Hello friends and family! It has been a really great week for us here in Jardim California. We are trully beginning to be blessed for all the hard work we have been putting in for these last 2 months we've been here now. Opening up an area that didn't have any missionaries in it for a while is a lot slower than I was expecting it to be. But these last coupld weeks things are really starting to go well. I really do love this ward here, I feel at home. There are some amazing people here. They have a love for the missionaries just like I know the Albany ward does for the missionaries there. The only bad thing about that is that whenever we're at members houses they're offering us food and most of the time that food is desert. Luckily somehow I am staying at about the same weight but its getting difficult that is for sure haha. Yesterday I think we had about 4 different deserts. Because not only is it the members but the owners of the house we live in are alwayssss bringing us food, at least 2-3 times a week. And its always good. But I need to work on controlling the eating habits haha. But the people here are always just like "no no eat eat. Just have a little bit. Are you not hungry? But you guys walk all day long you need food. Did you not like it?" Those are just a few of the things they say to us on a daily basis haha.
So this week like I said went really well, and we've been blessed to be able to find some families that are searching for the truth and for a better life. Its been a lot of fun to actually mark an appointment and have people there when we go. And even better to actually see the people coming to church. Yesterday we had 6 investigators at church and 3 less actives!! We were unfortunately waiting for a lot more that said they would go but still! It was the most we've had at church yet.
Also, our baptismal date that we have marked is progressing super fast and yesterday told us that he doesn't have any doubts that the church is true. And hes super excited to be baptized. I just hope that I'm here for it because the date we marked is after transfers and its likely that one of us will be transferred. But if he keeps going at the pace hes at we're going to remark the date sooner because hes definately ready. But everything in its right time. Its just been really awesome to watch a persons life trully change based on the effect of the gospel and the church in their lives.
Oh and so yesterday there were 3 amazing talks in sacrament meeting. One was from a recent convert who was baptized in October. He is one of the strongest people I have ever met. He is always saying when we're at his house "To be Mormon, is to be happy." And his wife just had their 2nd child, 1st boy. He's a week old and we saw him for the first time the other day and as Diego (the recent convert) was holding him he turned him to us and was like you see these elders here, one day you're going to be just like them with a name tag right here in your pocket...SO AWESOME!! He was baptized like 4 or 5 months ago and is already telling his 1 week old baby about being a missionary! And his wife was telling us about all the stuff that was happening because there was a lot of problems leading up to the delivery and she was just like, but my baby was born with no problems. And later she said I will never leave this church, and I will raise my kids and family in this church because I know that it is the true church of Christ.
I love my mission and all these amazing people that I am meeting here in Brasil and to have such amazing experiences already in such a short period of time. And like Diego says, I know "To be Mormon, is to be happy." This gospel trully brings eternal happiness and I cannot wait to raise my family in the gospel and send off my own son on a mission in the future. The gospel of Jesus Christ is on the earth today in the perfect form. It has been restored for our days and we need to take advantage of this priviledge that we have.
Eu Te Amo!
Elder Gleason
P.S. 3 Nephi 27:6-8, and John 10:16 with 3 Nephi 15:21
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