22 Sept 2014 Filling Canteens

Dear mom,

This week was so great! We saw our family be confirmed into the church. On the way back, they were holding hands and I could feel the love that´s growing within them! We always love to see them. I´m feeling the love of Christ in my life more than ever! The scriptures have been the best thing ever. I honestly wish I could have those days again when we had to stay in the house because of the games just so I could read the Book of Mormon and Talks from general conference all day!! I´ve never felt so much joy in reading the scriptures, latter-day and past times. I´m sooo grateful for the opportunity to serve. I know we exist; to have joy! I´m filling my canteen too, but this canteen doesn´t empty! This has been one of the most difficult things i´ve done;staying strong through our struggles and challenges. But, it´s through these hardships and difficulties which make us stronger and I believe in this. I always thank the Lord for my troubles because I know I will be strong enough to continue through the next one. That´s exactly how Alma and his people were able to bear their burdens with ease. The Lord didn´t take the load, but strengthened them enough so that the load would be lightened to them. HE did this because they didn´t complain, but thanked the Lord and asked for the forces to persevere. 

I didn´t get them, yet. But if you could send more mike and ikes and other fruity candies to me that´d be great. My recent converts want to taste American candy, apart from the spicy jelly beans I gave them! hahaha

I love you, 

Élder Padilla

On the way back, they were holding hands...

"P-day da zona!"

15 Sept 2014- 3 more members ( One more family!)

Dear mom,

I don´t think it matters what you say now. I cry about every time just because I know how precious this gospel is. I wish I could share some of the experiences I´ve had thus far, but I feel they´re too personal to share. I love you mom. I love you dad. This mission has opened my eyes wider than I could´ve ever imagined. We finally had 3 baptisms! We baptized a family!! We married the parents this Friday and they were baptized with their daughter this Sunday!! They´re golden investigators!! I´m sooo excited for them!!!  I think that we had some good challenges this week, but mostly alright!  

My great friend, Elder Gardner!! from the MTC, finally got his visa!! I´m so happy for him!! 

I started to read my patriarchal blessing again. There was such a strong spirit when I stopped to think about the things it said. I know that the Lord can make us instruments in his hands, but we need to first deliver our hearts to him. We need to be humble and hope for the things which we know will happen. I can´t imagine what kinds of things I´d be doing now if I wasn´t raised so well in the gospel. I know that Heavenly Father has grand blessings for us, but the way we multiply them is through being grateful. I´m so grateful for this opportunity to share my testimony with others. 

Love from Elder Padilla

Before

After

"casamento!" (Wedding)

"FAMÍLIA DE OURO!" (Golden Family)

8 Sept 2014 - Exchanges with the AP's

Dear Mom,

Man! I can´t wait to see that new nephew!      

Yeah I know exactly how josh ALWAYS gets up on time.

This week was better. We had the assistants of the mission do a division with us and it was amazing! We felt the spirit so strongly with them and then taught with such simplicity just as Alma says,  i think... " an my heart delighteth in simplicity" something like that. Our first lesson with a man we saw on the side of a dirt road he was convinced to be baptized! 

We´re preparing  a family to be baptized this Sunday! They´ll be married this Friday and get baptized the Sunday after.

I was fasting this week and I had an odd thing happen. After I closed my fast, I continued on the day without desire to stop to eat or drink. I could still feel the hunger or thirst, but it was as if "my soul was hungering after the salvation of souls"! I think  I read that recently.My desire to help others exceeded that of mine own "mere mortal" needs. 

haha so one of the things we say in the house with the others missionaries is "mero mortal!" and "Pobre Mortal!"...which mean mere mortal and poor mortal!! hahaha  we say this when we find one of the prophets or apostles just finish with the apostasy coming from our investigators in the liahona or scrituras. It´s funny because we do practices of how it really is here and We just finish with the people.

WE had a lesson so spiritual! The investigators closed their eyes at command and thought about God...and we asked if they felt anything. They all said no. I then asked them to do it again. Suddenly all the previous noise outside of the house ceased. I began to speak the words which came to my head. They were simple truths which we all know, but they because very individual and personal in that moment for each person there. The spirit was there so strong and they sat in silence for several moments with their eyes closed. 

When we asked again, all three of them said they felt the spirit super strong!

Then we had a lesson with two young adults. we asked them if Jesus was here to give them anything, what would they ask for?

One asked for a hug. Without hesitation, knowing this is the first time I´ve ever seen these people, I stretched forth my arms and offered a hug. He accepted..hahaha.

The second, a little more anxious, ask for the legalization of marijuana. Yeah...didn´t pray for that one, but...hahaha it was super funny.

I love you all,

Elder Padilla

"finally found a donut-thing-ish!"

"Check out this sweet bar I found!"

"Just doing some tracting."

1 Sept 2014 Burn baby Burn...

Dear Mom,

That´s so great that everybody´s well! So lucky! I hope I can travel around to my grandchildren like this when I´m...less young..haha. That´s good to hear from/about Kirk. Yeah I´d say that our church is really hot too, but everyone is used to it. However, we do have really good air conditioning units only for sacrament chapel and the bishop´s office. Yeah that happened to an Elder in the São Paulo Temple when I was there. I watched him put them down and then I remembered that they were his...haha It was sooo funny.. This big Brazilian picked up the skinniest and Tallest and tried to put him down to reach it!! 

Wow. I´m such a crybaby. When I read that last part about sons of thunder and your dream I just broke down. It was kind of like when you see a car hit a fire hydrant in a movie and it just spits out water really fast. It was almost like that..haha. speaking of fire coming down on houses, I met an elder who served in the states for a bit and him and his companion washed theirs garments and other clothes in a laundry mat. When they got back their garments were hanging in the windows for everyone to see. They asked the owner to take them down and he wouldn´t. They called the President of their mission and Still he wouldn´t take them down. So he grabbed them and as they left the president "shook the dust off his feet". The next day the who building burned down. The Elder said it was caused by an "electrical fire". BOOM! PRIESTHOOD!

Yeah so this week we received some more words of strong dislike from other people. Sometimes I just wish I couldn´t understand them because of how rude they are or the vulgar things they say. But i know that Jesus Christ already received these same insults and much more so that he could be there on the path right next to us. We started a marriage for a couple this week!! Did some other things like carving a honeydew lantern. Had a division too! I´m trying to do my best here on the mission! I love you all! Congratulations Jessie and Dallin! Welcome Hazen! Get ´em Joshie bear!

Love Elder Padilla

"Elder Da Hora and Padilla"

Apparently these belong to the top police in Brazil...they ride with huge gunners on the back!"