February 7, 2015

Dear Family
Just a couple of good experiences I wanted to share.  While at Sister Rebers yesterday she shared this experience with me:
Lucas is a northern area in our mission and every year the branch rents a bus for a temple trip and it will hold thirty-five people and no more.  The branch president felt impressed to invite a man who was a member but he smoked and would be unable to enter the temple. There were some who felt he should not be allowed to take up one of the seats because he could not do any temple work.  He even said to the bishop, I can not go into the temple what will I do?  The branch president said, each day we are there I want you to walk from the hotel to the door of the temple.  So he went and, for the week they were in São Paulo at the temple, each day he would walk to the temple door and around the grounds. Sister Reber said this year (a year later) when the bus went to the temple he and his whole family went and were sealed in the temple. She said this little branch is so awesome and she loves the time they spend there.  Today we had a fun activity at the São Mateus branch.  It is called the 24 hour mission.  The stake gave the young men the opportunity to spend a day with full time missionaries and work.  When they arrived in the small group building we had a few short testimonies and then divided into quadrants, there were about fifteen groups and we went out batting doors (clapping hands in front of the house).  It was so fun and São Mateus got about fifty refferals and we invited everyone to church and to a BBQ.  I had a blast, here I am with a couple of the children. The baby belongs to a non member but the little girl is a member.

Mom with Baby and member girl.

Mom and Elders talking to cute family.