Week 13: Transfers!

Oi pessoas!! This week was transfers, So I have a new companion! I´m still in my area (Amarais), but my new companion is Elder Mileski! He is Brazilian. He is from Curitiba. He also speaks English really well! He doesn´t know the area, so this week I have been doing a lot more leading. Also, he is younger than me! He is still 18. I find it interesting that my trainer is younger than me, but because of this, we both learn a lot of things from each other. I have definitely noticed some growth in myself just in this last week!

This week we had another baptism! The person we baptized has a really cool name. Get ready for this: His name is Melkisedec! Cool, huh?

So last week on Monday night, we encountered Marvens again! We only talked for a second and then he left and we haven´t seen him since. Definitely an interesting situation!

I love the members in my ward. Here is one experience I had this week. There is a member who works at a little food shop, and we passed by there and said hi to her. She asked if we wanted anything. I decided that I wanted a bottle of juice from the fridge, and then I asked if she accepts credit cards. "Yes, but you can just take it!" she said as she handed me the bottle. It was very nice of her. That is just one of many experiences with the loving members here.

Also this week I had the opportunity to give a couple blessings of health in Portuguese. It was kind of scary but my companion helped me and the spirit helped me. I testify that the gift of tongues is real! 

I love you all and hope you all have an amazing week! 

Elder Tolen

Farewell to Elder Almeida at transfers!	A little apartment selfie
P-day with Elder Mileski (new companion)	Baptism of Melkisedec
A favorite lunch stop	There IS a hot dog under there!
Planes do lots of stunts from the nearby airport	When a spider builds a nest in your socks...wash again!

Week 12: God Is There during Trials

Hello everyone!! How are you?

Time is starting to go faster! Tomorrow is transfers! I´m staying in my area, but my companion is being transferred. I´m excited, but also nervous. We won't find out who our new companions are until we all meet at the church and are introduced to them. I hope my companion and I get along well! I am kind of hoping he is American, even though I know my Portuguese is getting so much better because I have a Brazilian companion right now... I also spoke in Sacrament Meeting yesterday. I pretty much read a chapter of scripture (D&C 122--I recommend you read it; it's great) and bore my testimony about it. Yes, I did it all in Portuguese!

So, I think I've told you all about our investigator Marvens from Haiti who speaks English. He was baptized last week, and yesterday was the day we had scheduled for his confirmation. That didn't happen. Here's why:  During the week, while we were teaching another person from Haiti, Marvens found us! We though it was a miracle because he could help us translate! The problem was, Marvens was very intoxicated. My companion and I took him home. The next day we went to go check on him but he was gone. No one knew where he was, not even his cousins, whom he lived with. He was gone for about 3 days. Then, while my companion and I were at lunch, some members called us and said they found Marvens! He was practically passed out drunk on the road. They took him to their house and took care of him.

Eventually, my companion and I walked him home. While we were walking him home, we turned around for literally 5 seconds, and when we looked again, Marvens was gone. We ran to find him, and we did. He was like half a block away walking in the direction we just came from. I honestly have no idea how he got so far so fast and so quietly. We just followed him and watched what he was doing. He walked into a bar. We signaled to the bartender not to give him a drink, and we began to walk Marvens home again. When we got there and showed his cousin that we had him, she just yelled at him, because when he left, he took the bike and he took money, and he lost the bike. When my companion and I left, we turned around and saw Marvens leave the house and walk away again. We haven't been back there since. So that was a hard day, but there was more...

 Also on that same day, our bishop told us we weren't going to be permitted to do the baptism we had planned, because there was a dance later that night at the church. We called our mission president, and he gave us permission to do the baptism at 5:00 so that we wouldn't interfere with the dance. The Bishop sill refused and said we would do it on Sunday morning. My companion tried to talk to him about his unwillingness to let us do our baptism that evening and the reason he gave us was, "Because I´m the bishop." He has never liked missionaries. The baptism didn't happen on Sunday either. Needless to say, last Saturday was very hard for me and for my companion. We both cried at some point in the day.

The reason I tell you all these stories is because I want you all to know that the difficulties we have in this life are for our experience (as stated in D&C 122) and will help us learn and grow. I know this to be true. I know we are never alone when we face difficult times. I know Heavenly Father hears our prayers. I know that Jesus Christ felt everything we have felt, we feel, and ever will feel. I know if we turn to Him, He will help us.

I love you all and I hope you all have a great week! Trust in God!

Com Amor,

Elder Tolen

P-Day at a local wildlife park	More of the wildlife (and some ducks)
Refreshing!	Cranes on the lake
Ducks did not want to hear our message!	The world's biggest black widow...
Lunchtime!	lunch
Some creative photography!	Elder Tolen's favorite view during videochats!

Week 11: Love through Testimony

Oi pessoas!! Eu amo vocês!

Another week gone by! It really is starting to go by quickly eh? This week had many experiences! For example, my English is getting worse. Yay!

On August 8, my companion and I experienced a miracle! We talked to a group of 3 guys from Haiti and they kind of speak Portuguese, but one of them also kind of speaks English! He told me he was happy he found us because when he lived in the Dominican Republic he was taught by missionaries! He showed us his Book of Mormon and ALL the pamphlets! He has already been to our church more than once in his country and he loves the way we worship. We will teach him and prepare him for baptism. He said he wants baptism and even a mission of his own!

Another experience! We were teaching a couple people and it got to my part where I recite the first vision (In Portuguese of course). After, the guy understood me, but the girl was like, "I don´t understand. He isn't from around here, is he?" I was like, "Haha no." But I felt angry because sometimes I feel like I get taken advantage of because I'm American. I thought, "If she tried, she could understand me. He understood, so why didn´t you?" At one point I literally thought, "I mean of course I love her but I don´t really like her." But, then my companion had her say our last prayer. After she prayed, she started to cry. It was something about family. I didn´t understand perfectly but it was something about family. At this point, the words of my mission president came into my head. The day before, all the people that arrived with me had a meeting with the president and he told us a story. He served in Curitiba. And at the beginning of his mission, his companion was bible bashing with I think a pastor. At one point, the pastor looked at my mission president (an American) and said, "What do you think?" My president responded, "I admit, I don't understand much Portuguese, but I do know that... (He bore his testimony)" After this, the pastor said something like, "This is good.. Very good.." and then went back to bashing with his companion. This story popped in my head when the girl started crying. I looked at her and said, "Remember, God loves you. He knows you. He knows your difficulties. I don't understand much Portuguese but I know the He knows you. He loves you so much. He knows your difficulties. He wants to help you, and we know that if you ask for His help, He will help you." She responded, and I couldn't really understand, but I think it included something about how God is good and how she trusts and is grateful for Him. My perspective of her changed in an instant when I bore my testimony to her.

This week I had the opportunity to baptize two more people. Since I was in the font to baptize two people, afterwards one of the counselors to the bishop came up to me and said "John the Baptist!" It was a very cool experience. My mission president was there as well because this was during stake conference. 

I know that the Gospel is true. I know that the power of God is real and it is on the earth today. I know Jesus Christ lives! I know that my redeemer lives.

I love you all! 

 -Elder Tolen

Double Baptism!

Week 10: Ups and Downs

Oi, pessoas! Como voces estao?

This week was filled with ups and downs. There was one day that was really rainy and stormy. It was kinda scary. I also missed my family a lot more this week. BUT, I also experienced many miracles!

For example: There is one guy we talked to a couple weeks ago, and while we were trying to teach him he kept interrupting us and correcting us and trying to pull the carpet out from under us. We were getting nowhere, and my companion and I ended up leaving. But, I felt a prompting. "Give him a Book of Mormon." So, after we left, my companion and I put a Book of Mormon, a Pass-along card, and a restoration pamphlet through his front gate. A few days ago, he approached us while we were walking and said he read the book but he didn't understand how it relates to the Bible. We will help him with this. Milagres! 

My testimony of the Book of Mormon and the Prophet Joseph Smith has grown so much this week! The veil is so much thinner as a missionary. I have felt help from people on the other side of the veil. I know that the Gospel is true. I know that Heavenly Father helps us when times get tough. I love you all!!

Not everyone wants to hear a Gospel message!	Some will listen!
Amarais area housemates	Refreshing coconut water--not bad!
District p-day at the church	The Amarais district