Christmas Week

Elder Davis with Elder Pereira out searching for "Lost Sheep"

Hey Everyone-
Holy cow, this week was great! It felt like the fastest week of my mission thus far. When I started my mission, it felt like a day was a week but now it feels like a week is a day. It passes by super fast. I hope everyone had a MERRY CHRISTMAS and is doing well!

So I was super blessed to be able to talk with my family this past week! That was awesome! It took a little time to get through but we finally got connected! That hour was pretty much pure happiness and joy! I am so grateful for them and their support.

Christmas here is the same as at home in many ways but different too. They mostly celebrate on Christmas Eve with a big dinner and then around midnight, like a few minutes before its Christmas, they open gifts. So on Christmas Eve we went to a member’s house and were allowed to stay there until about midnight to celebrate with them, which was great. We had a ton of BBQ and food – every celebration here involves good food! haha We stayed there and talked and ate and then talked and ate more until we had to leave. The people here are night owls – like to stay up late! Haha It was good though. I love the members and their kind and good hearts. They will do anything for the missionaries!

Churrasco on Christmas Eve

At Sis. Diogo's home with the APs and traveling assistants.  She feeds us almost everyday!

A shirtless Brazilian elf!

This past week, we have been working super hard to find some new people to teach. We are trying to rebuild our teaching pool. Elder Periera, one of the traveling assistants is here with us this week and part of next week. He and Elder Passos are training assistants to President – that is all they do is travel the mission doing training and working with all the district leaders. We have been working a lot with less active members trying to strengthen them. As we have visited with them we have also gotten a lot of references so that has been a great blessing! It seems we always arrive at their house in the moment that they needed us. I can see how the Lord has guided us to certain people at certain times. It was super awesome to be able to arrive at their house and have them say how they are so glad we are there. How blessed we were with the spirit this week. Was such a great feeling - I really love serving the Lord. So that was really all that happened this week –just a lot of contacting.

With the APs - Elder Passos, Davis,Vieira, Xavier, Pereira  & Almeida  

Working hard 

Almost daily customers at Acai Formosa Ice Cream Shop - so hot right now!

Elder Vieira, Elder Davis & Elder Pereira

After church with one of the member families and the APs

I would like to share a message with you guys super quick about the tender mercies of the Lord. There are so many small miracles that He performs in our lives and blessings that sometimes we don’t notice. So this past week I have been studying a lot about this and I have made a more focused effort to notice the Lords hand in my life more. He does a lot of things for us that we don’t notice sometimes because we take it for granted or think it is a coincidence whether it is running into someone who talks to us and brightens our day or we are guided to read a certain scripture that gives us strength. It is the small things that make a big difference. He also blesses us through things that don’t happen to us. He protects us and guides us and sometimes we do not recognize how often He does that. So I challenge you to always be aware of the spirit. Be attentive for the spirit and you will recognize that He is there in your life as you recognize the blessings. He will help you see the good in the world and recognize the blessings that we are really receiving. I promise you that you will start to feel more close to the Lord as you look for His hand in your life and see the blessings. This will have a great impact on how you feel and view your life and the world. It has for me! I love you all and wish you all a great new year! Até mais!

Elder Davis

Miscellaneous pics:

Co-inhabitant of our house

Sister Reis had Elder Davis' name at Zone gift exchange

Elder Davis had Sister Januario's name for the Gift Exchange.