1 wedding and 9 very interesting investigators

May 2 2016 Group Email:

Dear everyone,

This was a great week! A recent convert named Maria de Fatima who was baptized 2 months ago in our ward got married this week to José Neves, a less active member up until he met Fatima and baptized her, helping him come back to activity! Wow, that was a really bad run on sentence. But it was great! The weddings here are very small and short, but we ate lots of food after which was nice. :) I totally caught the boutique that the new husband threw. GUESS WHO'S GETTING MARRIED TO A 70 YEAR OLD!! Haha this crazy old member lady who isn't married caught the flowers, so we took a picture because the two who catch the flowers are said to get married here. I don't know what it means in the states, I haven't been to enough weddings to actually know, but yup. An 18 year old elder and a 70 year old un-married member. Good stuff.

Also, Elder Bortolo and I found 9 investigators this week! That, like, never happens! Unfortunately, they were the strangest investigators I've ever found, but we have faith that something good will come out of talking to them. 2 were a couple with some social problems who we saw looking through the garbage one time, and we knocked on their door, shared the restoration inside, and marked an appointment, so that was great - another 3 were 7th day Adventists who had a good time bashing us with scriptures but said we could come back, another 2 were catholic missionaries, 1 was a guy cutting his lawn who looks promising, and the last is an reference from our sisters who President Amorim is worried is only listening because he likes the sisters, so we'll see if he has real interest. But it was a really fun week teaching all of these people!

This week I read a well known scripture, D&C 130: 20-21

 20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—

 21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

I thought a lot about this scripture this last week, and it hit home a little more than it ever has for me. I think sometimes we (maybe just I, but I think everyone does it once or twice) ask for help or blessings from the Lord in prayer, and then get off our knees and expect that everything will change because we said the prayer, but we don't do anything to receive that blessing! It is my testimony that any time that you want something from God, He expects you to try and get it first, and then when you have done all you can, He will make miracles happen. If you need a testimony of the Book of Mormon, READ the Book of Mormon! If you are having a hard time being optimistic in the face of your trials, give thanks for your blessings, and then try and smile, and serve, and think less about yourself and more about others, the way Christ would. If you are struggling to find a job, take a shower, put on a nice tie, and look half-decent for your next job interview! Stuff like that. :) I know that God has SO many blessings He just can't wait to give you, but He needs you to take a few steps to deserve them. Love you all! You are all super inspiring and are a huge blessing in my life! I love the mission!

Have a fantastic week! 

-  Elder Valentine!