August 16, 2011 - LAST Letter Home

What Joy!!

Hey Family!!!
I'm so sorry I couldn't write yesterday, obviously you can understand that it's been pretty busy here.


This last week was very great; we visited and ate with many members and investigators, and it was a great experience of seeing all the results of my work in Neopolis. 

Elder Gaucho

Unfortunately, Stephani had some problems with her mom, and wasn't baptized, but we talked to her and she is determined to be baptized. Priscila and Junior also promised they would continue to go to church. Juliana, one of our neighbors, showed up Friday and said she wanted to be baptized!?!! We talked with her, and her family was already friends with some members, so they started to get talking to them about the church, and they were very interesting. We taught and invited Juliana to be baptized THAT Sunday, but she already had plans, and would have to wait until next week. However, Juliana and her family, Priscila, and Stephanie went to church, where they saw me and Elder Bryant give our last talks. I cried a bunch. :( It was pretty dificult to leave behind the area, especially knowing that it was my last. I left without witnessing a baptism, but I am very certain that families I was able to find will shortly be baptized. I am in contact with all of them and they promised to send pictures when they were baptized. :)


This week we also had a successful branch activity, a theater night where we brought 4 investigators, watched The Testaments, and ate lots of goodies prepared by members. A returned missionary that I had known stopped by the area and we had an excellent churrasco :). Sister Dullius made the BEST home-made ice cream treat for dessert. :)

We packed up, I left a bunch of stuff behind, saw a couple more people, cleaned the house, and left for the bus station. There I saw Elder F. Ribeiro, and a bunch of other missionaries that I hadn't seen in forever. Awesome! 

I saw Brother Wilson from Elizabete, and Sister Alzenida from Esteio. They're doing good. :) 
Rosianne, Marco and Mirielle, a family I had taught the first lessons to and been good friends with in Elizabete and then left behind, stopped by, and informed me that Mirielle was baptized, and that Marco and Rosianne were regularily going to church and would be married soon to be baptized. What joy! 
I talked with Elder Diego who had been in Esteio, who reported that Yasim and family are doing SUPER well in Esteio, Yasim is a Young Men's counselor, Fadua is in the Young Women's Presidency, and all of them, Nilda included, have given talks and are loving the church! What joy! 
I received a phone call from Sister Nadir in Elizabete, who said that she and Pamela were well and continuing visits with the missionaries and going to church! Hey hey hey! What joy is that?! 

I've been stressing my mind this last month, and when the baptism fell I thought I would be super sad, but leaving, I'm just feeling extreme joy at the mission experience and these 2 years I've shared with the Lord. I love the mission, and I am thankful to be coming home with good experiences and lessons.

Seeing all you family still isn't feeling real, but it's getting there. :) I'm giddy with excitement. :)

Maybe Brendon's already got there, so I hope you all party a bunch so you can be warmed up for the REAL party when I come home. I love you all and am SO excited to be back! :)

Well, sorry, but I gotta keep this short... Until the end.

Love love love,
Until soon,
Elder Con