Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Elder Jonathan Engle 07/06/2015 Bela Sião Celestial!

Bela Sião Celestial!



Dear People of Earth,
We have a member in our group that´s very funny. She´s our Relief Society President. Her name is Sister Anthony. She´s a very aggressive and hilarious persona. She was doing a deep cleaning of the Church with her daughter and niece. She was complaining about problems in her family life in a very funny way when she said, "I always wanted to be a man, but the Lord didn´t let me. I wouldn´t have these problems if I were the man in this relationship!" It doesn´t help that she already has a deep manly voice.
This week there was a huge rain surge from nothing. We entered a hair salon to teach an investigator family when the tempest blew open the doors, flooding with rain. As the storm raged, I saw that our investigators were very non-believing. They were really stubborn. I was on an exchange with a new missionary that had arrived a week or two ago. He said he was very confused by what the man was saying and didn´t know what to say. I was talking with our leadership on the phone. The moment I disconnected, everything clicked in my head, lining up perfectly. I tried teach him with a calm conversation, but he was a very stubborn nonbeliever. I felt all my spiritual preparation from my studies that day come flooding to the surface and preached with great power. In spite of the great storm about us, as I testified of the Restoration, it was as if time stopped for us. My companion later said that he thought his Missionary Tag was burning, but it was the spirit within his chest. He´d never felt the spirit so strongly before. I had never taught the restoration before quite like that and was a great testimony of the truth of this work.
Never doubt. There´s no reason to. This work is true and that´s all there is to it. Dare to be Mormon.
Love,
Elder Engle

Elder Jonathan Engle 06/22/2015 Photos from Elder Engle

Photos from Elder Engle



Dear People of Earth,

Here´s some photos that I was able to grab from Elder Riquelme of our recent baptisms.

The  photo with a bunch of people was the baptism of six people, but we only have three good baptism jumpsuits.

Love,
Elder Engle




Elder Jonathan Engle 06/22/2015 The Last of the Americans...

The Last of the Americans...



Dear People of Earth,

It now being my last transfer. When my group goes home, there will be very few Americans remaining here in the Mission, being dominated almost entirely by missionaries from São Paulo. It appears, although isn´t 100% confirmed, that I´ll finish my mission in Santa Ines with Elder Walker, which is a great blessing indeed. Yesterday we baptized a family of six people that are very well prepared. It´s amazing how the people being baptized here are so strong already. It´s as if they´re powdered members, just add water.

This Sunday we had to maintain our frequency of at least 36. When I counted, we had 35. I prayed that the Lord could send someone to make our goal, when I remembered our neighbor Felizarda. We invited her to our meeting and she came, but when she entered, it was in the middle of a talk and yelled, "Hello everybody!" Everybody was startled, even Elder Gouvea who was talking was very startled. It was funny, although a bit sad, interrupting a bit of the meeting´s spirit, but she was really happy to participate. She´s going through cancer treatments and needs a new beginning in life. Now she´s found the right place for it.

Love,
Elder Engle

Elder Jonathan Engle 06/15/2015 Uma Meeting Especial

Uma Meeting Especial



Dear People of Earth,

Yesterday we had the baptism of Nayra and Roberio. It was a powerful meeting and they´re absolutely amazing. Nayra´s already given us many references and she fills out the pamphlets we give her full of scriptures that she´s studied. Roberio bore his testimony of the restoration in our last Fast and Testimony Meeting. Now they´ll be working hard as we grow here. This week we have the baptism of Luiz e Maria. We´re really excited because yesterday in church he brought himself, his wife and 9 others! We´re hoping to baptize his whole family this week. The Lord´s accelerating His work here in ways we´ve never imagined. A less active member in a neighboring city heard that the church is here in Santa Inês. He prayed asking how to know where to find the church and felt to get on a Motorcycle Taxi. He went searching in the city for an hour and a half before he found the church. I don´t want to imagine how expensive that must have been, but he will also be a great leader here and help with the growth of our Father´s kingdom here.

On a funnier note, many of the Brazilians here have given my companion the nickname "Cow drool" because when he´s thinking about other things it´s like he´s mentally drooling. My nickname basically means "Cat Face", because many people think that I act like a cat... The funny thing is, it also makes a Brazilian pun, because the word "cat" in Portuguêse is also slang for sexy... Anyway, everything´s great here as we continue in this gracious work.

I´ll try and send photos from the baptismal service from yesterday next week.

Love,
Elder Engle

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Elder Jonathan Engle 06/09/2015 Itinerary Nada!

Itinerary Nada!



Dear People of Earth,
I received my travel itinerary but I´m ignoring that. This last Sunday we had a frequency of 36 in the sacrament meeting. It was incredible as various investigators (principally the men) went to the front to bear their testimony of the Restoration. It was an inspiring meeting as the Lord shared His sweet spirit with us. Yesterday night we had a family home evening in an investigator´s home. We got them really excited about the meeting and there were 21 people there, 17 of which are investigators. Almost all of them accepted baptism. The Lord is accelerating His work and doing a marvellous work here indeed. All we need to is believe.
I doubt any of you have done a move without vehicular help, but yesterday we had to move from our new home back to the church. It was our second move in two weeks. We carried everything walking including our fridge, cabinets, etc. Wow am I sore! What a priviledge it is to work hard in the service of the Lord. Many people have never worked a day in their lives. We have the priviledge to serve our Almighty God all day, every day.
Love,
Elder Engle

Elder Jonathan Engle 06/01/2015 Only in Brazil...

Only in Brazil...



Dear People of Earth,

The theme for this week´s email is: Only in Brazil...

Experience #1: We were walking quickly on the main avenue when we passed in front of a sound system shop. They hitched up on a trailer a massive sound system blasting a music about dancing like a praying mantis. As we passed, it was the only thing we could here. Various people around us were dancing to the music, including the people who were passing. It felt like I stepped into a Northeastern Brazil Musical.

Experience #2: On our way to the LAN House today an investigator stopped us in the street and showed us all the scriptures she marked in her Book of Mormon that we gave her on Saturday. She has a very strong testimony already and is doing missionary work with her friends. Her testimony was very convincing. This is a land of miracles.

Only in Brazil... shall be continued in the future as I have more time.

Love,
Elder Engle