May 24, 2016

So we had another week full of miracles! We worked all week and had a lot of really special moments. We had two people marked for this week but one of them didn't go right so he is going to wait until next week. We spent a lot of time this week checking up on our baptisms for the next two weeks and our recent converts so we didn't find a lot of new people like we would have liked to, but the Lord is blessing us so much that are week is already full before we start it. We really don't have enough time to do everything that we need to, but with lot of help from God we are having a lot of success. 

We were able to baptize Irmã Maria yesterday in the stake conference. It was really crazy. A small chapel and a LOT of people! Then after everybody was leaving and we were changing clothes the stake president told us that we weren't going to baptize. He said that we didn't authorize it with him and that we weren't allowed to baptize her. But then after a little while a lot stress we got it all figured out and she was able to be baptized. 

She is really great! She has a lot of faith and a testimony but she is just having a lot of problems and there isn't anything we can do to help her, we just have to wait and keep praying. Her son,  his wife and their 3 kids were living in her apartment, but then they left her with the 3 little kids and they don't want anything to do with her or their children. She is already  pretty old and is having to take care of three little kids without help or money. She is super happy and always enthusiastic but she is just really needing some help in her life. Keep her in your prayers.

We had a member of the 70 speak in our stake conference and it was really great! I learned a lot and felt like God was really talking to our little ward. He talked a lot about missions and how important they are. He said that God had this plan for us long before we came to this earth. That we all have a very specific purpose in this life. He said that we have our right to choose, but God has already created a plan for us, So we can choose to follow that plan and serve a mission or we can choose to be disobedient. Its our choice. He also talked about being exactly obedient to Gods commandments and paying our tithing. He was really great and I learned a lot. 

Anyways I am super happy and loving life. tchau!

Elder Millard 

May 16, 2016

Hey Family!

We had another great week here in Cohab Juscelino. We were extremely blessed again! God blessed us and we were able to baptize again! Thanks to a lot of miracles we have now baptized 3 weeks in a row and have others marked for 22 and 29!! if all goes well we will baptize every sunday of the month!! It really is so incredible how we are so very blessed. The other guy the we baptized last week was confimed and we are working with him to do some family history so he can get a rocommend and we can go to the temple and baptize some of his names. He is really excited and loving the church. He also said that he would like to serve a mission. AHHH I cant event imagine the joy that I would feel if I got to see some of my converts going to the temple and serving missions!! I cant even imagine how sweet that would be. 

Anyways our week was great and I am extremly happy here working hard. When I got here I was a little upset with this area because it really is pretty ugly and our branch is a little week but it is growing little by little and I can honestly say that I am starting to love Cohab Juscelino. I just remember so well our first transfer here how we worked everyday all day, knocking doors, teaching everyone, but nothing ever came of it. Now I know that all those long unsuccessful days was what we needed to do to show God that we were willing to work and we werent going to give up. Now he is blessing us with so many miracles! We are really reaping the rewards of all our work. I am loving life and I hope that all these blessings continue. 

Next week will be a litte harder to baptize because we have stake conference so I dont know if it will work out, but I think we can baptize in the stake center. If not I think for sure we will baptize on the 29th in our chapel.

Thats great that everything went well with Ragnar, I really do miss the ranch and I cant wait to get back and see all the changes. Great the everyone is doing good. Give everybody a hug and a kiss for me. 

Thats crazy that Grandma and Grandpa might come to my ward on the 29th!!!! I have to give a talk that day. I would love to see them. Nobody even knows how much I love them ahhhahah. I cant imagine. 

Elder Millard

Tchau

May 2, 2016

Hey All!

So we had a great week full of little blessings. We were finally able to baptize John Lennon!!!!!!!  I really feel like we have been working hard for a long time but it has been so hard to finalize a baptism however I really feel like we are going to have lot of success in the next few weeks.

We have one invest. who's name is Sergio he is awesome. He's the guy who showed up at our house. He is really interested and he has received an answer, however we found our problem. Here, a lot of people live together and say they are married but they aren't legally married. So when we met him we asked if he was married and he said yes however after a long lesson on the law of chastity we discovered that he is not legally married. He said that he is not going to marry her and he is in fact thinking of separating. He really wants to be baptized and has asked several times if I can just baptize him but, who knows we will just have to wait and pray and I am sure it will all work out.

We also have another young man who has received an answer and wants to be baptized but we just have to wait a little bit. He came to church yesterday and the baptismal font was full and he thought it was the day of his baptism haha after I told him no we have to wait a little and talk with your parents he said that he is ready to be baptized next week. So we will see if it all works out. 

Anyways we have a lot of other people but I don't have enough time to tell the story of everyone. I am super happy with my comp and I think we are going to stay friends for a long time. I am loving life and wouldn't want to be in any other mission in the world. I really am starting to feel at home in this great big city. hahaha This week we had to go to the mission office to get a vaccine shot and interviews with President, I kept thinking about my first day when I was so nervous and didn't know anything. Now I am getting it all figured out. I feel comfortable running around the city with all the subways and buses and trains haha I am getting down. 

I can't believe I have 7 months in the mission!!! Time is flying by! I have not completed half of the things I would have liked to but I am working to get there. I am happy and always progressing. That's all for this week, I'll save some stories for our talk next Sunday. 

Bom semana,

Elder Millard

April 25, 2016

Hey Family! 

So we started off the first week of the transfer a little slow but I really feel like we are going to see a lot of miracles this transfer. We have a few people with a lot of potential. I learned a lot this week, I made a lot of mistakes but I think that I learned from them so that I wont make them again. Sadly our investigator was not baptized yesterday. I had my baptismal clothes, we filled the font, we told everyone, however after the first class ended he still hadn't showed up so I called and called and called and finally he answered the phone and said that he woke up sicker than a dog so he cant be baptized today. So that was a real bummer but last night we went over there and talked with him. He is firm for this Saturday. We have a little luncheon and everything planned so it will be great. 

We also have another future priesthood bearer who is likely to be baptized within the next 3 weeks. Cergio is really great, he is very interested and he said that he is seeing a lot of changes and blessings in his life after he started talking with us. 

I am happy and loving the mission. This really is Gods work and I am sure of that. There is nothing that could convince me otherwise. I love the people here in our branch they really are so great. They really take good care of us. They definitely feed us enough and one irmã sowed my pants .... they are great. I like it here but honestly this area needs a lot of help. There are so many people inactive because the church isn't close, and we struggle with getting referrals but I know with a lot of blessings we can leave this area better than we found it. 

I am loving the work and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world. Although it is not the most beautiful place, I sure do love São Paulo Leste!!!😁 We are working hard and I am growing up really fast. I can not believe that I almost have 7 months in the mission. that I absolutely crazy to me. I am getting old. 

Well I don't have anything else to say but just know that I am happy. I know that God loves me and has a very specific plan for me here in Cohab Juscelino. I know this church is true with all of my heart. I cannot deny that. This really is God's work. 

Te amo.

Elder Millard

Answers to questions:  (he finally answered some of them)

We live in an apartment. We walk all day in the hot sun. We talk, laugh, have fun moments, feel the spirit and mark baptisms. 

My area where I am at right now is really pretty ugly. Has a lot of favela here. We are not very close to the center of São Paulo. My mission doesn't cover the center of the city. 

My comps name is E. Chalampuento.

I am definitely going to need some more shirts and maybe some more black pants because mine ripped my they will be okay for a little while. I love peanut butter jerky, and some other stuff. 

April 18, 2016

Hey Family - 

Sorry but I don't have much time left. I have about 10 min because I used all my time entering numbers and writing a few people that I haven't for a while. 

So transfers are tomorrow. My comp. and I are staying together for another transfer so we are happy for that. It has been a good week and we saw a lot of miracles. John Lennon got back this week and he is super happy. He should be baptized this Sunday. We also have few new people that are interested. I really am sorry but I am out of time. We had a great week full of miracles and I am sure we have another great week coming up. I will tell you everything in details next week with some pics. 

Tell everybody I love  them and that life is great. 

Elder Millard