Pioneer Day and Interviews

Hello dear friends and family,

This week was a good one. I meet great people everyday. That´s the blessing of serving a mission. Today or yesterday was pioneer day. So, all of us Elders here in Parnaíba got together today to BBQ or as we say here Churrasco. It was great fun. There was a lot of meat. I´m not the biggest meat eater, but I did eat some. It was tasty.
Last week Presidente Dias came to do the regular interviews. I had a particularly good one. He answered some questions I had weighing on my soul. I´m really greatful for my mission president.
Thank you for all of your prayers and the letters and things you send me. I´m really grateful for all of it. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. It´s God´s true church here on earth. It´s the same church that Jesus Christ organized in His time, the only difference is the period of time we live in. I am really grateful to be a missionary.

I love you all.

-Elder Samuel H. Chiba

p.s. Pictures from my birthday from the previous week. they got a cake made for me. isn´t that great?! it was definitely a favorite birthday, one that I won´t forget.

Birthday Surpresa!

First off, thank you all for the birthday wishes! It truly was a birthday to remember. If it had been up to me, I would have liked for it to come and go unnoticed, but It´s also nice to be acknowledged. I´m really grateful too.

This week was especially nice, not just because of my birthday but because of some people I met this week too. So, Wednesday was my 22nd birthday, and the people here had prepared a surprise birthday gathering for me in the guise of a "Family Home Evening." Actually, Jonathas, whom I had baptized a couple months ago along with some other members, prepared the surprise for me. I felt overwhelmed by grattitude and love. I don´t think I´ve ever had a surprise party. I´d always planned my own parties. This year though I figured wasn´t about me. It was funny, everyone was trying to be sneaky, but I´d figured it out several days prior to the event... I didn´t say anything except for to my companion. It was really really cool. I forgot my camera chord at home today so I don´t have pictures to send. I had gotten there and there were a whole bunch of people waiting. The house was decorated with balloons and a "Happy Birthday" sign written in English. There was a really good cake, some snacks and sodas. I was speechess, and ironically they asked me to give a speech. It´s amazing how much I felt/feel loved for only knowing these people for a few months. I´m really blessed.

Also this week, we found several true seekers of the truth. There is a family and a few others. I felt really blessed to have been able to find them. I know that the gospel is truly what they are searching for and needing in their lives.

I am really grateful to be here. I know the gospel is true and I am so grateful for it. I am grateful for the Savior and His love for me enough to die for me. Thank you all for your love and prayers. I love you.

-Elder Samuel H. Chiba

Be of Good Cheer

So, this past week was really good. The training in Teresina was really great. It was great to see the other Elders that I´ve grown to love a lot since the mission. It made me think about the beginning of chapter 17http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/17?lang=eng in Alma where the sons of Mosiah and Alma met up and were all really happy. It was really nice.

Friday and Saturday was the musical put on my the youth here in Parnaíba. It was interesting. The members that were putting it together asked us to help sing the final number which we were able to do Friday, but not on Saturday because it started later and we had to be home by 9:30 at the latest. The musical was about what we believe, based on the 13th article of faithhttp://lds.org/scriptures/pgp/a-of-f/1?lang=eng. Before the musical and after our weekly English class, we had a baptismal service for a sister who was really excited to be baptized (the one who had told us the day of her baptism). It was really nice. The Spirit was strong. And my comp (Elder Kim Martinez of Mesa Arizona) and I made chocolate chip cookies. It was delightful.

I learned or realized or remembered something at the training last week that I feel is very important to share with all of you. My mission president, President Dias told us that we can do anything. We litterally can do anything. He showed us this inspirational video of a man who did not have arms, but played the acoustic guitar with his feet and sang miraculously. It was really neat. I think his name is Antonio Melendez, he´s Mexican but lives in the US and speaks english and spanish. Anyway, President Dias said some things that caught my attention. He said basically that the Savior always says things to inspire and help us like "Be of good cheer." or "Be not afraid." Then he said that Satan says the opposite like "You can´t do it." or "You´re not good enough." or "You´ll never be able to..." So, I want you to know that you need not fear and that you CAN. It´s all about will power, desire, work, and faith. You are good enough. You are a child of God. You can. I know that the Savior lives. I know that through Him, all is possible. Literally anything is possible. I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we CAN live with God again. I love you. Do not fear, but BE of good cheer.

-Elder Samuel H. Chiba

Training in Teresina

Elder Martinez and Me

Baptism Pictures (Below)

4th of July and back to Teresina real quick...

Well Happy 4th of July!!!

Quick update, I´ll be going to Teresina tomorrow for another leadership training, which I wasn´t expecting (it´s complicated) because until last night I wasn´t in any position of leadership. But now I´m a district leader. Today to commemorate the 4th, me and a couple elders are buying lots of ice cream and watermelon to eat. Tonight we´ll make sloppy joes.

A miracle happened this past weekend. Two of our investigators were baptized. It was beautiful. One is the younger sister of a girl that was baptized in February and the other is the mother of Jonathas who was baptized in May. It was really a very special weekend.

Recently, I´ve been truly realizing the truthfulness/reality of the Plan of Salvation. It´s really been sinking in more and more, and everyday I have a better reason to get up at 6:30 in the morning. I have more of a reason to be a missionary. My whole perspective of being a missionary is changing and I´m truly realizing the importance of this work. I am here to help others find their way onto the path that leads to eternal life. To help my brothers and sisters here find their way back to live with God our Heavenly Father again. I know the gospel is true. I encourage you all to read 2 Nephi chapter 2 http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/2?lang=eng.

I hope that we can all make it back to live with our Father in Heaven again. I pray that we do all that we can to live according to the dictates of heaven and have the humility to follow the Lord´s will more than our own. I love you my dear ones.

-Elder Samuel H. Chiba