"All good in the lagoon"

Oi!

De boa na legoa! That is one of my new favorite lines. It's like saying "All good in the hood" but it translates more closely to "All good in the lagoon". (It's pronounced gee-bow-ah-nah-le-go-ah) Portuguese is seriously so much fun. We've been getting closer to conversational in the last couple weeks. I'm finally to the point where I pretty much understand everything and I'm just slow and clumsy at articulating my thoughts using my limited vocabulary but it is so far from where we came. I am farther along after one month than I was after my third year of Spanish. The Lord truly does qualify those whom he has called and blesses them with all things necessary for their success, in my case the gift of tongues. 

So a super highlight of this week was the two firesides we had, one Sunday night and one Tuesday night. The one Sunday night was by the Administrative Director of the MTC and when I heard that I thought cynically to myself "lucky us, another lecture on behavior in the Residence Halls" or whatever but it turned into one of the most profound messages on prayer I've ever heard. He pointed out that as missionaries the whole success of the work hinges on our prayers and the prayers of our investigators. That only through prayer can we receive guidance and the gift of discernment to know their needs and only through prayer can they know of spiritual truths. He used one of my favorite quotes from Preach My Gospel about "either the message of the Restoration is either true or it is not. We can know that it is true by the Holy Ghost... No one can know of spiritual truths without prayer" (pg 39). 

A old friend Elder Jewkes who used to live in Massachusetts.

I want to invite anyone who reads this, whether you believe in the message of the Restoration, whether you believe in a God or not, or whether you have already prayed and either received the feeling of comfort and peace the spirit brings or didn't feel that, I invite you to pray to your Heavenly Father. Thank him for those things you appreciate in your life. Tell him about the things that are hard. Ask him for guidance and for those things you need. Ask him if he's there. I PROMISE that if you ask with real intent to act on the answers you receive, with a sincere heart, desiring to know of the truth, he will manifest it to you because he loves you. I have felt that, I have been guided when I needed it. I testify that Christ lives and that through him we can be cleansed from sin and overcome trials.

We also had an inspiring message from a member of the Seventy on Tuesday night that talked about including members in the missionary effort. He expounded on the story of Amulek, pointing out that Alma sought him by revelation, not just by need to have a member present as a checklist. He pointed out that the way they found was that Amulek acted in FAITH and invited his family to hear and then his extended family and as Alma taught, Amulek was able to relate to the people and help them see how the gospel could relate to their life. As missionaries it can be hard sometimes to relate to our investigators that have more life experience than us but as we invite members that can relate to them and share experiences and their conversion we can effectively show people rather than just telling them how the gospel can change their life. 

Life at the MTC is also super fun. I have a friend in another district that will be my companion next week because his district and companions are all leaving for the field but he has to stay an extra week because he is going to Canada to speak Portuguese and so he has studied the continental dialect but now I have to help him learn the Brazilian dialect. It will be way fun because he is hilarious. Every time I see him he comes up with a new acronym for DP - Dancing Pony, Dangerous Pterodactyl, Doctor Pepper, Daily Planner, Dill Pickle, Dangerous Pope, Dude Perfect, Diving Pelican - the list goes on. He also enjoys random trust falls so the other day we finished the spiritual thought in his room and I heard from above me "Well, lets see how this goes- Trust fall" and I look up and he is cascading into my unprepared arms. Fortunately I caught him but it was quite the event. 

Gym time is super fun too. The other day I was playing basketball with one elder on Scholarship for D-II ball, another that is walking on and was good enough to do it, and another elder that's playing football for Harvard when he comes back. We also played some awesome sweet volleyball the other day. It's always nice to get out after a long day of studying.

I love you all, seek truth, stay strong to the truth you already know, act in faith and all will work for your benefit.

Ate a semana que vem! (Until next week)

~Elder Adam Della-Piana