This… is… Carnival?

February 16, 2015

This is Carnival!

So Carnival has begun here in Brazil.... but no need to worry, here in Brasilia, nothing is happening. It seems like everyone travels or just stays indoors.... haha the roads are completely empty and nobody is home! We have seen a couple of reports this weekend about the parties that are happening all over Brazil. But here everything is just closed so it is more of a pain for us missionaries! But, today there will be a day long party at the church so we are excited to pass our p-day partying with the members of the branch!

This week was super hard, we didn't have a lot of success and we worked way hard. We are excited for some of the families that we have found but we are tired to death! Last week was probably one of the most tiring weeks of my mission. Each morning 6:30 came way, way, way too fast. You know you are tired when you are walking on the road, and closing your eyes because they are just so heavy and thinking maybe if you walk with them closed, I can get like 3 seconds more sleep..... This week was hard. BUT we are excited for the work! We should have a baptism this week. Adrielly is progressing a lot and it looks golden for her baptism. We also have many others that will be baptized in the next couple of weeks. We should be having a lot of baptismal services!

 I really do love it here in Planaltina, Time is passing by so fast and there is so much I want to do here still! I hope I get one more transfer here! Transfers are next week and we have no clue what could happen! We are excited for not only Planaltina but our whole zone! Yesterday an area that was just a “group” of members turned into a Branch (small congregation) yesterday! The work is progressing and growing!! I love the work and I love being a missionary!

We have one investigator that is amazing! He has a great knowledge of the Bible and of Christ, he is very accepting to our message! It has been a long time since we started working with him but It is incredible to see the difference in him, this week we were pretty straight forward with him and he is pressing a lot. He told us that Joseph (Smith) was a prophet, or he was absolutely crazy. It has been really hard for him because he has spent his life studying and believing one thing and now these 2 young men are telling him that some of the things he believed with such conviction aren't really the way that he imagined or believed. Working with him has helped me a whole lot to because of his questions. They always leave us stumped, but we always study and return to him with an answer and it is always great to see his face pondering and accepting our answer! That is why I love missionary work and this gospel. Everything has an answer and everything just makes sense. I know the gospel is true because it makes sense.

I love my Savior and my Father in Heaven. Thanks for all your love and prayers! I feel them every day!!

-Elder Samuel Clark