July 27, 2015 Transfers to...Brazil!!

July 27, 2015

Transfers to…Brazil!

Just kidding! But yeah we had transfers this week, Elder M left today in the airplane to Bogota, then he is going to Ibagué! I will really miss that dude, I was companions with him last year in November, his district leader until February, and then we have had these three months together in Leticia. I have learned a lot from him, and I have really seen his personal progress and it is incredible. It was sad to see him go, but I know that the Lord needs him somewhere else now. My new companion is Elder E, he is from Paraguay, and he has about 5 months in the mission. He is 19, and a super cool guy! I am looking forward to the time that we will have here.

Tuesday we had intercambios! I stayed here in my area with Elder S. He is a fantastic missionary, and we had a great time. We got a bunch of appointments in, and had a great lesson with the A family and the C family, the mom and dad of C, the recent convert from Bogotá that came down a month ago.

On Wednesday, we went to visit a less active, J S. So J is an returned missionary, but he works in the police, and hasn't been to church in a long time. His wife isn't a member, and sometimes that is tough for him; a month or two ago, we were helping him repair his marriage. Now he and his wife are happy, so we are trying to repair his relationship with God. We taught the Sabbath Day, and he just told us that he needed to go to church. He said that he was free that Sunday morning, so he committed himself to go to church.

Thursday we taught someone that we contacted in the street, M A, in the church. He came over in the morning, and when we talked with him before, he had said something about a past marriage. So when we started with the prayer, and asked a few questions, his life just came spilling out, about all of his desires to do the right and about all of the past mistakes that he has made. We were able to talk about the law of chastity and repentance, and he left much better than the way he came. Sometimes it really surprises me how easily some people talk to us. I know that we have received authority from God to be His servants, and that the people can recognize it as well. Later, J C got back from Neiva! He is the convert that got baptized the week before I got here to Leticia, and it was great to have him here again.

Friday, S was going to have his interview for his baptism, but never showed up! But then we went to have a family home evening with A's family. A is a recent convert, and his family has always been pretty closed to us. However, we had an awesome time! We played some fun games, and they really opened up. Then, we shared a short message, and when we left, the Spirit was really there.

On Saturday we went to...Brazil! The P family had to move across the border, so we got permission to bring backpacks full of stuff on our bikes all the way to Brazil! (like 5 blocks from Colombia haha). But it is really weird, we cross the border and everything is different, the houses, the streets, the music, and everybody speaks Portuguese! It is super strange haha. And now we will be going there every week!

On Sunday we had a great lesson with the A family about the law of chastity, they really understood the importance of living the commandments and are super excited to get married. We just need to get their papers from Bogotá, and listo! However, it was pretty sad when Elder M said that he was going; but they understood why very well. And J S went to church wooo!!!

I know that the Priesthood is real, that God gives us his power and authority in order to bless others and to bring us closer to him: I know that I hold this authority, and I feel it more certainly every day.  The time that I have left to hold this calling grows shorter every day, so I will continue to strive to magnify it as best I can.

Have a great week!

Elder Toombs