May 9, 2011

well hey there. well i just talked to you guys last night ha. it was awesome though and i really love you all and thanks so much for being so great. tell dad i love him. thanks for all the support and letters and packages. your package when i got it it had been ripped open i think because of the long journey and they wrapped it in a plastic bag so everything was in it. and i havent tried the deodorant yet but it smellls just like the other stuff so im sure it will be fine. thanks a ton.

and it was funny thinking that this is my last call home and then everything will be back and ill be home and my mission is over. i am a bit sad becasue it really does go so fast ive always said that and i just dont want it to end. its like i know it needs to end and i want to do other things in my life but the missionary life is such a blessing and an honor. like baptising nadia was just such a blessing like you said. its just happiness and the love of god. sometimes i just think about all my blessings and say a prayer of thanks and i always feel the spirit so strong and the love of the savior around me. its great. you should do that every once in a while if you already dont, a prayer of thanksgiving only.

i have thought about your family and my friends and how i could introduce and teach them the gospel. its a bit hard especially when its someone close to you and you dont want to push them away or offend them but with prayer and the lords help anything is possible:)

lets see things that are new that i didnt talk about. we passed this less active kid who is like 25 or so and it made me really sad. he used to be really strong in the church and had a miracle happen when he was baptised. he went on mini missions with the elders and was really strong. then satan was working on him i just thought of this but it was probably because he was thinking about serving a mission. thats just my thought. but he started not going to church and drinking,smoking and just completely left the church and yesterday he told me he doesnt even believe in god. only when its convenient. it honestly made me sad inside and it broke my heart. i just bore testimony and invited him to read only a verse in the book of mormon everyday. he said he would try. i just dont know he went way off. the prophets always said the hardest temptation for the rising generation in these last days is the law of chastity. here and i think all over europe its terrible.... but we are not going to give up on him. i think his tesimony is sitting there its just been smothered and we want to try to re ignite it.

also we knocked into this really nice guy named joaquin. we had a lesson with him and he liked it and said he would read and pray abou the book of mormon. we had another appointment with him just like 20 minutes ago but he wasnt there so im hoping he just forgot and he is still gold. he is divorced and has two kids. joana who is 6 and vasco who is 4. they are really cute and fun kids and joana loves saints and makes her dad go to church. so hopefully we can switch that passion over to the true church and then we will be in business. but they are great and i have a lot of hope for them. in our lesson it was the first time he had held a bible in his hands which was amazing. hes been part of a catholic church all his life and that was the first time he held a bible in his hands. dont you think a true church would use the words of the lord and savior a little more effectively. wow that made me laugh. anyways thats about all we have going. we have some other potentials and fatima is still going strong she just needs a new job. but we are helping her out.

well have a great day and week and i love you very much. once again happy mothers day yesterday. and i will talk to you next week. ~

love
elder abreu