Good morning!

This week was... a lot of things! It started off pretty exciting. Last Monday night we went to a members house (Maxwell) to share a message at Family Home Evening. He invited his whole extended family and there were like 20 non members there! It was very interesting to teach a group of that nature, but also fun. Unfortunately no one ended up being very interested, but it's wonderful when the members do their part in the work. I attached a picture with everyone there!

During the week was pretty good too. On Tuesday I strayed from the manual in the English Class and taught how to pray in English! And at the end of the class I said a prayer in English and it was the weirdest thing ever. I had to go super slow because I had the urge to speak Portuguese the whole time haha! It is so fun to teach English though. Brazilians have a hard time making the "th" sound so we also worked on that this week.

Friday night we went to visit a couple we're teaching who live in our apartment building (Marcos and Karina). Last Sunday Marcos was supposed to come to church with us, but he couldn't because he had an emergency appendix removal surgery. It was pretty crazy to see the scar and hear about it. They were both still pretty shocked because he had just gotten back from the hospital. We were able to give him a blessing of health and his wife a blessing of comfort to help out while he recovers.

My second day in the field I gave someone a blessing, and I felt so so unqualified because it was one of my first ones ever and I didn't know Portuguese. But on Friday it was so wonderful to see how the Lord made that weakness of mine a strength. It was like words were put right in my mouth as I gave Karina that blessing and afterwards we both had tears in our eyes.

Each month I focus on an attribute of Christ and this month I'm focusing on patience. Patience is something I thought I had before I came on the mission, but I was very wrong. I still have a very long way to go, but I have learned a lot about patience here. I have to be patient with my investigators, my companion, the Lord, and myself. I've also been learning to be more accepting of the Lord's will. When I got here I thought success would come easy because of where I am. I have learned that the work isn't easy for anyone, and that it's only northern Brazil that baptizes like crazy. And I'm also learning that my success isn't measured by that anyways. It's measured on my inner dedication and my outward efforts to serve with all I can offer. It's measured on the love I feel for the people and my personal obedience. I love all that I'm learning and the chance I have each day to represent my Savior Jesus Christ.

Elder Searle

101873