Hey Everyone!!!

I can’t believe that I have already been here for a transfer. This month and a half has gone faster than i could ever describe. I will be staying in the same area but I will have a different companion, his name is Elder Odderstrom, he was actually the MTC companion of my trainer Elder Christensen. We will be district leaders, or more like, he will be the district leader, because I don’t think you can be a district leader until after 2 transfers. Anyway, it should be an awesome transfer, we are going to kill it!

We had a family home evening with one of the ward families. Their family is so solid, their kids have such solid testimonies, and most want to serve missions. We brought our recent converts, Aguinaldo and Jardell. IT was awesome, they had a lot of fun! We also gave them pictures of us with them at their baptisms, it was sweet! Earlier this week while we were going to have a less active lesson we ran into this kid named Carlos and we set a time to mark with him. We went back to his house the next day and he wasn’t there, but his dad was. It turns out his dad is the Church gardener and he is a member. We had a lesson with him and his wife, it was sweet. Turns out Carlos is a member too, we are going to work to reactivate them.

We have also been teaching this couple that got married in the Church at the beginning of the transfer. The wife said that her husband was drinking and that if he didn’t change they would divorce. The sisters and we have been teaching them as a couple and shared some scriptures and the family proclamation to the world. Now, the wife says that everything is perfectly fine. They pray together and read the proclamation! I love how central families are in God’s plan. Families are the way we can be happy. But only through the teachings and gospel of Jesus Christ can a family truly have an everlasting happiness, eternal life.

 We also worked with this member named Alex. He is great. He has his mission call to Brazil. We have been working with him, to teach his mom, Else, who is not a member. We had some really great lessons with her and Alex. Alex is so happy that we are teaching her. Alex just found out yesterday that he would leave this morning, so he is gone now, but we are going to continue to teach his mom. It is truly a sweet experience to help families become stronger and prepare to be an eternal family.

We also met with a woman named Zaza for the first time. We had an awesome first lesson with her and marked her for baptism. She says she wants to feel the same "light and happy" feeling she has when she meets with the missionaries always. That would be my friend the Holy Ghost! I think she is going to progress great!

An inactive named Macho hasn’t been going to church lately and so we decided we would have a lesson with him. In the lesson he said he wants to serve a mission! So the next day, he came to church and talked to President Teixera about the plan he needs to make. He came out and taught with us yesterday and he had a lot of fun!

We went to the beach today for p day on the black sand of Fogo, it was awesome. We played soccer and a game called Ninja, it was pretty goofy! Overall, awesome week! Awesome transfer! This transfer is going to be even better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My new companion will not be here until Thursday so I have Elder Ensign who is on his third transfer. We will be working to together this week. I’m excited because I get to lead, this week is gonna be awesome!! We are not going to stop working this week. I can describe how pumped I am.

It’s a bit frustrating when people don’t understand how huge our message, how life changing this message is. No matter who you are, how happy you are, how good your family is, the gospel of Jesus Christ that has been once again restored by the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints will make your life better. Any one that doesn’t believe me, just try, what’s the harm. I wouldn’t be in the middle of nowhere if I didn’t know that this message is 100% true.

 Love,

 Elder Rice