Hey!!!!
This week was incredible. This is the best work in the world I love it so much. I would rather be nowhere else!!! This week we moved out the other Elders to their new house. They finally got a washer and dryer and other stuff. Turns out the house has some problems, like they only get water from 600am to 1000 am. And it has cockroaches and other stuff. They seem to be getting along alright haha. Our recent convert Edy is amazing. he is so incredibly awesome. He has such a strong testimony of this gospel, he knows he received an answer from God when he prayed about Joseph Smith. he is 17 and he is going to institute because no one teaches seminary here (there is a solution though which i will say later). He reads the Book of Mormon every day and is helping us to bring his friends and family unto Christ. I love the kid.
We like I said, they don’t have anyone teaching seminary here so I offered to teach it for a week until President Tocai can find a teacher. I’m actually really excited. 6 of our recent converts in the area should all be attending. Elder Mckissik and I are going to teach about the New Testament, I’m excited because i just recently started form the beginning. I have never taught seminary before but with the manual its pretty easy. We are going to switch off each day with the other elders here, should be legit.
This week we had the baptism of Lali, ita and Rolina!!!!! They are such an incredible family, i love them so much. It’s funny to think that we just stopped them on the road said hi and asked if we could talk and now they have been baptized 4 weeks later. They can’t stop saying how happy they are!!! We did the baptism in the sea again. But this time the sea was a lot more crazy and deep. I got into the freezing cold water and it was up to my neck... then the waves started coming in. I was struggling haha, i was getting dragged out to sea. Then they thought it would be good to throw in Rolina, the one most scared of the sea and the one that doesn’t know how to swim. In that moment I had to save myself and rescue her haha. it was crazy, we finally just got out and found a more calm spot. Elder Mckissik forgot his flipflops so i just ended up baptizing them all. it was really awesome. After the baptism we had a little family night at their house. We talked about the Restoration of the true church and how all of them had found the truest church in the world. Edy our recent convert helped us with the spiritual message and talk about Joseph Smith and bore his testimony. It was powerful and he teaches SUPER good, he would make a supreme missionary. We then ate donuts (they have some AMAZING donuts here) and drank some juice and of course played water in the face. Awesome Saturday!
I can’t even tell you how many miracles I have seen on my mission. Prayer works. I don’t know how else to say it. Prayer works. We are promised countless times in the scriptures that if we pray with faith and nothing doubting we will be answered. They are true words. I know prayer works. Whenever Elder Mckissik and I don’t know what to do or where to go or are frustrated, down or anything, we pray and get answers every time.
This week we are really going to focus on the family of our recent converts. As we were walking home yesterday, the Catholic mother of our recent convert Edy stopped us and said “Thank you for helping my son be a good kid, he is different, he doesn’t hang around the bad kids, he is always talking about what you teach him and church, thank you.” This was a bit strange because him mom didn’t really like us that much at first, but now we are going to try and teach her.
The gospel changes lives, I know it. There is not one thing on this earth that could make me leave what I believe. I know this is true, I feel happy, what greater blessing is there. It doesn’t matter what anyone says how much we go through, always remember what we have. I love you all so much!
Love
Elder Rice