Have you ever run the 400? Well, if you have you know that in the last 35 to 45 meters it's pure guts. Your body doesn't have much to offer but you just keep running. That's exactly how I feel every night. This week was an amazing week full of tears. Yep, tears. I cried. It's just amazing to see the miracles of God in these last 4 weeks that I have.
It's not that I'm spiritually drained this week, but I'm physically tired. Seriously, like the last 35 yards of the 400 yard sprint. I'm just giving everyday my everything and its paying off. I don't think my feet, knees, back and even my shoulders have ever hurt so much, but I don't think that I have ever had a bigger smile on my face than I do now. I love being a missionary. :)
Next week we will have the baptism of Camilla. She is a special story. When my companion and I first got here in the area, we met her. She is a daughter of a recent convert. So we started to teach her and we wanted to baptise her but she basically didn't want anything to do at all with the Gospel. She basically called us stupid and said that the Church is false and that we are going to hell. So we pumped the breaks and let her do her thing. Well... Heavenly Father works his magic. Come to find out that she watched General Conference with her dad on the computer at home. She basically took a round house kick from the Spirit and became humble. She showed up at church and so we went back to see her and asked her how she was doing. She basically broke down in tears and was asking us for forgiveness to have thought that the Gospel was false. She has had some really marked spiritual experiences in the last week. She explained that she prayed to God and the Spirit responded to her and said here take this, this is all you need. So while she was explaining all this she said, "Yes, yes, I will be baptised and I'll be baptised on the 24th." So we said, OK. She is all ready to be baptised. After the lesson, Dean, her dad came to me and said; "Thank you, thank you sooo much for you work." Man, I just love being a missionary. I love helping these people out, all day, every day. It's amazing.
We also found a lady, Valeria, clapping doors. We taught her one of the most "authoritative" lessons ever. I don't know if that makes sense. But basically I just taught with authority, and she had no way to escape. She accepted a baptismal date for the 1st of May. Happy birthday Robbie. I'll give you and the Lord a baptism.
I just want to thank you all for sticking with me during my mission.
I love you all. :)
I'll try to bring some Brazilian stuff home. Some original stuff. Not just the tourist junk. haha :)
I love you guys so much.
Know that the Church is true.
Elder Manis
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Away From Me Satan
Aaste de mim Satanás (Away from me Satan)
Man, this week was a brutal week. Just in every way possible. It was a good that we had the baptism of Sirlandia. She has had some problems in the past few weeks, in deciding whether or not to be baptized. Her husband got cold feet too, but seeing the baptism of his wife opened his eyes. So I think we are going to baptize him the 24th. It's was amazing to see Sirlandia make the decision to be baptized. Basically we just left it all in the hands of the Lord and trusted that everything would work out and it did. :)
As a missionary one of the things that we tell people in the last week before baptism is that Satan is going to try and do everything he can to break you so you won't be able to be baptized. We say that "you're going on the most wanted list of Satan."
Along with that, I can say the same thing about the last 5 weeks of a missionary's mission. I've got Satan and all of his demons on my back. It's not that I'm being tempted or anything like that, but I can just see him working so hard on the people we teach. Even those we talk to in the street. I have never gotten home this spiritually and physically drained in my life. Man, like last night I just slept in my get up. Shirt, tie, everything, even my shoes. I didn't wake up until this morning. But it's good to see that Satan will always lose. It's amazing to see the miracles that are happening in our work too. People just showing up at church and asking to be taught. Elder Manis doesn't clap doors anymore. I'm just being guided by the Spirit. haha We have an amazingly large number of good things that are happening, so Satan is working extra hard. But everything is good with me.
I found out this morning that another one of my baptisms is getting their papers filled out to serve a mission. She is Tamara from Andre Carloni. It's the most bestest feeling in the world to know that you actually helped the church grow. :) She will baptize the world.
Family, I'm sorry but I'm mega tired. I think this p-day I'll just sleep. But know that I love you and I'll see you guys in 5 weeks.
Love ya,
Elder Manis
General Conference
Oi Familia,
This week was a good but stressful week. A lot of good things are happening but a lot of other things are happening as well. I didn't get transferred and neither did Elder Pinhiero. So yup, this is going to be my last area and this is going to be my last companion. I have done a lot of thinking this week because I have had a lot of mixed feelings about all the stuff that will be happening soon. But I decided to lay everything down on the line and give it everything I've got. That's why Heavenly Father calls it "enduring to the end" It's not skip and sing to the end, it's give it all you've got. Lay your life down and give it all you've got.
I can easily say that I think that God will judge me on behalf of this last transfer, so I am going to give it all I can. The last transfer of a mission shows you what kind of a missionary you are. So I'm giving it all I have, and all I can offer too. I can go so far as to say I want to fulfill all that I'm sent to do so I can "return to God's presence after this life."
I guess if you want, we can talk about what's going to happen because it's going to happen. But just know that I'm trying to give it my all.
This week was good. We had some good people at General Conference and that always helps people realize that we have a living prophet. Sirlandia and Jamilson where interviewed and passed so we can and should have baptisms coming up here in a little bit, hopefully this Saturday.
I loved General Conference. I especially loved David A. Bednar's talk about revelation. Any talk that helps you realize how to better receive communication from the Lord is worth listening to. I have learned a lot about revelation on my mission, but always it's good to know how things work. They also talked a lot about love in the family and tithing, so we can see that it is really important that we live ALL the commandments and not just a few.
It's like you said, things are short and sweet this week.
I love you guys and I want you to know that this is the true church of God.
Elder Manis
This week was a good but stressful week. A lot of good things are happening but a lot of other things are happening as well. I didn't get transferred and neither did Elder Pinhiero. So yup, this is going to be my last area and this is going to be my last companion. I have done a lot of thinking this week because I have had a lot of mixed feelings about all the stuff that will be happening soon. But I decided to lay everything down on the line and give it everything I've got. That's why Heavenly Father calls it "enduring to the end" It's not skip and sing to the end, it's give it all you've got. Lay your life down and give it all you've got.
I can easily say that I think that God will judge me on behalf of this last transfer, so I am going to give it all I can. The last transfer of a mission shows you what kind of a missionary you are. So I'm giving it all I have, and all I can offer too. I can go so far as to say I want to fulfill all that I'm sent to do so I can "return to God's presence after this life."
I guess if you want, we can talk about what's going to happen because it's going to happen. But just know that I'm trying to give it my all.
This week was good. We had some good people at General Conference and that always helps people realize that we have a living prophet. Sirlandia and Jamilson where interviewed and passed so we can and should have baptisms coming up here in a little bit, hopefully this Saturday.
I loved General Conference. I especially loved David A. Bednar's talk about revelation. Any talk that helps you realize how to better receive communication from the Lord is worth listening to. I have learned a lot about revelation on my mission, but always it's good to know how things work. They also talked a lot about love in the family and tithing, so we can see that it is really important that we live ALL the commandments and not just a few.
It's like you said, things are short and sweet this week.
I love you guys and I want you to know that this is the true church of God.
Elder Manis
Cassia
Oi Familia,
Well, this week was a good week. We had the baptism of Cássia and that was amazing to get Elder Pinhiero off on a good start baptizing. :)
Cássia is one of the best people I have ever taught in my life, and she was certainly prepared by God. She is an amazing youth. She is 15 years old but she is amazing and helps my testimony grow. She memorized D&C 4 all by herself within the week of her baptism. :) So ya, she is basically amazing. The baptismal service was the best ever too. I love this ward because they took all the stress of my shoulders and prepared the service for me too. It was great, with a special musical number that was really pretty. Then I came in with a tear jerking talk. ha ha I made everyone cry. We had all our progressing investigators there, so that will help in their progress.
We are teaching Jamilson and Sirlandia, along with 5 other people. We have baptisms dated for the 10th of April. So my son is going to be O BATIZADOR (The Baptist) here soon. Basically, I'm just gaining the confidence of the members and working with there references and it's 100% better than clapping doors. Jamilson and Sirlandia are a couple that are really good. I have said this many times in my e-mails, but it's amazing to see how the Gospel changes someone for the better and it's amazing to become a part of this change.
This week something strange happened to me. Many people say that towards the end of an elder's mission he gets trunkey or homesick. But this week it was a little different for me. We where walking down the street and I saw a girl that looked familiar. She had her 2 sons with her that looked to be 9 and 6 years old. I had to look twice, then the the kids came running over to me screaming "ELDER MANNNIS! ELDER MAANNISS!!!" I had no clue who it was, but the then I realized who it was. I almost cried because it was a family from Ándre Carlone. They are members but they are basically like family to me. I didn't think about home, but I thought about Andre Carloni and all the good times that I had there. It's just strange that someone in a white shirt and tie can become so loved. I just love the Brazilian people and I am really glad to have made some eternal friends here. I love my mission and I thank all of you that helped me be here.
General Conference is coming up this week!!! Yeah! So get ready to get round housed by the Spirit playa.
Last week we went to the chocolate factory of Garoto, that was fun but I got a little belly ache from all the chocolate. :)
Love you all,
ELDER MANIS
Well, this week was a good week. We had the baptism of Cássia and that was amazing to get Elder Pinhiero off on a good start baptizing. :)
Cássia is one of the best people I have ever taught in my life, and she was certainly prepared by God. She is an amazing youth. She is 15 years old but she is amazing and helps my testimony grow. She memorized D&C 4 all by herself within the week of her baptism. :) So ya, she is basically amazing. The baptismal service was the best ever too. I love this ward because they took all the stress of my shoulders and prepared the service for me too. It was great, with a special musical number that was really pretty. Then I came in with a tear jerking talk. ha ha I made everyone cry. We had all our progressing investigators there, so that will help in their progress.
We are teaching Jamilson and Sirlandia, along with 5 other people. We have baptisms dated for the 10th of April. So my son is going to be O BATIZADOR (The Baptist) here soon. Basically, I'm just gaining the confidence of the members and working with there references and it's 100% better than clapping doors. Jamilson and Sirlandia are a couple that are really good. I have said this many times in my e-mails, but it's amazing to see how the Gospel changes someone for the better and it's amazing to become a part of this change.
This week something strange happened to me. Many people say that towards the end of an elder's mission he gets trunkey or homesick. But this week it was a little different for me. We where walking down the street and I saw a girl that looked familiar. She had her 2 sons with her that looked to be 9 and 6 years old. I had to look twice, then the the kids came running over to me screaming "ELDER MANNNIS! ELDER MAANNISS!!!" I had no clue who it was, but the then I realized who it was. I almost cried because it was a family from Ándre Carlone. They are members but they are basically like family to me. I didn't think about home, but I thought about Andre Carloni and all the good times that I had there. It's just strange that someone in a white shirt and tie can become so loved. I just love the Brazilian people and I am really glad to have made some eternal friends here. I love my mission and I thank all of you that helped me be here.
General Conference is coming up this week!!! Yeah! So get ready to get round housed by the Spirit playa.
Last week we went to the chocolate factory of Garoto, that was fun but I got a little belly ache from all the chocolate. :)
Love you all,
ELDER MANIS
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