March 24, 2014

It was great to hear from Mom, Dad, and Ryan this week! haha Justin Sumsion is already going on a mission!? that is insane! Everyone is growing up a little too fast. Addie is 5 and Justin Sumsion is going on a mission! It is amazing how time has gone so fast! I will pray for Mike during this week so that he can go to rehab! is he going to church or reading the Book of Mormon? that would be the key for him to receive the spiritual strength to change! I would love to hear from Mindy to see how things are going there in Arizona! Mom it is great to hear that you have so much youth going to the temple! tell ALL the youth in the ward that going to the temple is such a privilege and they should not miss the opportunity to go! How I miss the House of my Savior! Ryan talvez si eu vou escrever em portuguese, você pode aprender uma terceira linguá! Tem interesse? haha deborah did not progress and because of her boyfriend she lost interest to change for the better. Simply pray for us to be filled with the power of the spirit and capacity to help the following come unto Christ: Kelvin, myara, (ty)-(ise), paula's family, Miriam, and Jonas! Also that we can find many more souls who are ready to receive the gospel! 

As of right now I am pretty sure this will be the last week in Pinhais! ha After 9 months of the same area, I think it is my time! But we shall see! As of right now, I am still in a trio! this week was just full of opposition, but I know that that just means that miracles are on the horizon! I know that truly as we follow the will of our father, we can do all things that he would have us do! we can simply know what his will is by listening and following the spirit! following the spirit requires lots of study, prayer, and action on what he shows us! just as lantern lights the path at night, the spirit with righteousness lights the path of eternal life! May we be clean and pure so that spirit can guide us in our paths of life!

 Love 

Elder Bell

PS dad I know that Lindsey has been having some difficulties on the mission! haha ;)

March 17, 2014

Hello family! It was awesome to hear from so many of you this week! Mom and Dad it is great to hear that the missionary spirit is still burning strong! Couple missionaries are awesome! We don't have any here in Curitiba but we did have in New York and they were great! We had a few that were in the office and they helped a bunch with the coordination of cars and money and mail which is really helpful! also had some that were assigned to a ward in Albany and really worked out in the field! The cool thing about couple missionaries is the can really serve in so many different ways! Mom I glad you are thankful for the spirit because without him I am certain I have zero capacity to teach! Yeah Baptisms in the Temple! I hope to one day enter into the temple of curitiba! Deborah is having difficulties because of her boyfriend, but continue to pray for her! As well Adriana is progressing! We made goals with her to stop smoking and see is reading the book of mormon! Keep praying for her! Jon Happy Birthday! this year of Life will be Awesome! Izzy I am VERY happy to hear that you are already seeing a difference! I have no doubt that the reason I am where I am Today all started when I made the decision to study the scriptures very day!   4 And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers forthe gain of my people. And the words which I have written inweakness will be made strong unto them; for it ^apersuadeth themto do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and itspeaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and toendure to the end, which is life ^beternal.I know that this scripture is true! The word of God is his way to persuade us or guide us to be good! 

This week was Great! We had one of the seventy here and he changed ALOT of the things! haha But it was all changes for the better! We are now putting a even higher focus on The Book of Mormon and working with the Members! I so very greatful for things that I had been praying that had been answered! I know that the Lord has always answered! And He always will! there is something important that I learned recently that I would like to share! It is impossible to apply the healing power of the atonement without serving those around us! President Eyring said King Benjamin told his people in the Book of Mormon of the joy that comes from feeling forgiveness from sin through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Then he taught them that to retain a remission of their sins, they must teach their children to serve one another and they must be as generous as they could to meet the temporal and spiritual needs of those around them. (See Mosiah 4:11–16.) 

I humbly know that as we really serve those around us, we can see ourselves changing through the service we give to others! The Atonement takes effect and the spirit purifies as we continue to serve and live righteously! I hope that we can truly "forget ourselves and Go to work" and SERVE

Love, 

Elder Bell  

March 10, 2014

So It was great to hear from mom and dad today! I am greatful to hear that Mike Briggs will be going to get help! I will continue praying for him! As well because of your help and your prayers, Jessica was baptized yesterday! It was so great to see! Eduardo, the young man that Elder Olmos and I baptized, brought her to church for the first time, was in all the lessons, and Baptized her yesterday! WHOOO it was great! deborah has had a few challenges, but continue to pray for her that she can leave her past behind! As well pray for adriana and edson that they can receive the blessings the Lord has for them! So you want to know more about my companions? I have 2 you know! haha So there is Elder pereira My first born in brazil that you already met at christmas and Elder Flores my new son! Elder Flores was born in texas, grew up in mexico, and now his family has been living in texas for 5 years! I am still district leader and we only have 2 sets of sisters in our district! Mom you would probably cry if you saw the number of sisters we have. in our Zone we have more Sisters than Elders. It is kind of crazy!

This week was a little difficult, but great! I will always be thankful for the hard weeks! It helps remember that I am not alone and that the Lord is only preparing a way for me to improve! If there is one thing that I know I need to work on is charity! Sometimes we get so focused on accomplishing something for the Lord and we forget about the more powerful way to fulfill what the Lord has sent us to do!   41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by longsuffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; 42 By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile— 43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; 44 That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death. 45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.
 46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion...

I know that we must develop these attributes in order to succeed in all that we are commanded to do! As we do so with all diligence and humility we can accomplish all that he would have us do! The promise is the Spirit will be a constant companion! Moses opened the red sea by that same Spirit, think what the Lord can do with you? I know that the Lord lives and through the Holy Ghost he is on our right and our left! May we seek to be filled with the spirit to continue on the path that the Savior has made for us! Love you all!

Elder Bell PS I would Love to hear from the Rest of you!

March 5, 2014

So Sorry I didn't write until now! This last few days have been carnaval, the big party that brazil is famous for, and so president decided that we should work until it is over. We didn't have Pday until today! So don't worry everyone I am still alive! I was happy to hear from Mom and Dad! Ha enjoy the time that you two will have with aunt nan! Jack Banks is that old?? what is this? that is crazy! haha well I have been out a year now and so time does go by fast! Tell them, Krista and Jack, that they should study Preach my gospel (chapter 3, study the lessons Kolob is not that important, and chapter 10), go teach with the missionaries, and read the book of Mormon everyday! with those things they will be much more prepared to serve the lord! I will pray for mike and that you can give him a blessing! Pray that Deborah and Jessica can receive a confirmation clear that this is the lords church, and they can be baptized this Saturday! As well in my district, Pray that Sister Hammon and Sister Almeida can guided more by the spirit to those that are ready to receive the gospel!

This week I was reminded why this work is the work of the Father! As I have had so much time in the same area, It has been a great blessing to see recent converts as they grow! As you teach and bring others to the Savior through baptism you have an overwhelming joy that has only been planted! As they go forward in the gospel, for example taking the sacrament for the first time or bearing their testimony in sacrament meeting for the first time, this Joy blossoms! this helps me only begin to understand how our Father in Heaven feels! His Joy is eternal because as we continue to grow and progress to return to his presence, his Joy grows! I love being apart of his work and that the Joy that he has can be felt as we bring others unto the Savior! I Love you all and may you seek for His Joy! 

Love

Elder Bell