Hey everyone,


The first picture was taken Monday at a meeting in campinas. It is me and the two missionaries that went with me through the MTC. Elder Christensen and Sister Forsythe. Our district in the MTC was 33E and that is us making the 33E logo (Idea from Elder Christensen). I was scratching my head a lot that day and my hair is lookin´ lumpy in the photo.
Picture number 2 was taken today. I went exchanges with Elder Pezzin and this was taken as we ended the division in our apartment this morning. Elder Pezzin, Elder Rodrigues, Elder Luciano, and me.

Well, it was a good long week. Elder Luciano was sick a lot and we didn´t get to work as much as I would have liked. Then, because of the meeting on Monday, I had to leave my area Sunday during church so we missed another day of work. But, we are meeting a teaching great families who are ready to hear the message of the restoration.
The members here in Jaú are helping so much. We received so many great referrals this last week and members are going out with us to teach the people. It´s amazing and it makes everything so much easier.
About seven weeks ago as we were walking in the street a man came up to me and asked me if I was from a church. I said yes and then he continued asking me in a very loud and straight forward way which church I was from. I told him that I was from ´´A Igreja de Jesus Cristo Dos Santos Dos Últimos Dias``.
´´Oh, os mórmons´´ he responded.
He then told me of how he had no job and no food to feed his wife and 1 and a half year old baby girl and that he was desperate. He begged me for money or food. I had none. I read him that famous verse that everyone knows from Matthew 11 ´´Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden....´´ and I told him that we could help him in the church. He didn´t listen and just walked away.
A week later he came to us again and asked for the same help. I read him the same scripture and told him that I had no money to give. I told him where the church was and when it started. He said he would try to pass by. He was so annoyed by the fact that I walked around in my nice shirt and tie with slacks and polished shoes... and yet I had no money to give him. Yet, I bore my testimony and promised that the church would help him, and he was gone.
Weeks went by. I had forgotten about him. It had never even passed my mind that maybe he would come to church.
Yet, as my companion and I were in the front of the church building waiting for a few investigators to arrive, he came in. Almost crying. He was extremely sad and irritated. He felt like a failure that he could not provide for his family, that they were starving and him too. He told me ``please, just the smallest little bit of money will help me. I am an embarrassment, look at me.´´
He had grown even more thin and he was easy to tell that the lack of food had taken a toll on his body. His face reflected grief and sadness, but after a long time the sadness and grief turned to anger and malice. He felt rejected by all and he had nothing left.
He told me that this Saturday he had met a man that said Sunday morning he would meet him at a park to give him milk and rice to eat. He was fixed on getting the food. When he arrived at the park on Sunday, the man was nowhere to be found. He had promised that food to his family, and now he would have nothing. Then he remembered me.
He went to the church hoping that it would still be occupied by us and I WAS THE FIRST PERSON HE SAW. I remembered immediately, but I had forgotten the scripture that I had shared with him six weeks earlier, but without knowing O opened up Matthew 11 and read it again. He stopped me and then finished the verse himself and told me that I already said that two times. I didn´t want to make any promises about financial help and put the branch president in a sticky situation, but I promised him that Presidente Paulo was a man that would help him. They talked and President Paulo went to his car and grabbed 5 reais. The man became so happy and Presidente Paulo said that we will do more to help.
With determination the man promised to us ´´I´ll come back, I promise``
Half way through sacrament meeting he appeared in the door with a bags of fruits and other foods that he bought. He had a big smile on and he said ´´I was telling the truth I bought food, see!``
Then two days ago Presidente Paulo and ´´Irmão``, Brother, Amilker his counselor went to visit the man. He explained about the church and brought more food and other things for them. Paulo explained about the missionaries. The man, whose name is Luiz, said ´´That annoying kid just talked about Jesus to me when I had a baby and a wife without food. I couldn´t handle that, he was ignorant.´´
Then Amilker explained how we are young men who pay to leave our homes and families to work all day teaching the gospel to others, we don´t receive pay, and the food we eat we almost always get from the church members. And we do it for two years.
Luiz´s expression changed, he felt terrible for having thought that about me and he wanted to thank me personally for having talked with him. Then as they were leaving his two room house he asked if Amilker could buy him some alcohol. Amilker asked why. The man then explained that they don´t have a stove, so to cook he takes a empty can, puts alcohol in it and then puts bricks around the can and puts the pan on top to cook the food.
When Amilker and Paulo heard that, they rushed to their warehouse where they work and took the stove from there and gave it to Luiz.
I am extremely impressed with my branch president here and his counseler. I know that they are changing the eternity of this man who had lost all hope, and to think that my invite to him played a small pert in this brings me great happiness. I invite you al to seek to serve and you too will see miracles. People will see Christ in you and that will give them the desire to have what you have.
``Ye are the light of the world, a city that is set upon a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men leight a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.`` Matthew 5:14-16
If we take this scripture apart we find the greatest tool of missionary work.
``and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.``
What is the Glory of God?
´´For behold, this is my work and my glory- to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man´´ Moses 1:39
We cannot have eternal life if we are not baptized by immersion by a holder of the preisthood.
Therefore, if we show our light to men, serve others, make an honest effort daily to be the light of the world, others will see our works and this will give glory to God, or in other words, help others to follow the first principles and oradenances of the gospel: ´faith, repentence, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and enduring to the end.
´´And again, believe that ye must arepent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in bsincerity of heart that he would cforgive you; and now, if you dbelieve all these things see that ye edo them.´´ Mosiah 4:10

-Elder Nothum