April 5, 2016

Family!!! Second week in the field was amazing and really hard but really amazing! Many things have happened and Ive grown so much in the past little while. Not being fluent in Portuguese yet is probably my biggest weakness but Ive learned to accept my weaknesses and just focus on the victories every day. I have grown so much in my ability to speak. I sometimes cant speak right in English when I speak to the american sister in my district. I always speak in the patterns of portuguese, in englsih. And I appologize now just in case some of my English doesnt make sense in my emails... I can add so much to lessons now. We teach about 30 lessons per week. I love being able to help people grow and increase their faith in Christ. ​We teach the restoration the most to people on the street. There are so many people on the streets all the time its kinda crazy. I love sharing the first vision in Portuguese. I usually share that part of the Restoration with people and then expound on it after. I love teaching so much.

I am emailing on Tuesday because yesterday was a holliday in Vila Velha and most of the shops were closed so we couldnt use computors. But yesterday was amazing cause it was P-Day and we were able to hike up to this Catholic building on which you can see all of Vila Velha and all of Vitória. It was the most beautiful thing Ive ever seen. I took a lot of photos so hopefully I can figure out how to send them. The ocean is gorgeous. My house is about a 15 minute walk from the ocean. We dont get to see it everyday becasue my area of proselyting is more inland in the poorer area where there are more houses. The houses here are so humbling. Not many people have a lot of things that I take for granted. Im proud to be an american! haha 

This past week I saw something pretty weird. There was this car down the road a ways and it has like a huge pipe thing on the back and it was blowing smoke all over the place. I had no idea what it was so I asked my companion and he said it was poison... I believed him for about 2 days when I asked him againg and he said it was probably just stuff to kill mosquitos. It was definately a weird thing to see.

This weekend was conference and it was amazing! I couldnt understand it 100 percent but I understood enough to feel the undeniable spirit that the apostles have. I loved Elder Hollands talk at the end. He is such a powerful speaker, I love him so much. I felt his love for Jesus Christ and when we listen to him we just know that he knows without a doubt that this church is true. After conference was over a guy in our ward came over to me and said that they were showing it in English down stairs... I was kinda bummed but I couldnt do anything about it. Ill be able to read it all when the Leahona arrives.

My testimony grows every single day. I love the time I have to study the scriptures in the morning. I know they´re true. I have a testimony of prayer. Everytime I pray I feel the powerful love that Christ has for me. I notice in lessons that things come to remembrance of what I studied earlier and I know thats because of prayer. I have felt the gift of loungues substantially this past week. Even though I´m not fluent yet, I know without a doubt that I am being blessed to learn this language to bless the live of those in Brazil. I know that through Christ anything is possible and as Elder Holland said on Sunday, He is always there by our side ready to lift us up and bare our burdens with us.

I know this church is true. I love you all so much! Please keep praying for me and all the missionaries. Until next week.

Love,

Elder Griffin