same way when we started our missions. 

I have seen more than I could count get answers.. But this time I got what preach my gospel meant when it says we must understand the role of the spirit in conversion. We must know what the missionary needs to feel to teach the investigator, what the investigator needs to feel in the conversion process, and what the member needs to feel in helping the investigator. And that´s what I saw in Washington. All members should come to know that joy he was feeling, it´s one of the best feelings in the world to be serving another and having the spirit testify to you and the non-member. 

Love ya´ll. 

Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon

Part of me thinks I´m just going to stay here in Brazil, that the world has just entirely changed and it´s not going back. I think I´ll cry when I have to leave.

This week has been awesome. Everyday there have been miracles, but I especially enjoyed yesterday. We headed out early to bring some investigators to church. First we stopped by at some recent converts Gabriel and Hanatan, they were baptized just before I got here, but they have basketball training on Sunday mornings and haven´t been to church for weeks, Hanatan still has not been confirmed. They understand the commandment of keeping the Sabbath day holy. They have a testimony of the church, yet, still play basketball on Sunday, rather than go to church. We just are not sure what more we can do to help them. I am open to ideas or suggestions of how we might  help them. On Saturday, they told us they would go with us to church on Sunday, but they were not home, left to play basketball. So we went to a family that we had found this week after praying that we find a family to teach. A father a mother and 2 teenage boys. Awesome family, but they too failed to keep their commitment to us  and they were not  home either. 

Luckily, we told quite a few investigators that we would come walk with them to church, but one after another they all fell though. We were now an hour late, hoping to just get one person to the last hour block of sacrament meeting.

´I don´t get it! We are not doing anything different than I was beofre the last transfer and we had lots of people at church!´ My companion exclaimed ´He´s trying to teach us something, the Lord is trying to teach us to be Christ-like. But what´s Christ-like of having no one keep their commitments?´

Then, the spirit taught us when he asked. In short I learned, that it was patience, hope, and certainly charity. It was staying the same happy, merciful, joyful, grateful, and loving person, regardless of circumstances. That is Christ-like! Being the same kind and patient person in the bad times, as we are in the good times. 

Elder Driscoll was going to give a talk on the Book of Mormon, his goal was to wake people up, in a loving, yet firm way, leave them feeling desire to repent, to get fired up about the work and the sharing of the Book of Mormon. We had an idea to go home an bring 2 cases (40 copies each case) of the Book of Mormon to church, so that the members could grab afterwards. We were hesitant, our home was far from the chapel, and those cases were heavy. (Just a side note there was a mistake in the office, and they sent our home 90 cases of the Book of Mormon to our home. That´s 3,600 Books of Mormon. The lord expects a lot from us or something. They are stacked up to the ceiling and take up a large part of our home, we used them for our tables and chairs, we even once pulled a prank and sealed the other elders in their room with a wall. 

We went home, I actually dropped the case my companion handed down to me, forgetting how heavy it was. (If it really is 10 pounds added to your wife for dropping a Book of Mormon, I´m toast, because I dropped that box) Don't know where this urban legend began but for those of you who don't know it's kind of like... Break a mirror have 7 years bad luck. Drop a Book of Mormon add 10 lbs to your future wife.

I remembered a line from a poem Rayna had sent me, in which the savior says ´I remember how heavy the cross was when they slammed it on my back.´ Just then, my companion quoted ´Whosever will come after me, let him deny himself,and take up his cross, and follow me.´(Mark 8:24) 

With these heavy boxes on our shoulders, in the humid heat of Bahia, with our ties on, we quickly began to sweat a lot as we walked across the city. It was a spiritual highlight for the both of us, because in that moment the spirit came, and bore record of our Savior.

 I could distinctly and clearly picture the savior as I walked, as He walked a path much more difficult. Having a heavy cross slammed on His back, stumbling with his steps to move forward. Tears filled my eyes, as I thought, just moments before He had thought about me when He was in the Garden, bleeding from each pore. Now, walking a lonely path, in which none were with him. The imagery I saw was deeply impressed on my mind and soul, that I know I alone could not have just imagined it. 

I feel so grateful, for all the people who had given their lives to preserve the Book of Mormon that we might have it. Because it was by this very book, I gained my witness of the Atonement in my life. It gives a powerful witness of His divine character and sacrifice.  I too like Lehi can say ´ The Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell, I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in his arms of love.´

The goal of Elder Dricoll was accomplished, the members after sacrament meeting went rushing to the table we had set up outside with copies of the Book of Mormon, and grabbing them for their friends they so desperately wanted to help. To the point, that we soon ran out, and then they came to us asking for more to give to people. 

 Till next week. 

Elder Pollard

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! There were fireworks going off here on that day too! Because it was the same day that Brazil played in the world cup. New Mission President gave us a training this week, he´s awesome. Very calm, intelligent, and every word he speaks is powerfully carried by the spirit. His wife is an amazing woman who speaks with power and has a strong presence. When she joined the church years ago, she first rejected the missionaries a few times before letting them in, she taught us about persistence and patience. 

One little piggy built his house of bricks, than the Bahaian built a house on top of that, and a house on top of that, then a house on top of that. 

This week did a service project of building another floor to a 3 story brick home, clearly meant to only be one floor, haha, but whatever. 

The work here is awesome. We met with our bishop one day and asked him where we should work, because the area is so huge. He gave us a section he felt we should go to. We did. People were letting us in their homes before we even introduced ourselves fully. The members are amazing as well. One member named Toni, has been an example to me, each time we enter into his home, he and his family greets us with cookies and snacks. Then with enthusiasm, he takes us to all his friends on the street and teaches with us. He has the attitude of, ´I love the gospel, I feel so much joy because of it, I can´t help but to share it.´ He has a patience with people that reject us, and told us stories that just a few years ago, before his baptism, ago he jumped over the back wall when the missionaries knocked on his door.  

I´m so grateful to be here. All things are amazing. Love ya´ll!