Hola Pessoal,

I am still sick, but that isn´t really affecting anything, except the fact that we don´t sings hymns much to start our visits because I break out in a cough attack. Besides that the sickness is something I´m ignoring.
This week, as every week, was one filled with lots of learning and miracles.
While we were teaching a man who had already received a few visits he told us that it says in the Bible that there won´t different sexes in heaven, but that we will all be the same. We told him that wasn´t true, in a nice way, and then he got really defensive. We tried our best to explain eternal families. Then he asked us if we believe that God has a wife.... DEEP DOUCTRINE. Stuff I don´t study much. Well, I said yes. And it was game over, he went crazy and said that is impossible. I asked him what the difference between us as children of God, and Jesus Christ, as the Only Begotten. I asked him how could be the only begotten without a mother. Well he accepted that and we continued on with the normal lesson.
The next day we returned and he said that he didn´t want anymore visits. He said that God and Jesus are the same and there is no Heavenly Mother. We resorted to Bible bashing for a good thirty minutes, which never resloves anything and you just feel miserable afterwards. I pulled scripture after scripture out on him, proving almost everything we were saying, just using the Bible. But I had lost the love, it had become a game of ´´Prove the Guy Wrong´´. We won, and our prize was a lost investigator and walking for thirty minutes in silence knowing that what we had done was wrong. That kind of thing almost never works and you only start to do that if the Spirit is telling you to. Which, I felt several times during our disscusion that we should stop.
Afterwards Elder Wilson and I made a promise that we would never do that again in the slightest degree. The only thing that we give people a testimony is not 8 citations of the Holy Bible, but a Spiritually inspired humble testimony and an invitation to read and pray. That is why Ammon didn´t just show up in the Lamanites and say ´´You´re all wrong, The Great Spirit is Heavenly Father, DUH! That is a no brainer. You are all a bunch of heathens and I´m here to baptize you so you can repent.``
Ammon arrived, served untill he had their trust and confidence, then he bore testimony, and he did it all with love as the motive.
On the other hand yesterday a youth from the ward went tracting and did visits with us. His name is Max, he is sixteen and he is a funny kid. We taught two lessons with him and then I felt that we needed to stop by a member´s house. So we started to walk to their home and as we were crossing the street I saw a man crossing at the same time. Usually I never start conversations with people in the middle of the road, but I felt that I needed to talk with him. So I did.
I told him who we were and what we do and he suggested that we leave the middle of the street to talk more.
After conversing a good few minutes he told ud that he studies gospel theology and philosophy. He said that he had studied a lot and that h believes that Bible doesn´t have the complete teachings of Jesus Christ, I told him that we agreed and he gave me a strange look. He said that God is something different to everybody and he believed in reincarnation, yet he also believed in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer. He then said that Jesus Christ created the earth and I areed with him again, another strange look. I started to explain how God always calls prophets to teach and administer the Gospel and it´s ordenances and that the Bible was changed because the people caring for it were not living God´s commandments and did not have authority. I then explained he restoration and the book of mormon.
He said ´´This Book could be filled with many truths and great things that could help a person, but that doesn´t change the fact that it was written by a man, and men have flaws.`` He told us ´´I Think what you are doing is inaffective, how many people actually stop and talk to you? Do you really think you can change someone´s life stopping them in the street?``
My mind rushed back to the very first family I baptized, the good I had done, and the impact it had on them. They are so precious to me and to have someone say that what I am doing is a waste of time is to spit on that family and also to spit on the proficied great work in the last days. I was on the verge of getting annoyed and my patience was running thin.
Then I remembered the man from the other day and the promise I had made.
I immideatly began to testify, my bowels filled with love toward that man. I related to him the lonely night after the missionaries had passed by to share a short message and eat dinner. They spoke of Alma 32, and how we gain faith. That night after they lefted I walked down the stairs and into my bedroom, kneeled, and I read that chapter sobbing and praying and in that moment I felt such a great peace and power. I knew that God had revealed to me that the Book of Mormon is true.
He then asked ``Well, how did God show you it was true?``
I said ``Through the Holy Ghost, who is the Comforter and the one who Christ left to reveal truths unto all who seek.``
´´How do you know it was the Holy Ghost and not something you created? What is the Holy Ghost?`` he asked.
``I told him that it was a feeling so pure and good that a man couldn´t put it into to his own mind if he wanted to and that it is a sensation so pure and powerful that Satan could not put into your soul. ´Therefore, it comes from God. And in that moment you know it is God, and you know that you cannot deny what you felt and you have no choice but to testify that it is true. That is why our message is different. We don´t tell you what to believe, we just promise that Heavenly Father will show you as he shows unto all who search and ask.´``
After that I marked Alma 32, gave him the Book of Mormon, and asked him to read and pray. He accepted and said for sure that he would read. His countenance changed and he spoke no more and ceased to question, because there is no way to question a testimony given by the Spirit.
He asked us if we had eaten dinner and we said replied that we had eaten lunch, but not dinner. He then bought food for us all and we ate and talked a little more. He will actually go to Disney World this weekend, which is sad because there are Brazilians going there before me.
I hope he reads and prays. It was such a great experience talking with him, and we all got free food. I looked at max and said, ´´now you see the blessings of helping out the missionaries.``
We are also teaching two great families. One from Chili who just had another child named Mateus two dayd ago. They were a referal from a member and they are excited to be baptized and follow the true and living gospel.
Another family of four is Roberio, Ivana, Alivia, and Luiza. We taught them the first lesson about the restoration on monday and yesterday was our second time visiting them. Monday night, they all read the Book of Mormon together out loud, 3 Nephi 11. After they read each one of them prayed out loud to reeive an answer, and each one of them believe that the Book of Mormon is true.
``And if you keep my commandments you shall prosper in the land.`` I am seeing that Book of Mormon promise filled every day.
The Lord is blessing us so much here and everything, every family we teach, it is all Him.
I am loving the work and I love this area.

Com Amor,
Elder Nothum