Maybe ill even extend my mission?

Hey mom! Great to hear from ya. This week was great!! I have no doubt that God is a God of Miracles.. So this month we have been working sooo hard to show Heavenly Father that we are ready to receive a temple. And there is no better way than showing this than baptising :D.. Last week, that man that came into the church was prepared by the Lord to be baptised. We taught him everyday last week, the first 2 nights were GREAT! Then... the third night we came and hes like, Elders.. I dont want to prepare to be baptised anymore. We got super depressed, and marked a chapter for him in the Book of Mormon, Went back the next day, and taught a message super spiritual! And invited him again to be baptised on Saturday! And he accepted and was BAPTISED!! Wow, The Lord was really trying to prove are spiritual strength. He received the holy ghost and was confirmed yesterday, and received a bunch of books of the church to study :D it was great. Because he has nothing (at all) So now he just reads the church books everyday. Elder Rodriguez took pics on his camera, was a great experience.

Ive been learning a lot lately about patience, But not Physical patience, Spiritual. I know that having faith in the Lord he can do all things. Keep the commandments, be humble and ´patient, And boom the blessings fall from the Heavens like our baptism Marcos. And we didnt give up. We knew he would be baptised on Saturday, He just had to feel what we felt.

Man, Every time you say Temple, I just get a sick feeling in my stomach.. I miss it sooo much!  And when President Monson announces the Temple Of Belém in this Conference, im going to jump off the bench and scccream!! Go ahead and book me in for some temple sessions.

Thats great that you were called 1st counselor! More work huh? :D Sounds like Justin is working hard to complete Boy Scouts! haha, He´ll be the first one to get his Eagle.....

Thats crazy that Reo and I will be coming home on the same day!! Are you positive?? That would be awesome!! AHHH CRAZINESS!!! I should get my flight plans one of these weeks. Maybe ill even extend my mission?? Who knows? Im flexable because my visa took so long to come in :D

I love you mom! Ill start my other email with you!
Elder Arroyo

We are only instruments in God's hands.

Man... I just got one word to say... CARNIVAL..!! My innocent eyes and ears have been damaged for forever.. ha.. I dont know where this holiday came from.. But everyone comes to Outeiro to celebrate. The Brasilians have no shame at all... But all this means Mardi Gras for yall huh? I bet yall are having a great time counting your beads.. Our new house is close to the beach, there are parties all night long, and the music is so loud... This morning we went running early like usual, and wow... So much trash on the beach and sidewalks... But im definitely going to buy a Carnival shirt :) theyre kinda cool.

  But on a good note! Yesterday at church a man, walked in like he owned the place. And he wanted to talk to everyone, then we finally got our chance to talk to him, and he wanted to be baptised yesterday. But were like no man.. you gotta wait at least 1 or 2 weeks.. This guy is sooo awesome! We have found a whole bunch of New investigators this past week.. But no one is married!! They just live together.. Everyone knows that it is a sin to do this, Its just so normal for them that it doesnt appear to be bad anymore.

 Yesterday The Branch President called me to speak in Sacrament again. this would be my third time ha.. I was like ok, I accept, And 3 minutes later I went up to Elder Rodriguez and was like, Dude... President called you to speak in Sacrament. He went up there and man.. No body understood what he was saying.. I swear that when he gets nervous, he speaks spanish thinking hes speaking in portuguese.. But he did a great job. :D I received one more companionship in my district!! woo!! Elder Critchfield and Elder De Oliveria. Which makes a total of 4 companionships in my District!! WOO!! that is a huge district for this mission. I think I have the biggest district.

I know that the Lord is preparing his children for our messages. We are only instruments in Gods hands. Without him, im nothing, and with him im everything. We just need to be humble enough to let him move us, and make us a better person.
Elder Arroyo

Im...Brasilian...Paráense.

Hey mom! Another week here in the mission.. So TRANSFERSSSS!! I know, I didnt even know it was coming up! But Me and Elder Rodriguez are staying here, And im staying as District Leader. Thank Goodness! I have been switching companions like crazy lately! My District will change up a little Sister Costa is being transferred and ill receive Sister Welch, from New Jersey I think. And as well, Ill receive Elder Inacio!! WOO!! haha, its going to be a fun transfer.
  Its been raining a lot lately, and I forgot what cold is, cause im wearing a long sleeve shirt today.... haha...Im...Brasilian...Paráense..Im super happy that im staying here in Outeiro, This transfer will only be 5 weeks. And after this transfer ill only have 2 more.... Theyre buying my plane tickets as we speak..Crazy.. My arm is a lot better, still cant do push ups yet.. but were still running farther and farther every other day. Im getting in really good shape. Ive been eating lots of fruits and granola. And of course rice and beans for lunch :).
  There is a temple trip for our stake coming up, and everyone is going crazy about family history! We are trying to get as many names as possible. Family History is really difficult here... Because after youre grandparents it just goes to indians for a lot of people..
  Today we decided to stay here on the island to use the internet..man, never again will we do this. It took us like 2 hours to find a cyber, and when we found it it was full.., and it was already noon so everything closes until about 3 or 4 in the afternoon.. Very stressful! But I drank some good ole açai and made a hot dog.. And gave a good clean in our apartment..
  Alem than this nothing has really changed this week. Probably has but, I forget :) sorry.
Thanks a ton for the fotos, if you have any more of anyone from the ward, would love them. Or Anyone at all :D
Love you mom!
Elder Arroyo

if we all work hard and pray every second...

Woo, Ive got a super huge headache.. And this sun is not helping at all.. This week, wasnt soo good work wise, but we are going to step it up this week, to get some more baptisms in. Were working a lot with the less actives and as well the inactives.. Were are faulting little to turn this branch into a ward!! And finally get a church building here in Outeiro!
 It feels like people are receiving the priesthood every week here. So yea, about the temple trip, I think the people that we saw only have this temple trip once a year or every 2 years, I dont really know. But the people that actually go on the temple trip lots havnt gone to the temple in years or never been before cause its so far away.. And going of boat is the cheapest way.. Very long and uncomfortable but cheap. And President Campos wanted to help them all he could because he was inspired that in his time as President that there will be a temple announced here in Belem in the next conference. As Long as were working and praying for it. Because the temple of Recife is just way too far away.. And its hard for the people to get the money and `time` to go.
 Yesterday, I put in practice the advice that I sent to sister Moore. Contacts.. I was sent to Paracuri ward (sisters in my district) to invite everyone I saw on the streets into the church to see how it is. Its great to have a church building in your area, because theyre sooo beautiful.. Everyone thinks they are just soo huge wonders here. So it made it more easier to make contacts in front of the church. Man,. I would be talking with one guy, and right when I finish with him yell at another guy thats riding by on a bike, Running along people that dont want to hear anything about anything... It was a great experience, and we got a lot of contacts out of it. My arm starting to hurt again for the amount of handshaking I was doing.
But its doing a lot better, I can bend it better. And yea, The 2 pairs of shoes came, I have them both. Im doing fine. Just trying to finish my works here in Outeiro. I really want the branch to turn into a ward with my time here, It would be awesome! Keep it in your prayers And fasts.
I know the church is true. That the Book of Mormon is the word of God. That Thomas S. Monson is the living prophet of today. And that if we all work hard and pray every second, that he will feel inspired to announce the Temple Of Belém in the April Conference.
Thanks for the Email mom!
Love,
Elder Arroyo