June 18, 2018 Miss my old zone but already love Sergipe

Dear Family,

So I’m in Siqueira Campos Sergipe. it is in Aracaju which is the capital of Sergipe.

It’s a nicer place and its very developed and organized compared to Maceió.

To be honest I love Maceió though. Its where I started my mission and its where I always end up staying. Yeah, it’s more dangerous and it’s like Gotham and here it’s like Metropolis but I just like Maceió more.

The Ward is amazing, I love all the members and I have already come to love them.

So we are living in a house of 4. It’s my companion Elder Jensen from Utah, Elder Marques from the Amazons which was already a previous companion of mine, Elder Kolowski from Paraná Brazil and then me.

The zone is bigger, but I miss my old zone, my companion from the MTC and I opened that zone and it was an amazing experience.

I am getting the hang of Sergipe though, I already love it.

We already have some baptisms marked so it’s nice to come to an area that will be more successful.

It’s crazy here in Brazil, the Presidente had us go home on Sunday because of the world cup. It is hard to make new investigators and work because everyone is partying and drinking.

Soccer is so big here in Brazil and so it’s insane but also fun to see how much the get into it. The roads are all green and yellow and everyone is wearing the Brazil shirt.

My companion is from Brigham City Utah and he finishes his mission this transfer. He is trunky but it’s all good. I talked to him about his goal and I’m happy to help him achieve his goals on baptism and all that, so we are going to work.

So I actually go home September 6th because Presidente changed the date.

I didn’t take any pictures this week, but I’ll send some next week.

Sounds like everyone is doing great!

I miss you all

Love

Elder Toma

June 11, 2108 Transfer to Siqueira Campos em Sergipe

Dear Family, 

This week went well, we couldn’t work to much because we took injections and I think maybe I got sick from it because Tuesday until Thursday I was feeling pretty sick. 

But I’m all better now. It was a good week overall; the zone had a lot of baptisms and we got 3 investigators to church. The area seems to be progressing a ton. 

The transfers came through. I’ll be going to Siqueira Campos em Sergipe and I’ll be "killing" my companion Elder Jensen. I’ll probably finish my mission there as a zone leader. 

It’s going to probably be trunky but I’m going to do my best to focus on the work. 

This week the attribute is patients. It has been a good attribute to study. 

I lost my cable for my camera, so I’ll have to by a new one so that I can send pictures next week. 

I liked the goals that dad has sent me, and I have been thinking a lot of those goals. 

1) I really want to get 8 baptisms from now until the end of my mission. it’s hard because maybe that goal can be low if a get a really good ward in a good area or maybe it’s too high if a got an area like here. But overall, I want to focus on 8.

2) I want to focus on studding the attributes of Christ. Especially the ones that I am needing. My patriarchal blessing helps a lot with that one. I want to developed being more selfless and I always want to develop obedience the most that I can. But as a goal I’m going to continue to study, pray, and fast weekly for the attributes that I am studying. I think this week I’m going to study charity and love. 

3) to help my companions and others around me, I want to strive to be an example. Especially with my new companion, I’m going to have to help us not get too trunky and hit it hard until the end.

4) To strengthen the members, that’s one that I’ll think about more and respond later ha-ha. 

5) habits to strengthen me and help me maintain the Spirit., THE BOOK OF MORMON. 

Again sorry that I didn’t send pictures, I’ll try and send more next week. 

Hope everyone has a great week. 

Miss you all.

Love 

Elder Toma

June 3, 2018 Every week is inspired

Hey family, 

This week went well and super busy. 

We ran around all week doing baptismal interviews, which is a good thing ha-ha. 

I was impressed by some of the people that were baptized this week. They were all so ready for it.

The zone learned a lot about hope last week. It was cool to hear the sisters experience on hope with the baptism that they had. 

They truly believe that every week is inspired. 

This week we are study knowledge and wisdom at the same time. At first I thought that maybe we should study them separate during different weeks but study both of them together has been a great experience. 

They complement each other so well. One of the scriptures that I have liked has been Doctrine and Covenants 88. It’s a great chapter for knowledge and wisdom. 

I thought it was interesting the other day I was studying in my patriarchal blessing. I won’t say everything it says but it did talk about studying the attributes of Christ and that whom that I serve shall benefit. It’s so cool to see the progress the zone has had in unity and in everything. I was worried that maybe not everyone would participate or that it wouldn’t have the results that it has had.

This week we are going to have a zone pday, president is letting us because some of the missionaries in our zone are going home this next week. 

I think that I will be transferred. but it will be good, I’m ready to start fresh in a new area. 

Here it has been so rainy also, I think it’s raining every day. Its starting to cool a little but it’s always hot here ha-ha. 

This week’s letter is a little shorter because today we got to get everything set up, 

we are all going to play volleyball. 

But I hope everyone has a great week. 

Wish Conner a happy birthday!

Love you all. 

May 27, 2018 An Experience with Prayer

Dear Family,

This week was a great week, we had our devotional in the zone on the Book of Mormon. The Spirit was strong, and the music was good. I played the part of Joseph Smith and I bore testimony of the gold plates and the vision of Moroni. President and Sister Taylor gave powerful testimonies that left many of the members in tears.

This week we have been study about “Hope” it has been a great study and we have had many experiences study this attribute.

This week I had an experience with prayer.  When Joseph Smith had the first vision of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ it started with a prayer, it was after a prayer that the angel Moroni appeared to Joseph, Joseph prayed about baptism when the John the Baptist appeared to him, and all other occasion and experiences that happened just occurred after prayer.

A personal experience of this was this week. I was doing something very simple but important which is personal study. It was a busy morning and we had lots to do. So when I finally started to study, I realized that during my study I wasn’t understanding or receiving the promptings of the Spirit.  I felt that something was missing.  I remembered that I forgot to pray. I got on my knees and asked for forgiveness and I prayed.  I later realized the complete difference that prayer makes. “If ye will ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive with diligence in keeping the commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you” (1 Nephi 15:11) Maybe we don’t see the angel Moroni or John the Baptist but through prayer I testify that we can call the powers of heaven, though we don’t all ways see it, we definitely experience it.

The zone is doing so awesome, this Saturday we had 6 baptisms in the zone.  I’m so grateful for the missionaries in my zone. We did have an investigator in church so thanks for the prayers.

 Something that I have learned from President Taylor is to love those that you serve and that kind of answers dad´s second question as well, when a missionary is struggling I have learned to just listen to them, be patient, and then help them by loving them.   The attribute that I have learned, the knowledge and the worth ethic are definitely things that I would like to bring back from me and continue to do. I know that the mission is the place to study so I need to make use of this time, but I would love to continue my studies at home even if it’s just a little a day, maybe setting goals would help with that.

Hope everyone is doing well,

Miss you guys

Have a great week

Elder Toma