Minha família!
Wow wow wow! How happy am I to be speaking with you! Though we are more than 7000 miles away, I feel like Im speaking to you face to face! What a blessing it is to have this available, don't you think? I can't imagine how the missionaries of old were able to cope.
Anyway, today was such a great week, and one of great joy for me, for inexplicable reasons. I think I've finally realized that there is never a limit to how close you can come to following God, never a limit to how much spirit you can be filled of, never a limit to worthiness, to diligence, to faith, to happiness, to joy. It amazes me as I climb this staircase how each flight just becomes fairer and more delightful, the vistas available become only more epic and full of wonder, and it has no signs of stopping. How great is this plan for us! How much joy is there to be found in every moment! If only we can stop seeing and hearing, and start looking and listening, we can have this available to us!
So we stopped by the levandaria this morning after the temple, and talked with Rogério! The man we left the Livro de Mórmon with! I was amazed at how much I was able to understand when he spoke this time, as opposed to just last week! The language has really started to flow now! Rogério really liked the Livro de Mórmon, but told us about how his family didn't like religion. He also told about how his wife was very dedicated to her church. I wish that I had been able to sit down with him in his home and teach him how to resolve these problems in detail! I can't wait to be in the mission field! I hope it sufficed that Elder Feller and I bore our testimonies, and invited him to continue reading and holding to the words of God. We also invited him to call the phone number we were given to find out where church was meeting. We will continue stopping by the levandaria every P-day, to just be his friend and cheer him up and testify of the one way we can be comforted and strengthened through this life. I hope to work this week on vocabulary that will allow me to express this.
We got Brasilian roommates this week! We've already become fast friends and have had some good conversations! I really think it's helping me learn alot. I describe them a bit more in my small 2-page letter this week, so you'll have to wait for details.
This week we go proselyting as a district, and I am very excited! It'll be so cool to have a couple LdMs to hand out, instead of just one. We will also have passalong cards with phone numbers to missionaries that we can hand out! It will be insane... ly fun.
Elder Feller and I are becoming better and better friends, and I am really loving my district, and I can't imagine being on my mission without them. It's so cool to know for a fact that you were placed in the exact right place that you needed to be. I feel very lucky to have been placed in this district with them specifically, and also somewhat feel like we knew each other well in the pré-existence. For surely the last day together will be a sad one.
Sao Paulo Temple
Brendon and I continue to see each other often and enjoyed being in the temple together this morning. The São Paulo temple is amazing. The outside looks normal for a temple, but inside it has amazing stained-glass windows, original impressionistic paintings of Brasilian landscapes, and impressively grand architecture. A temple suitable for one of the largest cities in the world. Anyway, Brendon and I make sure to sit together in the group meetings, to catch each other up on our week and our twin thoughts that just no other person would be able to fully understand. It's such a blessing to receive counsel from him, and to try to raise him up as well. It's like the things that we are learning are sometimes directly applicable to the other's life. I want to keep that up even after we are separated. It will be a sad day, but for surely it is only for the best, and will only strengthen our relationship to be apart. Maybe similar to how we can only be resurrected only after having been separated body from spirit? That concept is probably true for a lot of things.
I very much enjoyed your mail, Mom, and I wish I could reply to it in full. To Lynsey and Kaitlin as well. However, as always, I am short on time. Just know that your words are with me, and are lifting me up. I was so happy to receive news about Dad and the guidance he has received. Brendon and I participated in a fast on Thursday and I received the answer that night that you would be taken care of. I knew even before opening the last letter that it would contain good news about this :). Dad, I love you very much and am constantly in wonder and gratitude at your centering yourself in the Lord. Thank you so much for that example. It is certainly a strength to me.
Lynsey, a good scripture is Helaman 5:12, I think. Surely no thing can topple us when we are built on the rock of the Lord! Kaitlin, I love you much and look at your picture every night! I can't wait to talk to you on Christmas, and I hope you have a good Halloween! You will be the prettiest Indian princess out there! I have such wonderful and delightful sisters! Thank you!
My family, I leave you. Until next week,
Elder Con
P.S. If you'd like, send me messages through MissionTiés only. There's no limit, I think, and I can get them at any time in the week. It's much more convenient to receive a physical letter than to have to read them quickly in an email! Nevertheless, any communication is good communication!
Tchau tchau! Com amor!
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