Bom dia!

Bom dia!                July 2, 2012

First I would just like to tell Grandma and Grandpa happy aniversary from last week! Sorry i forgot...and good luck with the back surgery. I will be praying for you.

I cant believe its july!! 4th of July will be just a normal day here in Brazil. Pretty sad. But I will have America in my heart. Land of the free, home of the brave!! Dont worry I still sing the national anthem in the shower. Just really quitely so that the brazillians dont hear me... Go America!!!!

Can you believe that last friday was the year mark from when we got our calls? The time really does fly by so fast. I cant believe that this year is halfway over already. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. I know that me and syd were called by a prophet of God. I know that this is the Lords work and that we are here to help our brothers and sisters return to our Heavenly Father.

Well, we didnt end up going to the Botanical Gardens today. We still havent received permission to leave the area. Not sure why. But we will probably go next week.

Mom, Dad, Nat, everyone back home: you are never going to believe this news. I have started to comb and part my hair. Calm down calm down. Im still me. But its true. I am now officially a missionary.

This week was really good. We had 8 investigators in Sacrament Meeting yesterday and they all seemed to really enjoy it and feel the Spirit. We are still working hard with Eliane to help her to get married so that she can be baptized. We are also working hard with Hamilton so that he can quit smoking and join the rest of his family as a member of the church. They were both at church yesterday. One of the best things that happened this week was last night. We went to visit Lucas who is a recent convert and he is living with a non member family. Well, they were all there and we taught them about the restoration and marked baptismal dates with all of them! Its a mom, two sisters and one brother. Cristina, Luane, Vitoria, and John. The spirit was so strong and I could tell that they were feeling it. They all seemed really excited about it and it will help a lot to have Lucas there to bear his testimony about his baptism and how it is to be a member of the church. The training is going well. Elder Lima is on week 10 and we are studying about the fifth lesson which is the one after baptism and confirmation. The area is great and we found a lot of new investigators this week. Joyce received the Gift of the Holy Ghost yesterday and that was really good.

This area is pretty crazy and there are a lot of times when I feel like we are going to get attacked and robbed. But I know that the Lord is protecting us and I am so thankful for the Holy Ghost. We were going to go down this street the other night and I just kept having this feeling that we shouldnt go. Elder Lima got a little mad but I held my ground. Well, we found out today that a lady got attacked and killed on that very street. I probably shouldnt tell you this but President Cordon said that we have to be honest in our letters home. So I am very thankful for the Gift of the Holy Ghost and I am so grateful to be worthy enough to hear his whispers and for the courage to follow those promptings. Lesson: Be worthy enough to hear the Holy Ghost and then follow those whisperings.

I also read Luke 2 today in my personal study and it made me a little trucky thinking about how we always read that for Christmas. There is nothing better than feeling trunky while youre reading the scriptures. That means I was raised right. Thank you mom and dad.

Well, I hope  you all have a great 4th of July and know that you are all in my prayers. I love you all so much and I am so grateful to have you as a family forever. The church is true, the book is blue, God loves you, and rice and beans is the greatest thing on earth.

Eu amo vocês!!

Love Elder Taylor

Curitiba temple

                                                                We found Nemo!