Baptism of the week

Saying goodbye to a good elder

Week 99 June 27, 2011

Hello family! How is everyone doing on this wonderful June day! I hope that everyone is just great and that you guys are all just soaking up the sun! It seems like there are some vacation going on which is always great and some cheer camps which sounds like fun, I pray that you guys will all be safe during these fun activities and getting ready for the Big 4^th of July weekend!!! Wahoo! Hahahah

This week was a pretty interesting week for us! There has been so many changes in our zone that it's been a week of trying to figure everything out and trying to help many missionaries get to know areas and getting an effective jump start in their new areas! Our zone now passed to the biggest zone in the mission again ha-ha. We had 4 new areas that opened and in these 4 areas there are missionaries that are training new missionaries that got here in the mission last week, and out of 13 companionship's, only 2 companionship stayed the same. So when I said that everything changes. Literally everything did ha-ha.

You know something funny I think that it didn’t rain for only 1 day this week so we had some fun days of walking and not really “singing in the rain” ha-ha but “knocking doors in the rain” was just great in regards of finding new investigators it was a week that was a little complicated because we didn’t have much time but we did have some amazing message which we shared with our families that that we are teaching and also we had a baptism which was great

This week was amazing we had a great baptism this week of a young man that his name is Erick Luz de Agiar! He is a young man that we got going to the church and he absolutely loves it! He told me the other day that he is planning on getting himself ready to serve a mission so he will start going to seminary every day! He truly is such a bright and intelligent young man.

The baptism was a good point of the week but we also had something happen that was super, super sad! The other day I called this young man by the name of Cezar, we are teaching him and his mom Marlene I don’t know if I had mention them in the past emails but they were going to get baptized this next week but something happened! So I called them on Tuesday morning to see if our appointment was all set for later that day and his mom (Marlene) answered the phone and stated talking to us and she said Cezar “didn’t want to be Mormon anymore”… so I was thinking and I asked if we could pass by right now so we did… we got there and we started to talk and he couldn’t really give me a good answer why he doesn’t want to become member of the church of Jesus Christ, but the only thing that he could say is. “The whole church thing isn’t for me” this made me sooo sad because the way that someone thinks or acts just don’t change over night likes that! Something had to happen!

This experience is something that we as missionaries really feel so much sadness to here and to pass through. When someone knows that the church is true and that it will really bring Heavenly Blessings to their lives, and neglects an answer from God, it something that really makes us hurt inside…. It a feeling that I can't even describe but it something that I don’t like passing through… I will try and figure out why he changed his mind so drastically like that and try to help him recognize and follow the answer from God that they need the church in their lives!! It’s all I can do…

But another high point of the week is that we had an amazing lesson with Gioberto (is spelled like this hahaha) an Ana and their family!!! I wanted them to realize why they have decided to follow this road and get to know the Church of Jesus Christ… the real reason… I wanted them to say that it wasn't just because of the “us” or “the missionaries” why they are feeling the spirit so much and why the are seeing so many amazing changes in their lives for the better! So we taught a message about “ the motives why they will become members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”!! We had them think about it and we let them ponder and write their motives down on paper!!! I would like to share with you what happened!!!

Ana (the mom) that she will become a member of the church because:

To have my family united/ to have an eternal life/ to have my family together with me together/ to see my daughters marry in the temple!!!

Gioberto:

To receive the forgiveness for what I did in the past to Ana and to never do what I did to hurt my family again. (He shared with us that 8 years ago he cheated on Ana and it was the most stupid and in the moment mistake he has done in his life)

Scarlett:

To have my family together for all eternity/ to make a convenient with God/ to be always following the right road and to always live by god’s principals!

Stephanie:

To help my mom stop smoking/ to have my family together forever/ to have more happiness in my life

These are just some of the things they said!!

Ahh I wish I could tell you all about the wonderful experience that I am having here but sadly my time is up!!! I just want you all to know that this would be something that would really “worth while” to do in your lives! I want all of you guys to right down the motives behind why you are members of the Church of Jesus Christ!!! It’s something that I have down and it really made the Gospel a whole clearer to me! I am so grateful for the love and the Presence of Heavenly father in my life!! I love you all and you guys have such a great day! And week

Elder Wiscomb

Last lunch with Elder Black he is a good friend

Talking on Fathers Day

"Yup we had a little problem this week! HA Ha"

All the stuff we took from Ana

This young man is going to be our baptism this week, he is a future missionary

Week 98 June 20, 2011

Hello everyone back home! How is everyone doing! It was such a great treat to be able to talk to you dad, mom, molly and Katie for a couple minutes on Fathers day! A couple of months ago our president was thinking and he thought… if the missionaries can call on mothers day, why can't they call on fathers day? So he let us call… I didn’t mention anything before because I didn’t know if I really wanted to… because its so close to my date to end the mission and I figured I could just wait and stuff… but then I thought… why not hahaha… but it was so good to hear your voices and I'm so happy that you guys got back safely from New York! Thanks again for all those who wrote me this week!! I really do appreciate it! You guys are all so amazing!

So it has officially started.. the last transfer.. it’s hard to believe that I am starting my last 6 weeks…. Today started off as a normal transfer day… everyone in our house thought that nothing was going to change but we got a huge surprise! So let’s just start by telling the new news.. my comp Elder Black has been transferred to Livramento…. It was something that I wasn’t expecting at all… but I guess that there was a lot of transfers this time that no one was expecting… you know, although I am super, super sad that I will be changing comps for this next and final transfer, something that I have gained a great testimony about this last 2 years is that President Ribeiro is a man that has been called by God to lead His work here in this very mission! I know without a doubt in my mind that he has been inspired to do these changes and it will all be for the better and to further the work of the Lord! Something is for sure and that is, that this work will never change! The gospel always has been, is and will always be the same and will always be spread through God's servants here on Earth!

My new comp is Elder Omer, he is from Holliday Utah! So one more American comp.. funny huh! Hah! It will be fun to work and to learn from him by working by his side in this wonderful work! He only has 3 months left in the mission so we are going to end it in a good way!

So this week has been a super, super amazing week! We have had some pretty amazing experience! First let's start talking about the family of Ana and Dioberto! They are having some amazing progress! This week they were able to go to church because finally she found a job! She recognized that it was a blessing of the Lord to have learned and accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ and already wants to start paying tithing, being a non member, she is growing so much! Also this touched the point that has been the most difficult until this point!

The only that is holding this family back has been Ana's smoking… she is a chain smoker and the difficult thing with her is that she likes smoking but the good thing is that she realizes that it's something that she needs to stop! We had a super, super spiritual experience with her on Tuesday morning and we taught the 10 commandments!! That morning we had left early and we bought nicotine patches to help her, but we wanted to see first if she had a desire before we would give them to her! So we talk and talk and finally I asked her if she is willing to accept our help to help her stop smoking.. she thought about it for a second and said yes. Then I asked if she was willing to do everything we say and ask her to do… and the spirit was so strong when we started to talk about this, and she said “it depends on what you guys ask”… and then I said “ that’s not what I ask… ha-ha.. are you simply willing to do anything to stop smoking” we ask and she said ya… then we said can we take all the cigarettes and coffee and everything out of the house”… and she said ya ha-ha so we took it all…. Ha-ha.

You know this was just the start… to be honest she hasn’t stopped yet but without a doubt in my mind she will stop soon!!!!

Another experience that was amazing this week is that we marked some dates for baptisms and we will have one of a young man this week! His name is Erick! He is a brother of a member and how we found him was super cool! We were at the church one-day and we always knew that this young man Erick wasn’t a member but he never had a desire to go to church! There was an activity to go to church that night and we thought let's go there to see if he is in his house and invite him to come to the activity and see the baptism after! So we went their and we gave just a short little message on how the Lord blesses us in our lives when we do what he asks us to do, and he came to the activity with us! It was super cool! From that day on he has gone to church ever day and is going to seminary now and loves it! He is talking about a mission already and he only has 14 years old! But he is a young man that is super, super powerful! The way he talks is super amazing! He surly has a love for the gospel!

We also are working with this young man that has 23 years of age and his mom! Cesar and his mom Marlene! Marlene was studying to be a nun some time ago… and now she is like the president of the neighborhood and stuff but she is a lady that is super special! We challenge them to be baptized in 2 weeks! So we are going to see how they liked church and stuff tomorrow!

Being member of the church of Jesus Christ of Later day saints is such a blessing! It’s a true fact that through the Gospel of Jesus the lives of all who follow the example of Christ and become members of His church are brightened and literally the windows of heaven our opened and the Lord pours blessings upon His followers! It's so event to see the difference between the life of someone before and after they have come and gained knowledge of the gospel! I am so grateful for the happiness that I have in my life!

I am also so grateful for changes in my life as well! Even though its something that we don’t want, or its something that may be difficult or its something that we just quite frankly don’t understand why it has happened or why things happen, I have learned to look on the brighter side and see what the Lord is trying to tell us or teach us in every moment! There is something to learn in everything! One thing is for sure… none of us know what is best for us in our lives, but if we look for the help of the Lord, He will always show us the way and what we should do, for as our loving Father In Heaven, He knows what’s most important for us!

I love you all! You guys have a great week OK!!

Love Elder Wiscomb

Week 97, June 13, 2011

Hello Family! How is everyone doing on this fabulous June afternoon! Everyone’s out of school and has headed off for the summer trips, how fun it must be…. It actually seems like instead of going to the beach and stuff, everyone is still heading up the mountains to hit the slopes hahaha…. Here in Brazil is quite the contrary.. here it's not warm and it's not snowing but its freezing and raining ha… these last couple days though there has been some amazing temperature which has been a blessing for the work!

So first off ya it was my birthday and I am officially 21.. everyone has wanted to know how my day was yesterday and what did I do and if I did something special and stuff and to be honest it was one more amazing day of work here In the mission field! To be honest I didn’t tell anyone that it was going to be my birthday… I just wanted it to be one more normal day of work… so no one knew about it… hahaha… but that’s how I liked it! Then I actually got a call from a women in Cruz Alta that is named Terezinha that wished me a happy birthday which was amazing and Elder Felipe hahaha called me up and we talked for a little bit before church yesterday morning but besides that it was a normal day! We worked hard then I got the best present of them all… around 9:15 last night I got a call from President Ribeiro.. when I saw is call I was thinking, great, he is going to tell me some news about transfers this next week and what’s going to go on but no… it was nothing like that… it was President and Sister Ribeiro Singing Happy Birthday in English hahahahaha!! And I talked with them a little bit! It a small act of kindness that made my day! It’s through little things, which bring great Joy! So that was my birthday in the mission!

This week has been so amazing! We have had some amazing experiences, some I will never forget! We continue to teach this amazing family of Ana and Dioberto and we had an amazing lesson of the second part of the Plan of Salvation! It was such an amazing and spiritual experience where the spirit of the Lord was able to testify to them that this is the truth! One more time, I think I haven’t ever seen a family that has understood perfectly the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no doubt in my mind that this family was waiting to just be told about this truthfulness!

When we finished talking about the Celestial Kingdom and how families are given so they can be eternal through the gospel of Jesus Christ, we sang the hymn “families can be together forever” and the mom and dad were crying! What an amazing experience! After that message we left with them, we went back another day and the mom Ana said that for her there is “no turning back know” that she knows its true and that the dad Dioberto has said that he is “actually praying” and that he is feeling the difference in his heart! He is a federal policeman and the other night he was working the night shift and he said that during the night he stopped and prayed which is something that he never did and this comfort of the Lord came over him! He thanked us for helping him restore this relationship with His Father in Heaven and, furthered on saying that he is starting to see what the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ can do to the lives of those who fallow!

We actually passed by the church the other day real fast and I looked in the gym and out of the side of my eye I thought I saw Escarlette (the daughter of ana and Dioberto) in the gym but I thought.. it couldn't be, so I just kept talking with others then I looked again and sure enough it was her… helping with the banners and the stuff for a dance that the church will do!! How cool is that they are already helping in the church!! Ahh soo amazing!

We are also working with another family that is super special! Their names are Roseane, her daughter Cinde, her husband Zilmar and their children! They are one more family that the Lord led us too! A couple weeks ago we were walking down the street super fast to get to an appointment because we were late… I will never forget the felling that I felt when I passed by that house it was something unexplainable that we started to talk after we left that road and were about 1 block away from their house that we went back…. I can say that we arrived at that family in the time that the Lord wanted! This is a family that has passed through many challenges and they really need the light of Christ In their lives! We have been passing by there 2 times a week and we have been teaching and having these amazing experiences with this family!

The other day we taught the restoration then another day and after I sang the hymn "what a marvelous morning" I shared the first vision of Joseph Smith when he saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. Something that I have learned so much in the mission is how to let the spirit work! It’s been amazing to feel the spirit come…. And go….. but it this moment the spirit had filled to room so much that me and elder Black practically couldn’t say anything… it was as if the Lord wasn’t allowing us… as Roseane was sitting there with her eyes closed she starts to cry and she started to spill her heart out to us about how the visits have changed their lives.. how there seems to have so much light in the house, much more understanding between the members of the family, and how she knew without a doubt we had been sent from God! She said that everything we had said in our some 6 or 7 visits were exactly what she had been waiting to hear! We asked her to pray and to visit the church and she said that his weeks she wasn’t able to go because it was a holiday but that she would pray… this was Wednesday…

We went back there a different day and she wasn’t there, which was super sad…. But another day some plans had fallen and we decided that we needed to pass by her house to see how she was doing. So we passed by, and right when she excepted us in here house we didn’t even start the little “small talk” ha-ha she just started to say that she had said the prayer and that she had received an answer… a feeling that she didn’t even know how to describe!!!!! I just wanted to stand up and start jumping up and down because this is what happens to one who asks with an open heart and really wants to know if this Gospel is true!!!! she continued to say that this feeling that she had made her feel that she HAS to go and visit the church and she said that she believes that this will be the golden key that will “tie it all up” or in other words, that she will know that it is true when she goes there!!

What it is to have the Lord on our side showing and testifying of the truthfulness of all things! I have become to relay on the spirit and to depend on Him in the teachings and it’s amazing how I have literally been able to learn to feel the difference of a message taught by the spirit of God to one that is not..... it’s a battle every day to strive for Him in this work and it’s the most gratifying thing in the world! I pray every day that all those who read these emails (because I dint know what my parents are doing with this) or those that have the opportunity to hear the truth being passed or taught by the servants of the Lord here on earth that all can feel this same spirit and love of God that I have come to depend upon! Anyone can feel this way, anyone can receive a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and anyone can feel the presence of the Lord and His love through this divine Gospel of Jesus Christ which has been restored!

I love you all!!!! Have a great week!!!

Love Elder Wiscomb

The Cathedral here in the mission, the only place in the mission that looks clean. It is so beautiful!"

"The family that we are teaching"

"My family, the reason why I am here in this part of the mission"

Making Taco's for family night

The Senior Couple missionaries in the Zone

Playing Soccer

Week 96 June 6, 2011

Hello family how are all of you doing on this wonderful June afternoon! I hope that all is well! Thanks so much for the wonderful emails that I have received this week! I truly do appreciate every one!

So there is so much to talk about this week bah… I really don’t even know where to start! I have had some unforgettable experiences this week where I have felt the spirit so strongly and it’s been moments in the mission that I will never forget!

Starting of this week we have been focusing so much on this amazing family that I have told you guys about a lot! Dioberto and Ana and their daughters!! This family is so special and there is no doubt in my mind that it's because of this family that president felt like I should come here that resulted in a transfer that was out of the blue! This family that we are teaching bah, mom and dad just wait until you meet them!

To start off we went there the other night to teach the plan of Salvation! And it was the best lesson I think that I have taught the entire mission! There is no doubt in my mind that the Lord was guiding everything that left my mouth and almost my companions too! I truly believe that it was a perfect lesson! We had the opportunity to have the president of the branch attend the message too and it was so cool to be able to see the big old smile that actually came to his face seeing this family understand the amazing Plan that God created for us so that we can return to live with Him one day!

As the lesson went on, the family understood perfectly every principal that we taught! You guys need to know the history of this family that Dioberto he has brothers that are pastors and another brother that is a Jehovah witness, and he is super, super smart and “really understands the bible and the Gospel already” that is why he hasn’t already decided to be part of a church because he always found something that wasn’t right! Ana, the mom, she has also gone around the block in regards of religion. She has a great understanding about life and about the teachings of Christ… and they have two daughters that have been taught ever since they were born the standards of the church of Jesus Christ!!! It is that “family of Gold” that everyone waits for on the mission!

The other day when we went to get the president of the branch to go the that lesson with them on the Plan of Salvation, after one visit that this family did in the church, he mentioned to us with such force and certainty that he had no doubt that this family will get be members of the church and not just that, great leaders because there is a calling in the branch he said and he was been praying and fasting about this important calling and he said that it was shown to him so clearly that it is the mother of this family that the Lord wants to be called for that calling… (And what that calling is, I don’t know) hahaha. But it was a special moment to know that the Lord had lead us to such a special family that has been waiting anxiously to hear the gospel! They of course, went to church again this week and will continue to go for sure!!

This week was also such a great treat because we had the mission tour with Elder Soares in Santa Maria!!!! It started out super early about 3 in the morning when we had a bus pass by here in Santo Angelo to get us! When we got there, me and the other zone leaders in the mission had a meeting just with Elder Soares, and us, which was just amazing! He talked with us about what we can do to really help the zone where we are, and really who we are as Zone leaders! He talked with us what president and he did when they chose us to be leaders and the qualities which he sees in each person that he calls! And really made us understand our role! It was amazing but the most amazing part came after!!

In the middle of the training with Elder Soares with about 100 missionaries listening to him the spirit was surly something that was sooo amazingly strong! We talked so much about how we can work in a more productive way and how, one more time, we need to focus on families and have in our mind and vision that every family we talk with as the potential to be a sealed family in the temple! This needs to be our priority! And then from that point he started to tell us that we need to focus on men because, behind every man there is a family!! He told us about the experience that he had on his mission when he was sent to an area that had one man and he was able to be the president of the branch there and his mission president gave him the assignment to go to that area and to find and baptize a man to be the president of the branch…. Something super, super big huh hahaha… but when he said that something really, really special happened!

When I was sitting there thinking about everything that he was saying, I felt like I need to ask a question and I was shaking because I was so nervous to ask…. I don’t think that I have been so nervous in my life because no one was saying anything when he asked questions and stuff so I just decided to stay quite… then I the same feeling came again, which made my hands shake and I couldn’t even write ha-ha and I knew that I needed to ask the question, so I did…. It was this simple question “Elder Soares, I believe that this is the challenge for all missionaries throughout the world (talking about, finding and teaching men), what did you do to, or what do you suggest that we could to do modify or change our teaching tactics to attract more men to hear our message of the restored gospel”. When I asked that question he stopped and looked and me and said this “Elder Wiscomb, that was one of the most impired questions that I have heard in a long time” and from that moment on it was obvious that he changed everything that he shared with us and everything that he said for that point. Just one impiring word that the Lord used him to help us! The first thing he invited all of us to do was to take 3 minutes and to pray and ask the Lord that same question then we shared what we thought we could do! And ahh it was just amazing!

Really it’s amazing what the spirit can have someone do! And the answers that we can receive through prayer! I am so grateful for this wonderful right and gift that I have to talk with my Heavenly Father whenever I would like! I look to do it often throughout the day and I feel his closeness to me every day! And you want to know something that’s amazing, is that anyone who wants can feel the exact same way!!!

I love the gospel, and I am so grateful for this time I have to share with the people here in Santo Angelo! And I love you all!!!

Have a great week!!

Elder Wiscomb