Hi

Oi pessoas ! Tudo Bem ! I miss you all so much and I'm can't help but think of how lucky I am to have you all in my life. This week has been FILLED with amazing experiences. So, first we had the consulate general of Angola come to our classroom to kind of see what's going on here. He's in charge of Visa's and things like that down in Angola so it helps out the missionaries going to Mozambique with their visa's. It was scary getting ready for him since we were representing the whole MTC but he was so nice and we had all practiced our lines of Portuguese before haha. Next, I gave my first blessing on Wednesday which was the most amazing thing. I was pretty nervous when she asked me to do it but, when I was finished with the prayer I couldn't believe what just happened. I don't even remember everything I said but the way I felt was something that will NEVER leave me and that is an amazing feeling. I could literally...literally feel the Spirit come over us and guiding my words and for those couple of minutes I felt a little of Our Heavenly Father's love for all of us but for her. I hope that made sense ha. I wish I could describe how it is to be here at the MTC to y'all who haven't been but it's that great. I don't mean to make you feel like your missing out but you're missing out ! We had an activity where we would teach our companions (In Portuguese of course) but really try to focus on not teaching lessons but teaching people. And my companion shared a scripture with me that almost made me freaking cry because i don't know it felt like that scripture was written for me. Corny I know but good news....I didn't cry because I'm a G. Anywaysssssssss, my professors are the greatest. They're not G's though because they cry sometimes but hey that's okay. We got a ping pong net, ball, and paddles so we stayed up playing ping pong last night since today is our P-Day. I got 3rd but it's okay I've been practicing. But to close and wrap it up, we had a speaker on Sunday named Chad Lewis who played for BYU and 8 or 9 years on the Eagles it think...i can't remember how many years but that's not important. His message to us was to let our lights shine. Too many times we pass up opportunities to open our mouths or show what we are about. But, we have a great message to share that brings true happiness. We're children of God, meaning we have potential and light and goodness that we can't even comprehend. Let your light shine, and that might mean something different for everybody but whatever that means to you, do it and let your light shine. I miss you all and I love you all so much. I'm praying for you everyday so I hope the blessings are just pouring out onto you all. I'm looking forward to seeing what you all have to say next week ! Until then ! Eu Amo Voces !

- Elder Decker

MTC VIP Visit

Attached is the picture with the Angola Consul General who recently visited the MTC and your district. We hope you enjoyed the visit.

Heather Petersen

Operations Secretary

Missionary Training Center

801-422-9227

petersenhe@mtc.byu.edu

Some of my thoughts in one paragraph Ha

> Oi ! People of the outside world ! haha I love reading all of you're e-mail's, its great. Still having a blast hear at the MTC of course. My district started this thing, we're like Mount Olympus and I'm our District Leader's(Elder Boyd aka Zeus) right hand man so I'm Hermes haha lame I know but we're getting like headbands and other stuff. But it's top secret so shhhhh. Probably shouldn't have told y'all that but it's OK i think. I'm still getting used to this being with an elder 24/7. No worries though, my Heavenly Father but me people I can live with. Except for this one Elder who's not in my district and he smells so bad it's insane ! That's my new favorite word by the way, Insane, I've been using it a lot and I don't know but. And I don't know why I'm telling you this. ANYWAYS, I'm learning a lot on how to invite others to come unto Christ. My new investigator's name is Nelson and it's weird because it's just my teacher with a fake name and he used to teach the guy he's pretending to be but, if you make it seem real then it feels real. Like my companion and I pray for him and we know about his personal life and family life and it's just awesome. The language is coming pretty well, I asked my teacher for extra help and he said I don't need it. I know thank you right ? But, it's so cool being able to speak a language. Especially when you're teaching and words that you barely know just come to your head and before you know it you're teaching by the Spirit which is the goal. My professores are amazing. One thing Brother Barlow said stuck out to me. It was about the sacrament. And sacrament should not be taken lightly. You're not only renewing your baptismal covenant but every covenant you've ever made. I used to think that sacrament was just another thing we do every week but if you're preparing throughout the week for that sacrament then it can be just as special as our baptism day. The sacrament is a sacred thing. Kay I'm running out of things to say so I should have saved some of those things from last week to say this week ha. One of my favorite quotes that I heard here goes like this, "There's no comfort in a growth zone, and no growth in a comfort zone." And that's so true, church related or not. I remember grandma gave her farewell talk and she mentioned me and said I be a great missionary because my hard work towards basketball will translate to the mission field. I'm been trying to live up to that because I don't want to make her a liar ! OH ! i broke the vertical leap record here ! haha 36.1 ! I need to start doing some squats though because I'm gonna try and break it again so my name stays up there. The MTC is great though, my district is great, my branch presidency is great. My branch president is really strict but, I got to talk to him and he's such a great man, and he's a man of God. Always wanting to please him like we should all be wanting to do the things that please our Heavenly Father. It'll be hard but we can do hard things; We can do all things (Philippians 4:13). I was pretty upset, I went to the bookstore and they didn't have a picture of Christ in the garden -__- WHAT ? No worries though. I get to go to the temple day ! woot woot ! I've grown to love the temple so so much, I might sleep there tonight....Okay so here's my last message before I sign out. Yes I miss you all so much (when I have enough free time to even have time to miss you haha) because I love y'all so much. But, something a speaker here said which made me love the Savior even that much more and added to my love of Him in the Garden of Gethsemane was: Even the Savior, a perfect man, when preparing to atone for all of our sins, had doubts and maybe a little fear or uneasiness. He pretty much asked if there was another way he could go about this. But the words after that might be the most important words ever said by a man...."Not my will, but Thine, be done." And i'll just leave it at that because those words might touch someone in a different way they touched me but, Our Heavenly Father loves you. He wants the absolute best for you and he know's best. His plan for us is perfect and through Jesus Christ we can be truly converted and happy. I love you all back home and I'm praying for y'all every day ! Be safe and I'll talk to you next week.
>
> Love,
>
> Your favorite Lamanite, Elder Decker

momma

Hi momma ! just wanted to say that i love you and i miss you. I'm so grateful for a mother like you. I'm praying for you everyday without fail ! You're doing great, I know Heavenly Father is more than proud of you. I'll be in touch Mae ! 

Love, 

Elder Decker

homie

>

temple day

breakfast

selfie

>

I'm king of the world

2 dead missionaries

name tag

my comp

roomies

First Hello from MTC

Oi Mae! Tudo Bem! It's so good to open up my e-mail and see my inbox full of e-mail's from you, thank you ! I hope everything is well at home because I've been praying for y'all. If not we have a problem. The MTC is great! My companion, Elder Allison, is super chill, fun, smart, hardworking, and just everything I need in a companhero. Our district have 12 missionarios (6 Elders and 4 Sisters) and they are all awesome. We have the largest district because most of us were supposed to be going to Sau Paulo but the Lord wanted us here and each and every day I see why. I've learned to love them for who they are because they continue to help me and be an example to me everyday. Portuguese is actually a lot like espanol in a way but at the same time it's not, but I'm actually catching on pretty well, ALL thanks to my Heavenly Father of course. It was so funny because I was the first missionario to enter the classroom and he only speaks Portuguese to us, so watching everyone else go through the struggle of trying to figure out what he's saying was so funny! The food is okay but it's not really a big deal. They work hard for us to be fed with meals so I'm grateful for that. I got play some basketball twice and it was good to get out and let loose a little bit, especially through basketball (I promised the sisters I'd play volleyball with them today so I have to do that on my P day -_- haha no worries though it'll be fun. My district leader, Elder Boyd, is so so so so so so so amazing it's insane. When he was called to district leader i was kind of like, "Okay he's just in the calling to be in the calling." You know and every single meeting or gym time or lunch time he proves to me that our Branch presidency is called of God and were inspired to call Elder Boyd as our district leader. 

As y'all know, we watched Conference this weekend and I was telling all of the Elders that this was the first time i had watched every single session of conference. I wasn't alone haha but that's a tradition of my own that i'll never forget to do. Words can't describe how grateful I am for our beloved prophets and the inspired words they had to share with all of us. Our classroom teacher told us to go into conference with a few questions we wanted answered and EVERY SINGLE QUESTION I HAD WAS ANSWERED. Here's just a few of my favorite talks:

1. Brother Robins talk and how he told us that God's praise will always be more important than man's praise. We should never ever lower the Lord's standards to justify your behavior. We are and should always be God fearing people because we are accountable to God and no one else. 

2. Just one little thought about Neil L. Andersen's talk when he said you say more about yourself when taking about someone else. And that made me think like okay maybe someone else does deserve to be ridiculed and exposed a little bit but who is ultimately the judge of that. And applying it to myself, Why can't I show a little class and humility and just not say anything at all. Like mama always says, "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all." 

3. Tad R. Callister's talk was amazing, I loved it and I hope y'all had/have the chance to hear it. A couple thought on that: 

Take control of your life and Make The Change. Embrace voluntary, whole heartened, obedience. Again, God's opinion > man's opinion. Accept trials as they come, because they will do nothing but strengthen you. Yes, we are nothing without God but, with Him we can do all things. Do not let the adversary convince you otherwise or try and make you feel unworthy or not good enough. We are all destined for greatness so have confidence, dream, have faith, and believe. 

4.  Eduardo Gavarret said pray for a desire to be better disciples and go out and act. 

5.  Quentin L. Cook said Decisions Determine Destiny just like you would always say to me mom and sorry I was too childish and stubborn to take head to that. 

I also felt like he was talking to me when he said to find a balance of sports, media, and other things but still keeping the important things like church, temple attendance, FHE, and scripture study at the top of the priority list like they should be. 

6.  President Eyring said we need revelation to answer the most important questions throughout our lives and I've already seen God's hand in my life, leading me and answering prayers and inspiring me to act or say something and it's the greatest feeling in the world when you recognize him.

7.   Carol McConkie spoke and said something along the lines of whirlwinds and etc. will come (Tempations of Satan) and it shall have NO power over you and that was amazing to hear, personally. And she's 1000% right, If God is with us, who can beat us ?

8.   M. Russell Ballard gave a great talk and opened my eyes to realize that conversion isn't and shouldn't be a one time thing. We should be trying to constantly come unto christ and be converted. 

Now for the big dogs!  

9.  Jefferey R. Holland spoke directly to me, Serph Decker, at least it felt like. At lunch the elders and I spoke about how in Brazil we're going to see so much poverty and opportunity to serve and Jefferey R. Holland talked just about that. "Are We Not All Beggars?" he said and we are. "Because I have been given much, I too must give." So lift the struggle off of one another, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. 

10.  Of course Thomas S Monson spoke the simple but powerful words of "Be merciful, humble, and peacemakers. 

11. Now my favorite apostle David A. Bednar I got to hear him speak Sunday night also, but y'all didn't hear that because it was just to missionarios haha but he spoke on the Character of Christ. We cannot bring others unto Christ if we ourselves have not. Outward is the goal. always be acting outward, the Savior even in his most trying and difficult times of fasting for 40 days and 40 nights or suffering in the Garden, never acted inward and cared for himself. And if we do that, to act as Christ did and take upon his name, we will be perfected in him. This talked changed my life. At least I feel like it did ha and I hope I can become that missionary through our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. 

I have to go now but thanks to those who wrote me. I love each and every one of you back home and I'm praying for y'all. I love you so much and I can't wait to hear from you all next week! Tchau! xoxo 

- Elder Decker