Well hello everyone!! I have good news! I had my first official baptism this week! I had the opportunity to baptize a young woman named Silmara and it was a really cool experience! How grateful I am for the priesthood so that I could have this opportunity. I remember the first time we taught her...we gave her the Book of Mormon and she was really excited to read it. She read the whole thing in the first night she had it and then started it a second time! We taught the second lesson and she was really interested. By the time we taught the third lesson and invited her to be baptized, she said `Ive been waiting for you to ask me to be baptized ever since I read about baptism in 3 nephi 11` (which is the first part we have investigators read in the book of mormon. So, she was baptized yesterday! Got a picture, she doesnt look very happy which is kinda sad, but it was still cool!
This week has been good, we worked a lot and marked another baptism date for this coming saturday! We had to go to a city called Trindade on Friday for a baptismal interview and it took an hour and a half to get there by bus! It was so far away! We knocked on lots of doors and talked to lots of peopl this week. I remember one instance when we were knocking on doors all day with no luck. Then, we heard thunder and knew it would start POURING. Soon, the rain came and we took shelter under a tree. I decided to knock on the door that was rightnext to us. The lady opened up and I told her that we were missionaries and had a message for her. She didnt say anything and I was just standing there getting totally wet. But then, she decided to let us in. I see this as a tender mercy of the Lord. She didnt really want to commit to anything, but she still could have told us no and let us stay out in the rain!
This week, I had 5 people ask me if I was from Italy. Five! I asked the fifth person why they thought that and they said that I look Italian (I guess?) and that I have an Italian accent when I speak Portuguese...so that is cool...? Anyway this morning I went to a leadership meeting with the zone leaders and they interviewed me and asked if Im ready to start training a new missionary next transfer! So maybe I will be a senior comp. next transfer! I told them I felt ready, but that the language was still rough, so it might be better to be with a Brazilian to help when I cant understand people...
On wednesday, we are doing a companion split and I will be staying here in my area as the senior companion! I am excited! I get to have the cell phone and do all the district leader responsibilities too. How cool!
Anyway, things are going well. I love being a missionary!
Love,
Elder Spencer Eastwood
Helaman 5:12
PS: I know you asked for me to send the pictures in a diff. email, but it is easier for me to attach them to this one...you know you can download them right to the computer and print them directly from the computer, right??
PPS: Be grateful you have power flushing toilets in America.
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