7/28/25 - Zone Conferance, Transfers, Monkeys, and Suprise Baptism!?!?

Happy P-Day!! And welcome to those who are new on the email list (missionaries of the DHS 2024 class)!!

This weeks been pretty crazy as you can see from the title, so let's get into it.

On Thursday we had our Zone Conferance! They did Zone conferance a little different this time having the ZL's give the training and most of it was a practice of how to invite people to church and how to invite to be baptized. It was really cool to get a good practice in. And it was amazing to see friends in the mission, especially those who are going home!

On Wednesday I saw monkeys for the first time!! We were working with one of the youth in the ward near a more jungle area, and he said that at times a group of monkeys hang around that area. And they got there right on time! There was about 10 little monkeys there. We got to feed them little biscuits and I got to touch one! But I didn't get to hold it. One of the monkeys is more social than the others his name is Kevin.

So, Earlier the same day we saw the monkeys, I had traded my full jar of coins for paper money and I left the empty jar at the church since it was easier than going back to the house. On the way home that night it was getting pretty late and I was trying to decide if we should grab the jar from the church or just go back the next day and get it. We decided to go by the church. Sitting out front was the Bishop, and when we got closer he said, "Oh Elders Daví decided he wants to get baptized." Daví is a young man who's been going to Seminary for about 3 months with his friends, one of which is a member. So we talked to Daví and marked for Sunday! So, we make to talk with him once a day till Domingo.Thursday we taught the Plan of Salvation, Friday we got his mom's signature and did a practice interview, Saturday was the interview and he passed, and Sunday he was baptized!!

Yesterday we got the transfer email. Actually we didn't receive an email so me and Elder Lima (now Elder Ramildo cause there's too many Elder Limas in the mission) are staying together here in Assunção! We got permission to go to transfers anyway to say goodbye to those going home. This time whas extra hard cause my first trainer, my dad, Elder Beaumont is going home. We got to spend the P-day in a division together visiting a recent convert, Edilena, we baptized together in my first transfer, so we really got to hang out and talk again before he went home. So if any of you are in West Jordan, Utah August 10th, you should go to his homecoming (for more information send me a message). It was really cool to actually understand her! She made creme de cupuaçu and bought a cake for us. She is such an awesome lady!

This week I studied the "O Youth of the Noble Birthright" by Bradley R Wilcox. It is such a great talk! He talks about the people of God, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, are people chosen by God to help other people. It explains exactly why we live differently than "normal" people. God has put his trust in us to be his crew members on this cruise ship of life. We're here to help, serve, and support others on this journey. With this extra responsibility comes compensation, extra blessings and the power of Jesus Christ to carry these extra responsibilities. I invite you to give it a read. That talk realy does have power.

Have a good week!

Elder Bliss

7/21/25 - Divisão

Happy Monday!

This week I did a division with the ZL, old comp, Elder Atkinson! I've finally stepped foot in Diadema(the hood)!  It's kinda crazy there. It was great to be able to hang out with him, talk about old times, and eat pizza!  

On Friday there was an activity with the YSA of the stake. It went pretty well and the host's inactive brother and the brothers nonmember wife were there so we got to sit for a little bit and teach them!   

Other than that, this weeks been pretty normal. Sooo...

God and Jesus love you and know you by name and they have a plan for your life. Trust in Them and His plan and Think Celestial! You'll make it through this. You've got this, because Jesus Christ has got you!

Happy new week!

Elder Bliss

Here's the google photos!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EQG3K68BLWXZWLEz8

7/14/25 - This is the strangest thing I've ever Done!! -Flynn Ryder

Happy Monday everyone!

My bad for not writing an email last week, life's gotten pretty busy here.

Happy 4th of July last week!!🇺🇸🦅🔫🎇🇺🇸

On the 4th of July I went to my first Festa Junina, which is basically a Brazilian harvest party. It was super fun and there was a bunch of good food! And as the 4th of July I taught a bunch of people how to say "God bless America" and took a video of it! (Shameless google photos plug: https://photos.app.goo.gl/EQG3K68BLWXZWLEz8)  This was a pretty fun 4th of July even though there were no fireworks or guns🔫.

Now this week

Remember the part in the movie Tangled where Flynn Ryder is swordfighting Maximus (the horse) with a frying pan? He said the quote above.  It fits pretty well to how this week went.  

So, on Wednesday we had a really great day and we had a bunch of unplanned lessons and by the end of the day where we had to start walking home, I wanted to do more visits but we just have time.  We were walking home when this guy, his brother, and his mom start walking near us going the same direction.  But they were dragging a washing machine from the hose, just like you'd walk a dog!! So like the good missionaries we try to be, we asked if we could help. They said they were good so we just kept walking. Then when our turn came, they turned too and started walking up the hill, so we just hopped in pushing a washing machine up a hill.  We got to where they were going and we talked for a bit, it turns out that the mom is an inactive member! We invited her to the activies at the church and we went our separate ways. 

Then the next day comes with a bit of a story (sorry).  So I don't remember if any of you remember, but a month or so ago in my email I mentioned about an American we found living in São Caetano. So, when I got transferred out two Sisters, who don't speak english, were transferred in. And I'm still the DL here, so I got to figure out how were going to teach this American. So the only english speakers in the district are me, and a Colombian Sister.  So on Thursday I taught the Plan of Salvation to an American with a Sister as my companion. So just Wednesday and Thursday were the strangest things I've ever done!

On Saturday there was an activity of a bunch of religions in São Caetano so all the missionaries in the stake got a chance to go for at least a few hours to help out. I got to see a bunch of my friends from São Caetano!

This really is the true church of God here on earth! Pray and ask God for a testimony of it if don't already have one. And if you do, go share it!!

Ate próxima!!

Elder Bliss

6/30/25 - Messages

Hello everyone! 

I hope you've all had a good week (or at least productive one)!

This week was a little weird.  We're still trying to get to know all the people here which is going kinda slow. And the area book for this area was super unorganized.  In the more than 130 people that we had in the records with having interest, 83 of them didn't even have an address. So, this weekend we spent almost 2 days just sending messages to people organizing the books.  We spent 2 days just sitting down sending messages untill our WhatsApp got blocked for sending spam, haha, then going out and doing street contacts or visiting people. But now our records are more organized and we can see what's actually going on here. 

I can feel that the works starting to pick up here. We've finally got an idea of what's going on, so we can make a plan to help. This week is going to be the best yet here in Assunção!

One thing that I've found out here is that as missionaries, we're always teaching the basics, or the primary answers.  Read the scriptures, pray and go to church.  Because these realy are the thing most important to have faith and to grow our faith.  Someone may have all the scriptural knowledge in the world, but if they don't go to church and pray their faith is going to diminish.  Someone can go to church every Sunday without fail, but if they don't study the scriptures and pray their faith with diminish.  Someone can pray every single day, morning, night, and at every meal, but if they don't read the scriptures or go to church, their faith will diminish. 

Alma 28:30 ...for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.

It is in these primary thing that we grow our faith.  When we do all these things and stay firm, even if it doesn't look like our faith is growing, He will give us more.  When we fail at doing these primary thing, the simple stuff, we move backwards, our faith diminishes. There is no standing still on the covenant path.  There's moving forward and moving backwards.  Choose which way you want to go and stuck with it.  Stay on the covenant path, do the easy things, the primary things, and your faith will grow.

Have an amazing week!

Elder Bliss

Here's the google photo, I'll put pictures of our zone Churrasco with President and Sister Moura here in a bit!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EQG3K68BLWXZWLEz8

6/23/25 - Week 1 in Assunção

 Happy Monday everyone!! I hope everyone has had a great week!

Not a whole lot happened this week.  This Sunday we had stake conference so everyone in the stake got together in one compleatly full chapel. It was kinda crazy.  I got to see a lot of people from São Caetano so it wasn't a whole lot different than the past Sundays that I had there.  Also, to my suprise, Lucas was invited to share his testimony in front of the whole stake! Even after just one week of being a member.  It was so cool to see him again and it looked like something in him had changed.  After his baptism he looks like a New person, and it is soo cool to see that light of Christ that has grown in him!

I hope you all have a great week! Go Sha the light of Christ that you have!

Elder Bliss

Google Photos:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EQG3K68BLWXZWLEz8

6/17/25 - Baptism and transfers!

Sorry for not sending an email yesterday, my P-Day was moved again. It was moved because of transfers! But you'll have to wait for that news for a second.

 

Lucas was baptized on Sunday!!  It was truly a super special moment!  He really was so ready to accept the gospel in his life.  A few days before his baptism, we asked him if he had prayed about Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and the church to see if they were true.  In the moment he said no, so we invited him to do so.  The next day he sent us an audio message saying that he knows Joseph Smith was a prophet, the Book of Mórmon is true and that the church is true!  Over the last few weeks it really has been amazing to see him learn and grow a testimony! Then Monday we went to visit him just in case we left and we gave him an English book of Mormon with a little message from us both in the front.  He said it was worth more than gold to him!!

We had transfers today because there's was so many missionaries going home. There was a over 20 missionaries going home and there wasn't a place for them to stay Monday night so they just moved transfers. Speaking of which, I left São Caetano.  I'm going to Assunção which is in the same district and I'm staying district leader. And I'm training!! He gets to the field on Wednesday, so he's going to be fresh out of the MTC! His name's Elder Lima so at least he'll speak Português.  But I super excited (and super nervous) about being able to train!

Jacob 7:5

And he had hope to shake me from the faith, notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me. And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very word, from time to time; wherefore, I could not be shaken.

When we remember the spiritual experiences we've had nothing can shake us from the faith!! Remember your experiences with the spirit, write them down and continue to have these special experiences and your testimony will grow so fast!!

Have a good week!

Elder Bliss 

Here's the google photos(here in a bit I'll a picture of my new comp!)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EQG3K68BLWXZWLEz8m

6/9/25 - Zone Conferance and Temple P-Day!!

My bad for not writing last week, I had a good reason.  Last week my P-Day was moved to Tuesday and my district got to go to the Temple so we had a pretty busy day!!  

There was a lot that happened these last two week so lets get started!

We had Zone Conferance Teusday of last week!  It was so cool to see so many missionaries I know.  Especialy some that are going home soon.  Speaking of which, next week is already transfers so we'll see if I stay here in Sao Caetano or if I leave! We'll also be loosing Elder Hild who got here to Sao Caetano with me, he's headed home in just about a week.  At Zone conferance we got to see examples of the zone leaders teaching all the lessons. It was really cool to get other ideas of how to teach from those who have a lot more time and experiance.

The week before last we got news that a Sister in our District would be going home. She had some problems with her knee and was having to go home early. So, on Friday the District got together and we sent Sister Aires off with a proper missionary funeral! That day we also got to meet the new Sister in the District, Sister Santos.  She was serving over in Angola in Africa but had visa problems so she got reassigned to São Paulo Sul while she waits for that to get sorted out.

On Tuesday my District finally got to go to the Temple! The last time I went inside the Temple was in October right after I got to Brazil.  This time I was actually able to understand stuff!  Being in the Temple is such a special experiance,  especialy after so long without it.  I got answers to my prayers that I couldn't have gotten anyother place.  After the Temple we were planning to go to a muesam in São Paulo that has some Van Gough paintings and a lot of really other cool stuff. The muesam is always closed on Monday, but we got there and found out that even though it was open, you have to sign up to get in so we just hung out near there and visited some other cool stuff in the area.

Last Friday, we got to meet up with Gilberto from Vila Luzita (you can find out more about him in really old emails).  He's super cool and made paçoca cake for Elder Hild since he's going home next week.  He invited both companionships in São Caetano and he didn't even know I was here.  It was so amazing to see that he recognized me!  It was so cool to get to meet up with him and talk about old times!  He told me to let him know before i go home so he can make a cake for me!

Some other good news is our area is finally progressing!! The week before last, we found two people who have so much potencial!  Lucas and Angela.  They were both media referencias.  

The first time we were able to get in contact with Angela was the last time we were going to try. we had already tried four times with no success, but when we finally got into contact with her she told us her story. She's been fighting cancer for the last six years.  So in the first contact we were able to give her a priesthood blessing and the spirit was palpable in the room! It was such an amazing experience. She was able to come to church for fast and testimony meeting and she went up and bore her testimony of the two angels who came to her house. It was super sweet! 

When we got in contact with Lucas we gave him a Book of Mormon and invited him to church, he was able to go and also bore his testimony! We had atranged for the president of the Elders quorum to pick up Angela the first Sunday that she went which was also the first Sunday of Lucas.  On their way back to the chapel they saw Lucas walking down the road with Book of Mormon in hand, so the elders quorum president stopped his car and told Lucas to hop in! He really saved our butts that day!  Weve had more lessons with Lucas and his an amazing guy.  He is on date to get baptized next Sunday!  He really wants to help serve in the church.  This morning he sent us a message saying he had a dream about going to the chapel and helping clean.  Even though there wasn't going to be anyone there on a Monday morning he sent us a message that he was already on the way, so we quickly got ready and spent a few hours with him cleaning! I'm so excited for his baptism next week, he's going to make a super strong member of the church!

The spiritual message this week is about the Temple. The Temple really is the house of the Lord here here on Earth. It really is a house of prayer. A house where we can get answers from the Lord.  It's a house of service where we can do the ordinances for our ancestors so they can enter the kingdom of God. My invite this week is to make an effort to try to go to the Temple or prepare yourself to enter soon.  It really is a place where you can get answers to your prayers.

Until next week!

Elder Bliss

Here's the google photos!https://photos.app.goo.gl/EQG3K68BLWXZWLEz8