HEY EVERYONE!

Its been a super sucessful week! We have been really praying and looking to find the Lord’s elect, and those that are ready to receive the restored Gospel. More than anything, we need leaders here in Santa Maria. We need strong men and women that are willing to dedicate their life and serve God. I believe the Lord has been answering our prayers.

In this process we have found 16 new investigators this week. Our most effective form of finding has been knocking on doors. Not only knocking doors has helped us to find new people, but actually we have found a lot of people that have really great potential. We are usually used to just contacting people on the street and getting their number, but that leaves too much room for error. They could give us the wrong number, or we could never find their house. But when we go directly to their house, we have the chance to sit down, testify and teach the restored Gospel in a few moments so that they can feel by the power of the Holy Ghost that the things that we are teaching are true. This gives them much more desire to have us come back again. For example, we knocked on a door and found a man named Immanuel. Immanuel is an incredibly smart man. He is working on a business idea to start up a taxi center that would revolutionize taxis here in Cape Verde. He sat down very willing and open to hear our message. As a result he has already read 3 Nephi 11 and has committed to a baptismal date. I see a great leader in him. He is around 30 years old. He is intelligent and has leadership qualities. He is direct. I know the Lord helped us to find him.

Also, we have recently started to teach a family. The husband and wife are named, Dada and Soraya. Soraya was actually baptized in the church, but later fell away. Her husband was preparing for baptism but had some problems with some commandments and also distanced himself. I actually got to meet them last week as we did the family home teaching visits. Since that day we have returned and been teaching them. We shared the story of 4 Nephi 1, of how the people of Nephi were immensely blessed because they were converted and lived the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They didn’t have fights, or lies, or contentions, they were the happiest of all people. This was possible because of there obedience. Soraya expressed how they have been having some problems between them. We applied this story to them. Through obedience to the commandments of God, our families and our home can be a place of refuge, peace and joy. We have challenged them to be obedient, reading in the scriptures and praying together every day. They have started to do this and I can already see a huge difference. They have smilies that they didn’t use to. And it appears that Soraya has even stopped drinking. not only that but their entire family came to church this last Sunday and they loved it. Now we working on helping Dada prepare to be baptized. The Gospel truly, truly blesses families. There is no way that a family can have this happiness without practicing the principles of the Gospel.

Chidi is passing a pretty difficult time in his life. He came here to Cape Verde to find work to send money to his family. In the process he has fallen into some pretty bad habits. At one time he was in prison here in Cape verde for 6 years, he has been here for a total of 17 years without going home. This was never his plan. He wants more than ever to go back home to see his parents, especially his dad who is sick. One day when we passed by this week, Chidi just looked really down. He told us that he had even though about taking his own life. Trying to think what he needed to hear, we bore the most profound testimony that he is a child of God, and that God loves him. The most wonderful thing about the gospel is that even though we are imperfect and we have done many terrible things, we can forget of these things and be completely clean, being born again. We read Matthew 11:28-30 about how we can come unto Christ and find rest for our souls. We then shared the story of the sons of Mosiah. In Mosiah 27 they did many terrible things, but by coming unto Christ, they were able to abandon their carnal selves, and be born again, becoming a new creature. The light returned into Chidi´s eyes. That was what he needed to hear. he is planning to go back to Nigeria at the end of this month, but before he goes he wants to be baptized. Miraculously, the church is super big in Nigeria and their is actually a chapel in his hometown where he would be returning, what a blessing!

One of our recent converts Jezidel had the opportunity to go to EFY (FSY) here in Cape Verde. They traveled to an island called Santo Antao and they stayed there for 5 days. She absolutely loved it. She said when she first got there she wanted to go home because she didnt like it, but by the time she left she was crying. The day that she came back she gave us a call and she asked if we could come over. We came over and she asked if we could give a priesthood blessing to her sister who has liver (or maybe kidney stone) problems. Her sister, Jezilene, had to go to the hospital. So we sat down with Jezilene and explained that the same power and authority that Christ and His Apostles had to cure and raise the dead is the same power and authority that we possess. Just as Christ, his miracles and blessings were brought about with accordance to their faith. I assisted my new companion Elder Turner in the annointing and I performed the sealing. It was a beautiful experience. Afterward we got to talk a bit. She has 3 kids and is a single mom. We testified that the Gospel will help her raise her kids in the right path. I could tell that she has passed through a lot of afflictions as a single mom, the gospel is the light that she needs. She agreed for us to talk with her the next day. Before when we would talk to her she wouldn’t show any interest. I think that giving her this blessing really opened up her heart. Yesterday we got to teach her the Restoration and mark a baptismal date. In the middle of the lesson, her boyfriend came to visit the house. He also happens to be a member of the church, less active. He is a priesthood holder. He is exacltly what we need her. The Lord is truly blessing us.

This work is literally impossible without the Spirit. Despite how much talents or capacities someone thinks they may have, if they do not have the Spirit and do not teach by the Spirit, they will never have real sucess. I feel the Spirit testify through me, its a wonderful thing. I am not the greatest teacher, but I know the Spirit makes me stronger.

I testify that God is our Father and that He loved us in such a way that He sent His son, Jesus Christ to take upon him the sins, enfermities and pains of all inhabitants of all the Earth. I have felt my sin and my burden be lifted, and I have seen this same aliviation in my investigators and recent converts. There is no other way or name that a man may be saved if not by the name of Jesus Christ.

Love,

Elder Rice