Happy (late) Easter!

It was a good Easter week. I especially loved some of the talks in church. Our Stake Patriarch talked about resurrection and it was phenomenal. I would encourage everyone to go to mormon.org and check out the new videos that the church has put out about peace. Very inspiring.

Earlier in the week we ate lunch with that older lady who told me my face looks like a crying baby. During lunch she said that I look like an angel baby so I guess that's a little better.

We have been focusing on the same famliy who lives in our apartment building and they have progressed well. They are reading the Book of Mormon at a very good pace. We are also teaching a man named Ivan who is progressing well. He has been taught by missionaries for years, but it seems like now is the time for him. He has been pretty humbled during the last month. He lost his job, got really sick, and wants to change his life. These next couple of weeks will be crtical for his eternal progression as he is preparing for baptism now.

The transfer went smoothly. Except for when we got a call at 6AM from a Sister who took a taxi and had no money with her to pay. That was interesting to work out. The new missionaries seem really excited and lots of them are converts to the church!

We did another exchange! I worked with none other than my MTC companion- Elder Silfies!! It was great.

I also found out that 3 investigators in Pampulha that E. Barbosa and I found were baptized this week!! Jonas and Cleide, who were married in order to be baptized, and Ana who is a young woman that lives close byt the church. I will send a picture of them.

Have a wonderful week you guys! Love, 

Elder Searle

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Happy (early) Easter!

Our week was really good. On Thursday we had a meeting with President and it was a really spiritual experience for me. I know that President Fernandes is called of God and is truyly inspired to lead this mission.

Yesterday we called the missionaries for transfers. That was a cool experience! For the most part it was just making other missionaries happy with good news. Tomorrow is the day of craziness when everyone will be moving areas so that's going to be a little stressful, but also fun!

Yesterday Carlos and Cristiane's family finally came to church! They are the family that lives in the same apartment building as us. When we went walk with them to church they were already leaving to go! And they were all dressed up really well. Their ten-year-old daughter picked the very first pew closest to the pulpit to sit. They enjoyed the meetings and although they're a little hesitant to baptism still, they accepted to prepare for the 6th of May!

Other than that, we did another exchange this week! It was great. The only pictures I took this week were from the exchange and the activity we did in the church on Wednesday. Love you guys!

Elder Searle

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Happy General Conference!

This week was really great. I learned so much from General Conference and am excited to study the talks better this week. My companion and I always listen to a General Conference talk while getting ready in the morning and I'm exctied to have some new ones to listen to! I was especially touched by President Monson's talk on kindness and charity in the Priesthood Session and President Uchtdorf's talk on trading fear for love.

On Wednesday I had a shock. I looked in the mirror and saw a patch of white hairs on my head. I'm only 20 years old! Well at least I'm not going bald.. yet. I'll send some pictures. We plucked 10 of them out.

Wednesday we also did an exchange. It was great!

This week will meet with President to talk about transfers and then on Sunday night we call all the missionaries who were transfered! I've never done that before and I'm excited to see what it will be like.

I love you guys! Have a great week!

Elder Searle

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This week we did 3 exchanges in a row in our area. That was a lot of fun and very exhausting. The results were very positive. On the first day E. Macedo and I found an amazing family that lives in the same apartment buildings as us. Carlos, Cristiane, Gabriel, Nicole and Aquiles. It feels like so long since I've worked with a complete family that's progressing. They are a really special family and I am so excited to see them continue to progress!!

On the second day of exchanges I was with E. Barbosa, my last companion! It was wonderful. I forgot how funny he is and how good it is to work with him.

Third day of exchanges I was with E. Keim! He got into the mission field last transfer and it was good to give him some portuguese tips.

Yesterday at church this old lady pulled me aside and said "your face looks like a crying baby." And then started to laugh. It was quite the experience!

Yesterday we taught a lesson to the youth about the Atonement and Missionary work. It went really well and we were able to make some goals with them to share the gospel with their friends.

I'm really excited for General Conference this week! I know that the Lord has much to say and I'm more than ready for some instruction from Him.

I love you guys! Have a great week!!

Elder Searle

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Good morning!

This week was a miracle. Nadir was baptized after investigating the church for over 6 months. I remember meeting him for the first time in an exchange I did here in December. It has been wonderful to work with him these past 3 weeks. He made it through a long process of repentance and is finally with his family as a member of the church.

We had a few conferences this week as well which were great. I learned a lot about the pre-existence and how i need to honor everything I chose there. It was nice to be with so many missionaries I have come to know over my mission as well.

We also did an exchange. It was really fun to be with my MTC companion E. Silfies again!

I love you guys! Have a great week!

Elder Searle

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This week we had mission council, did an exchange and ​bought 10 liters of Açaí. This morning I became a professional hair stylist and cut E. Higashi's hair and he cut mine. To the surprise of us two, it actually turned out really well.

This week will be busy with two zone conferences and interviews with President. I'm excited! We have quite a  few of good investigators in our area as well that we will help during the week.

I'm doing well and learning a lot. I love it here in this ward and I love my companion especially!! 

That's all I've got time for. I love you guys!

Elder Searle

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The first week after being transferred is always a busy one. Thankfully I am all un-packed and starting to learn all about my new area. My companion, Elder Higashi, is the best. He is from Londrina, Paraná, Brazil. He is very smart and hardworking. We should stick together until May when he finishes his mission. I'm very excited to work with him!

On transfer day there was a huge party on the street going on right outside the mission office, so that made for some changes in the schedule. Instead of receiving training, the new missionaries went straight to their new areas after we ate lunch at the mission home. It was a great experience to see a group of brand new missionaries coming into the field. There were 4 Americans out of the 14 new missionaries.

We have mission council tomorrow which I'm excited for. Then in the next few weeks we will have zone conferences. We will also do an exchange with some zone leaders. It will be a good opportunity for me to get lost in my new area and thus learn the streets here out of necessity.

Yesterday at church I had a spiritual experience. I was sitting there shile the sacrament was being distributed and I felt the strongest impression I'm where I'm supposed to be. I know that Heavenly Father is guiding me and will lead me to those who are prepared to hear the gospel. It's a privilege to be a missionary of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Love you guys! Have a great week!

Elder Searle

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