November 18, 2013

Well family it was great to hear from Mom and Dad this week! I am happy to Mom that there are some many youth going to the temple! WHOO! Also I am happy that the photos I send of those who have been Baptized bring you Joy! I know that I it brings my Joy that I have helped the Savior bring one more soul unto him! as far as cooking.. haha we never cook! We always make like a banana shake in the morning, and always have lunch with members. haha and on special occassions, like after a baptism, we buy pizza at night. Laundry we have a washing machine but as of right now it is a little broken so we are washing our white shirts by hand. haha But Life is Great here!! I would ask pray for francisco and his family! (the one more door man) Bless that they receive answers as they pray. Pray as well that IA (eeeaaa) and Eliza can be baptized this sunday! 

So I will not lie this week was extremly difficult. It has definitly been a week of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. But We were able to see leticia baptized!!!! She has been the most Elect Person I have ever taught. When we invited her to be baptized she responded, "vou!" Or I will! "She then said "I prayed alot and I Just know this is right!" She is 21 and has a 5 year old daughter! That was the Highlight of my week! I know that through all the oppostion we faced this last week, it was all worth it! this morning I was reading in the Book of Mormon in Jacob and Jacob said,   7 Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our ^aweakness that we may know that it is by his ^bgrace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things.

I know our trails show our weaknesses and that only through the Atonement of our Savior can we really do his work! I am thankful for this Opportunity to be his servant. I WOULD NOT trade this time that I have for anything. Our time is valuable. use your time to serve him! Forget yourself and put him First. I know that our Savior Lives! He Loves us. I know now more than ever that our Heavenly Father does "hear and answer every childs prayer." He is our father and LOVES us! Hope to hear from vocês na próxima semana! Elder Bell 

     

November 11, 2013

it was great to hear from Dad this week and to hear that the 19 ward is doing missionary work! Give Bishop Baczuk a Horrah For Isreal for me! ha Oh And  Dad  tell the Elder that was writing to his "sweetheart" that he needs to start reading the missionary handbook. only on P day should do that!! as far packages I have not received the spencer and kellie package yet but i think this thursday I will! No they have no idea what thankgiving is. haha the christmas package... hum red wing shoe shine, some new white shirts, new ties maybe and petrige farm piroettes. whatever else you would like to send be my guest. ha :) the best way, Dad, is to send it the same way as before! It made a record when you sent your package.

Wow this week was full Full Full of miracles! For example, about one month ago, we were walking home, it was 830 and raining! I felt like we just needed to knock one more Door. I saw a house with a light on, we knocked and a man came to the door. I said we have a message from God that we would like to share with him and that since it was late we would pass by another time. little did I know that at that moment he was praying for "a message from God." this week we knocked on his door again taught the restoration and he told us about the last time we knocked on his door, and He wept! He has a wife and 3 daughters. they all went to church this last Sunday! Also Val was Baptized!! Whoo! that is another miracle. She gave her testimony after and it was so powerful! I wept. ha I know elder Bell weeping. never happens right! haha But I know that there is no greater Joy than this! I am so greatful that the Lord has sent me to serve, lift others burdens, and engrave the covenants I have made upon my mind and my heart. I hope and pray that we can remain faithful to our covenants and to the Savior! I love you all and would love to hear from all of you.

November 4, 2013

Hey everybody! It was great to here from mom, dad, and Jon this week! I am excited for you all to go down and have thanksgiving with mindy and Scott! Hey yo mindy my sister I would love to hear from you! ha And congrats Izzy for your missionary experiences! remember that you don't need to have all the answers! You just need to have a "sound understanding" like ammon and the book of Mormon missionaries. when you have that and live it, you have the spirit! when you have the spirit, you can bear a powerful, simple testimony and teach exactly what you need to. AND THEN INVITE them to do something! so As far as the investigators go! Junior was not baptized but continue to pray for him! Val has a date for this saturday so Really focus on praying for her! kelly we dropped. Marco has a long road ahead of him. continue to pray for him! as well Pray for Olinda and her children that they can go to church! Olinda is part of a huge Family that we found! It would be a miracle if they were baptized! Oh and Pray for Marina and her children as well! She went to church and Loved it! Now we are Working towards Baptism!!! The apartment is alright here! haha I HATE the Bathroom! Next week I will Send pictures!   

This week was hard! It was full of opposition! I also know the reason. It means that this Month is going to be great!!!!!! There is always greater opposition right before the greatest blessings! Joseph Smith and the first vision is a perfect example! Right before he saw a pillar of light exactly over his head, He had opposition! I know in these moments we learn to cleave unto the eternally outstretched arms of the savior and not in the arm of flesh! And, as long as we keep the positive, humble attitude that shows our hope and faith we can see the blessings that the Lord Has for us!! I know my Savior lives. May we all continue on the path that He has already tread and Receive the Blessings he has for us! Use the Gospel! Yes the Gospel is True and so how much more of a necessity it is to apply it! Use the Gospel! I love you all! Thank for all your prayers! Keep it up!

Love 

Elder Bell 

October 28, 2013

So it was great to hear from all of you! whoo! spencer thank you for sharing what you are doing right now in your life and especially that you are putting up the christmas lights! haha word of advice don't go out that one tiny window and please don't rip your pants like I did on the roof! Mom dad I will Add grandpa and grandma to my prayers! I am happy to here that your injury is doing better! Also Heather thank you sharing your missionary experiences! Keep up the Good work!!! To answer some of your questions. ha we actually did sing "I Stand All Amazed" this sunday but it has to be the 2nd to last sunday of the transfer for that to work. Elder olmos and I are still together and should be for another 4 weeks! He is doing great! We are so very different but we just work so well together!! for the blog, that should be fine. my district leader approved it. the package is not here yet.  Investigators that I would love if you could pray for them: Val that she can be baptized this Sunday, Junior that he can be baptized this sunday as well. Pray that they may as they continue to read the Book of Mormon, they will receive a devine wittness of the spirit! Also pray that this wednesday mylie, and kelly can go to mutual! And that marco will stay on the straight and narrow!

this week has been a great week! We had 11 lessons with a member present! whoo It was a miracle! We Found many new and ready investigators! It has been great to witness their progress and their openness to the gospel. An amazing experience that I had is that I taught one lesson with Almost perfect portuguese! It was really an amazing experience! Something that I learned in New York finally returned! Listening to those you teach is the key to teach by the spirit! If you really listen with a heart that has been prepared with all your studying and pondering of doctrine, the spirit will highlight what they need to here! I know that through any opposition if you know the doctrine and apply it, You can weather through any storm. that why the Gospel of Jesus Christ is so amazing! I Love you all! May we BE a forever family. 

Love Elder Bell! 

October 21, 2013

So it was great to hear from dad this week and hear the story of mom finding her diamond! OHHHHH and Jeff and His GIRLFRIEND came to visit? really? WHoo how are they? I really would love to know what is going on with that life long buddy of mine, so mom maybe next week you can tell me all about the chat!! :) I asked about the blog thing to and I am waiting for a response. Sadly none of our investigators went but others that we had never seen before came. so, continue to pray that our investigators will go! but Marco was confirmed a member! Whoo! 

So this week has been full of difficulties and struggles! Ha one would be president came out with a new rule that we can't speak any English. so elder olmos and I are keeping the rule even though that has been difficult! however I can see a definitive improvement in the language. Also Through the other trails and afflictions we had I simply just remember that, "tomorrow we shall see what our God in Heaven has in store! One more day. One More Dawn. One Day more!" When we have struggles we need to remember as we lean on the atonement for strength, we will see the blessings. the blessings are only "but a Small Moment" away.  It is a promise from the Lord, and he never breaks his promises. I would also like to add my testimony to the testimony of President Hinckley that whenever I hear the tune of "Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah" I can not hold my tears. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet. He was the instrument that God used to restore the Power of God to the earth. I know that families can be together forever through that Power. How great it is that even though I am a continent away, I feel my family is close through the prayers and covenants that have been made. I have felt your prayers and I am grateful for them!  Love you all  

Elder Bell   

October 14, 2013

haha dad tell bishop baczuk that I want one of his apple pies when I return! as far as relaxing, there is a little tip that I have. there was a training in New York that a sister missionary gave. she said, "in my bag right next to my scriptures is a little rock. every time I pull out my scriptures I feel that rock in the bottom of my bag. the reason I put that rock right there is to remind of something. It is there to remind me that I need to "be a little Boulder" (Bolder). I know that I we are bold and loving in extending commitments, People will want to accept it." I have a little rock that I keep in my pocket now. Ha You don't need commit them to baptism or to go to church this sunday, but you can talk about and invite them to read the book of mormon, or invite them to watch a mormon message that you really like. Just a few suggestions. Monica thank you for you sincere testimony. I know that Trails truly bring us closer to the Savior and allow us to plant our roots deep in the faith. 2 nephi 2: 1-2. I know in the midst of afflictions is when fruits of our labour are the sweetest. thank you and Keep going! Kellie thank you for sending the package! I will wait with excitement! oh the area presidency said that we can't have blogs. :( so no more blog... oh yeah so people to pray for: marco was baptized!!! But, continue to pray that he will stay firm. pray that bony and tiago (james) can go to church, and heloir will accept a baptismal date! Pray with fervency that all our investigators will go to church! 

so this week I felt a lot like wilford woodruff in Mountain of the Lord! haha I will tell you why in a minute. first though, Marco was baptized! He has turned his life around and now he just has to keep moving forword! Now why do I feel like wilford woodruff? so yesterday we had a anthropologist follow us around all day! She started in gospel principles where we taught about eternal marriage! that was powerful! Then we had a powerful testimony meeting and she then went with us to lunch with a member where we explained how we work as missionaries, how the life of a missionary goes, why lunch is important with the members (so we can invite them to come unto Christ also), and we shared the restoration as the message with the member at lunch with the barbara (the anthropologist). then she came with us to a lesson where we taught a couple about family history with another member! It was a jam packed day of the spirit. After we finished with that lesson, we asked, "so what other questions do you have?" she wondered how we felt about the mission and being away from the family. to answer that question, we took her to a couple who both served missions. we all then responded to her question. Wow that was powerful. After all our answers we asked her, "so how do you feel about all that has happened today?" she thought for awhile and responded, "I feel comfort" I know that the comforter works on all of us everyday. It is through the feelings that the spirit puts into our hearts that we are purified. The fires and trails of life are turned into good through the comfort that the spirit brings. barbara experienced this comfort and we invited her to pray and read the book of Mormon. It was the biggest seed that I think I will ever plant. I know this gospel is true Love you all! 

Elder Bell 

October 7, 2013

Mom and Dad thank you for writing me! (exclamation point) haha yes conference was amazing! It was probably one of the most inspiring and Direct conferences I have ever seen! It is great to hear that you are working with tim and karen Reed! I will pray for you throughout the day just remember to be bold and loving in your invitation you extend during family home evening or whatever it might be! My personal card is a little funny! it does work and I can withdraw but I can't view what is in the account so yeah ha I would be grateful if you do put funds in let me know how much. update on the investigators: luciano and nicole we haven't heard from. mercedes we dropped because she wasn't progressing. Helior, he went to general conference on saturday! continue to pray for luciano and nicole, and Helior. Also Please pray for Bonny and tiago! pray that as they read the book of mormon, they will know that the restoration did happen and that they can be baptized this month! Oh and most especially pray that Marco will be ready for Baptism this Saturday!  

so this week we found a lot of new people and we have started to teach with more and more of the Members! (exclamation point) there were many miracles that happened this last week! We found Bonny and tiago and they are Married!! whoo hoo! ha they told us that we were an answer to their prayers and very important they are friends with one of the best members down here in Penhais! Also conference was so great! I got to listen to it in English so that was a blessing and it has been said by his servants that the Lord is Hasten his Work! I will add My Witness of these things! I know that storms are coming and that in order to weather through the tempest that will come we must share this gospel! We cannot leave our brothers and sisters by the way side! As charity fills our hearts we will be able to share and overcome our fear! I am not excluded from this! I need to overcome my fear and as Elder Ballard said, "missionaries you need to talk to more people!" As we share the gospel and show our faith in the Lord and Charity for others, the miracles will come to pass! I know the Blessings are ALWAYS there for those who labour in his vinyard! I love you all! May you share the truths that you hold dear, and bring souls that are waiting to come unto Christ!

Love Elder Bell