Very Merry Christmas, and a Holly Jolly one too.

Wow, what a week!

We took the bus to Goiânia.. 4 hours by car, 7 by bus!!! Because the bus stops in every little town between here and there. Ipameri, Vaniapolis, Silvania, Bonfinopolis, Pires do Rio... All the little towns that we didn't know existed and will some day have missionaries. They call that bus the "pinga pinga" because he stops so much.

The christmas conference was awesome. The Talent show took FOREVER. 2 and a half hours of Talents... I'm glad I hid my talent in the ground. haha. There were some pretty funny songs about missionary work. And one missionary played the harmonica with his nose.

My new companion is Elder Caetano! he's AFRICAN! how cool is that? His family was baptized while he was in the mission too! More blessings all the time.

My time is up but I'll call you guys 4 o clock my time, 11 your time ok?

Merry christmas and 

I know that Our redeemer lives.

Elder Wallace

Holly Jolly Fotos:  
Natal in Salete's house

Family night when Elder Badu was Transfered

Elder Moffit, My comp from the MTC

Elder Caetano, My new greenie from Moçambique!!!

On the first day of christmas: A toucan in a Mango Tree!

This week it rained miracles.

It also rained rain. REALLY HARD! I forgot to take pictures but it was the kind of rain that even though we walked with umbrellas, we got soaked! haha. Catalão's sewage system almost couldn't take it. A major pipe broke and some people didn't have water for a couple days. Fortunately our water tank didn't run out before they fixed the pipe.

This week attendance at church was a bit weaker, but lots of people we have been working with came. We had some awesome experiences.

One day we talked to a 18 year old and marked to come back another day to talk to the whole family. As we walked away I think the Lord wanted us to go back to his house because all of sudden it started raining SUPER HARD! we were getting wet even with our umbrellas (which we now carry with us constantly) so we went back to his house to get out of the rain. 

While we were there he told us about how a few people he was close to passed away, and how he thinks that we won't remember this life after death. We shared a short message using scriptures from the book of Mormon to show that since the purpose of this life is to learn and grow, it wouldn't make sense for us to forget all that. He was very interested in the Book of Mormon.  

       The next day we saw him and he told us about how he stayed up until 5am reading the Book of Mormon. He said he is halfway through!

Another time we went to teach a referal and she wasn't too interested. But her friend came and sat in the room. After the message we were about to say the prayer and her friend asked about the preperation to be baptized. She said she wants to be baptized change her life. We'll visit her this week!!!

So I know that the Lord guides us to the people that need to hear our message. Without a doubt he know who is ready to receive the missionaries and when we do all we can we will be constantly guided by his hand. 

We're really excited for christmas because of the WEDDING!!! haha. Geraldino and Fernanda, a couple that have been coming to church for about a month now. So much is changing in their life since they started to live the Gospel. It's amazing to see how much better things got for them.

My companion Elder Badu was transfered! The members loved him a lot, he and his old companion were the first missionaries to get here in Catalão. I'll find out who my new companion will be at the Christmas Conference in Goiânia. We take the bus for 7 hours tomorrow, and the conference will be wednesday.

Love you all and a very merry Christmas to you!

Elder Wallace

Always Follow The Promptings Immediately!

This week was fantastic!

Taking away the sink I broke in our apartment last monday... So I went to put up the 20 liter jug of water and the support fell.. Our fiberglass sink and the dishes on it.... "Já era!" it was nice to have a sink while it lasted... Anyways I've contracted our investigator that's going to get married to help us fix it. It'll actually be pretty cheap to fix after I buy another cheap fiberglass sink!

Church was awesome... haha. we ended early (which nobody will complain about right? haha) because it was fast and testimony meeting. Very spiritual. We had a grand total of 8 members and 23 VISITORS!!! 14 that can be baptized. The investigators were like, "where are the members?" haha. We even had some come early and the left because they thought they were mistaken about the address!!! There wasn't anyone to welcome them at the door because the members were setting up the chairs still. :( but we'll talk to them this week. It's pretty easy to get people to church. the hard part for us has been to get them to progress towards baptism.

Also this week we were walking to an appointment and we were a bit early. I stopped and looked at a corner store for a bit... Then I went in to invite the cashier to church. There was a guy drinking a coke at a table but I didn't pay much attention to him. Then he called us over. He told us he had felt an amazing calm the moment we walked in, a peace that was incredible. He asked if we could visit his house and we were happy to oblige!

When we went to his house he said he had been watching a clip of Jesus walking with the apostles, and he thought about us and said he knew we were true representatives of Jesus Christ.

His name is Fausto and his wife has a great desire to be baptized. We'll challenge them to get married so they can be baptized together.

It was amazing to see the difference that the spirit makes in our lessons. We've been trying hard to convert people and not just baptize them. It's tough but I know it will make the difference here in Catalão in a few years.

Love you all! Merry Christmas! (I know we've still got a while haha.)

Elder Wallace

Natal. Christmas Countdown

Hey Fam!

This week was just as good if not better than the last week. The time flies by so fast and it seems like there's not enough time to get everything done! but like it says in Ecclesiastes, there's time for everything.

It doesn't help that we somehow managed to find great people to teach in the four corners of the city. A member Referal and Less-actives by our house, A baptismal date and less-active family on the edge of the city (you can see the fields and jungle) and another person with a baptismal date by the church. We walk about an hour to get to the church. and then another 30 minutes to get to the edge of the city.  

We've also got people coming to church from the part of the city that's on the other side of the highway! (an hour and a half in the OTHER direction!) 

The greatest blessing we had this week was the attendance at church, we hit 46! This week was the most we've had in Catalão yet since it opened in August. Elder Badu and I are doing our part bringing back the less actives and bringing 13 new investigators to church this week! I don't know what I did to deserve being transfered here. There are other areas where the difficulty is getting people to church, but this isn't one of them. I'm always suprised with who comes. Sometimes the people who we were sure would come don't show up, but a person we invited on the street without teaching does! It's amazing.

Finally got a few complete families to church. There's a family of 4 we're teaching and praying for. Trying to get the husband to get in the boat so they can all get baptized together!

We've got two baptisms marked for this weekend. It's hard to find them at home to teach them. That's our biggest worry. We've got 4 more people that are also preparing to be bapized this month!

The thing I love the most about Catalão is that I know all the members and less-actives. Every week I make a list of who came to church and who didn't come this week. It's so good to know each and every one of them personally, and we've been able to visit all of them quite a few times.

I love the scriptures and I love having an hour of study time every day. If you don't feel that hunger for the scriptures yet, set a time apart to read and pray to heavenly Father asking him to give you a love of the scriptures. Even if we just have the desire to love the scriptures that's enough! 

I'm excited for Christmas because I KNOW that Christ exists, is alive, and does not sleep. Strong spiritual experiences are few, special and sacred, but one of these experiences I had is proof to me that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that he loves us all.

Love you all and I'm excited to talk to you on Christmas!

Elder Wallace

2nd Week in Catalão

This week was great!

Last week after sending emails we walked to the bank that's in the ''downtown'' of Catalão. I've been wearing the shoes out this week because we live an hour away from the school where we have meetings. We proselyte close to the school so that means an hour walking to and from our house every day. It's amazing to think you can walk across a city in an hour. haha.

So anyway, we were walking to the bank and a lady crossed the street to talk to us. She said "Hey! I'm from this church." She was baptized 12 years ago in Belem and didn't know that the church existed here in Catalão. We're excited to visit her and invite the rest of the family to be baptized and join our group here in Catalão. 

The rest of the week we visited Bety, who was going to get baptized this Saturday. I say was becaus on the day of the baptism she got cold feet and hid. haha. She's in her 60's. On the day of the baptism she left home and didn't come back until 8 o clock... We were pretty suprised until we found out her neighbor had told her if she got baptized she would have to always use a skirt and couldn't watch TV anymore.... 

We also had a miracle where a student we had taught left the pamphlet we gave him at college. Another student found it and she called us asking us to visit her and her husband who are having some problems at home. They both came to church sunday so we are excited to teach them this week.

After all the running around during the week, teaching 28 lessons, calling everyone saturday, and the baptism falling through, we were pretty tired saturday night. But it was worth it. Sunday we had 10 investigators at church. Two couples that are married and a few part member families. The best part was that the less active men that we are working with to start the branch came too! We asked one to help us set up chairs and another to give a ride to our investigator. It worked! they all came. 

We need two more melchezidek priesthood holders to start the branch. Sunday we had 3 Less actives that can receive the Melchezidek priesthood here in a bit, and 2 more investigators that are candidates as well!

We've been doing service for the members too. Straightening up the yards of one that had a surgery these past few weeks and a lady in a wheelchair that has a bunch of dogs. It's been great because they always treat us super well, always giving the best lunch they can and everything.

Super excited to keep the work going this week. Hoping to see some more baptisms here in a bit. Catalão is super cool because we keep finding families that didn't know the church is here now, and other families that are less active but are coming back. It's so cool to see how God is leading us to find all of them and them to find us!

Have a great week and hope you all had a good THANKSGIVING!!! (yep, guess who forgot again) I remembered Sunday that it was this week. Haha. But I did eat a roast chicken on Sunday, so I guess that counts right?

Love y'all

Elder Wallace

Telegram from Catalão

Hello Family!

I'm loving the new area! Catalão is everthing I ever hoped for in an area. It's a town that we can cross walking fast in an hour and a half (which we do about twice a day to get to where we work, close to the church) The Group Leader, Marcelo, and his wife Salete are super members. They're from Santa Catarina (the south) And Salete reminds me a bit of Sister Willard. She makes friends quickly with any investigators, and blows up the Relief society with awesome lessons. Of the four days I've been here, we've eaten lunch there twice and they also invited us to dinner but we had other appointments. Super nice family.

For now we have 3 Melquezedek priesthood holders, we need two more to become a branch. This week a member named Gotardo was ordained to the Aaronic priesthood. We've got an investigator that will get married and baptized here in a little bit. An investigator that will be baptized this Saturday and a recent convert's friend that we want to baptize this week also.  

As a group, we're kind of on our own out here. The members are meeting in a school until we become a branch and can rent a house. In my opinion the school is even better, it fits more people. We had 31 people at sacrament meeting 5 investigators. So attendance here is already going really well! To baptize people we either use a pool in a private school, or the resevoir in the middle of the city. I'm excited to get things going, we have a lot of potential here.

It's so good to be in an area where the people are anxious for the church to grow! People here are really receptive, it's easy to get in and teach. I think the Lord blesses the city because of the members.

My companion is from São Paulo, Elder Eric Badu. He's from the same ward as Elder Silva, This is his third transfer so he just finished being trained. He's super excited and has a lot of faith. I'm learning to understand the slang they use in the capital haha. 

Besides this I'm just happy and excited to be here. I feel like Amon when he said, "yea, I desire to dwell among this people for a time, perhaps until the day I die"

haha.

We're so close to being a branch!!! Just need a few more priesthood men to step up and do their part!

Love you all and for sure next week I'll send some pics!

Elder Wallace

Catalão and freedom.

So let's start with the biggest news!

I was transfered! woohoo! President got back from his conference for Mission Presidents and changed basically the whole transfer he had already made. Now I'll stay this week to train my replacement, Elder Brooks. Friday I'm of to one of the areas I've been dying to go to; Catalão!

Catalão opened two transfers ago. I'll be the fourth missionary to go there. It's a city of about 150,000 people and just our companionship in the whole city. There isn't a branch or even a group. For now, they're meeting in a member's house. I'm super excited to get going and my new companion is from Elder Silva's ward: Elder Badu! He's pretty cool, from são Paulo.

During this week we worked up a storm, finding a few families and had some new investigators at church. Elder Brooks will get to see our investigators get married, I'll ask for fotos and will be a little sad to leave them now. But, I'll go where He wants me to go.

Last P-day we played with a football, and ping-pong in our building. One of E. Silva's recent converts, Ricardo, threw with us. Ricardo's birthday is November 6th, so he invited us over to eat cake with him. Ever since he was baptized he has been obsessed with all things "mormon". He's planned for me to adopt him and take him to live in salt lake. haha.

Saturday we had "Helping Hands" project in another city that hopefully will have a branch soon. We handed out flyers and invited people to come to the park where they learned about food storage, health, cut hair for free, and could get their documents cleared up by some lawyers that were there. It was cool to do something a bit different, certainly got the members that went excited.

Sunday we said good-bye to a family that has always helped us a ton with lunch and rides for our investigators; Paulo and Dilamar. 

This week I realized how important it is to make our will the same as the Lord's will. Many times in the mission I try to think "what is the secret to success" Like how many lessons, how many people I need to talk to, How many lessons with members. 

But really what makes the difference is giving the Lord my heart 100%. Giving all I've got to give. He makes up the rest.

Have a great week, 

Love you all.

So the pics are:

P-day football

Cake with Ricardo and William

Paulo's family; Dilamar, Talita, and Pamela.

"Helping Hands" in Senador Canedo.

Halloween in Brazil

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

To tanner and Jess!

So this week was good. We're starting a new program in the mission with a system of four levels of goals. Every week you can get to a certain level depending on your results. The goal is to be LEVEL FOUR haha. 

I guess we'll have cards that will help us keep track of what level we've gotten too.

So this week was very busy. Some disappointments with investigators that are having a hard time with keeping some commandments and not enough desire to keep trying. It's always hard to leave them, but we have to keep going with the people that have the desire to change. 

I love the scripture in Helaman
“Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name.“Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God.
“Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall … lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course …
“And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven.”  
^{https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/10/true-happiness-a-conscious-decision?lang=eng#1-}
Helaman 3:27-30

It all depends on our desire like alma says in 24:9

for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction.

On the bright side we have two investigators that are golden, that are going to get married! one of them to a less active that is coming back in full force to the church. I'm super excited for the wedding and baptism.

Halloween hardly showed his face here. haha. But I expiremented with some pineapple carving. I actually liked it a lot. You can eat the pineapple while you're carving it, and the smell of burnt pineapple isn't really to bad. 

Throw in 4 snickers that we found in a shop that sells them and presto: Halloween in our apartment.

Looks like my time is coming to an end in the office. President has almost finished the transfer and I think I will train a new historian.

Love you all!

Elder Wallace

More Mighty Miracles

So this week was full of miracles.

From monday to thursday we worked really hard, contacted about 30 families but not with many results. 

Friday we got a member reference of two people that need to get married (one is member already) and the wife really wants to get baptized and everything! They have an ice cream shop and you can bet all the elders in our house pass by there frequently.

Friday we also taught a woman that called us over from accross the street. I guess she was really needing some support. She accepted a baptismal date and everything! she really looked like a golden investigator.

Saturday night we were super tired and about to head home, but a lady called us from accross the street AGAIN! haha. It was a woman who had given us her address but we had never found the house. It was an awesome lesson, she told us about all the difficulties she had been passing and we taught about repentance and baptism. She accepted a date to be baptized too!

Sunday:

So the two people who accepted dates, one wasn't home and the other canceled with us... BUT at church the wife that needs to get married brought her friend and she LOVED the church. haha. 

Now when I pray, I pray that the Lord will give us miracles and help us do his will. I know it will always work out if we just do our part. He blesses us so much in our work and we have 3 people with baptismal dates now. Now it's just keep them on track and hopefully I'll have some awesome pics for y'all next week.

Love,

Your missionary 

Elder Wallace

Cold, Cold Showers!

This week we were pretty sure the earth was going to be baptized by fire and the second coming must be near, because it is super hot here! 

Because our house is one of the best of the mission, we have two bathrooms, and one of the shower head-water heater things broke. So basically the bathroom with the cold shower has been mine, all mine. The other elderes are still taking hot showers, I don't know how they stand it.

Some missionaries put a wet towell on the bed to sleep or even put ice cubes on the towell to try and get some sleep. But we're lucky, there are parts of brazil that are even Hotter. But here's probably one of the driest.

This week we worked really hard. We talked to everyone that passed us on the street, knocked a lot of doors, visited the members to get references, everything that we should do as missionaries. We even had an investigator get a testimony about the book of mormon and accept to be baptized, but she will move Monday... haha. When we got to saturday night I prayed and said Lord it's in your hands now. We need people to come to church so they can be baptized, if it be thy will bless us with a miracle.

Saturday to sunday was the Dreaded DAY LIGHT SAVINGSSSSS and we lost an hour. So all the families we had to bring to church slept or it didn't work out. The member that was with us to give them a ride was starting to get frustrated. We went to the last house and I was super happy to see that the mom already had all the kids dressed and up! But then I heard the yelling inside the house and knew that something was up. Turns out her brother got drunk early that morning and told her she wasn't going anywhere, she had to go to his house and make lunch for everyone.

I was pretty down because we sift through a lot of people to find the ones who are ready, if someone doesn't come to church the first or second week we almost never visit them again, because we have to move on to the people that are ready to come. It's something that I never understood before the mission, but now it's part of life.

We got to church pretty down.. But in the middle of Gospel Principles a member brought a visitor in: Maria moved here from the Bahia and has attended church for like 3 months already! She needs to get married but she wants to be baptized and said the whole family will come this next week! 

I thought the Lord chose an awesome miracle, seeing as our golden investigator moved to another state, a golden investigator moved here and came to church in the same week.

The church is true, this is the Lord's work. If we keep the commandments and do all the Lord asks of us, we can be happy and grateful NOW and will receive life Everlasting.

Thanks mom and dad for always keeping your covenants and raising me to the Lord.

Love you all,

Elder Wallace

Me elder Bruno and Elder Casafus, our DL. 

Pequi popsicle in the office.

Elder Wallace's Epistle to the Family in Roosevelt, Salt Lake, and the surrounding Areas.

Hey Family!

So how are you all doing? 

This week week we worked real hard. Almost died fasting because it's really hot Here! Serious I've heard stories of missionaries that walk into the shower with their clothes on, get soaked, and then leave to work because they get dry in a half-hour.

I wake up everyday at about 5:45 because the sun is already up and burning! The suns not supposed to be up until way later! I have to stay in bed though because it's a rule now to not wake up before 6:30. haha. I guess to many missionaries were waking up to study or to work out... wierd problem right?

I'm reading Jesus the Christ, I started a month ago and I'm halfway through now. Mostly because I would read it while I was waiting for Elder Almeida to come out of the shower. and he takes FOREVER in the shower! haha. 

Elder Bruno got an email today from his girlfriend that their sealing is marked for January 10th, 1:00 pm... Haha. We're seeing the symptoms of being a little trunky but he works super hard, I admire him for that. 

This week we had about 12 people that said they would go to church... Unfortunately it didn't work out for them I guess. It was also The second round of the presidential elections AND "children's Day" I guess it's like father's or mother's day. You give presents to the kids and make popcorn and popcorn with that pink sugar stuff, and cotton candy. Needless to say all the kids in the neighborhood were all hyped up on sugar, and our lessons had to be short.

We're finding lots of people, just need to find the ones that will baptize! Luckily everyone here is real open. When we get someone that is not receptive, we just treat them well or say a prayer with them. Instead of trying to teach or argue with them, I try to set them up for the next time they meet the missionaries.

Super Jealous you guys saw meet the Mormons. Even if people talk bad about it, it still gets the church's name out there. John Tanner was converted because he went to denounce the missionaries for an anti-poster he saw, and ended up being baptized!!! Are we related to him?

Have a great week, 

Love you all!

Elder Wallace

Conference Rocks!

That was definitely the highlight of the week, General Conference. We got to watch all the sessions, I watched in Portuguese. including priesthood that was from 9-11pm!!!  We had a member to drive us home so It was fine. I loved Elder Godoy's talk especially about how we need to do our part for our patriarchal blessing to be fulfilled. The members loved that he spoke in portuguese! Elder Aidukatis talked about that here in Goiânia. I loved all of Pres. Uchtdorf's talks. Super good! The only down side of conference was that they turned all the lights off, and I dozed off during a session for a bit.

My new companion is Elder Bruno. He's a 27 year old convert, has a great conversion story. He's got 5 weeks of mission left, His wedding is marked for January 6th... haha. I'll still be in the mission! He lives in Iguaçu Falls, and that's where he'll get married. He speaks what I call "video Game English" that he learned playing xBox and watching Movies. so basically he whips out phrases like 'game over' 'level up' and ''let's head back to base Elder'' pretty funny. He's helped me learn some cool words in portuguese.

He's graduated in Information Technology and Computer Networking... He knows how to use that black window with the white letters to make the computers in the office do tons of cool stuff. 

Yesterday was the Presidential Election... Wow. Crazy stuff. 

This past month there have been cars playing advertising music and candidate jingles. People throw papers all over the place with the candidates voting number. Everybody has to vote here, Sunday morning we went to school for the Brazilian Elders to fill out the exemption form. There are like 12 candidates for president. It was interesting to see how that works. I'll attatch a foto of the sidewalk, the gutters fill up with the papers.

Also here are the fotos of Jaca as promised... Sorry it took so long, I finally found a good internet Café. Jaca gets WAY bigger than this. Inside It's white and fibery, and there are these big seeds covered in Yellow slime. Basically you get the seed and suck the slime off. It's got a banana-ish flavor and the texture is like a chewey sluggish thing. After we ate a bit we put it in the fridge to save for later.... Let's just say that was NOT a good Idea, and I took one for the team, put it in bag and chucked it after day 3.

Love Y'all and We'll keep fighting the good fight here, hopefully have some baptism pics here in a bit!

Elder Wallace

Elder Ashby my greenie!

Elder Bruno, my companion.

Jaca 

Two guys from Rio Verde at the Transfer. Elder Hopkins, Elder Wild. 

Election papers

The big caterpillar bus.

There Can Be Miracles!!!

First off. I'm really tired. But that's normal!

yesterday night I participated in my first missionary farewell for missionaries going home. We ate at president's house and everyone bore their testimonies. It made me more happy that I have a few months than trunky. Some really great guys that helped me a lot, it was good to hear their testimonies.

We got home way after a missionary should go to bed, and then this morning we had to drop a passport off to a sister to catch her flight at 6 a.m. Tomorrow we'll also be busy with the 12 new missionaries that will get here!

I wasn't transfered, but I've known that for about 2 weeks! haha. My new companion will be Elder Bruno!!!  (brazilian, he doesn't know yet) He's graduated from college in software and computing, and goes home this next transfer, will also get married in November. I think we'll get along well, he seems really chill. Reminds me of Bo Law.

This week I was devestated that our investigator won't be able to get baptized because she is struggling with smoking still. We won't give up on her, but we've got some new people that are fantastic.

We're teaching the oldest person I've ever taught, she's a referall from an elderly man in our ward. We're never too old to do missionary work! Also this week we were passing our investigators houses to wake them up for church when we saw two people at the buss stop. They excitedly waved us over and told us they were on their way to church! We had taught them a few weeks ago. Never thought they would go to church! haha.

Also, Alfter our baptismal date fell through, I had really prayed letting Heavenly father know I was sorry we hadn't baptized anyone for a while, and that I knew we were supposed to bring fruits and that I would keep doing my best.

At church there was a young women visiting that ran up to meet me excitedly. She lives in another ward in Goiânia, but apparently I had taught her mom in Barra do Garças, more than a year ago. She had gone to visit her mom, went to church and asked to be baptized after her first visit! She excitedly told me that she was preparing for a mission these next few months!

Later that day I got a call from Uberlândia and Rio Verde, two people I had taught there had also been baptized!

 I knew Heavenly Father was showing me that My labors are not in vain.

Love you all,

Have a fantastic week,

Se- cuida

Elder Wallace

JACA

This week the stake split was AWESOME!!! We got a ride for our investigator and all the missionaries got rides or rode the bus or went by foot. It was fantastic! Hilda went and she's excited to get baptized this Saturday. 

The best part was President Aidukatis's talk about obedience. He talked about how ready God is to bless us all the time, but his blessings depend on our obedience. Our patriarchal blessings are also dependant on our obedience. Like it says in DC 82:10 He is bound when we do what He says, But when we do not what he says, we have no promise.

Aidukatis is still known as the missionary who baptized the most people in Brazil. Legend has it that he brought bussloads of people to the church. I don't doubt it. He said in the mission he always told the investigators that Satan would send 3 angels to dissuade them.

1. The angel that says "Ha! Please, you don't believe in all this, it's ridiculous! False!"

If the person says "Yes! I do!"

2. He sends the next one that says "Alright, so it's true. But it's not for you! You're a sinner. It's a culture different than yours, you can't fit there, you don't want to change"

and

3. If the person is really faithfull he sends the last Angel who says, "Alright. It is true. It really is fantastic. But why do it today? You can always start tomorrow...."

That is so true! with our investigators and with us. Even in life outside of the mission (which is hard for me to imagine haha) 

This week I also ate the craziest fruit that I have ever seen. Jaca. It looks like an alien or dinosaur egg. Next week I'll send you some pics!

Love you all!

Elder Wallace

3 Stakes in Goiânia!!!

This next saturday will be the division of the Stakes! They've been waiting for this in Goiânia for about 15 years! So everyone is pretty excited. The funny thing is a lot of people think it will change the ward boundaries (rumors in our ward about having a new bishop) But really all that will change is which wards will belong to what stake.

We're all excited for the division. I'm excited to see Elder Aidukatis from the Area Presidency, who will come to choose the new stake president! He gave an awesome talk this past general Conference, and I love his talk "the Process of Faith to see Miracles". That talk was one of the first things President Kuceki asked us to study when he came to the mission, and has been an inspiration to me my whole mission!

We had a baptism marked for this saturday, but unfortunately she wasn't able to come to church so the baptism will be marked for next week. Transfers will happen in 2 weeks, and since we work in the office I already know who will be my new companion! unless something changes from now until then.

So we've been marking lessons with the members Saturday and Sunday, and it makes a huge diference. I think that's what's been missing for us to have more success here. Unfortunately this last week the visits fell through, but the members here are great, they help us out a lot.

Love you all!

Have a fantastic week!

Elder Wallace

The Adventures of Elder Wallace

So,

It's great to be a missionary!

This week we finally were able to take some members to visit our investigators. It makes ALL the difference! wow. There's a great family here that loves helping us out. They also gave me peanut butter and Banana Orange jelly. mmmm. Tasty PB and J.

We have got three families that are so so so close to getting baptized, we just need heavenly father to help tip the scale! I know it's hard to change, especially when they have a lot of negative influence and are afraid of what will happen if they try to live the Gospel. that's why our member lessons were so important! they were able to show that being baptized was the best thing that ever happened to them! 

So this week I've just been really happy. Things are always a bit tough, but I love being a missionary and serving the lord!

Two missionaries moved to a part of our ward that's a bit far, we're trying to open a branch there! So the good news our house now has 4 missionaries instead of 6. Six was really fun, but with four we have a bit more order haha.

This week I was reading about knowledge and faith. 

There was a possessed man and the demon said to Christ "i know that thou art the son of God"

and when Christ asked Peter who he was Peter responded with the same words, "Thou art the Christ, the son of the Living God"

They both knew the same thing, but the demon's knowledge only leads to his condemnation, 

Peter's testimonly lead to faith. works. He left everything that was near and dear to him, he followed Christ until his death on the cross. and Afterwards he went building up the kingdom, establishing the church of God and strengthening the saints. He endured prison, hardships, rejection, and eventually death with his faith unshaken. 

And that's what James means when he says, "faith without works is dead" True faith leads to action, righteous living strengthens our faith and conversion.

Love you all, 

Elder Wallace

Weekly Update

Congrats on eating frog too! But you can bet we're still going to eat it when we come to Goiânia! haha.

Loved all the great pics of the trip, the time spent with the fam never will be forgot, especially the car ride haha.

This week we marked 7 baptismal dates!!! Finally. We had hit a dry spot, but unfortunately only 3 went to church. We have got some really cool families we're working with, and the best part is that they are married!

One of the families lives in an apartment complex close to ours, it was the first time we've managed to get into one of those buildings! 

Church was great... Our Recent convert Ivone was called to serve in the primary! 

I will continue here for this transfer. 

I would send fotos, but this computer has given viruses to my camera 2 times and I'm not going to risk it again.

Love you all, Hugs,

Elder Wallace

Frog Legs & Cow Heart

Walmart is full of Viruses!

So I'm using the internet cafe at walmart. I think it just gave a virus to my memory card, so if you don't get pics, that's why.

This week was crazy!!! Elder Silva and Elder Almeida went on a trip with president to help him with the tech support of the zone meetings, which left me and Elder Doney running the mission this week.

I was running around taking care of my stuff and visas for the americans, and planning the multi-zone that we had this weekend. We also were visiting two investigators that Elder Doney has for this saturday. in the end, the mission is still standing, and I learned how to bargain to get a discount on catering for 90 missionaries, and the investigators were baptized!

Remember the exposition we did the other week? The best part of Fast and testimony meeting was when one of the young women went up and said that after that activity she knows that she wants to serve a mission! 

Sacrament meeting was full! the members are getting really excited and involved in our activities. We had a fireside about the atonement and got 150 referals!

I've really seen blessings for doing my best and being obedient. I have never EVER had regrets for being too obedient. Especially when the time flies by like this, I want to give my all.

Yep. Just looked at my memory card and the computer deleted all my fotos... But I'm pretty sure we can recover them in the office. 

So that's pretty much it for this week. We've got two investigators that are super great, but are waiting on a previous divorce to get married so they can be baptized. 

Thanks for all your prayers and support, 

Love you tons!

Elder Wallace

The Power Of The Member Missionary

July 28, 2014

This week was awesome!

Wednesday we had a family night to reactivate a family of less-actives. We did it in their house and it was awesome to see them all at church on sunday!

Friday we did an 'exposition' in market-fair. It was really fun. We got some members that stayed with our table of church materials and explained about the church, BOM, plan of salvation, etc. We (four of us) missionaries went into the crowd handing out pass along cards and bringing people to the table to learn more. In two hours we had 32 addresses and the members catching fire with missionary spirit.

Saturday was the Festa Julina. Usually it's festa junina because it's in june and a Catholic holiday to celebrate Saint John (the beloved). But the Mormons do it in July and call it festa Julina because it's a great excuse to have a ward party.
Festa Julina means eating Pé de Moleque, Paçoca, lots and lots of popcorn, Square dancing, everybody dresses like pioneers, hot dogs, and lots and lots of corn. Everything has corn. Corn cake, corn pudding, corn soup, and my favorite "canjica" That's basically a sweet soup of a type of corn, peanuts, cinnamon or coconut and sweetened condensed milk. mmmm. 15 investigators came, (it's always a lot easier to get the people to the party than to the church) haha.

Sunday night we did a family night and brought a family that we´re hopeing to marry and baptize. Fabrício already has a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and loved seeing that we listen to music and dance instead of saying that it's all SIN!!! haha.
I made chocolate chip cookies for the member that's been wanting the recipe since I got here.

It's funny that most people we bring to the church and that start progressing don't have doubts about the doctrine. They have doubts about if they can still listen to their music, if they can still hang out with the friends.
But when they see How LDS life really is, they LOVE it. No where else they have seen a group of people so joyfull, that values the family so much and that lives the commandments is happy doing it. Who wouldn't want to live the life we live?

That's why we try so hard to get referals from the members. Their friends already admire them for the life they live and the example they give. They already know that we are a happy and different people that can listen to music and play soccer and joke around too.

Thanks for all the support family, Here are some pics.
love,
Elder Wallace

Exposition at the fair.
Me eating cake at the bus stop.