HEY!

 My heart is just so full of joy. This was the best week of my mission and possibly my life. The Lord has worked SO many miracles among us these last few days and this week. I can’t even begin to describe with words how I feel, or what i have seen, but I will sure try.

In the beginning of the week we were pretty down because our planned baptism did not come to church and he wouldn’t be able to be baptized this week. We need desperately members of this church to help the work be performed. We fasted and prayed that the Lord would help us find some SOMEONE to be baptized and confirmed into this church. We searched until finally we realized how blind we were to one of our most prepared investigators that came to church this last week. His name is Pedro and he has a fire. He LOVES the church and wants so desperately to change his life. We sat him down on Thursday and told him the progress he has made and repentance he has done, and we invited him to be baptized on Saturday. He accepted without hesitation, he said ''Any time and any day I will be baptized''. The Spirit has truly touched him as it touched us.

We proceeded with his baptism on Saturday and it was BEAUTIFUL. As we walked to the waters he said: ''It’s going to be a new life''. He clenched on to Elder Christensen and I and wouldn’t let go. We went out to the beach and I had the privilege to baptize him. He even brought one of his friends, Jacinto who seemed to be mesmerized by the whole thing. We talked to Jacinto yesterday and he just said he felt something so powerful in him and he started to cry, we explained this to be the Spirit, testifying of truth. It was incredible.

This week we received some visitors from Praia, President Teixera (stake president), Neia (his wife) and President Leonel (counselor). With them they brought the first missionary of Maio, who was baptized in Praia. His name is Armando and he will be our group leader, because until now the group leader was us. This will help out SO much!!!

Maruka is stronger than ever. He is not even baptized (waiting for a document to continue with the marriage), and he shares the gospel with everyone, gives us references, teaches with us and bears an incredible testimony. His testimony is a lot stronger than many members of the church, it’s super impressive. We also have Kakaka, who is incredible. He is about 28 and he also has a fire to share the gospel. We asked for some references and he came immediately with us to contact them. We let him do the contact and it was incredible. He bore testimony with such sincerity and it opened the doors for so many new investigators that usually would have rejected us, it was the most incredible experience.

To top off the week we had the MOST incredible sacrament meeting I have ever had in my life. We decided to do a testimony meeting, even though there are only few members of the church here in Maio. Many of our investigators went up and bore incredible testimonies of how their life has changed and how they are so happy because of the restored gospel. My heart was just so full of love and joy. I couldn’t stop thanking the Lord for the incredible progress each of the men had made. The awesome thing is that just about all of our investigators are Melchizedek priesthood age men. Pedro received the Aaronic priesthood yesterday, Zeze passed the sacrament. This week Kakaka will be baptized and will also receive the Aaronic priesthood and we are starting a class twice a week to prepare our investigators and members to receive the Melchizedek priesthood. The work is exploding. The Lord is blessing us so much. It is the biggest joy and pleasure to be an instrument in the Lord’s hands. I feel the presence of the Spirit every day and by teaching through the Spirit these men have been truly converted. I can’t even begin to tell all of the stories and miracles we have seen, they are just too numerous.

I have learned that no matter what the situation, no matter how hard our how much suffering there is, the Lord is in charge. If we do EVERYTHING that we possibly can to do the Lord’s will, being obedient, serving, magnifying our office, he will never fail us. Be patient, the Lord has prepared the way and he will not let us fail.

Love,

Elder Rice