A great week of work

Ola familia como voces estão, [Hello family how are you]

Well, this week was a great week of work. We lost two days to going to meetings and stuff, but we still managed to have a great week. This up coming week we will have 3 baptisms. They are 3 members out of that big family that we found. They made the choice and are going to be baptized this Sunday. As for the rest of the family they are coming along, but a lot of them have problems with the Word of Wisdom, but they are fighting the temptations.

Almir (35) is one of the people that will be baptized. He is amazing, everything that we teach he applies in his life. He tries to be a great Christ-like example not only for his family but for the people he works with. He is great, I love him and all of the 3 teeth he has in his mouth. :) Laura (17) she too is great. She gets along great with all of the young women in the ward and feels right at home. Lucas (11) he loves the missionaries and he loves his primary class with all of his new friends.

This week my prayers have been being answered. We are finding more and more families that are interested in the Church. For example, we found a family of 7 people and 6 of them are boys. They are ages 22, 16, 14, 13, and 12, years of age. haha They are really interested in the Church and baptism. But we just barely found them, so we haven't marked a date with them. haha I was just thinking, dang, that mom is going to suffer when her boys all go on missions. haha She will have 2 or 3 out at the same time.

But things are really starting to pick up. When I got here the ward was dead and no one wanted to help. So my answer to that was, fast, faith and hard work. In doing so, the members started to see that we are doing our part and then they started to get more and more involved and help out.

It's good to hear that you are reading the Book of Mormon again. I love that book, it has changed my life.

There is a scripture that I love, I'm not sure what it is in English but it's

“E agora, eis que vos pergunto, meus irmãos da igreja: Haveis nascido espiritualmente de Deus? Haveis recebido sua imagem em vosso semblante? Haveis experimentado esta poderosa mudança em vosso coração?” (Alma 5:14)

(translation)

And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

I think that's what it says... Family, I have felt the powerful change in my heart. I have realized the importance of every little detail in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This Gospel means so much to me and I love being a missionary sharing it to everyone that wants to hear it or not.

Keep reading the Book of Mormon, really open your heart and let your spirit read it. You'll get much more out of it.

Wyatt, Hannah you are great examples and I love you guys.

Dad get baptized so we can have and eternal family and have this perfect joy forever. Wyatt has the priesthood and will be more than happy to baptize you.

Love you guys,

Zack

When can I enter the waters of baptism?

Oi Familia,

I guess it's about that time again. Just about one year ago I was going to be getting on a plane and heading for Sao Paulo :( sad at how fast things fly by. It's so funny because that's how I remember home. 85 degrees and getting ready to leave.

But it's all good.

This week was 110% better than last week. We still encountered 3 Bible bashers in one day but that is just a sign that the world is almost coming to an end. haha

After last week I was pretty down in the dumps, not gonna lie, or the "fundo da possa" as they say down here. Just a hard week and no real results. But I really prayed and really relied on the Lord to provide some results. Later last P-day night we found a family of 10 people. They were just crying to be baptized. It was amazing. We were teaching about baptism and they said the golden question, "Quando eu posso entrar nas aguas do batismo." Meaning, "When can I be baptized?" It was amazing. So we have 15 baptisms marked for the 2 of May. Some of them have a

few setbacks. The mom smokes and one of the teenagers drinks some times, but it's nothing that the Lord can't change. So Sunday came around and we had 15 investigators in the church. We had 2 rows of investigators. Good ones that are really interested. I'm really looking forward to progressing with them, and to see what the Lord has in store for them. They are so good. I love this family, they are a close knit family which is hard to find here in Brazil. We also found another family of three that are going to get a date for the 2nd as well.

It's amazing to see how the Gospel blesses families. :)

This week was a good week, just a good long week of work that all paid off in the end. We had 2 baptisms this week. I didn't have my camera to take pictures, but I'll find some.

They are 2 little kids from part member and less active families. It's always good to see a little 8 year old happy. It makes me remember when Uncle Dave baptized me.

I love my mission. It is the best time ever. I really can't explain the feeling of being a representative of Christ. I know this Church is true and that God loves us.

Love you all,

Elder Manis

PS- haha Wyatt you punk. haha You have to pay to go to 2 proms. haha Bummer man,

and no, I have not yet gotten the shoes but I'm sure they are coming.

The Kiss

From Cara Carpenter:

I don't know if Zack shared this little story with you guys but I thought it was pretty funny and I thought I would send it to you just in case. Here is part of his e-mail:

Cara, I have been debating weather to tell this story to you because its just a weird story...........but a girl kissed me this week.............I hope your not mad at me..........

Did I scare you? haha Well ya. I got kissed this week. A little girl in my ward came up to me at church. She told me to close my eyes because she had a present for me. So I closed them, and yup, the little 5 year old girl kissed me. I thought it was weird, but her family thought it was the funniest thing. Then she just said "Te amo" (I love you) and gave me a hug.

I still feel a little weird about that. haha Now I have a little 5 year old Brazilian that thinks she is my girlfriend. haha

So don't be to mad at me, I had no clue it was going to happen.

Elder Erick

Hey guys,

Well, this week has been a little crazy.

First off, I have a new companion his name is Elder Erick he is Brazilian from Ponta Grosa, Parana. He is way cool. He was a pro volleyball player and is a little bit taller than me. So it's weird because I have always been taller than my companions. He has about 5 months on his mission, so he is a "Newbie" still. But its all good, we get the work done.

Second off, this week it rained like crazy. I'm sure you all have heard about Rio and how it's all falling apart with mud slides. Here, the same things are happening. There is a swamp that is by one of our neighborhoods where we work. It totally flooded and trashed a bunch of houses, so we might have to do some service there in a little bit helping people salvage there houses.

This week was a great week of work. Elder Erick and I taught every lesson perfectly and had so many people that we where teaching. But when Sunday comes around the people won't give you 5 seconds of their time let alone get out of bed. We only had 1 person in the chapel and it was Alessandro. He is progressing really well but had a few set backs, so his baptism date got moved the the 24th. I have very much faith that he will himself get baptized.

Well, I have another crazy story for you guys.

Just yesterday we were teaching this lady and her son. She was asking all of these crazy questions trying to burn us. But I'm good and gave her a counter burn. It was rough on Elder Erick because he only has 3 years as a member. Then I taught that today we have a prophet and 12 apostles on the earth and I showed her a picture. All she said was, "safádos puros." Which is just like saying "Your prophet is a sh!* face, and his apostles as well." I'm not going to lie, this was the angriest I have ever been in Brazil. She and her son just kept talking so bad about the Church and the Prophet and Apostles. It hurt to see someone do that to themselves. I wish you could have felt what I felt.

But after that, I realized that in that moment I had been the closest to Christ that I have ever been. In that moment, more than any other part of my mission, all I could do was bare my testimony. When Christ's apostles were persecuted and spit at, they rejoiced because they were being attacked because of their love for Christ. I realized that that's how Christ felt when he taught people or healed people, and they still rejected him and his apostles.

I know that this Church is true, and everyday my testimony grows and grows. I love it and I love my mission.

Don't worry. Yes the rain is falling and people are dying, but know that I'll be protected.

I love you all,

Elder Manis

One Liners

Oi Familia,

Without hope there is no faith

One of the most important things in a family is the Priesthood of God

Be an example in a loving way

Family prayer is what strengthens a family

The scriptures bring you closer to Christ and what He did for you

Follow the prophet

Act upon the word of God, just don't believe it

Just love people love,love, love

Missionary work is the blood of the Church

Patience is the key, and could be a test of faith

As Saints of the Church we are a light to the world

We are called to love one another

***SEEK OTHER'S HAPPINESS***

Put your love into practice and show it through service, or its worthless

Pain and joy can go hand in hand

**GIVING UP IS NOT AN OPTION**

Christ passed through all to save all

Don't be afraid only believe

Seek to do God's will, don't complain when its hard and not what you want, seek the help of God, SERVE OTHERS

These are some things that I use when I teach, I call them one liners. Just little phrases that help people realize the power of what you're teaching and the power and authority behind it. That today we really have a living prophet and 12 apostles and they speak with God. That through their words we are guided on this earth.

I love this Gospel and I love Jesus the Christ. I know he lives and that he has blessed us with his gospel on this earth because he loves us. I know that we all have a special purpose on this earth in these latter days. For this we have been saved, to be upon this earth in this time. This mission is the best thing in my life. Here on the mission I have really felt the love of the Savior. This is the closest I will ever be to my Lord, and that every moment is precious. I have found out the importance of scriptures and learned to love them. Learned the importance of an eternal family and how nothing will slow me down or stop me from having a loving eternal family. That will be a blessing to me forever. I know that Christ lives and that he loves us and that He will always help and provide a way for us to accomplish the things we need to do to return to his presence. If all else fails, seek Him because He is there and He will not let you fail.

I love you all so very much,

Elder Manis

fique firme fique fiel, deus ele vai te provar e vai te amar ate o fim, saiba de que este igreja e o REINO de jesus crist e deus aqui na terra,

eu amo cada um do voces, todas as pessoas que tenho em minha vida voces são uma bencão.. obrigado

[hold steady stay faithful, God he'll prove and will love you till the end, know that this church and kingdom of Jesus Christ and God here on earth,

I love every one of you, all the people I have in my life You are a blessing .. thanks]