Elder Helvey: Aldeota, Brazil Week 21

Hey everyone! How was Conference weekend? Wasn´t it so great?! I, too, got to watch all the sessions this weekend which was awesome, but first, it was another great week here in Aldeota.

For Family Home Evening Monday night we visited Irmão Ismael and Irmã Jane and had one of the recent converts in the ward, Vinícius over. It was so great to spend time with them and be able to teach about the importance of General Conference. It was especially great to hear the strong testimony of Irmã Jane and how General Conference has helped her over the years to be re-energized to follow our Savior Jesus Christ more in her life. Every time I go over there I am amazed at the love that both Irmão Ismael and Irmã Jane have for the church and inviting others to know more about the church, but most importantly I am humbled and amazed by their love and trust in Heavenly Father. They both have had very difficult lives but they continue to trust in the Lord and know that "everything will work out in the end" (something we learned from General Conference this week). Unfortunately, our Family Home Evening was cut a little short because I received a call from Sister Souza and we had to go help some missionaries at the hospital and give them a document that they needed, but none the less, it was good.

Our lunches this week were exceptionally good! We had lunch at the Mission Home with President and Sister Souza, at the Stake President´s house, at the chapel for the Mission Leadership Council (with President and Sister, the Assistants, and all the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders), the 1st counselor in the Mission Presidency's house, and at the house of two of my favorite families in our ward. It is always so great sharing time with so many great people and I feel so blessed to know these people and be able to spend so much time with them and learn from them.

Work in the office was normal this week which is good. I visited the Federal Police with an Elder from Paraguay that is going home at the end of this transfer. It was great to be with him and be able to talk about his mission with him during the visit to the Federal Police.

We had a great meeting with our Ward Mission Leader and next week we will have a meeting with him and ALL of the ward missionaries which will be awesome because the Bishop just called 7 new ward missionaries including some of our recent converts so that will be great!

This weekend was especially good because of General Conference. Saturday we watched all 3 sessions (including Priesthood) in the Mission Office and Sunday watched the two last sessions in the our new Stake Center. I was able to watch all sessions, except one, in English. I am able to understand everything in Portuguese but I enjoyed it a lot more in English because it is their own voices and of course, is what I am used too. I absolutely LOVED General Conference. How great we are to have such amazing leaders to help us and guide us to become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ. I loved the topics that were covered in all the talks and I am excited for them to come out in print. I look forward to studying them and sharing the words with the people I visit and teach! I loved President Monson´s closing where he encouraged us to be a little bit better than we have in the past, and of course loved hearing about all the Christ-like attributes that we can all continue to live better. How blessed we are to have General Conference! I hope you all take the opportunity to read and study the talks given and try to apply the things into your life.

That´s it from me this week. I hope to be able to have more time to leave the office and go and teach people. Unfortunately, none of our current investigators are doing the things necessary to come closer to Christ, which can be frustrating for us, but we will continue to have patience and continue to help them. Our work with recent converts and less actives is going well and brings much happiness to us. Elder Vallo and I also have quite a bit of contacts and references that we will visit this week and I am really looking forward to that.

Thanks for all the support and love I receive from back home. I am really so blessed to have so much support! I continue to pray for you daily and I hope all is going well for each one of you.

Until next week.

Love,

Elder Helvey