4.18.15- Camaragibe, Brazil

The subject title is the name of my area....são Lorenço. But with a little wordplay, I added an I to make it say Zion Lorenço. This place is literally zion. The members are incredible, and the people we are teaching are finding happiness!

As far as this week goes....let my give you the detes....

My companion just went home a couple of hours ago. I got appointed District leader here in Camaragibe. My companion arrived last december and fought Brazillian Jujitsu. We sang in a choir for the church and got put on the state news with all the politians and stuff. The purpose was to show the good the LDS church is doing in Brazil. So yeah...pretty amazing stuff!! We also had some training by our mission president. I really love him! He taught us so much on how we can better our teaching skills and gain trust of people. I learned more how to rely on the spirit in my teaching.

I also spoke on sunday about the importance of listening to the spirit. It is so easy for us to trust ourselves in finding the words of comfort for people but really it is so much easier to listen to the words of the Comfortor himself!! The holy spirit!!

Well I am incredibly overwhelmed because of this leadership position in my area and also among other areas. I am praying for the Lord's help for sure!

Elder Flake

4.4.15-Camaragibe, Brazil

This week was full of much much work with not a whole lot of visible results. It is for sure a challenge. Again I say, I have not done anything so hard in my life. This is so spritually and physically exhausting. At least at the end of this week I got to watch General Conferance. Where the leadership of the church speaks to the whole world as to how we can live better, peaceful, and happy lives, as well as how we can become like Christ and fulfil His plan!

So I must say that this opportunity that we had to be able to listen to prophets in the modern day was incredible. The best spent 10 hours I have had in a while! The doctrines of the gospel were simplified so much for me! I gained more of a testimony of our plan of salvation. I love being able to answer these three questions with the people we teach.

Where did we come from before this life?

Why are we here?

Where are we going after this life?

The greatest question ever asked in my opinion was by Job. In chapter 14 verse 14, he proposed this

If a man die, shall he live again?

Will we live again? If so...How will we return to the very one that created us? What qualifies us to return to the kingdom of heaven? What is heaven like? What is final judgement and where do we go after? What happens to people that die without the opporutnity to learn the Gospel?

Many many questions are brought forth, but luckily God has spoken by the mouth of His prophets...both of old and modern, to be able to know what to do and how to live our lives

I share my testimony that I know that this church that I represent is the very same as the one established by Christ when he was on the earth. This Gospel is designed to make us happy in this life and secure our place in the Kingdom of Heaven, at the right hand of our Maker and King.

Have a good week
Boa Semana

Elder Joshua Flake