I´m falling into, memories of you. and things we used to do."
HELLO MY WONDERFUL FAMILY!!!!!! I love you all so much. I am so happy that I can email you all every week. It really is a blessing. it is awesome. This past week has been FANTASTIC!!! We had 3 baptisms so I am pretty happy.
Zenilda and her daughter were baptized and then Cenita was baptized. It was super awesome!!! We worked hard at preparing them all. All I can say is I am amazed with the faith of these people. The Lord continues to prepare the humble in heart to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I feel very blessed to be apart of this "Marvelous work and wonder" that the Lord is bringing to the world. I hope you all are helping the missionaries back home and doing everything you can to move the work along in Arizona. This is the Lord´s work.
We had the opportunity to talk to Cenita (who was baptized) she said that when we first passed by her house, she wanted us to leave so bad, but as we explained the restoration of the gospel to her, she realized that she had the same question that Joseph Smith had: "Which church was the church that she needed to follow." Then she felt the Spirit and that started changing everything. That night she prayed and asked God if this was the true church of Christ here on the earth, and that if it was, to heal her foot. As I talked about in my last email, the Lord healed her foot and more, he healed her all. When we met her, she didn´t seem happy, we always thought she was mad when we passed by. She said "That´s just how I appear, I´m not always mad." But after her baptism, she was glowing. I have seen a physical change. The gospel changes lives. It is amazing. This work is true.
I am just so excited for General Conference. I don´t know if I already told you this but President Cordon went to a mission president seminar a while ago, all the mission presidents in Brasil went. Elder D. Todd Christofferson was there and he testified that President Monson talks with Jesus Christ face to face every day. WOW. The man that received revelation directly from Jesus Christ will speak with us. He love us and He speaks to us through His prophets and Apostles. What a blessed people we are to live in the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times. I love this church, it is true. I love this work, it is moving forward. I love the Lord, He lives!!!!
Com Amor,
Elder Askins
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Letter #74- I Will Be Ready, I Will Be Ready
That is a church song that Elder Gabriel has the sheet music to.
We went to the new chapel they are building (it is big and beautiful) and played it. We have 4 baptisms this weekend. We are planning on singing A Child´s Prayer for the baptism this weekend.
On Monday we were walking by the new chapel and one of the workers is a member and called us over and took us on a chapel tour. It was a humbling experience. I´ll explain. Right now, We are in an area that is HUGE!!!!! It´s a branch. In this chapel, it has 3 bishopric offices.. You can see that the Lord knows all things and He knows where this church will be. Right now, we are meeting in a small house on the street. We are a branch. But the Lord is planning that one day, where there is one branch, will be 3 wards. WOW!!! We went to the city of Ponta Grossa Monday night because we had a leadership training meeting on Tuesday. It was great to see old friends (Elder Medeiros, one of my former companions was there) and to make new ones.
This week, as I have already stated, we are planning on 4 baptisms. Let me tell you about Senita. She has had foot problems for a long time. I think maybe years. Last week we went and taught her about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and about Joseph Smith and how he was called as a Prophet and about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. We invited her to pray that night and ask God if it was true and if our message was true. 2 days later we passed by and she told us she had prayed. She said that she asked God if this was true and that if it was to show her, to heal her foot. She was healed. She lives 2 miles away from church and walked to church the next day. God does miracles. It was amazing.
The other 3 people that have dates to be baptized are a family. We taught them after the District Conference. The mom went to a family night with us. They LOVE us and they LOVE the church and the members. The branch had a couples´ BBQ and the Branch President drove by and picked them up. We had marked with them to pass by before church with a car to bring them to church. But the member that promised to give us a ride came way late (like 45 minutes) and so we were waiting for this member out front and up walks our family that we are teaching! They said, "We waited and waited and no one came so we went ourselves" As I said before.. the Lord is doing a Marvolous Work and a Wonder here in Bonsucesso (that´s the name of the branch).
This past week we were walking on the street and saw a couple painting their wall. We did a contact with them and asked if they needed help. They denied the offer. We started walking away and me and Elder Gabriel looked at each other and said "How funny would it be if we bought paint brushes and returned to them and just started painting???!?!?!?" We started laughing (we laugh a lot!!!) and we bought paint brushes and painted the wall. We will go back this week to teach them.
I got a letter from Adriano and Loriane yesterday (remember, Elder Elias and I baptized them and helped them get married). They said how much they missed me and she (Loriane the mother) said how sad everyone was when I left. She said that Adriano and Flavia (the husband and their daughter) cried a lot. But it was because I am special to them and they are special to me. I love them so much. We grew together so much. I think about Elder Holland how he said how can a returned missionary go inactive? How can you look your converts in the face afterward? Adriano and Loriane will be great leaders in the church.
Well, I love you all. This is the Lord´s Church, the only True and Living Church of Christ on the face of this earth. Jesus is the Christ and Joseph Smith was His prophet and servant. I am so grateful for the call to serve!!! I love you all so much!!!
Com Amor!!!!!!
-Elder Askins
P.s. Who is excited for General Conference?!?!?!? Elder Askins is excited!!!! I love you all!!!!!
We went to the new chapel they are building (it is big and beautiful) and played it. We have 4 baptisms this weekend. We are planning on singing A Child´s Prayer for the baptism this weekend.
On Monday we were walking by the new chapel and one of the workers is a member and called us over and took us on a chapel tour. It was a humbling experience. I´ll explain. Right now, We are in an area that is HUGE!!!!! It´s a branch. In this chapel, it has 3 bishopric offices.. You can see that the Lord knows all things and He knows where this church will be. Right now, we are meeting in a small house on the street. We are a branch. But the Lord is planning that one day, where there is one branch, will be 3 wards. WOW!!! We went to the city of Ponta Grossa Monday night because we had a leadership training meeting on Tuesday. It was great to see old friends (Elder Medeiros, one of my former companions was there) and to make new ones.
This week, as I have already stated, we are planning on 4 baptisms. Let me tell you about Senita. She has had foot problems for a long time. I think maybe years. Last week we went and taught her about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and about Joseph Smith and how he was called as a Prophet and about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. We invited her to pray that night and ask God if it was true and if our message was true. 2 days later we passed by and she told us she had prayed. She said that she asked God if this was true and that if it was to show her, to heal her foot. She was healed. She lives 2 miles away from church and walked to church the next day. God does miracles. It was amazing.
The other 3 people that have dates to be baptized are a family. We taught them after the District Conference. The mom went to a family night with us. They LOVE us and they LOVE the church and the members. The branch had a couples´ BBQ and the Branch President drove by and picked them up. We had marked with them to pass by before church with a car to bring them to church. But the member that promised to give us a ride came way late (like 45 minutes) and so we were waiting for this member out front and up walks our family that we are teaching! They said, "We waited and waited and no one came so we went ourselves" As I said before.. the Lord is doing a Marvolous Work and a Wonder here in Bonsucesso (that´s the name of the branch).
This past week we were walking on the street and saw a couple painting their wall. We did a contact with them and asked if they needed help. They denied the offer. We started walking away and me and Elder Gabriel looked at each other and said "How funny would it be if we bought paint brushes and returned to them and just started painting???!?!?!?" We started laughing (we laugh a lot!!!) and we bought paint brushes and painted the wall. We will go back this week to teach them.
I got a letter from Adriano and Loriane yesterday (remember, Elder Elias and I baptized them and helped them get married). They said how much they missed me and she (Loriane the mother) said how sad everyone was when I left. She said that Adriano and Flavia (the husband and their daughter) cried a lot. But it was because I am special to them and they are special to me. I love them so much. We grew together so much. I think about Elder Holland how he said how can a returned missionary go inactive? How can you look your converts in the face afterward? Adriano and Loriane will be great leaders in the church.
Well, I love you all. This is the Lord´s Church, the only True and Living Church of Christ on the face of this earth. Jesus is the Christ and Joseph Smith was His prophet and servant. I am so grateful for the call to serve!!! I love you all so much!!!
Com Amor!!!!!!
-Elder Askins
P.s. Who is excited for General Conference?!?!?!? Elder Askins is excited!!!! I love you all!!!!!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
# 73- "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Life Goes on Naaaaa Lalalalala Life Goes On!"
WHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOAAAAAA This week was absolutely fantastic!!! It was so great! We had District Conference and President and Sister Cordon came over to participate.
Friday morning, Sister called us and asked us to participate in a special musical number, what I mean to say is, she asked Elder Gabriel to sing "Oh how lovely was the morning" And me to play it on the piano. UH OH. Hahahah but I can never say no and I never will. So we did it!!! I´ll talk about it in a minute!!!
Saturday morning we participated in a wedding. 2 of our investigators, Juliano and Franciele we married. It was super awesome and great. I loved it. Then after we ate lunch and the member that we ate with took us to the chapel in the center of the city to prepare for President and Sister´s arrival. President wanted to have interviews with some of the elders and Sister had gotten some new furniture and asked me and Elder Gabriel to go with her and her son Dallin. So we did. It was a lot of fun. She is a fantistic person!!
Then we went back to our area and tried to get some work done, inviting people to conference. We got overwhelmingly tired and we had to go back to the house and change our clothes to go to the adult session (that would be when we would perform our musical number). At home, we mixed guaraná in pó with water and it makes like a natural healthy energy drink. MAN did it do the trick. We got a ride with our branch president to the meeting. Everyone spoke and during Sister Cordon´s talk, she asked us to perform our song. I was so nervous. I had never played it before! and I can´t play the piano (and I had told president and sister that before hah). We played it and it was fantastic! The Spirit flooded the room! It was amazing He definately helped me play. Then Sister spoke and after President spoke as well. It was so spiritual. I was amazed.
After President and Sister complimented us. "What do you mean you don´t play the piano?" hahaha president said that to me. It was amazing.
The next day was District Conference. It was AmAZING!!! We had 3 confirmations during to meeting. I have already told mom and dad but the first counselor in the temple presidency spoke on eternal marriage and he said that in his father-in-law´s house he had a sign that said "I am the king of this house and what I say, goes and my wife gives me permission to say this." hahaha After the conference, We had a baptism. We invited President and Sister to stay for the baptism. President said "Baptism? I love baptisms!" hahaha and they stayed and watched the baptism. It was super spiritual!!!
This past week was A DREAM. I am just living the dream!!! there is nothing better than this!!!! Monday afternoon President and Sister Cordon called us to congratulate our zone on the wonderful work we did.
This is the true and living church of god on the face of the earth. I don´t have any doubt of it. This is God´s work and I am in His service. I am His servant and representative. The Book of Mormon is true. I don´t doubt this. I cannot. I have fallen in love with it and to deny the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon would be like denying the existance of the sun. Jesus is the Christ. He loves us!! He is our Savior and Redeemer and His church is on the earth, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I love you all!
Don´t Stop Believing!!
Com Amor!!!!!
-Elder Nathan Askins
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Letter #72- "you´re simply the best! you´re better than all the rest!"
This week was good!!!!! After p´day we caught another bus to go back to Suritiba for the Zone Leaders´Councel. It was.. a lot of bus. But it was great. I loved it. Then the next day we got the bus again and started our journey back. All in all, I was on the bus for about 14 hours in 2 days. It was... a lot.
This past week we worked our tails off. Which is always AWESOME. We had 2 baptisms this weekend. Mateus and Clarinda. Clarinda had been investigating the church for 10 years and quit smoking and moved out all so she could get baptized. It was awesome. Mateus is 13 years old and just so funny! I love him. We are praying for another baptism to happen this weekend. Jonas who is about 15 or 16. He has been going to church for 7 weeks and wants to get baptized. Just that his mom hasn´t authorized him to get baptized yet. Pray for him please. Yesterday we taught him and I said what do you want more than anything? He said to follow Christ and be baptized. I was super impressed. I love Christ, I always have, but at 15, I don´t know if it was the number one thing I was concerned with. He is a great kid and always tells us he will serve a mission. He wants to a lot.
HAHA! There is a recent convert in our branch who looks like a brazilian version of Store Papa. Oh my word it is crazy. I will definitely get a pic with him and it makes me want to be around him all the time. It´s crazy but awesome.
So yesterday, we got word that this companionship in our zone was gonna baptize 3 people in their branch that hasn´t baptized for awhile. So we surprised everyone and grabbed a bus. We spent the night last night in another city in our zone. We suprised them with ice cream and snickers and reeses (it was Elder Tenney´s birthday). We ate ice cream and then in the morning we got up and we surprised the other elders with a visit. They didn´t think anyone would come because our area is like 2 or 3 hours away. So now I am writing you from the beautiful town of Irati and I am with my comp and 4 other missionaries. This morning we watched their baptisms and it was so great. Then the family that was baptized invited us to eat lunch with them. They loved having so many missionaries with them in their house.
Well, I´m out. President Cordon challenged the whole mission to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year. I would extend the same challenge to you. I will be doing this same challenge. Oh I love you all so much!
Don´t stop belieivng!!!!
Com Amor!
-Elder Askins
This past week we worked our tails off. Which is always AWESOME. We had 2 baptisms this weekend. Mateus and Clarinda. Clarinda had been investigating the church for 10 years and quit smoking and moved out all so she could get baptized. It was awesome. Mateus is 13 years old and just so funny! I love him. We are praying for another baptism to happen this weekend. Jonas who is about 15 or 16. He has been going to church for 7 weeks and wants to get baptized. Just that his mom hasn´t authorized him to get baptized yet. Pray for him please. Yesterday we taught him and I said what do you want more than anything? He said to follow Christ and be baptized. I was super impressed. I love Christ, I always have, but at 15, I don´t know if it was the number one thing I was concerned with. He is a great kid and always tells us he will serve a mission. He wants to a lot.
HAHA! There is a recent convert in our branch who looks like a brazilian version of Store Papa. Oh my word it is crazy. I will definitely get a pic with him and it makes me want to be around him all the time. It´s crazy but awesome.
So yesterday, we got word that this companionship in our zone was gonna baptize 3 people in their branch that hasn´t baptized for awhile. So we surprised everyone and grabbed a bus. We spent the night last night in another city in our zone. We suprised them with ice cream and snickers and reeses (it was Elder Tenney´s birthday). We ate ice cream and then in the morning we got up and we surprised the other elders with a visit. They didn´t think anyone would come because our area is like 2 or 3 hours away. So now I am writing you from the beautiful town of Irati and I am with my comp and 4 other missionaries. This morning we watched their baptisms and it was so great. Then the family that was baptized invited us to eat lunch with them. They loved having so many missionaries with them in their house.
Well, I´m out. President Cordon challenged the whole mission to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year. I would extend the same challenge to you. I will be doing this same challenge. Oh I love you all so much!
Don´t stop belieivng!!!!
Com Amor!
-Elder Askins
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