Pictures December

Dec 17

As for the week,

The week was quite fun.  I enjoy teaching and helping others.  My vision of Heavenly Fathers plan changes by the day.  My understanding continues to grow.  I don´t know the phrase in english but in portuguese it´s called "Scribture domination".  I like know where everything is in the scribetures ha.  It´s pretty cool the gifts of god you recieve on the mission!  We are still working a lot in the condominium.  My kid, Elder Pinheiro, is doing good.  Training is quite the experience.  I love watching the growth of a missionary.  They truly become instruments in gods hand, that increases by the day!  We are trying to lock in more baptisms.  The invatations are direct and simple, "will you follow the example of the savior Jesus Christ and be baptised how he was?"  Simple and to the point.  I love it.  The gospel makes so much sense.  Faith, repentance, baptism by immersion, and the gift of the holy ghost, are perfectly ordered to give you the highest chance of success that you can have in life.

I´m starting to learn the game of life, I see it a lot on the streets, people walking, franticly going from place to place.  I see a lot of people walking without purpose and that truly makes me sad.  Dodging the three biggest questions in life, "where am I from?, why am I here?, and where are we going?" .  I hear people try and make things up that give a sense of direction but something is missing.  We are so blessed to have the gospel that  gives us answers to these three questions.  The doctrine is simple.  Anyways I think to much haha. 

Good news, Kelson was baptised this week.  A man truly prepared by the hand of the lord.  I loved seeing his process of change.  Watching him at his baptism, I saw a light in him that I didn´t see when I first clapped his door.  His daughters are AWESOMEEE!  They visited him sunday.  He was in sacrament meeting and was sitting with his daughters.  I got there a little late with my comp because we were looking for others.  The person to interview him for the baptism was already there, so I called him and he went out to be interviewed and I sat with his daughters.  I thought at that moment what it is going to be like when i´m going to be a dad.  I reached in my bag, and pulled out some cookies for them to eat, I offered and saw their smiling faces.  I don´t know what it was, but at that moment, I wanted to have a family.  I got really excited to be a dad.  When Kelson returned, his daughters greeted him with a small hug in sacrament.  I just thought, "I WISH I WAS A DAD" ha.  The spirit of a family is wonderful!  How conforting it is to know that family can be together forever!  I´m SO thankful to take part of the conversion process of kelson.  To be permited to see a change of heart, as nephi says in 2 nephi 31.  I know that my family will be eternal.  I know that the descisions I make will affect my future family.  I´m going to make the right ones.  Jesus is the Christ.  He is our savior, and i´m so excited to celebrate his birth.  I testify that he is the son of god.  His life, his mission, was and is real.  

Elder Diamond

Dec 10

As for the week,
This week was great, setting aside the sickness that I was fighting with.  It started on last p day and got worse during the week.  It sucks because you basically just have to man up and keep working.  I miss being able to be sick and sleep ha.  But i´m better now so it´s all right.  Fortaleza was extra hot this week.  I´m sweating as i´m typing this email.  

We taught a hand full of lessons this week.  The guy I was talking about, kelson, accepted the date to be baptised this sunday.  It was a really neat experience.  We asked about how his experience was at the church and he said he liked it.  We continued to teach and I felt it was time to invite him to be baptised.  When I invited him to be baptised he started crying and accepted the date instantly.  He really does fufil that promise that the lord says that people are kept from the truth, only because they know not where to find it.  I´m enjoying the mission

We are preparing four people to be baptised this week.  I hope it will all go alright.  Lauriçete(29) and her daughter.  Kelson (30) and Jamille (11).  Prayers would be appreciated for these people!  Thanks for the support.  This is the lords church!  

Until next week.  

Elder Diamond! 

Dec 3

As for the week,  this week was pretty good.  My head is pounding due to a headache, I think i´m walking to much in the sun.  I´ll get better though.  We met a man named Kelson this week.  He was a reference and wanted to know more about the "mormons".  We passed his house and he explained how difficult his life has become because of drinking.  He has a hard time controling himself and is trying to find the cure.  Repentence is the only thing that popped into my head.  A change of mind.  The changing of ones life to the will of god to feel his supreme love again.  He went to church sunday,  I see the spirit working in him.  I see the change that can be brought just by one touch or whispering of the spirit.  It´s as if the countanence of the person changed.  It´s quite a thrill to see.  We will continue working with him and keep you all posted.  

To close, I would like to thank everyone for the support, and prayers.  It helps me get through each day in the mission.  It helps me walk in the streets in the 90 degree weather of Fortaleza, it helps me to know I have a father in heaven who has blessed me with so many things.  Much love!

Elder Diamond