Elder Tyler Larsen: Hello Everybody!

this week has been very blessed! we were able to be very effective in our work! and the Lord provided many blessings!!! in the last couple of months President Batt has been teaching us a lot about how we can work more effectively through the members. he taught us a few techniques and told us to put them into practice. so last week we were thinking about who in our ward would be willing to help us the most. but we couldn’t really think of anyone specific. so one night we were walking on the road and it started to rain. so we stopped at the closest house to us and fortunately it was a member’s house. i had already met this family many times at church but i didn’t know where they lived. so we entered and started talking about how they could help us do missionary work. the good part about his family is that they have a son that is about ready to go on a mission. so he was very excited to help. he gave us a few names of people we could visit but as well he took us to one of his friend’s house who is also a member, who has even more friends! so between these two young men, this week we were able to teach a lot of elect people and yesterday most of them went to church! we have felt pretty blessed! one person that we have started to teach is named marcelle. we taught her the first time and we invited her to pray to know the truth. on the second visit, she had already received an answer. she said that she said a prayer and she felt like she needed to read the bible. so she opened the bible and the first thing that she read was “Jesus te chama”. which means, “Jesus calls you”. immediately she recognized it as an answer from God and is very excited to follow and be baptized. she is 16 and along with her we took her mother to church, who is mónica and her boyfriend who is cristovão. cristovão is 19 years old and is also very excited. he wants us to teach his family this week. so that will be good!

on thursday, this last week we went to the center with patrick and lidiane and also venancia and Israel, to finish the paper work of their marriages. and guess what........... this friday these two couples will be married at 2 30 pm and then baptized on saturday at 7pm!!! i am so excited for this weekend. these families are so special! i am going to need all of your prayers so that these baptisms can happen. i know that satan will try hard to prevent it. but he won’t be able to.

patrick and lidiane are on fire! they sang in the stake conference choir yesterday. yesterday was stake conference. it was really neat to see them participating! they aren’t even baptized yet, but everyone thinks that they are already members!

venancia is really excited to get baptized. but i am a bit worried about Israel, her husband. he works a lot and when sunday comes around he wants to sleep. but he has the desire, so it should be good.

then on sunday we are getting some youth ready to be baptized. we are teaching a young girl name jenifer, that should be baptized if her mom lets her. also a young man named lucas, that should have been baptized yesterday, but his mom made him work. we are also going to prepare marcelle and her mom monica and cristovao. this week is going to be busy. but that is a good thing. yesterday i was feeling pretty overwhelmed because of all the things that have to happen this week. but i know that if i trust in the Lord, everything will work out.

tomorrow we have a leadership meeting with President Batt. i am super excited to go and learn new things. all meetings with President Batt are really spiritual!!

oh and one more thing, on Friday, we threw a surprise birthday party for patrick. he is now 36 years old. after choir practice, we got everyone together and had some cake and soda. it was a good night. everyone was happy! ha-ha!

i love this work! it is so amazing! it is wonderful to see so many miracles everyday! the Spirit is the key to everything. if we follow Him, He will lead and guide us. i am so grateful that i have this opportunity to serve. i know that the book of Mormon is true and that in it are the true and simple doctrine of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith was and is a true prophet and families are forever...