So, somone told me I forgot to send out my email address. I thought I did. It is matthew.viglione@myldsmail.net
Well, I hope the holidays are passing nicely in the States! To be honest, I miss them. I absolutely love the holiday season, and I love snow, and friends, and Haley's Birtday, and all such, but I know this is where I am suppossed to be. And while you are all enjoying brisk winter evenings, it is currently summer here, which means super hot and quite humid. Somewhere in the 90s I think, and more humid than I've ever known. But I was well prepared for the heat by my desert life. So it isn't too bad. Anything for the kingdom of God!
So this week was really great. Tough, but great. Being a missionary is incredibly difficult, but so incredibly worth it.
The first day was my birthday, and I didn't tell anyone but Elder J. Lima told everyone, and Brazillians are so loving and welcoming that even people I didn't know in the ward were wishing me happy birthday and they gave me a lot of chocolate :) I hadn't had chocolate in quite a while, and I have discovered that the only way for me to stop eating chocolate is to run out. haha.
We had P-day, and I don't quite remember what we did, but that night we held a family home evening with Maria Meneguette, who I previously spoke of. She is bed-ridden and can't walk. So we go every week to visit her. It is always good to see her, and she was very happy to have us over. Some members also came and we all ate cake together, and they sang me happy birthday. It was great.
On a mission, it is very easy to feel alone. Especially in another country where nobody speaks you language. Very hard at times. But the most important thing I have learned through it all is that Christ knows exactly what I am feeling, and that we never truly walk alone. The times I am most tired, when I feel like I can't work any more, when my feet hurt from walking, my body hurts from being bitten by misquitos, and my heart hurts longing for home or for someone to accept us and believe what we know to be true, the times I start to really wonder if I really do believe... these are the times when I most think of our Savior, and remember what He did for us. He was hated. He was rejected. He was spit on, smitten, scorned. He suffered every pain, every trial, and He was faithful through it all. He was the best man to ever walk the Earth, and yet he was still rejected. He didn't live one second of his life for himself. He lived it all for others, and suffered every pain we ever would. So when my feet hurt, when I think I can't continue, I remeber Him and what he did. And it gives me strength. Being a missionary is incredibly difficult, but so incredibly worth it. I have rarely felt as close to Him as I often do now.
I have much more to write, but no time. I am sorry, I will try to write more when I can! I love you all so much! Oh, also, I baptized a young man named Guilherme yesterday. What was even cooler was that I actually taught him. In Portuguese. And he understood. And in the end, he chose to be baptized, and he chose me to do it. I was so happy! It was one of the best experiences ever! His mother was our first baptism here, and now his grandmother wants to be baptized too. In three weeks we have had as much sucuess here as they've had in three months. When we work hard, Heavenly Father works through us. I have seen this work change lives, and it is still changing mine.
I am so glad to be here. To have this opportunity. To show Heavenly Father that I really will go and do, and that I really do believe and want to do what is right. And more than anything, to show Him every day by how I live that I really do love Him. This work is incredible. It is incredible to think that Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father love us so much, and are so willing to give us everything.
If we give Heavenly Father all we have, He will gives us all He has. What a blessing.
Before I go, I want to share an awesome scripture Elder J. Lima brought up this morning! I hope you find it as inspiring as I do :)
(English below, I just love the Portuguese so much too I wanted to include it).
"E serei também vossa luz no deserto; e prepararei o caminho a vossa frente, se guardardes meus mandamentos; portanto, se guardardes meus mandamentos, sereis conduzidos à terra da promissão; e sabereis que sois conduzidos por mim" (1 Néfi 17:13).
"And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led" (1 Nephi 17:13).
I love you all! If you have time, emil me and let me know how goes life :) And thanks for the letters Nathalie, Sister Tahauri, and Mitch and Marissa! haha I especially liked the wedding announcement.
All the best!
Elder Viglione
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