Dear Family and Friends,

It has been almost a year since I have started this journey and I didn´t have any new pictures to send so I sent an oldie but a goodie. This is the shot taken when I arrived at the front door of the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. A place that I knew very well after my unexpected 3 month stay. The Elder on the far right is serving in the Saint Louis Missouri Mission, his name is Elder Markarian, good guy, maybe you will see him.
Last week in our Zone Conference Elder Ulyssis Soares of the Seventy came to speak with us. As missionaries we use the term ``quemar`` or ´´burn`` to refer when someone calls you to repentance or proves you wrong or reproves you intensely. As a missionary at the end of his speech, I felt very ``burned``. Yet, it wasn´t a in your face do this, this, and this repent you sinner kind of burn. He just stated so blatantly so many things that we need to better as missionaries. I have been trying my best to apply it all and it is working out amazingly. He gave us an ´´Apostolic Blessing´´ that if we did what he said we will see more miracles and have much greater success in our missions, and I have already seen that fulfilled.
This week Elder Luciano has been throwing up a ton. I taught him the word ´´barf´´ in English and he has put it to good use this week. We had to stay at home for almost a whole day one time and then the next day I organized with a few members so that he could stay inn their home during the day with a member and I could go out and work with another member. Because of the sickness of Elder Luciano and the two meetings we had in Campinas our week was looking very bleak and we had not come close to any of our goals. We planned one night I remembered that Elder Soares promised us that if we fill in every single hour of the day with a plan A and a plan B we will show our desire to the Lord and he will bless us with spiritual direction. I wanted to see if that was true. It took almost over an hour to plan our day, but we did it. The next day I went out with a member and in one day we taught ten lessons. So we should pay attention when General Authorities are giving us promises inn their Conference talks.
Also, on Sunday we were doing contacts in the courtyard of a giant catholic church here in Jaú, as we are acustomed to, and I spoke with a certain woman who was seated on a bench with her three children. Her name is Leila and her children are Leticia, Cadu, and Kaiki. Normally my contacts are pretty basic, the good old ´´We are missionaries from the church of ...... we have a message that testifies........ I testify that......... do you live here in Jaú?......can we write down your address so that.... thanks bye.´´ Yet when I began to talk to this family I felt strongly that I just needed to converse with them. They were very interested in what I was doing and they asked a ton of questions and in the end of the contact she said
``yea, pass by any night!´´
I was very impressed with the family, yet I was extremely irritated when I saw where they lived. It is extremely far from where we are currently working and I was bummed. Then we planned to go on splits with two members, one of them being a car owner. So, I planned on going there that night, which was last night. The member who was with me is Brother Robison. He is a great strong member with a firm testimony and he loves to talk to people. We finally went to teach the family and when we arrived Leila wasn´t home, but everyone else was, including her husband, Marinhô. When he came to the front gate to speak with us he appeared to be a stern man and Brother Robison and I became a little worried that he would just reject our message. Yet, i told him of how we had talked with his family on Sunday and his wife had told us to pass by. He let us in and shortly after Leila arrived.
Brother Robison just started talking away and he talked about family and then Marinhô also began to talk of his family. He stated his worries and doubts about the world and what it teaches young people these days. He said he has moved to Jaú, because it is a smaller and better environment for young people to grow and learn. I was very impressed with his thoughts and desires for his family and I felt the spirit tell me exactly what I needed to say. I can´t even remember it all, but I just remember that they were all looking at me nodding their heads with everything that I said. They are truly an elect family and Brother Robison was so enthused with the way they received the message he marked to visit them again on Thursday and this time he will bring his wife. I am so excited and happy about them.
The Lord is blessing us with so many great families right now and the work is prospering here.
In other news Elder Christensen, my mtc comp, broke the record for most contacts in a week in the mission with 801. He only went to 801 because it is the Utah Valley area code. Funny guy, and a hard worker too.
I love you all and I am thankful for everything that you do for me: Packages, letters, emails, and all encouraging too.
Since Christmas is quickly approaching and it takes a while to send packages, I thought I would give you all a wish list of things they don´t have here that I want to share with the Brazilian Elders.
- Jiffy Pop Popcorn
- Macaroni and cheese
- Mountain Dew and Dr. Pepper
- Sour Patch Kids
- Mike and Ikes
- Red Vines
- Andy Caps Hot Fries
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal
- Captain Crunch
- COOKIES
- BROWNIE MIX
- Zebra Pens

thats a good list I think.

Love you all,
Elder Stephen Nothum