Hello! In a few hours we fly to Belo Horizonte for Elder Vieira to go home and for me to pick up my new companion!! We will stay the night there and I will get a surprise companion tomorrow morning! I'm very excited :)

I don't have much time, but this was a good week of learning for me! One thing I really struggle with is comparing myself to other people/circumstances and I want to share an experience I have had with that. Sometimes I will think how much better/easier off I would be in a mission where I didn't have to learn this language or be in a different area and it's really easy to think like that when the mission is your life. I found some scriptures (Alma 29: 6,8,10) that really helped me put things into perspective this week. From verse 6, I have no right to be wishing for something different because where I am and what I'm doing right now is exactly what the Lord has planned for me, and who am I to try and change His will? And also verse 8 helps me to realize that this language learning is so important to help the people here receive the gospel in their own tongue. And verse 10 is humbling too, because when I look at the people here it makes me so grateful for all that the Lord has done for me! I'm so eternally indebted to Him.

We were met with more than a few challenges this week, but I'm so grateful to have learned from them! I'm learning to think about the good things that are happening and forget the sad things.

I hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of this Christmas season! Brazil is a very very christian country so the people here are all excited haha! It's such a blessing that everyone we talk to has the same basic beliefs of Christ and understand His significance. He is becoming more and more significant to me every day. Whenever I think something is hard or unfair I think of Christ and remember how unbelievably hard and unfair it was for Him. Truly He showed the path and enabled us to change. I am so grateful for my Savior.

I love you guys!!

Elder Searle

115011 steps