HEY!

We had transfers last night and I will be staying here with Elder Christensen on the island of Maio. It is the greatest blessing, I have got to know some absolutely incredible people here, It’s going to be rough the day I have to leave. This transfer should be huge success, we have some INCREDIBLE people that we are teaching and preparing for baptism. Good news though, with transfers, President Oliveira has decided to send Sisters to Maio. We will no longer have to be alone, haha. Someone will actually be able to help us with sacrament talks, the piano, teaching Gospel Principles and other stuff. I really do love doing all of those things anyway though. The sisters should get here on Friday, the work is going to EXPLODE! It has already started but it’s just going to get so much better!

We had a great family night at our recent converts house Kakaka. He bought cake and cookies and juice and we had a great message. One of Kakaka's favorite principles of the Gospel is repentance. He lived a rough life, drugs, girls, poverty and he changed it all to become a disciple of Jesus Christ. He is so happy now. He bears a powerful testimony of repentance. We played some games and it was awesome.

We have been giving a preparatory class to receive the Melchizedek priesthood to our recent converts, members and even investigators. To make a branch and to be able to give out callings and help the work progress we need 6 Melchizedek priesthood men and 20 members. We should have this by the end of the transfer. That is our goal.

Kakaka is so incredible. he has been sharing the gospel with all of his friends and has been giving us so many references. He even scheduled an appointment for us to come over to his house and teach his 2 friends, Gilson and Veloso. Kakaka had already talked to them before about the church so their hearts were already opened to hear and accept our message. It was a great lesson and now both of these young men have a lot of desire to change their lives. Awesome!

We have been training Pedro (Recent convert) to bless the sacrament. We sat down with him and had him read it so we could help him pronounce all of the words. On the last Sunday it took him about 7 tries, this Sunday he got it on the first time! So cool. Not only that but his friend Anastacio is getting baptized this week, so we practiced with Pedro how to hold the person, memorize the baptismal prayer and how to baptize. He did it perfectly, it was so cool.

Then there is Filisberto and Ze Mario, they are references of another member named Admilson. They came to a film night we had in the church on Saturday. They LOVED it. Yesterday we talked to Filisberto and he said he just felt that Joseph Smith was a prophet. he said he even cried. He said that he lived life without faith, but after talking to us and watching the film he says he has gained faith. We are ordained to teach by the Spirit, to help others come unto Christ and gain and exercise their faith to repentance. I love my call.

Sunday was awesome! We had a fantastic meeting and we had 18 people. Of those 18 people were 6 members/recent converts/investigators that came in a white shirts and ties. These people are changing, repenting and becoming disciples of Jesus Christ. It’s a blessing to have been here from the beginning and see the incredible progress the Lord has brought about this people.

Joseph Smith was prophet, the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the Earth with the power and authority and gospel that permits that we return to our Heavenly Father. Thomas S. Monson is a living prophet that reveals the Gospel in its fullness in these latter days.

Love,

Elder Rice