Sapatos

General Conference was greatly rewarding. This time we didn´t have the opportunity to watch it in English, but that´s okay because I understand Portuguese well enough to take notes. I prefer the natural voice, but I was still able to learn a lot. The conference was very spiritually rewarding.

During the break in between the sessions on Sunday we had a baptismal service. An old man whom we have been teaching was baptized, along with a woman and an 8 year old boy that the sisters were teaching. It was a very special day. My companion, Elder Eberhardt is farely new in the field, and it was the first person who he found, taught, and baptized. Everyone was very happy. Senhor Martins, who we baptized on Sunday, has problems in his legs and walks with a cane. Sunday morning he woke up dizzy, but got himself ready and got on the bus to go to conference and his baptism. Talk about an elect of God. We walked him home afterward, and he told us that as soon as he was baptized he didn´t feel dizzy anymore and that he felt great. His wife passed away about 5 years ago. We´re also teaching his daughter and her family who also went to conference and are really liking the church and the gospel. Actually, we´re helping her husband build they´re new house. But they are waiting for the next load of bricks to arrive before we can help out more.

On another note, the shoes and package still haven´t arrived, but good news! A sister here hunted down new shoes for me, and found some in my size. (all the sisters in the ward here were worried about my shoes....) I tell everyone the story of the confusion with the postal service and how I´m just waiting for my new shoes to arrive, but I guess that didn´t work. Anyways, the members here are very supportive and love the missionaries. They take good care of us. I´ve been lucky. All my areas, all the members are really great!

So, it´s been a really good week. Today we made hamburgers(like legit burgers), as a farewell for a sister (Sister Matos from São Paulo) in our district who will be ending her mission next week as well as another elder (Elder Bailey from Salt Lake) in our zone. I really love the missionaries in my mission. I love my mission and the missionaries here too. It´s hard sometimes but, looking back the only things that I really remember are the good moments. I´m learning a lot. A lot about life, a lot about marriage (weird right?) and a lot about the gospel. It´s really a blessing to be here. The world is a lot different than I once thought. My perspective has changed a lot.

Anyway, I´m really grateful to have a modern living prophet. That´s one of the greatest things of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. The knowledge that God loves us enough to call a prophet in our day to lead us and guide us. I´m also really grateful for the Book of Mormon, which is the proof of the truthfulness of the gospel and the restoration thereof. I hope everyone is doing well. I encourage you to read the Book of Mormon everyday and find a way to share the gospel with someone. How great would it be knowing that we helped someone else find their way back to live with our Father in Heaven? I love you. Have a great week!

-Elder Samuel H. Chiba

Baptism from conference

Guaraná Jesus (a soda that only exists in Maranhão Brasil)