Elder Garrett Horton: The Work

12-2-13

Family and friends,

This week has been good, Elder Steele and I have continued to work better and better together. He's even said now that I'm his companion most preferred (or favorite) :D So that's awesome

We got Açaí from an irmã in the word normally you pay 5 reais for 500 ml's de açaí but we got it from her for only 2 reais :D we've already eaten some açaí in our house, the cheapness of it is very delectable. Now we just need to buy bulk paçoca to go with it.

One of our investigators asked us to take his alcohol away and so we did that and I put the bottle in my backpack but it was very strange walking around with alcohol...We went immediately to our house and poured it down the drain.

The name of that investigator is Jose Roberto and he is confined to a wheel chair. He used to drink cafe, smoke and drink alcohol. He's stopped drinking alcohol and cafe but is still working to stop smoking. The good news is that he's in his house almost All the time! So we can stop by whenever and talk with him.

I heard through the grapevine that in the last month or so that the Ward has the missionary families read the letters of the missionaries. I heard that Daniels mom was there and read his letters, that's cool! How'd that go with her? Is she baptized yet? Also how'd it go when you read my letter? Did you cry? Did you read a funny part?

Something cool. Last week I had really been focusing on the section of preach my gospel, pray with faith. It’s a really great section and amazing for anyone to read, missionary or not. My prayers have really improved since reading that. And prayers are So important for missionary work and life in general. We were praying as we were preparing to leave and I was doing the prayer and I asked God to help lead us to at least one person who is elect and ready to hear our message and be baptized. And then later that night, we met someone who I think is really ready to be baptized within the month. Her name is Cleide and we already taught her the first lesson in the chapel and it was a very good experience. She was supposed to come to church but wasn't feeling well. We'll continue to work with her! More word later.

Elaine and Kendori were baptized!!!!! The 2 sisters that found Elaine and felt inspired to share the gospel with her and then involve us. Without them, they wouldn't have found the gospel and the joy thats in it. Yay! Members!

Also, we're super early today because we're traveling to Jacareí to visit a family that Elder Steele baptized.

Do you think you can find Austin Douglas Steele on facebook. email austinthetriplet13@gmail.com, and add him for me :) Thanks. Also, just accept any invites you receive from random people in Brazil. Thanks!

There's no problem with using bleach with a load of laundry that’s just whites right? Thanks :)

So I gave my first priesthood blessing (second part) in Portuguese. It was a blessing of health for Silvinha. She hadn't slept the night before at all and the nights previous were rough. When I finished the blessing, I knew that my grammar was off and I hadn't spoken very good and I was focused too much on the language and not on the spirit. When I tried to focus on the spirit and not on the language nothing came to my mind so I just said a couple more things and closed. I wasn't too happy with the experience. Later we ran into her again later that day and she said she'd already gotten a lot better. I think that was a lesson that God was trying to teach me. That it doesn't really matter so much what is said during the blessing so much as by whose authority and with what power the blessing is performed. It's changed my perspective on priesthood blessings for the better.

With that in mind it's interesting how literally Everything that happens in our lives can be for our benefit. God doesn't give us trials just to make us stumble. He gives us trials so we can become better people and grow closer to Him. We met a man yesterday who had a lot of trials in his life but instead of growing closer to God, he turned away from God more. I was sad for him. In our lives we just need to trust in God and that He knows what’s best for us because He knows us better than we know ourselves and he loves us infinitely and he wants what’s best for us.

One of the recent converts in Caçapava had a bad spirit enter into him apparently. And apparently it was the father of the man who invited the spirit. Elder Steele and I almost went to Caçapava yesterday to take care of it with the authorization of President Ferrin but the Sisters talked with the bishop because it was in the area of his ward and after they told us that we didn't need to come anymore. I'm not sure exactly what happened but I'll ask them today at the zone meeting. Elder Steele and I were preparing pretty well to do what we needed to do. We were planning on going there in fast because Jesus said in Mathew 17:17 I think that some spirits require a lot of fasting and prayer to be expulsed and for this, his apostles weren't successful in that situation in the scriptures. It's interesting. I've never personally dealt with something like that before and neither had Elder Steele so I was a bit interested and excited to actually use my priesthood power in such a way but nervous also obviously.

LIL BRUDDA' I saw a dog that was Almost lil brudda. I think his hind 2 legs were paralyzed or something but he just walked with the front 2 and dragged the back 2. Thought of you Rie.

We were asking the brothers who would like to leave (work) with us this week and we have a Lot of support again this week. This ward is really awesome. The last pair of elders were fubecas (missionary slang for slacker) and so I think they really appreciate a pair of elders that actually work. And something awesome!! Marcelo lifted his hand that he wants to work with us haha so we're going to levae with him this Saturday and work with him. Then next week he will be done with school and he wants to leave a lot more with us. Marcelo is just awesome. A member said about him (that Elder Steele also cited in his letter) that he's already participating more than some life-long members. I'm really happy that I had the opportunity to be a part of the conversion of Marcelo. He's definitely gonna serve a mission and be a bishop one day.

1 Kings 18. I read this and I thought it was just awesome. It's a story of more than 100 false prophets of Baal and 1 true prophet of God, Elijah. the 100 false prophets of Baal try all day to light a sacrifice altar on fire by pleading to Baal and when they fail, Elijah commands that Water be doused on the alter and sacrifice and then he says a short prayer to God something on the lines of "that they might know that thou art the true and only God" And then God ignites the alter and all the water was evaporated in an instant and Elijah said something like "seize the prophets of Baal, don't let them escape" and then the scriptures say that he killed the prophets of Baal. Then I imagined President Monson haha. And then I thought, why doesn't stuff like this happen today? And then I thought, well it could but then where would be the faith? And so, more fruit for thought and an awesome story.

I think that's about it for today. Sorry mom you'll have to wait til next week for me to read your update and answer your questions.

I love all of you!

Keep true to the faith so we can all rejoice together in the Celestial Kingdom!
Elder Horton