July 18, 2011 Letter from Anchieta

Dear Family,

I can't wait for this Saturday, I forgot to mention in my email that our group is having an activity on the beach and there will be Brazilian BBQ and we are in charge of the activities or games that we are going to play.  We have planned already for a race against the missionaries where it is all of the members versus the missionaries (me and my companion) in a race.  Other than that we don't know what our other activities are going to be at this point.  All I now is that it is going to be fun and the food is going to be good.  I love the food here, the beans and rice are really good here.  The meat is really good too!  Most of all the fruit is really good.!  I just bought 4 mangos today for 4 reais!  I am really excited to eat those!

I told you a little about Miguel and Michelle.  I told you that Michelle is Miguel's daughter and that we contacted Miguel in the street.  What I didn't tell you was that Michelle did have a church that she was attending and Miguel didn't have a set church that he was attending.  When we had our first visit them Michelle seemed excited and Miguel had a lot of questions for us.  On our second visit, Michelle seemed even more excited and had looked the church up on the Internet.  On our third visit, we asked Michelle if she had read the assigned chapter from the Book of Mormon that we gave her, she was all too excited to share with us what she really liked from the chapter, and it just so happened that the scripture that she shared was one of the scriptures that we were going to share with them.  Miguel had many questions on each visit.  It's now time for us to give them a baptismal invite.  We are going to invite Michelle first because she seems more enthused about the gospel than her father, even though he likes what he has heard so far.  She just has more excitement and a different spirit about it then her father, we are going to have to keep working with them, especially Miguel to answer all of his questions.

I am now on Chapter 16 in 1 Nephi chapters 11-15 are really good.  I would like to ask you all to have family scripture study at night if you can for half an hour or so, I know that I am asking a lot yet also very little, but I know that what I ask is pretty important, it will bring our family closer together.  And also help with bringing more knowledge unto each of you, and it will help you be ready to teach on anything to anyone at any time.  I would also have you remember your spiritual experiences that you have had and also to read your Patriarchal Blessings, both of those have already helped me a lot on my mission so far with disappointments and hardships and discouragements.  I have seen the blessings that come from these in my life more readily here, and these are great blessings, blessings of guidance, peace, love and hope and also of faith these are all blessings that every one can have if they seek them and along with those blessings come more spiritual experiences if we are prepared to receive them.  I know that everything happens for a reason, whether we know that reason or not.  I miss you all and love you.

Sincerely, Sue Filho Elder Adam McBarron