Pirassununga, Araras, and Porto Ferriera

Pirassununga Zone meeting & interviews with President 

This week has been a great week as well. President is giving me some great companionships to work with. These Elders are inspiring. I just want to say that I love this work. Sometimes it is really hard but I love the feeling that I get when I truly do the Lords work with all my heart and seek His will.

Plaza in Araras

With Elder Cifuentes and Hernandez after interviews in Pirassununga

Lunch with Elder Little

I worked with the Elders in Araras and things went well. I worked with Elder Ricarte and Elder Grigio 2 days and 1 day with Elder Leitão and Elder Little. Then I passed one day with Elder Cifuentes and Elder Hernandez as well because of the interviews that I needed to do for the Sisters in Pirassununga 2 and their interviews as well in Pirassununga 1. I don't know where to start to be honest. So many things happened this past week that are worth the time writing and explaining but I will do my best to grab the most important things and write them here. So on the first day Elder Ricarte, Elder Grigio and I planned the day and worked well, visiting everybody in their teaching group, did one progress interview, as well taught a few new people. We were able to contact a new person to teach called João. He is about 78 and his wife had died recently (this past year). His son is actually the President of the Quorum of Elders. As we spoke with him about the gospel and plan of salvation he was very interested in how he could see his wife and live with her again. We answered his questions, taught the third lesson as well as talked about baptism. He said that his wife had been baptized but he wasn't. We talked about baptism by the proper authority and in the same way Christ had been baptized. He marked a date for baptism. As I work with different missionaries now and also in my own work as a missionary, I see that as we plan well, study every single day (personal and companionship) as well as pray about where we should be working then we are truly guided and accomplish great things. I was very impressed with those I worked with this week! One of the Elders was really willing to learn but when I first got there he had been struggling a little with inviting people to be baptized. Through our time teaching he has caught a vision and understands better the importance of inviting and doing it when prompted. We can invite in any moment, any where with any one, we just need the Spirit! It is our responsibility and privilege to invite and theirs to make the decision to accept. I also taught the training with him this week for the zone and it went well. We talked about the baptismal invitation, "um missionario que não convida, não batiza", as well as how important attending sacrament is in the progress of those they teach. We also discussed how to constantly build your teaching group so that you don't have to be a gato magro. It was a good week.

Last week's PDay at a sugar cane farm

Chopping down Sugar Cane

This week I will be staying In Porto Ferreira with Elder Kay and Elder Mitchell. This is the area where I started my mission so I am excited to be here again. It will be a great week. I got here on Saturday and we confirmed a few people to come to church as well as taught a family. It will be great to visit some people that I was teaching almost 2 years ago. We will be finding a lot of new people to teach this next week also.

With Jean, Eliane and Helen. Jean was taught and baptized when I was in Porto Ferriera at the beginning of my mission.

I want you all to know that I love the Lord. I am grateful for His life and His sacrifice for all of us individually. I know He is the Christ and the Son of God. I have a testimony of this. I am thankful for His gospel which teaches and guides me in my life and mission. I am thankful for the scriptures which bring me closer to Christ by coming to know Him and His teachings. I know blessings come through our obedience and through following His plan. He loves us, each one of us and is there by our side as we seek Him in prayer, study and our actions. He is our Redeemer, Comforter, Savior, Brother and Friend. As we let him into our lives we are changed and blessings and strength come to us. Open your hearts to Him.

Hope everyone is doing well. Thank you for your support and prayers.
Elder Davis