Bryce in Brazil: Rosa Joins the Church!

Good afternoon family,

I have 2 recent events to relate--they're both great.

First, we received two references from the mission office and visited them both right away. One is a girl named Railene who works with a member of the church. The other is Marlene, a lady who works cleaning all the chapels around Brasilia and Goias. She has many friends that are members of the church.

I really enjoy trading companions for one day and working with other missionaries. Elder Dos Santos and I are in the same district and so we get to work together every now and then. We spent Tuesday visiting Railene and Marlene. We taught Marlene the message entitled "The Gospel of Jesus Christ." I learned so much about how the spirit works in a well set up teaching environment. I noticed that everything we learned in District Meeting that morning was put to practice in that lesson with Marlene and I could see the effectiveness in the teaching techniques we applied. I learned so much listening and watching Elder Dos Santos teach, and his discernment and patience allowed us to teach with one voice. I wish I could have written down everything that went through my head during the lesson. Marlene felt what we wanted her to feel and asked all the perfect questions we wanted to hear. The lesson was incredible.

Second, after many hindrances, everything finally worked out and Rosa got baptized Sunday afternoon! I wish I could relate her whole story in full, including our story with her, leading up to this point in time, in a way that you could all understand how it feels. Elder B. Gomes, who interviewed her a few weeks ago, said that Rosa is the most prepared person he's ever interviewed.

On Monday she told us that she had no doubt she wanted to be baptized and wanted it to be Saturday night. We had planned to have the baptism on Saturday, but learned that there were stake meetings being held that night and that the chapel couldn't be used for the baptism. It looked like Sunday wouldn't work either, but we found time for everyone to come and the baptism was well planned and went very well. As Elder Lima and Rosa got in the water it started to sprinkle and the lights flickered lightly. Before the meeting ended, almost everyone bore their testimony and expressed their feelings to Rosa about baptism and about the gospel. I'm glad to see that she is making friends with the members and that the members are very willing to help her be integrated into the ward. After everyone went home and Elder Lima and I emptied the baptismal font and cleaned up and left the church, I saw one of the coolest sun sets ever. It was a very low light of pink. I tried to take a picture of it but realized that my camera couldn't capture what I saw. I thought about how my experience is a good reminder to me that baptism isn't just something that we do and take a picture of to remember. The picture can't capture the feelings you felt. You have to record that memory by reliving it over and over as you continue to keep the covenants you make. As you keep the covenants you make at baptism, you keep that wonderful feeling with you.

Thank you for your prayers. I enjoy attributing the wonderful things that happen daily--and the trials--to prayers that you saying at home.

Good luck on finals! Enjoy no more school!

Love,

Elder Young