December 25, 2017 Merry Christmas!

Because it was Christmas Day, Elder Toma did not send an email; rather, we were able to Skype with him. Below are some clips of the video.

December 17, 2017 Success in inviting

Dear family,

This week has been just crazy lots of teaching but a lot of rejections this week to baptism. About 5 baptisms fell through that we marked for our white Christmas that we will have this Saturday. So the zone will be inviting all the investigators that will be baptized to attend the same baptismal meeting, it’s going be super cool and I’m not worried because we have a couple of other investigators to baptize this week. 

This week I have grown even more spiritually reading the Book of Mormon in my mission language. I’m now in finishing up 3rd Nephi and I have never been so certain that Christ visited His people in the Americas. I thought that it was interesting that one of the first things he did was give priesthood authority to baptize. He then testifies of baptism saying that it is essential to receive salvation.  That’s why baptism is so important, it’s not about the numbers but it’s the gate in which we start our new life to follow Christ. 

I heard about the how priests can now baptize for baptism for the dead, I got excited because that is really going to help, especially in places like here, were there may be tons of priests, but few hold the greater priesthood. 

If I were to tell you guys one of the things I regret most is being a missionary that I could have been before the mission. Yeah, I invited Johnny to activity and talked about our church to Colton and Kyle and some other friends but one of the most success in baptisms is in the youth! here the youth are so ready, and I know they are over there too. ITs because they already have a friend in the church. I had lots of friends that I could have invited to help out, just imagine when we go to the spirit world and one of our friend shows up and asks "why didn’t you invite me? isn’t that what a true friend would do?" The youth is so critical also because it helps to already learn young and then they can even serve missions and then think of the lives they can bless. 

Especially to Conner, invite someone to church, you have lots of friends! you don’t need to invite them to be baptized, it’s just to church or mutual. 

A young woman in our stake here in Arapiraca has be helping the sisters from my district, they have baptized tons be people just because she invited! last week she invited 13 friends to church, she has even been an example to me. One of the things that I want to do when I get back is invite at least one person to church, and even if that person doesn’t accept, you only succeeded because you invited. 

I’m excited to talk to you guys also, I’m thinking in the afternoon I will be able to skype, I’ll definitely send an email to confirm the time, I’ll be in a member’s house to skype so ill advise you guys beforehand. My package has probably arrived, I will receive it on Wednesday because we have our Christmas conference. 

We made a pretty funny video but it’s too big to send ha-ha and it’s in Portuguese so it would be kind of hard to understand. 

I’ll be transferred on the 2nd, I don’t know what will happen but I’m excited. 

I miss you all. 

Have a great week and merry Christmas!

Elder Toma

December 10, 2017 A super hot Christmas!

So this week went well, we already had a miracle this week. 

So one of the investigators Mila has been wanted to be baptized but she has been struggling with a few problems and immorality which as we know [is hard] to overcome. She has been praying for months and fasting to overcome this temptation and this week on Sunday before church she was baptized and confirmed. To me that was a miracle.

So here Christmas is celebrated and I’m already seeing lots of decorations, it’s interesting that they decorate winter themed stuff, but here its super hot!

So there is this place called the grove here that they have decorated well and its super pretty. They set up this HUGE Christmas tree, its fake but its super tall! and I also saw these lights that say Natal Familia, which is Christmas and family. I thought that was interesting.

The president confirmed that I will be transferred on the 2nd of Jan, he said whatever I need to get done get it done. I really just want to give this area my all right before I leave. 

Being here for almost 6 months is a long time and I love the area but it’s time to leave. I’m glad that I will be able to at least pass Christmas and New Year’s here. 

This week I made some sticky chicken for my companion ha-ha he liked it. oh and can you send me the venichini recipe, I like to make super easy food and also beef stroganoff ha-ha. 

I hope everyone has a good week. I’ll send pictures next week because I didn’t take any this week. 

Miss you all

Tchau!

Elder Toma

December 3 2017 Miracles

This week went well but super super busy. 

So on Tuesday we taught Adriano and set everything for his baptism on Saturday and then we walked like 5000 miles to this other investigator that we met a church, her name is Nercia and she is 20 and super interested but she lives with and aunt and uncle and the uncle is a pastor and the aunt a missionary of their church so that’s kind of complicated. they respected us and even gave us some soda and cake but afterwards Nercia said that she wants to go to church but maybe her uncle won’t let her. On Wednesday we traveled to Maceió and we stayed there until Thursday where we had our leadership meeting. It was a great meeting I learned a lot there and how to help my district. It was fun to see my past companions and see them as leaders too. I’ll make sure to send some pictures. On Friday we went to Penedo another city to do some baptismal interviews and then finally we returned to our home! on Saturday afternoon and we went to interview Adriano. Adriano´s baptism fell through because he works for the 1st counselor of our stake who isn’t paying him! so that kind of gave him a bad image and also when he prayed he had a dream that he entered the church and a leader cut him and it was a bad dream he said so he decided to not be baptized this week. We finally were able to talk to him and explain that obviously his dream wasn’t an answer from God and we will set his baptism for this week. Satan is also working on the other side. I think I have had only one easy baptism, baptisms aren’t easy but marking baptism are, isn’t that interesting? 

The moment that we mark the baptism is the moment that Satan comes in trying to stop the baptism using whatever or whoever to stop it. Every baptism is a miracle because it’s also proof that God is much more powerful. 

One of the miracle I saw this week was Matheus who was baptized recently passed the sacrament for the first time. Since I’ve gotten here and I’m sure for the last year and a half he always sits with the deacons on the bench which are his friends and watches them pass the sacrament but never was able to participate because he wasn’t baptized. This week it was a miracle to see him smiling and participating with his friends in passing the sacrament, and it was all because of a prayer and a fast that softened the hearts of his parents.

Its sounds like lots of people want to know what we eat here ha-ha. So we eat rice, beans, noodles, chicken or meat and salad and depending which area we drink soda or juice. The fruits here are super good. the fruits are mangos, acerola, pineapple, star fruit, passion fruit, watermelon, banana, apple, oranges, limes, papaya, graviola, and jack fruit guaraná and also açaí and I think there is a lot more. Every desert that we eat half the time has sweet and condensed milk ha-ha, but it’s always super good. I’ll make sure to take a picture of lunch one day and I’ll send it to all ya. 

I think some of the weirdest things that I have eaten that I actually like is heart and lungs and also I’ve eaten like a bird, like a little bird ha-ha it was actually pretty good. The worst thing was the insides of a crab, it was so gross but I rarely don’t like something. Even my companion says that I like everything ha-ha. He says that the food his is a lot different than the food where he is from which is close to the capital of |Brazil. 

Sounds like you guys all had a great week. 

Miss, you all

Love 

Elder Toma

It’s probably arriving here soon.

November 26, 2017 I find joy in serving and helping bless others

Dear Family

This week went really, we taught some really spiritual lessons and it seems like my companion is learning a ton, he already came on the mission super prepared, but he teaches some super good lessons now.

I’m still dl and I’m liking it a lot, two newbies have arrived, one of them is from Campo Verde which is an island off of Africa. He is a good missionary and already speaks Portuguese because it is the language where he lives.

When he arrived he didn’t know how to use a washing machine because not very many people have washing machines there and so he hand washes and also he said that the water that he drank the most is rain water so the first time that it rains it cleans the roof of the house and then the second time they through buckets out and collect rain water to drink, so I thought that that was interesting. His companion is from Peru so the district is an interesting mix.

So yeah Matheus was baptized last week and confirmed and receiving the priesthood this week, he is happy and already helping us a ton with all of his friends who aren’t members. This week we are going to baptize Pedro one of Matthew’s friends whose parents also won’t let him be baptized and Adriano who is 20 years old.

Last night was crazy, right outside of our apartment this car was driving crazy and hit someone on a motorcycle and he flew, the car that hit him drove off, it was pretty messed up, I think someone took a pic of the license plate. But what I liked is that everyone that was close, like 30 people all got out and helped him, they called ambulance and his family and it looks like he wasn’t to injured, he was able to get up but he was awake and able to pass information. It’s always a comfort to know that there are many good people that are willing to help, even in the old times of the bible there was people not willing to help in the story of the good Samaritan.

Everything is doing well in the area and with the members.

This week lots of lunches with the members fell through, so here in Brazil we don’t eat dinner with members, we eat lunch lol, but yeah it was strange because usually it doesn’t fall through, I think this week was just busy, so I’ve had to use some of the personal money to buy lunch, I hope I still have money left lol.

It’s crazy how fast time is flying, before I know it it’s going to be Christmas, I still haven’t gotten the package but its probably arriving. Its sounds like thanksgiving was good, I totally forgot about thanksgiving, I liked the pictures hahaha.

So my day schedule is that we wake up at 6:30 and we clean up a little or we go buy some bread and eggs for breakfast and then we eat and do some exercise a little ha-ha I’m starting to slack on the exercising lol.

Then we study personally and then we do the12 weeks training for my companion and we do companion study and language study, I’m helping him learn English and he´s reading the book of Mormon in English really well already, Then we go to lunch and usually we choose to work in one area per day because our area is huge, I like being a missionary servant because I like leaving back my life, before the mission I had a testimony but it was more relied on the testimonies around me and I’m able to try and do what Matthew 10:39 which say  "He that findeth his own life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it". I feel that I’m finding my life more losing my life, I love being on the mission and I love serving the Lord and giving him everything that I have, its where I’ve come closer to Him and where I have been able to coming closer to finding my life.

And to answer the other question, this is what has brought me happiest and joy, also being able to bring souls to Christ. I find joy in serving and helping bless others.

I miss you guys but I’m glad that there is still lots of time for me to be here.

I’m excited to see you guys on Christmas.

hope everyone has a great week

Amo Vocês

Elder Toma