June 18, 2017 Happy Father's Day

Happy Father’s Day!

I would just like to start out by saying I love you and I’m so grateful to have such a great example in my life, if it wasn’t for you and mom I would have never grown up in the church and gained the opportunity to serve a mission, thanks for being my dad and thanks for all the support that you give me.

This week was good, but success wasn’t the best that I have had.  we had a holiday this week called Corpus Cristo I think, and everyone traveled so it was super hard to find anyone, but this week will be a better week. 

I’ve been emailing with Elder Uhler, it seems that he is doing super well, he says that this mission has been the best thing for him its crazy that he only has 4 months left. It sometimes feels like the mission will be my life forever but then I realize how much time has passed.

I’m so happy for Hunter and Michelle, tell them I said congratulation, the wedding looks great and everybody is looking good, Tell Conner that now that school is out he has time to email me, I know he has an iPod lol. 

The weather here has been cooler than normal and has been rainy so that’s good, on Sunday I wore my sweater! I never thought that would ever happen on my mission ha-ha.

I hope everybody has a good week

Miss you all

Amo Voces 

Elder Toma

June 12, 2017 The Book of Mormon changes your life

Wow, I’m glad to hear about the wedding and that everything went well ha-ha,

I guess something in common that Brazilians have and Latinos is showing up late hahaha, 

But I’m super happy to hear about the wedding, two down, so two more left ha-ha.

This week went very well, the baptism went through, we baptized young boy named Breno, he is 12 years old but a very good kid, I’m almost certain he will serve a mission, it also helps that his best friend is a member and the good kids.

We had another musical number, I played the piano and sang with my companion ´´I Like to Look for Rainbows´´ it went well I think ha-ha.

This week a gay guy chased us with a weird wig, he always flirts and then tries to bible bash with us so we just ignore him and walk really fast ha-ha.

I also gave a talk this Sunday and I liked it a lot, it was about the importance of the Book of Mormon in our lives, I explained briefly about the Book of Mormon and what it is and the story of Joseph Smith but I also shared to examples of how the Book of Mormon and change our lives, I gave an example about the story of Samuel the Lamanite and how he preached the gospel on the wall and how he was protected by the Lord, I compared that to my life, how it helped me learn to have more faith and trust in the Lord and with obedience and faith the lord will protect us from the arrows and stones of the world, I explained that this is a little example and then I also told the story of Dads friend who was Jewish that decided to burn the Book of Mormon so that his family wouldn’t find out, but he heard a voice saying ´´don’t burn my book´´ and how this changed his life completely, my companion really liked the story and the members as well, a-ha sorry for not asking for permission to tell the story beforehand but it fit really well in with my talk. 

The Book of Mormon is just one of the best gifts from God that we have received, it answers all of the most important questions in our life, it answers that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ, it answers that Joseph Smith is a Prophet and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church and kingdom of God, for this the Book of Mormon is the Key stone of our religion, and it is by the Spirit that we can know that it is true. (2 Nephi 32:5, Moroni 10:3-5)

I miss you guys,

Hope everyone has a great week

Love

Elder Toma

June 5, 2017 Baptism of Delaine

Dear family, 

This week was good, the news is that I will stay in my area another transfer! I’m excited because we have some really good investigators here,

The other good news is that the baptism went through! finally ha-ha, her name is Delaine and she has had tons of missionaries pass by, she never got baptized when she was 8 years old and has waited up until now with 29 years of age! but the baptism was perfect. We had two members speak and then we did a musical number that me and my comp made, it was hymn 7 in Portuguese with the tune of Come Thou Font and my companion sang with a young woman in our ward and it was super good, he said that Delaine almost cried.  I’ll send a picture of the baptism also in this email. 

This week we will be baptizing a friend of a member, his name is Breno and he has 12 years and he is super cool, he has been going to church for a couple of months now and has decided to be baptized. 

It’s so crazy that Hunter will be getting married this week, time flies by and I can’t believe I’m on my 9th months of the mission, 

I really just want to make use of the time here because I know I will miss the mission after the mission as much as I miss the stuff back at home, it doesn’t even compare because the stuff back at home is all waiting. 

Brazil is really growing on me and I’m loving it here more and more every day, the culture the food and the people are great but I’m glad to be here serving the Lord and learning about Him more and more each day. 

Its seems like some of the youth are preparing for missions back at home, I’m excited for them because it’s really the best thing,

It’s crazy to think that Elder McGary and elder Uhler and elder snow will be returning home soon,

Good luck with everything, with the productions, the marriage, and all the other stuff going on,

IT was fun to have a baptism on the same day as Conner’s birthday ha-ha, it makes it easier to remember for me.

miss you all,

have a good week

Elder Toma