Elder Jonathan Engle 01/19/2015 The other day.

The other day.

Dear People of Earth,

The other day, Elder Gomes and I spoke with a very kind woman. While conversing, I had to answer our cell phone. When I finished, their conversation was already over. I was so happy to talk with such a good person that I became very gullable. Elder Gomes said that she´s Bill Gate´s cousin. I was skeptical. I didn´t fully accept or reject the idea. I was very skeptical. How could Bill Gate´s have a cousin so kind and yet so poor here in the Northeast of Bazil!? Then I reasoned, I had heard stories that Bill Gates doesn´t even pay allowance to his children, so maybe he abandoned his cousin here. Then I realized how gullable I was... Elder Gomes is persuasive...

Anyway... This week I felt many trials falling upon me. In the midst of these specific challenges, the lyrics from the second verse of How Firm a Foundation really hit it home for me.

"In ev'ry condition--in sickness, in health,

In poverty's vale or abounding in wealth,

At home or abroad, on the land or the sea--

As thy days may demand, as thy days may demand,

As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be."

I know that it is Jesus Christ who succors us. In the midst of my personal challenges, it is He, the living Savior and Redeemer of all whom succors me individually, so much for me as for each and every one of you. He lives. This is our message. He lives and His Church lives as well. Come and see.

With Love,

Elder Engle

P.S. This is just a picture of me on our street. I´m still losing weight, so I´m really skinny.

Elder Jonathan Engle 01/12/2015 Transfers!

Transfers!

Dear People of Earth,

As today is transfers, and therefore craziness, this shall be a brief email. We went to an interior city this week called Floriano. It´s one of the most beautiful cities I´ve seen yet and was a wonderful experience, as this incredibly manly photo shows. I continue to be thinner and thinner, ranking in at a good 150 pounds. I don´t think I weighed in at 150 since the 6th grade....

One brief passage I would like to call to everyone´s attention is an inspired question from the 7th chapter of Moroni.

 27 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceasedbecause Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down onthe right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercywhich he hath upon the children of men?

I answer that no, miracles have not ceased among us. It´s our faith that limits their occurance. Let this light fill the earth until every son and daughter of God, our fellow brothers and sisters have come to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ that they might be more fully accountable before our Glorious God is my humble desire, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Love,

Elder Engle

Elder Jonathan Engle 01/05/2015 Happy New Year... Elder!

Happy New Year... Elder!

Dear People of Earth,

I found great humor when so many people asked us what we did for New Year. I replied to everyone, "I slept great!" It was great for me, but there were a lot of cheap fireworks being fired and lots of Funk music played, so I was glad to sleep.

We haven´t worked in our area for two weeks. This last week we had a Leadership Meeting, lots of planning and then we gave a Zone Meeting to the zone Teresina Horto. It was an awesome experience because it was so rushed, yet everything worked out as the Lord made it all happen. I´ve been a bit under the weather, and being sick, I was still able to do everything necessary. The Spirit trully fills my mouth in all things and always points me in the right direction, as I listen anyway. What a great pleasure to serve as a warrior in the Lord´s army of missionaries.

I´d like to emphasize to everyone the importance of being anxiously engaged in a good cause. There´s no good thing in "All is well in Zion". On the contrary, we must always be anxious in hastening the Lord´s work and building His kingdom on the Earth. He´s coming, but we are who shall prepare the way for Him.

Remember well His great invite to us:

26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

 27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

 28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.

 29 But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned.

 30 Who am I that made man, saith the Lord, that will hold him guiltless that obeys not my commandments?

 31 Who am I, saith the Lord, that have promised and have not fulfilled?

 32 I command and men obey not; I revoke and they receive not the blessing.

 33 Then they say in their hearts: This is not the work of the Lord, for his promises are not fulfilled. But wo unto such, for their reward lurketh beneath, and not from above.

Love,

Elder Engle

Elder Jonathan Engle 12/22/2014 Feliz Natal Gente!

 Feliz Natal Gente!

Dear People of Earth,

As we enter the Christmas week, it´s incredible to recognize how quickly time has passed. It seems as if yesterday I was arriving in Brazil. I´m already here nearly 9 months and I´ve been very blessed here by the Lord. It´s humbling to labor in His vineyard. It has to be humbling, because there´s no room for pride. When we decide to be prideful, we decide to stop progressing.

As I´ve mentioned in the past, we´ve been singing quite a bit as a missionary choir here in Teresina, Piauí, Brasil. This past Sunday we sang in a retirement home, which was very nostalgic of when I did a weekly service in a retirement home in New Mexico. I have great respect for the caretakers in these homes. Your work is to serve when in these positions.

There´s always quite a bit floating in my head, but I´ve come to learn a lot about consecrating your life to God. It´s a constant, taxing effort that is necessary for our salvation. Here, everyone has quotes like "Only Jesus Saves" or "God is faithful" on their cars and motorcycles, yet few people have trully come to know on a more intimate level who He really is. What a better life it is to live if we seek this out every day.

Christmas is without a doubt my favorite holiday. In spite of not having the usual Christmas flair, I´m happy. Happiness isn´t a question of location or status but of the heart and with God. I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas season with your families and friends, that everyone is conducted in safety to their locations and blessed with a stronger testimony that Jesus is the Christ.

Love,

Elder Engle

P.S. Don´t hestitate to write an email to an Elder in a distant hot land such as... the North-east of Brazil ;)

Foto #1: Elder Waltenberg found an altar of sacrifice on the way to lunch in the middle of nowhere.

Foto #2: On the left is a member that does goes on divisions with us a lot, Sebastion. On the right is Kall Magno, who left this week for Argentina.

Foto #3: I took this photo with Sister Neide, who helps Sister siedschlag with everything here in Teresina. We´re good buddies.