Pictures in Alegrete, Brazil May 18, 2015

Penguins Cereal

 My MTC Companion lives in our same house

Family Home Evening!

In my personal study I made a list of scriptures that we can use to invite people to follow our savior´s example and be baptized. It was cool because I realized that in 3rd Nephi there are whole bunches of scriptures inviting us to follow Jesus´s example so that we can be happy with our families forever. Another cool thing that a member showed us was that with the book of Mormon in Portugues the book cover spells the invitation to pray ´´orem´´ (O livRo dE mórMon).

Members help in Alegrete

May 11, 2015

Ollo family! How is life going? Well I know it is going well because we talked with each other on Mother´s day, but I still like to ask, you know, it is a little bit polite.

This week it was interesting because after district meeting I had an exchange where I went to Elder Cardoso´s area where we worked. A cool thing that he had in his area was a little box with pictures of our savior that they use to ask for referencias. Also we went to Irmão Nilo´s house with Bishop Aldemir a few times. It was really great because when we talked about some of the commandments that the Lord asks us to live Irmão Nilo was happy and talked about how it makes sense that the Lord helps us out by giving us commandments. It is also amazing how much the testimony of the members of the church brings the spirit. When Bishop or other members bare their testimonies it brings in the spirit like an eagle swooping down to eat a fishy. Well life is good and there is lots of work to do! ;) :) I will try to write better letters with more stories, normally I forget everything that happened in the week when I am writing about it! :)

May 4, 2015 It rained this week. The weather is just funny that way. Anyway, when it rained we visited people with Bishop Aldemir. One thing that makes the missionary work easier is when the missionaries and the members share the gospel together. One cool thing that I re-learned this week is that when one of our investigators asked why he needed to be baptized is that one of the main reasons to be baptized is the remission of sins. When he asked the question I started to talk about how we qualify for the celestial kingdom, we get happier, we are obedient, etc, but it was the member that said to be cleansed from our sins. I liked it! :)

Sun in Alegrete

Member family that let us Skype home on Mother's day

A Rainbow!

Mother's Day Skype

Skyping on Mother's Day with our missionary, this is his new companion with him.

April 13, 2015 Hello! :) This week was great! We had Zone Conference on Wednesday in Alegrete. The focus of the meeting was how we need to find people to teach so that they can get baptized and thus be prepared to go to the celestial kingdom with their families. As missionaries and as members we cannot have fear to share the gospel; there is even a scripture that says that those who have fear will not enter into the kingdom of God (I think it was Revelation chapter 4) Sister Parrela also gave a training about Jacob 5 which is about the tame and wild olive tree.  It is an allegory that shows the Lords love for us and how he keeps working with us. (and Irmão Alcir during the week was reading Jacob 5!). Irmão Cézar and irmão Luis and Irmão Alcir are all learning everything super fast. I like it! :) One thing that I recognize is hard for lots of people that investigate the church is that after their baptisms they need to keep changing and improving. Even though baptism is the first step, it is a step that people need to be prepared to take. After being baptized the people have a commitment with the Lord to always remember Jesus Christ, to serve our neighbor, and live the commandments (especially go to church and partake of the sacrament). One of the times that I felt the spirit this week was during fast and testimony meeting a returned missionary bore her testimony about how one of the people she taught on her mission made it to the temple. The testimony then explained that the worth of even one soul to our heavenly father and Jesus Christ is worth all of our work during the mission and more! Com muitos sorrisos! :) :) :) Atentamente, Élder Vernon :)

Another one bites the dust!

Capybaras run wild.   It is the only time I have seen them when they are not meat on my plate. 

A bus ride to zone conference!

Páscoa e Conferência Geral! :) :) :)

April 6, 2015 Páscoa e Conferência Geral! :) :) :)

Hello! :) This week was general conference so it was awesomer than normal. Because every time we get tho hear the prophet and apostles talk about our savior the spirit is always strong and felt.

One of the conference talks that I especially liked was Elder Dallin H Oaks because he talked about how we need to have our roots in the gospel of Jesus Christ and that our soil needs to be good so that we can one day partake of and share the fruit of the tree of life (eternal life with our Heavenly father and families).

We read 2 Nephi 31 with some investigators and when we read verse 18 with Irmão Cézar it was in response to a question that he had. It goes to show how the Lord uses the Book of Mormon to answer our questions. (Here is what that scripture says "And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, whichwitnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive."

We are also trying to use the video BecasueHeLives with people and it is going well because generally everybody wants to see a small video about our savior even if they do not want to be part of a lesson. We found one new family to teach using the video.

We also had a family home evening that we used the Liahona magazine´s preparation for Easter section that went really well even though it nearly fell through.

Lots more happened this week too, but there is not enough time to write everything. Happy Easter! :)

Com muitos sorrisos! :) :) :) :) :) :)

Atentamente, Elder Vernon :)

Carnival floats and a Package!

March 16, 2015

Ollo! :)

This week I got a package with cheetohs and starbursts and maple that was yummy in my tummy! Also I got a letter with Dad´s dad´s patriarchal blessing which was cool. 

Something funny was that I asked a member ´´Como está odor?´´ but I wanted to say ´´como está a dor´´ (how is the smell verses how is the pain). I just thought it was funny and stuff. :)

With one of the investigators we are teaching we read John 3 with him and talked about how baptism is essential and that the spirit will teach us that it is the right thing to do. We also talked with a recent convert about what happens after baptism using john 14; we need to receive the gift of the holy ghost and then live the commandments because we love our heavenly father and our Savior.

We contancted a referal and found a family too.

During my personal study I read about Alma and the Sons of King Mosiah and how they were converted. I like how they stopped suffering and found true happiness and then worked without ceasing for the rest of their life’s to share that same joy and happiness with everybody. And how did they do it? Through missionary work! Faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism for the remission of sins (our first covenant), the gift of the holy ghost, and enduring to the end are all wonderful because they help us to be happy because of the atonement. :) :) :) :) :)

Atentamente, Élder Vernon :) :) :) :)

March 9, 2015

Ollo!

There was transfers and I will be staying in the same place.

This week was carnival during the weekend so we worked like normal. Our area is far away from the center of the city so we did not see very much carnival stuff. Other than today going to the lanhouse we saw a bunch of parade floats on the city´s main street.

We watched the restoration with Irmão Cézar so he no longer has doubts about Joseph Smith and that her was called to be a prophet. It was also great because we started teaching the rest of his family and after his sister prayed to know if what we taught by the spirit was true she said that she felt the spirit. It was funny because she then left the room and Irmão Cézar started to talk about how neat it is to feel the spirit confirm that something is true.

Vitor, who we are teaching looks like he is moving to a new city, but we are still excited for him and his family that is staying in Uruguaiana. We started teaching his grandparents and uncles. Among other things there was an older man that started listening to our conversation and talked about he had already visited all the churches except for the Mormons and that he would like to visit the church. It was great because he was really interested in the organization of the church and how it is the same as when Jesus Christ organized his church; we shared Joseph Smith´s first vision with him and invited him to pray about baptism.

We had some good family home evenings with some members too about how the Plan of Salvation helps us to think about the eternal perspective and how baptism is essential to have an eternal family.

As always more stuff happened but there is not enough time to write everything! :)

Com muitos sorrisos! :) :) :) :) Love, Elder Vernon :)

Time for new shoes!

March 2, 2015

 My shoes that broke.

My new shoes that a sister in the ward gave me, they are good I just need my feet to adjust to them.

:) This week we visited Irmão Cézar with Bishop Claudio and followed the spirit as we taught about the 10 commandments as well as the word of wisdom law of chastity and tithing. It went great because Bishop bore his testimony about each of the commandments and talked about how they help us prepare for our eternal families. Also our prayers were answered because when Irmão Cézar tried the barley he liked it.

All of Alberto´s family came to church this Sunday which was really great. And another family that we are working with came to church too! :)

Also during this week my shoes broke but Irmã Ramona in the ward gave me new shoes that she would have sent to her son that is serving a mission but she bought the wrong size which just happened to be the size of my feet.

Lots of other stuff happened too. Com muitos sorrisos! :) :) :) Sincerely, Elder Vernon

 :)