Fwd: Hola

Begin forwarded message:

From: Seraphin Decker <seraphin.decker@myldsmail.net>
Date: October 28, 2014 at 10:04:55 AM PDT
To: "R. Decker" <robinlynnd@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Hola

Oi pessoas ! Tudo Bem ! I love getting all of your letters on P-Day it's freaking amazing ! This week was pretty chill, I was kind of upset though because we were supposed to have Meet The Mormons as one of our options on Sunday but we didn't but, I watched the Joseph Smith movie which is always great. I didn't cry though...anyways, we played the usual ping pong last night since it was P-Day Eve haha. I want to talk to about my District but I don't even know what to say they're just all so funny and awesome and great examples to me. Especially the sisters and the spirit they bring, that none of us elders ever could. My professors are amazing too you can just see it in their eyes that they love the gospel so much. My Portuguese is coming along very well. I'm singing in the choir today ! We're singing Lead, Kindly Light which is one of my favorite songs. I made a list of them...No order: 1Lead, Kindly Light, 2Be Still My Soul,3Abide With Me Tis Even Tide, 4More Holiness Give Me, 5I Need Thee Every Hour. Awesome songs I know hahah I had one of the most amazing experiences this last week during TRC's which is just kind of like Home Teaching but it's better. So you teach volunteers usually from BYU and are returned missionaries. We taught them about something the 2nd Counselor in the Branch Presidency taught us which was adding a 4th step to our prayer routine. 1st Address Heavenly Father. 2nd Give Thanks. 3rd Ask. 4th Close in the name of Jesus Christ. But before you close we should just listen. It's like a phone call, you wouldn't say what you have to say and then just hang up, you'd listen to what the other person has to say. But, prayer has always been something I overlooked and when I heard this I was like oh well duh it's because I've been doing it wrong haha. The power of prayer is real and the personal revelation we can have is real. God listens to our prayers and he will answer you. You just have to open up and be willing to do his will. The peace I get from that added step is why I look forward to saying my prayers at night. One last thing I wanted to share was about a talk that I heard on Sunday by someone high up in the MTC world, I forgot his name ha. But the message I received was about repentance. And you hear that and you're like oh no time to close the e-mail ! But, repentance should be thought of as a good thing, because it is a GOOD thing. We listened to the Tabernacle Choir sing Abide With Me Tis Even Tide and it was so great. The speaker told us about the story in the song, and how you can hear the night time and the darkness come over this person pleading out to the Savior to stay with them. Then, you hear the day come and it's awesome and great because the Lord was guiding him through all of these things. I couldn't help but think of the amount of joy I would have to have the Savior by my side and then I thought about it....and he is. He's with us the whole way ! Trust in him and lean on him for everything because we can do all things through Christ. Now no matter what you've done, Huge or Tiny or maybe you just need a little help in your life because times are getting tough because we are all going through tough times, in the scriptures, numerous times it says, Christ's arms are ALWAYS outstretched ready for us to take them. One of my favorite Bible Videos is of him suffering in the Garden and then goes and heals a man's ear like he didn't just go through the most excruciating pain anyone could go through. Christ lives and He and The Father are one in purpose meaning they are always willing to help us be truly happy and live with our families in God's kingdom. I love this gospel so much. There's this video https://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/missionary-work-in-brazil?lang=eng and it made me so excited to serve the people in Brazil. I just want to give someone else the same happiness and joy and hope that I gained from this restored gospel. I love you all and I can't wait to hear from you all next week ! Eu Amo Voces ! (Brother Workman Voice) (Inside joke, that's one of my teachers haha) 

-Elder Decker 

P.S. The Bible Videos are so cool, if you haven't watched them, watch them ! My favorites are: The Garden of Gethsemane, Young Jesus, Go and Sin No More, and Jesus Teaches we must become as little children.