Elder Tolen's Adventures in Campinas, Brazil: Week 15: 100 Days on the Mission!

Hello everyone! How are you all doing? Well, I hope! I´m always praying for you guys!

Chapter 1: Day 100: This week, on September 5, I reached 100 days on the mission! It´s crazy how fast time is going!

Chapter 2: Answers to prayers: This week, I had a day that was harder for me. In my journal, at the bottom of the pages, there are scriptures written. On this day, I wrote "Today felt harder for me. But, I know that when I have difficulties, I grow a lot and Heavenly Father blesses me if I make the right choices." Then, I looked at the bottom of the page to see Ether 12:27. I recommend you go read it

On another day, my companion and I were making a long walk, and it was a very hot day. I prayed, and asked for a breeze to cool us down so that we could have more energy for the rest of the day. Then, a question popped in my head. "Do you believe that I can do this?" "Yes!" I replied. Then, just a few seconds later, a guy in his car was pulled over and he called out to us. "Are you guys going to the bus terminal?" "No, we are walking to Mirasol" (the name of the neighborhood), we answered. He then gave us a ride the rest of the way towards the neighborhood. And, for the rest of the walk after he dropped us off, there was a breeze. One of the things I heard in my head while this was happening was, "Blessed be ye because of your faith in My work." Another thing I heard was, "I can always bless you with something better." I know that Heavenly Father hears our prayers, and if we ask Him in faith, He will bless us!

Chapter 3: Are You Guys Americans?: Also this week, on the same day of chapter 2, while my companion and I were taking a little break and sitting at a table at a park, a couple kids approached us and asked if we were Americans. "I am, and my companion is from Curitiba." And more and more kids gathered to talk to us and ask questions about America. At one point one of them asked me "Do you have a YouTube channel?" ".. Yes I do," I responded. "What kind of videos do you make?" "Music," I said. "What´s your YouTube channel?" he asked. "Just search 'Joey Tolen'," I said. "Could you write it down for me?" He said. "Yeah for me too!" "Me too!" "Me too!" I interrupted all of the excited kids and said "Okay okay okay. Who all wants my YouTube?" Every single hand raised. So, I wrote down my YouTube like 10 times and gave it to everyone. That was a really fun experience. It was fun to make so many new little friends!

Chapter 4: The Spider In The Bed: One day, I saw a little spider crawling around on the wall next to my bed. "Okay just stay away from my bed," I said. Then later I lifted up my blanket and there he was, under my blanket. I got him to hop off the bed and he was under the bed. "Okay that´s fine. Stay there. Just don´t go in the bed!" Later that night, before bed, I looked for him and couldn't find him, so I assumed he was gone. So, I went to bed. The next morning, as I was making my bed, I flipped my pillow over to find the little spider under the pillow. "Nooooooo...were you there all night? I mean thanks for not biting me but were you just in my bed all night?" So at this point, I took him outside and haven´t seen him since.

Chapter 5: The Mysterious [Pecking] Noise: One morning, while I was studying, I heard some noises in the kitchen. "Hmm... What is that mysterious ticking noise?" I thought. Just kidding, it was more like pecking and flapping but hats off to anyone who understood the reference. I looked at the kitchen and saw that the window was open. "Uh Oh," I thought. I slowly starting walking towards the kitchen, and as I entered, a bird flew out the kitchen window. So yes, there was a random bird in our house, but you know, that´s normal I guess

Chapter 6: "Thank You": Today, as we were on the bus waiting to leave for another area (every P-day we go to another area to hang out with other missionaries and use the computers there), a lady asked us to hold some snacks so that she could advertise them to us. And as she was taking them from us after, she was like "Obrigada." "Obrigada." "Obrigada." And then she arrived to me. "Thank you." I guess it´s pretty obvious that I´m American

I love you all, and I know that if you trust in God and have faith, He will help you. I know that times can be tough, but don´t let the enemy win the battle! Think about how amazing it is that you are a child of GOD. With this knowledge, we can do all things!

Elder Tolen