Dear Everyone,

 

  We had a crazy division today, so unfortunately my letter will be a little shorter again. Now that I am loving the work and learning more than I have learned in my life, mainly patience. The work is good.

   To Dad: In the ensign recently (the one with Lehi and the Liahona on the cover) the talk form Jeffery R. Holland that I heard last year at school was written.  It is titled The Best is to Come. You need to read it. Anyone else who reads this should read it as well.

  To Mom: That Jenny Phillips song ´´Firm in the Faith`` was sung by the young women in my ward in Portuguese, I thought of you immediately. I also remembered how I don´t like that song, but I love you mom.

  The hardest thing right now is understanding that I´m going to have to wait a while before I can speak, teach, and work in the best way possible. I´m doing good, but I want to better. I´m doing the best that I know, which seems so little.

  I am learning the power of specific prayers. Specific things, every day. The power of prayer is real. All we have to do is remember to ask our Father with faith, and he will gladly provide.

   The hard thing is when I start to focus on one thing, I forget about something else important. This is happening every week and I imagine it will continue until the last day of my mission.

   There was a drunken man who always told us we need to buy cookies for his nephew. He always yelled at us about it. We passed him almost everyday. We bought the cookies. Sunday our giant activity that we planned with other Elders and Ward members fell through, I was frustrated and ticked, because the members already are a little impatient with us and this only hurts our progress more. But because we didn´t have the activity we returned to our area of focus, Vista Alegre. When we arrived, our recent convert told us that Markinhos, the drunk, spoke with him. He said he began to cry because of his current state. We talked with him. He said he is dead and we are alive, he said he wants to be alive like us. Then during the prayer he couldn't´t wait and he started to drink. It was sad. Now every time he sees us he yells that he loves us and we love him. We told Gilmar, the man who spoke with Markinhos to keep him sober Thursday morning and we are going to teach him. He is a good man at heart, I can see it, but this addiction is ruining his life. I´m excited to teach him. That activity fell through so we could talk to him. What a blessing.

 I love you all

I LOVE YOU NOODLE!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Love, Elder Nothum