In The Middle of a City with 4 Million Inhabitants... - November 9

Hey all!

   So how´s everybody doing?  It looks like you guys had an awesome

week up in Utah with Grandpa!  Thanks for the pictures!  I´ve got some

pictures to send you, but another obstacle got in the way.  This P-day

we´re at a Lan house that´s not so secure, it has a reputation for

wiping the fotos from our SD drives, so it´ll have to wait a bit more.

I even got to eat a cashew fruit this week, it was awesome!  I ate one

and carried the other one with me the whole day through the sun and

rain to take a picture to send to you guys when I arrived at the

house, but those´ll have to wait a bit.  Sorry!

The cashew fruit was pretty good though! 

It´s a very different taste, and there´s not a

really good way to explain it. But it´s cool!

   Okay, so this week we´re hoping to have 2 baptisms!  One is W,

a man who´s been investigating the church for almost two months, and

Maria, that really sweet lady that I told you guys about last week.

I´m so excited for them!  I´ll let you know how it went next P-day,

but for now let me share the miracle of the week!

*(Reference the following in the entry dated April 19, 2016 Titled He Was Put In My Path... Again.)

   "I´m not sure if you remember, but last transfer in I. Elder

M. and I were teaching someone named R.  He was so awesome!

Unfortunately, he started passing through some difficulties and told

us that he didn´t want to hear the lessons any more.  That was hard, I

loved that guy!  Anyhow, yesterday we were coming back from lunch on

the bus, and I was standing right in the middle.  It took me a couple

minutes to notice, but right at my side was R!  He was looking

towards the front of the bus and talking on the phone, so he still

hadn´t seen me.  I almost screamed when I saw him "R!" then he

turned around and saw me.  We gave eachother a hug, he finished his

conversation on the phone, and then we caught up a bit.  He told me

that he´d recently moved (so the missionaries in Ipiranga weren´t able

to get back in touch with him), and that his brother had been murdered

just one month ago.  That came as a blow for me, because I´d taught

his brother several times too.  He was a great guy, and sincerely

trying to turn his life around.  I expressed my condolences and then

bore the best testimony that I could that God knows what we feel when

we lose someone like that, and that he has prepared a way so that this

separation could be only temporary.  I told him that I´d pray and fast

for him, and invited him to speak with the missionaries again.  He

accepted, and admitted the fact that he´s in need of help right now.

I came pretty dang close to crying as I spoke to him on that bus, but

I am so grateful that the Lord is aware of him enough to have guided

me literally to his side, in the middle of a city with 4 million

inhabitants.  Our Father truly is aware of each of our struggles, and

I am so grateful for the succor and aid that we can recieve through

our older brother!  This gospel is real, and Jesus Christ lives!  He

knows our pains and never flees nor fails us; he is always, always

there simply waiting for us to accept the help that he wants so badly

to give but that he´d never force upon us.  He loves us and knows us!"

Me eating the cashew fruit, 

and putting on display my after-rain hair do! (did I spell that right?)

Have a wonderful week, everyone!  I love you all!

Love,

Elder Sweet