April 8 - The Unseen Blessings of Obedience

Querido Família e amigos,

Bonsucesso is truly a blessed area. We have had a few discouraging trials but we are enduring them and are starting to see fruits, as we are striving to obey with exactness. Two Sundays ago we arrived at lunch after church and the Irmã told us to wait in their living room and rest because lunch was being cooked and would be ready in an hour. Elder Hobbs and I looked at one another and we knew what we had to do, because of the 1 hour time limit we have to eat lunch. We asked the Irmã what time lunch would be done, and then told her we would go visit some less actives in the area and do contacts and then return at the specified time. She asked us if we were sure we wanted to leave and we told her ``Yes´´. As we left her house we began walking to the less actives´ houses. 

On our way to their houses, countless families and men were put into our path. We had so many people to talk to that we didn´t even have time to visit the less actives before lunch. However, a couple minutes before we turned back to go to lunch we stopped to talk to a man in his mid 20´s, who was cleaning his car. As we got to talking to this man we learned that his name was Rodrigo and that he grew up in the state south of Paraná in Santa Catarina. As we talked to him further we learned that his family was taught by the missionaries and all of his family was baptized, except for him because he was only 6 years old. The next year that followed his family moved to a farm in another town that didn´t have the church and his family went less active in the church. He told us that he loved the missionaries who tauught his family and wanted to be baptized into the church, but never had the opportunity after his family moved. Seeing that Rodrigo was an elect of the lord we marked an appointment with him and visited him and his ``wife´´ on Thursday night. 

As we taught Rodrigo, Bianca, his soon to be wife, and Bruna, Bianca´s 11 year old sister their was an amazing spirit that filled their small, humble house. At the end of the lesson seeing that they underdstood our message, we invited them to become members of Jesus Christ´s restored church by being baptized and they accepted with smiles on their faces. As we were leaving we could tell they thirsted for more knowledge as they asked us how they could prepare for their baptism that will happen in a couple weeks. We told them we´d return and explain. 

When we returned last night, they warmly accepted us, and we began explaining the importance of baptism. We then told them to be ready and worthy for baptism, they needed to be legally married. Bianca, with her two month baby in her arms, and Rodrigo looked at one another, and Bianca told us that she wanted to get married before their baby was born, but she said Rodrigo didn´t want to. Rodrigo then responded that he didn´t want to get married during that time because he didn´t want to get married in the Catholic church, and he didn´t feel like it was the right time. We asked them both if  they are ready for marriage now, and they both responded yes. With smiles on our faces we marked with them this week to go to the cartorio in the center of town so they can mark a wedding date. We ended the message with them by asking how they were feeling about being baptized. Rodrigo told us he feels extremely happy and gets goosebumps thinking about it and Bianca told us that she almost has a certainty that she will be baptized before the end of April. Who knew that the decision to not stay at a house for more than an hour for lunch would bring such great blessings. At least now I do, Rodrigo, Bianca and Bruna were God´s blessing to us for being obedient to even the smallest mission rules.

This is christ´s true church and I am priviledged to be a representative of it.

Obrigado por tudo, eu amo voces e sou grato pelo apoio que voces estão dando-me

Ame,

Elder Jonathan Hokanson

What I do on pday- I performed my first haircut on my companion Elder Hobbs...I look professional, right? :)

This is how we watched general conference this weekend.

Our ward mission leader, Cristiano, Elder Hobbs and I watched general conference in english all by ourselves in the relief society room as the Brasilians watched in portuguese in the chapel. It was an amazing experience, and the time flew by.