I Was Very Happy To Have New People In Church This Week!

November 10, 2014

Dear Família & Friends,

Mission President Letter

Nossa semana! Eu fui muito feliz para ter novas pessoas na Igreja. Conseguimos marcar datas com duas delas (Com Brenda e Willian) por esse Domingo. Vamos tentar marcar com os outros essa semana. Também eu sou feliz para ouvir de Élder Mazzagardi. Eu sou muito animado por essa nova transferência! Eu amo minha Cariacica.

Google Translation

Our week! I was very happy to have new people in the church. I managed to score dates with two of them (Brenda and William) for that Sunday. Let's try to score with others this week. I am also happy to hear from Elder Mazzagardi. I am very excited by this new transfer! I love my Cariacica.

Bahahahaha! Cute picture! I Love it!

Well transfers have rolled around again, and I'm staying! My good companion, Elder Ferreira will be transferred. I Love Him.

That's sweet Elder Andersen came to Stake Conference! He came in person or it was a transmission?

Haha. That's a funny story. Yeah, I heard the Temple in São Paulo was the first one in South America.

It is wonderful. When we get the chance to baptize unto repentance. Once they have developed faith and repented, nothing impedes them to enter in by the gate. That was a neat baptism because the daughter asked to go first and then she waited on the steps and watched as her mom was baptized as well.

I do Love the people I teach. They are each different. And have unique life experiences.

Yeah, it's easy to feel lonely sometimes. I just remember that I have thousands of other missionaries around me serving our tiny world. And there are perhaps even more Missionary Moms who lend support to each other and those around them. I hope this experience will bring us closer to our Father in Heaven.

That sounds like it was a special meeting. We thank the Lord for a prophet. I am glad they worry about even us in little old Oregon.

And that is good news to hear about Emma and the other missionary returned from Slovakia.

I only had a few moments to speak with President Wilder. But of those few, I could see that he is a man of God. I am glad the Lord has put shepherds over us to watch and remind us of the only true way to the Father, even the Son, Jesus The Christ.

Your thoughts remind me of a hymn I came to Love in Kansas. It rests in our hymnal under the appellation, "We Are Sowing". It was sung at a Stake Conference there. This song holds both literal and spiritual application for those who live there.

I was also pleased to see that the Church will participate in a religious gathering at The Vatican to speak out on the importance of marriage and The Family.

I Love that part of Alma!!! The scriptures lift us up from the blues. I Love how President Packer once spoke on how sometimes it doesn't always matter what we study just that we study. For instance, said he, just open The Book of Mormon and start to read! You will feel the Spirit in your life.

Yay! Angels & Airwaves!!! :) I have some new music I picked up on my mission to show you guys too! There's a church band called "The Lower Lights" that do renditions of hymns! It's wayyy groovy. They got their name from the song, "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy"..."...let the Lower Lights be burning...send a gleam across the wave..."

I Luv You more than Butterscotch Loves to drool! Send that widdle guy my wuv pweeez!

I'm sorry this is short, I will have to make a trip to Vitória to get some things ready for transfers, but know that I Love You All!

From Brazil With Love,

Élder Weaver

P.S. My Testimony Experience This Week

So, I had a neat experience this week. I was teaching a lady who did not believe that Jesus Christ was resurrected, or at least not in the traditional sense. She had been taught that His Spirit went through a "change" but not that he re-entered His mortal body to a glorified, perfected state. Imagine trying to teach this in Portuguese. I was not there in the tomb. I have not thrusted my hands into His side or over His hands and feet as Thomas did, but I know that He was Resurrected. I gained a stronger testimony through teaching this woman. I KNOW. "For a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have" (Luke 24:39) were His own words. But I know simply because The Spirit made it known unto me. As was told to Peter, Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto me but my Father who is in Heaven. (See Matthew 16:16-17) I Love each of you, and I just felt I needed to bear testimony of this particular doctrine.

DUUUUUUUDEEEEE!!! NO Way!

October 13, 2014

Letter to Mission President

Rafaela, Gabriel, e Laura foram confirmados esse Domingo! O Bispo foi muito feliz para participar.  Vamos continuar ensinar os pais Gisele e Pedro para ser batizados depois o casamento deles. Encontramos alguns novos. Ajudamos Sérgio e Vanilda mudar casa. Eles vão na Igreja o Domingo que vem. Também eu completei o questionário, e eu estou animado pela visita de Élder Mazzagardi. 

Google Translation

Rafaela, Gabriel, and Laura were confirmed this Sunday! The Bishop was very happy to participate. We will continue to teach Peter and Gisele parents to be baptized after their marriage. We found some new ones. Sergio and help change Vanilda home. They will in the church next Sunday. I also completed the questionnaire, and I'm excited by the visit of Elder Mazzagardi.

To The Best Family Ever & Friends,

DUUUUUUDEEEE!!! NO way! I am so happy for Anna! Sister Kahn will Love the mission I'm sure and Sister Weaver can give her all of the ins and outs of the mission! This is the Lord's Work.

Also, small world, my ward secretary, Rafael, served in the Campinas mission with Jason Christensen!!! He told me that Jason is married now! Tell him parabens if you see him!

I'm glad you enjoyed it! Did the Remington's go? Yeah, I think that's an EFY song he did a rendition of. Bahahahahaha ahahashaha hahaha. No. I probably won't be able to see it. As a missionary anyway.

Hey ! My mission secretaries said that they received a letter from my college this week. It was probably the transcripts you sent? Elder Garcia said it's in the mission office. I can sign it still if you want. You're going to hate me...but please don't forge the signature. When I began my application I signed an Honor Code where I promised that I would not lie. The Lord will provide a way.

I'm glad to hear Jake is doing well. Can you do me a favor? He is moving, so can I send y'all a letter to him and Allison or someone can forward it on to whatever his current address will be by the time the letter arrives? Thanks!! :)

Thanks for the reminder. I'll start next P-Day...because I won't have access on the day it's opened.

Yes! For the box, I would Love:

1) Contaccttttt Sollluttttioooonn! If you can, it's way expensive here...along with everything else. Don't believe people when they say South America is cheap. Every Brazilian in the mission says that Espírito Santo has more taxes than any other state and the cost of living is way high.

2) Roll-On Deoderant

3) Ensigns, English, old (preferably) if they're not too heavy.

Everything else I think y'all know ;) "If you know what I'm sayin'!" I learned how to say that in Portuguese this week. My companion taught me. And I taught him in English. It's: "Se é que você me entende!" Bahahahaha!

I usually put my music on a flash drive or SD card and have a sound box I put it in. I think any music by an LDS artist that's inspirational is kosh...the rules are kind of fuzzy with the new President, but I'm sure MoTab, Jenny Oaks Baker, Hillary Weeks, anything like that would be fine.

Hahahahaaha. This internet café is playing "Human" by The Killers right now...Brandon Flowers is a member...but probably don't send me any of his music until after the mission. Haha. "......AND I'm on my knees looking for the answer: Are we human? Or are we Dancer?...."

Anyways. I'm glad that talk helped. I will repeat something a primary instructor told me in Kansas, "One day at Church I asked myself, 'When can I just give up on this child?' The Spirit then whispered to me, 'You can give up on that child when the Savior would give up on that child.' And that would be NEVER!"

I'm glad you had the AP's over for dinner. Just like the story of Elijah and the widow. Our cupboards will never run dry if we feed the servants of the Lord.

I wish obedience was a thing in our mission...it's sort of not...President Young and I had a Lovely visit the other day, and he promised me that will change. I hope I am here to see that change realized...but it might take a lonngggggggg time to uproot the foul mission culture that has been brewing here. Since before I even got here.

You asked me about the differences. Well, with all due respect for an ordained servant of the Lord...put quite simply: I didn't feel the Spirit with the last one. But with this one I do. I hope one day you can meet President Bell and him. Yeah, he speaks pretty well.

Mother, thank you for teaching me to Love everyone. Rich or poor, bond or free, black or white, popular or nerdy, happy or alone. I think that is one of the greatest qualities you taught your children. How to talk with just about anyone. That's important. Don't ever down-play that.

So, I don't have everyone's email. But please tell everyone I Love them and wish them well. I am looking forward to speaking with Chelsey in Portuguese. Mom, Dad, parabens! Thanks for sticking through it and making our family a fun family along the way.

I hope Uncle Brent heals up.

And I was fasting for Josh on Sunday. Tell him I Love him. He'll be all right.

I am sorry I have to be short. But I hope you can still feel the care I have for all of you. And forgive me of anything I may have thought, said, or done wrong. I want you all to know I Love You. And Heavenly Father loves us all.

Love,

Élder Weaver

My District Leader bought a bunch of fruit.

Lifebouy...I remembered a Christmas Story
 and thought of you and Dad quoting this!