The week of 5 Baptisms! (Week #43)

Hello World! 

This Last week was insane!

I told Elder Medina that it would be a rough week, as it was, but we definitly saw the results from it.

I went on 3 Splits last week, one Tuesday, Wednesday, and the last on Thursday. While some in the district murmured thinking it was not necesary, it definitly was, and it helped a lot! I would like to share with you all one of the many miracles that happened because of our hard work!

There is a man here named Tarciso. He has a brother who is a member of the bishopric in a city closer to Fortaleza, and in the Past he fought a lot with his brother about the church because he didnt beleive. Fast forward a few years and a good friend of his,Jonatas, encountered the missionaries and started taking the discussions. Tarciso was not a good example. I remember going on a split with Elder Lima 3 weeks ago and teaching Jonatas and Tarciso arrived trying to convince him to go out partying and drinking that night (not an influence missionaries are excited about in the lives of their investigators). But that same sunday 3 weeks ago, Jonatas went to expirament a church meeting, and by some miracle Tarciso decided to go too! This, also by some miracle, happened to be the one and only day that his Brother who is in the Bishopric visited, and they were in church together without coordinating beforehand! After that first day in church Tarciso started to read the book of mormon, but he had a lot of change to do in his life before he was ready to be baptised. And that brings us to last Thursday. 

I was on a split with Elder Lima in his area and we went to Visit Tarciso. We taught him about the Gospel of Christ and the power it can have in our lives. At the end of the lesson Elder Lima invited him to be baptised. Tarciso said he would think about it and let us know on Friday. But then elder Lima pulled out a Baptism Certificate and said ´´now elder Ferrell is going to explain what this is´´

I pulled out my Book of Mormon and we read Moroni 6 together that talkes about baptisimal forms and preparing to be baptised. Im not sure when, but at some point during reading that chapter, something clicked. Once I finished reading he looked at us and said ´´You can save that paper there because I´m going to be baptised this Sunday!´´

After he showed us a bottle of Whiskey he had been saving in his Bedroom for a long time. Im not an expert with alcohol thank goodness, but after showing the video to some other missionaries who are recent converts, they recognised it in a second! Aparently its REALLY expensive. But Tarciso took that bottle of whiskey, walked to the bathroom, and dumped the entire bottle down the toilete.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of baptising him. Miracles happen people! And I wanted to share this story with you to show to you all the power this gospel can have in our lives, and the power of the book of mormon. I cannot explain the feeling of seeing him dump that bottle of whiskey in the toilet, or the feeling while talking to his brother on the Phone, and having his brother thank Elder Lima and I, almost through tears, for helping his brother, and I cannot explain the feeling I had seeing him come back out of the water yesterday afternoon. 

God is real and he searches for his lost sheep.

I love you all!
Elder Ferrell

(my flash drive isnt working so ill send pics next week!)

The General 70 I didn't get to see (Week #42)

Soo this last week was interesting!

On Wednesday Elder Medina and I went to Fortaleza so I could go to an ear doctor. For anyone there who still uses cuetips, I can now personally testify that they dont do good. I ended up blocking up one of my ears till I couldnt hear, and we went to the Ear Doctor Wednesday to have her clean my ear out and restore my hearing. Thursday we had Mission Leadership Council which was pretty awesome! Friday we got back in Quixada and went strait to work, and on Friday night we discovered that President Leite and a member of the 70 would be visiting our branch on Sunady for Sacrament meeting! Elder Medina and I did work on Saturday, visiting every member and investigator to invite everyone to go to church! 

Sunday morning we woke up early to go accompany investigators to church, but after 3 hours, everyone had fallen through! We walked to the church and found out that the meetings would be different and we were starting with classes and finishing with sacrament meeting. This was a big bummer for me becasue I had to leave early!

Elder Tozin in Quixeramobim will finish off his mission this next monday, so today he had to be in Fortaleza for a self suficienci class all the missionaries have to do before returning home. The problem was the assistants bought tickets for him to go to Fortaleza yesterday night befor their Sacrament meeting, so I told him he could go with my companion to Fortaleza, and His companion and I would go to Quixeramobim to help out with sacrament meeting there and make sure that there was someone there to accompany investigators to church. When we made these plans it was supposed to work out for us to stay for sacrament meeting in Quixada, and after leave for Quixeramobim, but with the last minute switch, I wasnt able to participate in the confirmation of our recent convert who was baptised last sunday, I wasnt able to stay to talk with President Leite and the General 70, and I missed out on a member opening his mission call and 3 Baptisms here in the branch that all happened yesterday after we left! I NEVER thought I would say that I was a bit sad to visit Quixeramobim but yesterday I was! BUT after I got smart and stopped being selfish, and remembered I was doing what was best for the District, and we saw miracles happen!

Elder Koster and I worked all afternoon calling people and visiting them to invite them to church, but after all our work and leaving to search and accompany people from their houses, we arrived at sacrament meeting without a single investigator. I looked at Elder Koster and asked him if he was fasting and he said he was, so I told him we were going to say a prayer and ask for Gods help. The very moment I finished praying, 3 investigators walked through the door.

This was just one of the many miracles that happened, and above all of this, our district was blessed with more baptisms than a lot of entire zones this last weekend!

Thats about it for the week!

I hope you all are doing well, love and miss you all!

Love,

Elder Ferrell

Photos:

1) Our baptism from last week (Kauã the kid in the middle)

2) Elder Medina and I

3) Today visiting the Santo Oaro

4) For Dad

Happy New Year! #2018 (Week #41)

Happy New Year Everyone!

This last week went pretty darn well!

Christmas was a pretty normal P-day, outside of having the chance to speak with our families which was awesome! My companion, Elder Medina, he started skyping, and was already crying! We all were watching thinking ´´aw man this is gonna be a rough one´´, but he actually got it under control really fast, and was talking normally until his dog came on the screen. Then he started crying way harder than when he saw his family! Were all teasing him about that now, but it was good to have all of us talk with our families.

Sunday was a day of mixed emotions because in the morning was probablyone of the most spiritual sacrament meetings Ive attended. The branch here had just gotten back from a Caravan to the Temple last week, where everyone stayed in Recife participating in temple sessions every day for the entire week. President of the branch invited everyone who went to bear their testimonies in sacrament meeting and oh man we were all sobbing! Then after sacrament meeting we had the baptism of our investigator, Kauã. It was really good, and he loved it and is super excited to be confirmed next Sunday! It was the first Baptism of Elder Medina and he was pretty darn happy with it.

The only other notable thing from this last week way yesterday itself. First of all, its weird here because New Years is a bigger holiday than Christmas!?! Literally everything was closed! We wanted to cut our hair, take out money at the bank, buy food for the week, but Litterally everything was closed so we couldn’t do anything! So this is why you are all receiving this email on Tuesday and not Monday!
Anyways. I hope everyone there in the good US of A is doing well! Happy new year to you all! Its gonna be a good one! And now I can start officially saying….I´ll see you all next year!!!!

Love,

Elder Ferrell

Nobody Talk about Star Wars Please! (Week #39)

Hello all

This last week was busy but good!
We had Leadership counsil in Fortaleza last Tuesday, and our Christmas Conference the day after, so I basically passed the whole week in Fortaleza last week, which was cool but also a little frustarating because we wanted to work!

President showed us the Disney Christmas Carol for the christmas Conference. It was weird to watch a movie! 

Sorry for the short emails, hopefully time will improve! In the future! Have a good week, Merry Christmas, and also my moms Birthday is this Friday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Love you all,

Elder Ferrell

NOTE:  No letter the week of December 11... Too busy!

God is my companion...But really (Week #37)

Hello All! This last week was a week of miracles to be sure! 

This last transfer was difficult because of my companion Elder Brandao. It was an excellent learning experience, but he needed a lot of help, and last week was probably the worst week of the transfer as far as working with him. We got to be friends after a lot of work, but he was struggling with his testimony a lot. He always had a hard time with obedience, and I learned a lot of patience and understanding because of that, but the last few weeks he didnt want to work, and when we went to teach lessons there were a lot of times where he refused to talk in the lesson and left me to teach alone. I honestly was struggling and praying a lot for God to still bless our area and help us find a way to still help the people here. God definitly answered my prayers, as last week was miracle after miracle. To sum it all up: Yesterday we were blessed with 4 people to baptise. God litterally handed us these incredible youth on a silver platter. Almost all 4 of them had a spiritually impacting dream throughout the week that left them with a strong desire to be baptised. 

Also Yesterday our Recent Convert from last week received the aaronic priesthood. The only words I have are that god is real and he works miracles demais!

Although it was difficult at times, I honestly came to be good friends with Elder Brandao, so today was a bit difficult as he was transferred for a new area. It was a lot of work to get to be friends with him and as soon as our relationship as companions improved he left, but thats how a mission goes! 

This week I will go to Fortaleza again to meet my new companion. I am training a new missionary again!!! I am very excited about it! 

I hope you all are doing well, and I wish you the best!

Until next week,

Love,

Elder Ferrell

1 Yesterdays Baptisms! Gabbi, Daniel, Jwalis, Monoel

2 Baptism of Marciano from last week

3 Daniel and Monoel from yesterday

4 Ana Marcia, investigator from Quixeramobim who married and got baptised last week!

Water Works the Week (Week #36)

Hello All!

This week was CRAZY!

We had zone conference on Thursday so passed the day in Fortaleza. Conference was good, and it was awesome to see my ´´filho´´ of the mission, Elder Passos. He is still in Pedregal training a new missionary! We talked a lot, and had lots of opportunties to learn from president Leite. The most interesting part about Conference was that at lunch they ran out of food. Elder Passos, Elder Tozin, and Elder Koster and I were the last ones in the food line and didnt get any, so President had Sister Leite drive us to a Restaraunt and eat there haha.

We returned to Quxada Thursday night, and Friday worked all day long until 5 PM when we went to Quixaramobim. This was incredible, I had the oportunity to see Ana Marcia, the investigator I discovered with my first companion Elder Paixao, finally get married so that she could be baptized. When I was teaching her with Elder Passos, she wanted to be baptised so badly but her husband didnt want to. I remember promissing her that one day he would change his mind, and am so truly blessed to have had the oportunity to actually see it!

Then Saturday morning I interviewed her for her Baptism, and that was probably one of the most powerful interviews Ive ever seen. Her testemony was incredible, and her desire to see her family change and also decide to follow her on this path, and how much these things already have changed her life and the life of her family! And after she asked for me to Baptise her! The whole thing was a true blessing!

Saturday after the baptism of Ana Marcia we litterally ran here in Quixada, and ended up closing a baptism of our investigator, Marciano. He is a young man of 16 but incredible. He told us he was going to be baptised and also bring all of his friends with him to be baptised. I thought of President Neslon and his experience teaching about the book of morman to a King, and the king said he would bring his whole tribe with him. At first we thought it was funny but Marciano is making good on his promise! He was baptised yesterday, and next week he will be confirmed and receive the Aaronic priesthood, and after church he will baptise 2 of his friends who visited church yesterday and attended his baptism!

Truly was a week of miracles.

I testify to everyone that Jesus Christ lives. That he truly is our lord and Savior. 

I hope you all had a wonderful week this last week with your families and friends, and I hope everyone is excited as us missionaries are for Christmas! But dont forget to try and be the light in sombody elses world this holiday season!
Love and miss you all!

Elder Ferrell

I will send pictures of the baptisms next week, this computer is having difficulties!

Hello All! (Week #35)

This last week was crazy but the good news is that we finally moved houses! We now live in an appartment that I dare to say resembles  an apartment in the United States!! Today is full of orginizing and cleaning because I hope that I will stay here for a little while at least! ( Now that I said it I´ll probly be transferred)

This next week we have zone conference, and An investigator I taught in Quixeramobim when I was there will get married on Friday and Baptised after! Very Exciting!
Happy thanksgiving to you all! Until next week!

Elder Ferrell