Wednesday, April 25, 2012


One of my pairs of shoes are pretty much worn out and I will take a picture and send it maybe tomorrow but this week for sure, and the socks I will tell you that it is better to send them there because, first it is almost impossible to find pure black socks and they are really bad, many things in Brazil are very low quality and it would be good if you could send 8-10 black sporting socks, they are thicker but aren't that hot, thinner socks don't last very long in a mission in Brazil.

I was transferred and I went to the other side of the mission in the area of Avaré and my companion is Elder Peatz another American, I arrive today and the first thing I am doing is writing to you all it was a five hour trip. This is a good area where there are two people that are ready to be baptized this week or the next and what the missionaries have been doing in the past is to working with a lot of less active members to help the Branch grow and be strengthened.

That is wonderful that Ryne going to Reno Nevada how exciting, when will he go to the MTC? And Ben is going in the 9th of May is that correct? That is wonderful to see the wonderful things that are happening back home. I will talk with all of you with Skype again it is much easier and much cheaper but I think I might do it a day or two before mother's day but I don't know for sure.

I will send the picture as fast as I can.

Love

Elder Sands

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

That is great that everyone is doing great. I didn't know that Julie played the piano or organ that is pretty cool.

Well I am in a bit of need, I didn't want to spend my mission asking for things but this time I need some help. Can you send my 1 or two pairs of good insoles, my shoes are going and my feet are hurting and it is very difficult to find and very expensive to buy. also can you send at least 10 pairs of good thick black socks, all of mine have great gaping holes in them and you can't buy socks with quality here in Brazil, the faster the better please, thank you so much.

This is the last week of the transfer, I didn't know but this transfer only has 5 weeks rather than the normal 6 weeks. We are also trying to go after two baptisms we are planning for Sunday. I prayed to know how and who we can baptize this week and after I received an answer of two people. One is a son of a active member that returned to the church after being inactive for many years, and another is the brother of Tais the young woman we baptized in march. It is going great and with our faith and effort they both will be baptized.

It is also looking like I will leave Perdoes on Tuesday; it has been 6 mouths of learning and changing. I am more confidant in the Lord and his power to help us work miracles and to fulfill the will of the Lord, but only after we do our part. I am thinking of all of the things I will do differently in a new area to find the people that are prepared to accept the Gospel.

I will see you all here in a few weeks for Mother's Day. I will talk more about it in a few weeks; what time, what day and everything so that I can talk to all of you.

If you can work on the package that would be MOST wonderful and I love all of you!

Tchau

Elder Sands

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

This week was wonderful. We are doing better at growing our teaching pool. This last Thursday we received extensive training on this principle. The reason why missionaries baptize a lot of people is that they are teaching a lot of people, so if one person is not interested there could be one that is willing to accept, at least one person can be baptized every week. We are helping a few families visit the church so that they can be baptized as soon as possible but with a little planning and faith, miracles will happen.

We are getting a lot of help from the members here is Perdoes and we are running into a good problem that many members are willing and wanting to teach with us, so we need a better system to plan every one. I think we will start using a calendar to plan every one, and we are receiving much more references. Some didn't pan out and we will be teaching a reference tonight and hopefully we can teach them so that they can be baptized here in a few weeks. Missionary work here is really great.

Is Acea teaching with the missionaries, if not I would encourage him at least once a month helping them out, it doesn't really help you practice in teaching or working as a missionary, because he will go to a mission that is completely different in every way, but it will help straighten his desire and testimony.

How is Ryne doing, has he received his mission call already, and is Ben on his mission yet.

Tchau, I love you all

Elder Sands

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

I loved conference! Last time I listened to it in Portuguese but this time I listened to about half of it in English. I always love the talk of Elder Holland and one of the talks of President Uchtdorf about don't judge and if we do, stop it and the bumper sticker that said "don't judge me because I sin differently than you do."

This week was great we were running to invite everyone to general conference. It was a little difficult because we watched it in another city close by and the investigators that went had a great experience and I believe that it answered to some of the doubts and needs of the people we are teaching. We found my good people to teach and helping them progress and increasing our teaching pool.

These past few transfers I have been learning a lot how to work and teach better and to help people fulfill their commitments and helping them prepare for baptism. I now know how to do many things better, like find people, teaching them in an effective manner and with the spirit, now I need to learn how to help them progress and feel the importance of keeping their commitments.

Thank you for the words of wisdom and it is true that I have been call of God to preach the Gospel and with my time and experience I am capable of doing great things with the help of the Lord. I with My companion Elder Legrande, we will do great things,

Love Elder Sands