Week 4 in Galeão

Hey Guys,

How´s everything going? ...sounds like Thanksgiving went well and that you also had a good time at the Temple Conference again. I still remember that from last year, with Elder Rasband. That was really cool and the music was amazing. That´s cool, Dad, that you got to sing in the choir. Sounds like it snowed a ton and that you guys are freezing to death while I´m down here burning to death haha. No, it´s still not as hot as it´s going to get here in December and January. We´ll see what happens. That´s cool that Travis gave his farewell. He´s already leaving? I can´t believe November is already over! Fastest month I´ve ever had, honestly. That will be fun to have another Christmas party.

This week was really interesting and had a lot of surprises. That´s good that President emailed you; all of this stuff going on with the Police cleaning out the Favelas with these bandits and stuff. Don´t worry though, I haven´t seen anything crazy going on and we are completely safe. We stayed inside most of the day Friday and Saturday after lunch, studying, because of it, but yesterday after church we went and worked again and everything was normal. So that was good, nothing to worry about. I guess there is a ton of stuff going on in the news about everything that is going on. But, in spite of all of that, we baptized yesterday!! It was a lady that we have been trying to baptize since I got here. She has a lot of problems with her legs and hasn´t been able to leave her house, not even in a car, to go to church. But yesterday, we passed by there really early, and invited her to church and she was feeling a lot better, so we baptized her after church. It was really amazing. She is Cassia´s mom, and Cassia was really happy to see her get baptized finally. The bishop and members love me here because I play the piano, it´s great haha. These people here are the coolest, honestly. We had the best lunch yesterday as well, oh man. These families that we eat lunch with know their way around the kitchen, heh heh. On Saturday we had lunch with Deivid, who is a huge Utah Jazz fan and was telling me all about what was going on in the NBA haha it was funny. It was funny talking to him, his wife said that he was so happy to have found an American elder to talk with about basketball.

This week, I´ve been studying the Conference talks from November 2008. There are some incredible talks in there!! My favorites are by President Uchtdorf about hope and Elder Bednar about Prayer. I remember that we were at Susan´s house during this conference and it was the day that Johnathan got home from his mission. It seems like yesterday, but I can't believe that I´m on my mission now, and almost at the half way mark as well. How ridiculous! It was great to have more study time this week and study these talks and these scriptures that come along with them. I will never study the same way that I studied before the mission when I get home. I never used to look forward to it the way that I do now on the mission. It is an incredible opportunity to learn so much more about the Gospel, be taught by the Spirit, and see things in a deeper perspective. I hope that I will always continue with this study habit when I get home. One of the things that Elder Glade was telling me that President told him was that the most important thing that we do on the mission is gaining our own personal salvation; I´ve been thinking about that a lot and how much I´ve been learning and growing, being obedient to every rule that I can, exercising more faith, and putting my confidence in the Lord. I hope that I am growing and changing for the better. President has given us some amazing teachings at Zone conferences and interviews. One thing he has taught us is that if we want to increase our faith, we have to do things that require faith. He taught that we will never learn anything new inside of our comfort zone. We have to step into the darkness and we will be given more light and direction. Faith is not only a feeling, but it is a Decision. I know that is true. A scripture that I read on Friday and loved is in Jeremiah 17:7. I´ll try to translate it. ``Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord.`` I really love this scripture and know that we need to make the Lord our foundation for everything. Only through His Atonement can we have any sense of security in this life. I know that this Church is true. It´s been awhile since I´ve shared my testimony with you guys. I know that Christ loves us, that He is the reason I am out here, trying to learn more about Him and strengthen my relationship with him. Like I said in a letter I sent to a friend, it´s funny that I had to go so far away to get closer to my family and to my Savior. I´m still learning to trust in Him more and give Him everything that I have. I have felt His love so much in my mission so far and am so grateful for the experiences and the help He has given me. I know I can't learn anything in my comfort zone, and for this, I am out here in another country, with another language and people I´ve never seen in my life, teaching the things that I know and trusting in the Lord for everything. I know that President Bezerra is called of God. You guys don´t know how much love I have for my President and all of the support and love that he has shown and given me. I love him. I love my Savior. I love my Heavenly Father. I want more than anything, to live with them and with all of you forever! I know that we are sealed by the power of the Priesthood and that we will be together forever. I love you all and hope that you all have an amazing week. It will be good to talk with you all again on Christmas! Be safe and take care. Until next week!

Love, Elder McDonald