Almilton

Hey Moms,
Well, this week was a great week full of work and stress. The zone isn't doing too well right now. Just got some missionaries that just don't want to work and are fine with that. So then the weight comes on my shoulders and I have to try and find out what I can do to help. haha You can't help a missionary that just doesn't want to work. It's like and investigator that won't read the Book of Mormon to know if it's true. You just cut them. But I can't do that, so I gotta put up with them. haha

As for me and Elder Francisco, things are going great. I love this guy he is so amazing and funny. It's the best. We had 3 baptisms this week. Lucas, Caroline and Almilton. Lucas is 15 and he was a great investigator. He accepted everything. But Caroline is a little bit of another story. First off, she is deaf. So we basicaly had to pull of some mad spiritual lessons so that the Spirit could tell her that the Church is true and well, she accepted. And then and Almilton...
Almilton is the most memorable baptism that I will ever have on my mission. He was a man that took his wife and kids to Church but rarely entered. He said that; "Church is for women and kids, it's not for me." He had a hard heart, let's just say that. But when I got here in Campos, we ate lunch at his house the first day and I could see our family in his family. So I said to myself; "I'm gonna treat this guy like my Dad and I'm going to teach him as if he was my Dad." He was a little hard and hessitant at first, but when it came to marking the date and bearing my testimony, it was over. He was going to be baptised. As we were leaving, his son hugged me crying and thanking me. Well, he was baptised this week. To see him leaving the water with tears in his eyes and hugging his son gave me hope that one day I can share that happiness with my Dad.
When he left me as well with some watery eyes, I hugged him and got all wet too. haha But the feelings and the Spirit that were there are things that I can't describe. I know that I came on my mission to teach him and to help him have an eternal family. Without a doubt, I know that this church is true and only through the Church of Jesus Christ we can live with our families together forever.
I don't have much time because I wanna send some pictures. I'm sorry, but things are going great and it's good to hear that everything is going well. It's crazy to hear that everyone is FICANDO GRAVIDA (getting pregnant) haha
I love you guys,
Elder Manis

Dad

Dad,
Things are going great here. In fact this week was an amazing week a lot of amazing things happened that I'll never forget.
I'm gonna e-mail you this week instead of Mom, so foward this to her.

We are teaching this man named Almilton. He is 52 years old and his family is just like ours. Being that he is not [a member]of the Church. Well, we found that he wasn't a member when we where eating lunch at his house. We started to teach him and I just flat out asked him, "Why haven't you been baptised?" He said, "I don't know?" So we got to teaching him and the time came to mark a date of baptism with him. We did at first, and he didnt accept and went a little soft on us. So I went in strong and told him that he was more than prepared, he has been going to the church for 10 years now and until now no one has gotten firm about baptism with him.
Dad, that is why I am saying this.
Because, in his family I saw my family, our family. I know that I would fight until the end to get an eternal family so I looked him in the eyes and I said, "I'm not going to lose you. And he accepted, and this Sunday he will be baptised.

Dad, I love you and I just want to ask, why haven't you been baptised?. What are your thoughts on baptism, the Church and stuff. I just wanna know. Because, Dad I'm going to fight for you, because I love you. Don't beat around the bush, just talk to me, I wanna know.
I tell you, if Almilton can be baptised you can too.

I love you Dad
Zack

Leaving Andre Carloni

Well, things are going swell,
Yup, I got transferred and yup, I'm back in Rio. It's funny to be basically back in the same city but I'm in a different area. This time I'm a Zone Leader with Elder Brito. It's funny because we both have juniors, so we, as the Zone Leaders don't even work together. But it's all good. My companion is Elder Francisco. He is the funniest and craziest comp' I have ever had. It's funny because he is 26 years old and only has 3 years in the Church so everything is new to him still. I love the Elders that have been baptized recently. Their testimony is stronger than anything. He is from Rondonia. It's a tiny tiny state by Amazonas but he lived in Spain for the past 5 years and that's where he learned about the Church. He said whenever I want to go to Barcelona I've got a house to stay at. :) He is really cool and I love this kid. Being a ZL isn't much different that being a Senior Companion you just have to be an example for the whole zone. So that's a little nerve racking, but it's amazing because you work without fear. It's like you have received an injection of love for the missionary work. So ya, all is good. The zone is suffering a little bit. There hasn't been much success here for a while, so it's our job to straighten up the zone.

Well, leaving my last area was so hard. I'm not going to lie, I cried and cried like a baby. I think it was harder to say goodbye to the members and to the people I have baptised there than saying goodbye to you guys in the airport. It was so hard. You just get to see how grateful the people are for you and the work you did to help them. So ya, it was hard. :( Elder Cabral cried in the bus station. So that was hard. We had a little talk and he said that I helped him out like crazy, and that his mission will never be the same. So that was rough as well. But I let him know that the secret to missionary work is hard work. He agreed. He is a good guy and he is a great missionary, it just took a little shake to wake him up.

As for me in my new area, we are doing great. We had 7 investigators in the chapel and we have 3 baptism dates for the 22nd. We will see how the things play out here in the next few weeks. I'm still a little lost walking around and getting lost sucks. But it's all part of the work.
We live in a house that is the size of an airplane bathroom. We live as 6 missionaries together, so it's super cramped. haha I got the short stick and I have to sleep on the ground. But it's all good. Faz parte
I'm doing great. I love the missionaries that live with me and love my new area. I know I'm going to have a lot of fun here workin' hard. :)
That's so crazy to here that summer is already over and that everyone is going back to school. haha That's way crazy, just make the best of it. :)
Love you guys,
Elder Manis

The Value of a Soul

O valor de uma alma.. [the value of a soul]
This week was ROUGH, it was probably the most stressful week of my mission.
I have never desired so greatly some one's salvation. It just gets to you. But yes, this week we did have 3 baptisms. Tamára, Ingrid, and Jndira entraram nas aguas do batismo.[entered the waters of baptism] It was such a fight to get these people to be baptised. It was not the fact that they didn't know if the Church was true. It was straight fear. So having to deal with these scared people this whole week was rough. I can't even explain it in English, let's just say I'm fighting the good fight. Literally fighting. This week I also saw how angry Satan is and how he works so hard to get in the way.
Let's start:
1) Tamára didn't want to get baptised because her dad would have thrown her out of the house... How do you fight that?
2) Ingrid showed up and hour and a half late to her baptism.. a knife in the heart.
3) Jandira didn't want to get baptised because her husband basically restricted her... How do you fight that? and Raycar her son that baptised her. His bike got stolen while we where at the church.

This week was a fight against Satan. It was seriously a fight. We could see him putting things in the way of these people. Really, he doesn't stop at anything. But the Lord will not let him get in the way of His work.
So then we had the miracle side to our work. We could seriously see miracles happening in front of us. After the 3 baptisms, I just sat in the bathroom and just vented. haha I felt like crying, I was just so stressed out. You have no idea, but it's part of the work. Missionary work isn't easy because salvation isn't free.
I'm seriously burnt out from this week. But there is no resting in missionary work. I got transferred :( I'm not sure where to, but I'll find out tomorrow. And I got another leadership calling so now I have more missionaries to worry about. hahah So it's going to be interesting to see what's going to happen in the next few transfers. Elder Cabral is doing a lot better, he has really learned what it takes to become a dedicated Elder and to finish the work out.
It's crazy to hear that everyone is getting married or is almost getting married at home. I'm not even worried about that for now. haha I got a crazy zone to look after. I'm going to miss this area. Really, I have grown to love the people here and to see the difference that we have made in their lives. Just some things that the heart doesn't forget. I have already seen a lot of crying Irmãs that don't want me to go, but, I gotta go someday. I love the people here really, with all my heart and never will I forget them. :)

Well I'm sorry family if this letter is lame but I gotta go get packin. :(
Love you guys,
Elder Manis