"No Strangers or Foreigners"

Got to see my Brazilian brother Adriano!

Oi -
How's everyone doing? Hope the week has been great for everyone. Everything went well this week. Had a cold/flu thing but hey when you have that missionary spirit nothing can hold you down right? We had a leadership meeting last Tuesday so as usual that was super awesome. Traveled to Piracicaba with Ricarte and Christensen (LZs) and Rasmassen and passed the PDay in Piracicaba on Monday. Then had the meeting on Tuesday. Stayed at the house of some of the zone leaders there. Cool to see all the mission friends, get great counsel from Pres. Bangerter and get spiritually refueled! haha Yeah it was a well needed break. I also got to see Adriano from Hortlandia! He and Samara are doing great. Hard to believe we started teaching him about 6 months ago, he got baptized the next month, then married to Samara two months later and now he is strong in the gospel and doing so great. I love that guy like a brother and hope that I will be able to see him and Samara sealed in the temple. It is a great feeling to see the happiness and growth the gospel brings. I feel so blessed to have been with him since the beginning and I hope to be there for the sealing. I also got to see a couple other members from Hortlandia- Hugo and his brother. Love those guys! Sorry for the overload of pictures. Got to see a lot of great people from the mission. Wish you could meet them all.

With Hugo and his brother

zx

Leadership Meeting

At leadership with Sister Mendez & Elder Sander

With Sis. DiMartini who is close to finishing her mission!

With Elder Rocha - old LZ from Hortlandia

At leadership with Sister Mendoca who was in my Hortlandia district

Also thanks for all the year mark packages mom! Yep finally got them from the mission office when I was in Piracicaba and I am stoked! All that Belgium & German chocolate plus all the other food! Thanks for the sick new speaker and the conference talks too and the journal. I really appreciate it! Mail is like manna from heaven to a missionary! haha

With Elder Sander and Gomes

With Elder Sena

With Elder Mota

With Elder Rangel

With Christensen, Rasmassen, and Ricarte grabbing something to eat before catching the bus back to SJBV

We are still spending a lot of time trying to make initial contacts and trying to find more people to teach. The last few weeks have been challenging teaching wise but things will work out. We just have to keep moving forward. Things are going well with the district meetings. Doing a lot of travel for interviews. I have a good district.

I was reading in Ephesians 2:20 the other day when we were teaching a lesson and was explaining how Christ is the cornerstone of the church. How he, the prophets and apostles form the firm foundation that we can build on to withstand the "storms and winds" of life. I am so thankful for that. But also as I was reading I was drawn to verses 19 and 21. In those verses Paul talks of how ALL should be taught the gospel that there should no more be "strangers and foreigners but fellowcitizens with the saints and the household of God" Maybe I was drawn to that phrase because now I could easily be described here as a stranger or foreigner by some people. haha But he was speaking of the division of the Jews and Gentiles at his time but that is a teaching for us too. We have to be careful not to exclude others, to share the gospel freely, to impart the good word to all that will hear. Then in the next chapter, chapter 3 verses 13,16-19 it speaks of the blessings that come to all those who come to know and love Christ. It says,

"Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.. That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."

That love and understanding is a gift for everyone, not just for a chosen few. As we share the gospel and the love of Christ, our spirits(our "inner man") will be strengthened and our hearts will be filled as we bring others to Christ. I have felt that as I have served here in Brazil and I know it is true. Hope you all have a great week and share the gospel with all. Remember there are no strangers or foreigners! :)

Have a great week!

Elder Davis