March 20, 2017-GODS SPEED

From the depths of my heart I feel very small before the many blessings the Lord has given us this week. I thank my Heavanly Father for the many blessings that have been poured upon us this last week of the transfer.

So last monday night we were playing soccer with some investagators. When we were going home we both stopped and felt like we needed to go visit Kaíke. We were already almost home, we were wearing shorts and a t-shirt and all sweaty, but we both felt very strongly that we needed to go see him. 

Although we haddnt prepared anything, we didnt have any scriptures and we were wearing shorts and t shirts. I can honestly say it was one of the best lessons I have taught in my mission. His girlfriend was there, so we were able to sit and talk with them seriously about chastity and the many blessings that they would recieve through obedience. We talked about familys, being sealed for eternity, preisthood, temples, marriage, and so many other things. The spirit was just really really strong the entire time. At the end of the lesson Kaíke said "wow thanks so much, today was a real slap in the face, I was really needing one of those today" haha he is a really great guy that has made a lot of new changes to come unto Christ.We were able to mark his baptism.

We also had splits with the Elders from Sapopemba this week. It was nice to be back in my old area and see some old friends. I spent the day with this elder from washington. He has a little more than a year in the mission and is having a really hard time learning the language. He hardly speaks anything at all. So I was given the task to try and help him out as I was able to learn Portuguese pretty well. When we met up with him he already started talking in English with my, but I cut him off looked him in the face and said 1st rule is that I dont speak english and neither do you, we are in Brazil we speak Portuguese. haha So all throughout the day I was giving Portuguese lessons. Then the four of us got back to the apartment and called a pizza just having a good time talking all through the night.

Then when we got back to Penha and we went to visit Arozina. Their little baby girl left the hospital and is much better. We confirmed everything for the wedding and had a great lesson. 

There was just so many sweet things that happened this week, but I will cut it to the really good stuff. 

So we made it to Friday. The big day of the wedding!!! We went to the church early to get everything set up. The relief society was there to help us and we got it all set up. Another group of the relief society went to get Arozina in the morning and get her all beutified. A lady in our ward made her wedding dress and everyone really helped out a lot!! The family and all the kiddos arrived at the chapel very happy and everything just went perfect! They were all so happy! My companion and I just felt so happy as well. 

Then Saturday morning we were running all over the place to get the baptismal interviews done. Arozina and Kaíke both passed and were able to be baptized Saturday night!!! It was amazing. Maybe the best day of my mission. 2 baptisms and a buch of barbeque. Arozina and Kaíke were both so happy to be baptized and I really cannot put my feelings into words. The amazing love of the Savior that I was seeing in their eyes after the baptism was really something I will never forgett. ahhhh I get all emotional just thinking about it!!! I cant describe what I felt that day, but it was amazing and I know that God helped us a lot and he is really happy with us and Kaíke and Arozina. 

To finish off the killer weekend, yesterday they were confirmed and we all had an amazing experience full of the spirit when they recieved the Gift of the Holy Ghost. This week my testimony has strengthend in ways that I cannot describe, but I know that God loves us and this is his work. I feel very humble before this calling and the many blessings that I recieve each day. The church is true.

Also Elder Amâncio will be transfered tomorrow. We are sad, but we both feel like we were able to complete our work together. I will stay here another transfer.

Com Amor,

Elder Millard

March 13, 2017

This week was really good. We are still working really closely with three people that we have marked for baptism. Jennifer, Arozina, and Kaíke. They are doing well and I am amazed by the miracles that the Gospel is doing in their lives.

We are hoping and praying that everything goes okay for the wedding this week. Arozina´s little baby girl that has been in the hospital for three weeks and it looks like she is getting out tomorrow. But I am really worried because this family is really poor and doesn't really have hardly anything so we are running around like mad men trying to get everything ready and get people to help. It might be just a few chairs and some soda with them in simple Sunday clothes, but  we will get it done. I am sure the Lord with help us and they will be very pleased with the baptism and wedding. 

Kaíke is doing so well. He has changed so much. He is such a great dude now. The other day we went to his house, but he was just about to leave to go grocery shopping. So we decided to go with him. So we went to the store with him and bought a tone of stuff. He has a little boy so basically I spent my time just running around the store chasing the kiddo. Then we went back to his house and he made a dinner for us. He is way ready for baptism, but we are still having some difficulties with him and his girlfriend. They both go to church every Sunday and they look like a happy little family, but like many times before we are having problems with the law of chastity. I am sure we will get it all worked out soon.

Jennifer is doing great, she is ready to be baptized but she has been on vacation so she needs to come to church a few more times, but here in two weeks, we'll get her in the water!

I am doing great! Loving the work. The zone is doing great. We are going in the right direction at least. I am learning a lot and I hope to never forget these precious moments. 

Elder Millard

March 6, 2017

Well as I have said many times before in the mission days seem like weeks and weeks seem like days. I know that a lot of things have happened in the last week, but I am sitting here just trying to remember. 

Remember Arozina? the couple that we were needing to get them married. Well we took them to the registry and we got it all worked out really fast and we marked their wedding for the 17th. So we are really busy trying to get their wedding all planned. The plans are to do the wedding the 17th on the 18th the baptism and on the 19 the confirmation. Everything is going really well and I am sure that God is helping us a lot and he really wants her to be baptized and married. 

Remember Kaíke? He is  the guy that we met a few weeks ago, he is a recent converts friend. He is really coming around. He has already changed so much. He has gone from not caring about life and just doing whatever he wanted to, to now thinking about his decisions and really feeling an empty space inside of him start to fill up. hahaha I really cant describe how much he has changed and so many feelings that we have had in the last few weeks with him. His is such a great guy I would love to see him get baptized. If I see him being baptized I think it will be my best baptism in my mish. 

This last week was carnival here in Brazil. We went to a lake with our elders quourm and we took Kaíke with us. He loved it and we all had a really great time. (it is raining a lot right now so I didn't want to bring my camera,but I will send pics next week) For the first time in many years I broke my drought and I got a little fish!!!!! haha I got 1 tiny little fish and spent the rest of the day just baking in the sun. I got so burned that my forehead was peeling off. It really was awful.

Also this week we had a sweet zone conference. Pres. Silcox just slapped everyone in the face. It was really sweet and I learned a lot that I will keep with me throughout my life. I am pretty sure my president will be a seventy after the misssion, he is so spiritual it really is amazing.

This week we had splits with another set of missionaries and I spent the day with a brand new missionary that got of the CTM 2 weeks ago. It really was pretty funny, it took me back to my days as a newbie in the mission. It was great to be able to share some experiences with him and try and put him in the right path. It made me think about how I am getting so old in the mission. 

Well mom that's all for this week, all is well and life is great. Thanks for everything.

Elder Millard