Parabens

Hey Mamas,
I'm attaching some pictures that we took a while back, it's of when the city water failed for a week. Basically, we went a week with out taking a bath or anything. But one night the Lord blessed us with a rainstorm so we ran out in the street at night to take some quick rain shower baths. haha Yup, just a bunch of hippies. That was funny. In the pictures you can really see my farmers tan and how bad it is, and ya, you can see how skinny I'm getting.
I think this week was Dad's birthday and today is Hannah's, so
PARABENS for you guys. (Happy Birthday) So what does that make dad? He is like 40 [50] is years old and Hannah is like 16 [14] now or something. I think that Valentine's Day is coming up as well, but I can't remember what day it is.

This week went by so fast and slow at the same time. Monday and Tuesday we had trainings so that took up the whole day. I had the chance to get some letters but I got nothing. Everyone says that when you get to this stage on your mission that everyone forgets about you. The last letter I got was on the first week of November... so whats up?? Get to writing! P resident changed up a lot of rules so I can't e-mail my friends. But hey, I still have some time on the mission so keep cards comin'!!

During the week we had the opportunity to put in practice what we had learned in training, and it really payed off. In the end we were able to find a lot of promising people. People that went to church and are progressing well. We have a family of 5 that are going to be baptised on the 20th, so we are running after them and getting them taught. :) They are a really humble family they live in a one room house that has dirt floor. It's amazing to see how the gospel blesses the lives of many. They don't have much, and not even much to eat, but they have the Gospel and that's enough for any man to be eternally happy. I love this Gospel.
This week my companion did the counting and I have something like 13 or 14 weeks left. It's scary, but I'm sucking in every last moment of my mission. I seriously love it. It's amazing how much I have grown to love this people and care about them and will do anything to help them to be happy. Because they are part of my family now.
I love Brazil :)
In my studies I'm reading Jesus the Christ and I'm studying about the atonement.
I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and the things he has done for me. I love Him. :) It's amazing how He helps us.

I'm going to send this e mail off because people are saying that they are having problems with the site. :)
Love ya,
Elder Manis

Endure to the end

Hey Mom,
Ya, I'm pretty much in tears right now. Reading the e-mail you sent me. Ya, I miss London too. It's amazing to see how Heavenly Father blesses us when we do what he asks. (which usually requires sacrifice) Through our sacrifices we can be blessed. No, we will be blessed. It's just like you said Mom. There are times that we just can't take it anymore, but that's when Heavenly Father pulls us up and finishes the race with us. He is on our side with his angles in front and behind us, and it is in these times that the miracles happen. Be it what you expected or not.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is simple;
1 Faith
2 Repentance
3 Baptism
4 Holy Ghost
and 5- Enduring to the end
One thing I tell everyone of the people I teach is that enduring to the end isn't walking or skipping to the end, it straight up fighting until the end. Fighting against everything that is of the world.
But what does Christ bless us with when we do these things? Eternal life. What greater gift than eternal life in happiness and joy forever and ever. There is no greater gift than this from God. It has been his plan from the beginning, that "all men can return unto me." That is why we have the atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. If it wasn't for Him, nothing eternal could ever happen. He suffered for every person that ever lived or will live, for this He knows us. He knows what we are going through and what we need to keep up the good fight. The Gospel is simple, it's "SALVATION" through Jesus Christ.

I am so grateful for this Gospel and for the little things that I learn everyday that help me along in that fight.

This week was a good one... Well, frustrating as well, but I'm only going to talk about the good stuff. My division with President was good. He likes the way we teach and he likes the way we are working. He also loves the way we worry about the salvation of everyone we teach. It was really good.

This week we got invited to eat AÇAÌ at a members restaurant. Açaí is really good. It's like ice cream but kinda like a slurpy too. sei lá haha Anyway, a member dared me to eat 2 leters of it and.... yup, I did. haha So I went home saturday night with a barriga (belly) full of 2 liters of açaí. Yummmmmmm
Here are some pictures of it. My comp' is the guy giving a thumbs up. haha The big bowl is only 1 liter.
Things are going great. Just running after the zone and getting some baptisms in there.
We found another good family of 4, so we are really excited to progress with them. :)
Love ya guys,

Elder Manis

PS: Lookin' tan huh? haha

The Things That Matter Most

Hey Mom, I'm really sorry but I have almost no time to pass e-mail today.

The weather is getting a lot better and no more people are dieing. There is only about 2 young men it my ward, and no, they don't do anything cool like a break-the-fast. Even if they did, no one would come...Brazilians are lazy.
The zone is going great we are having a lot of success. My new companion is Elder Araujo from São Paulo. I love the kid. He is an amazing Elder. He has always been a good mission friend so it's really good to be companions with him. He skated like I did growing up, and he loves basketball, so we get along great and never have that awkward silence while we are walking in the street.
I'm really bummed out though, because I wanted to send you guys a really good spiritual e-mail but the e-mails of President and all the trainings we are going to have took up a lot of time. So basically I have no time and I'm really bummed.

President has had his garments up in a wad lately. Man, let's just say he is like a bomb waiting to go off. He will be going home a transfer after me so he only has 5 months left. He is trying to get the mission all in order and is almost turning into a crazy man. Making up some crazy rules, and stuff like that. I went and looked at a new house with him (a house bigger for us 4 missionaries) and he was just like a business man to me. He basically didn't put any frosting on what he thought of me and what I could do to be better. I just sat and took it because well...let's face it, he is correct. But man. He is coming to do a division with us tomorrow. So we will see how that goes.
I'm seriously taking it all in for experience. Because I know that the real world is going to be like that, and the mission is to prepare you for your whole life.

I have been reading the Liahona lately. The conference talks have been helping out a lot. I love Elder Ukdorf's talk "The Things that Matter Most" (as coisas que mais importam)
The talk had just made me realize what are the most important things in my life.
1. Family
2. The Gospel
3. My testimony of Jesus Christ
It also talks about seeing how things get all crazy in life and the one thing we need to do is just stop and look at the basics. There is a cool quote that he uses "there is more to life than increasing it's speed". Just take a chill pill and look at the things that really matter and then run after them. haha Let's just say that I have been doing that lately.
My mission is ending and I feel that Satan is working harder than ever to get me to just give up and rationalize my work. We are always in the constant fight. But I love how my testimony grows through the trials.

I Love you all.
Look at the things that mean most.

Zack