Olá!

Today marks 5 months that I have been here in Brasil. Honestly, it feels like I have lived here all my life, but it also feels like I just got here yesterday. Time is a strange feeling on the mission. This week was good. Not a whole lot happened. The biggest thing was that there are a few changes in our daily schedule and in how we report numbers.

We had a meeting in São Paulo which was a recording from Salt Lake with Elder Oaks, Elder Bednar, Elder Anderson, and a few others. They gave us some great guidance and also explained the changes that will happen. The daily plan is now made by the President of the Mission. It is more based on the area that you are in. The change for us won't happen for a little bit of time, but I am excited to see what our president decides. Maybe a little bit more sleep. Haha. There are also some changes in regard to numbers. We don't have a huge list of the number of lessons we taught or other things now. It is more focused on the number of baptisms, investigators with a date for baptism, investigators going to church, and new investigators. It gives more freedom for the missionaries to decide how to teach and what to do to help the people. I think that the change will help missionaries now and in the future after the mission as we have to be dependent and make decisions after also. I think it will also help everyone we teach. I feel strongly that it truly is an inspired change.

This week we were focussing on finding new people still. We are working in new areas that are a little further away, but we found some great new people that seem to be excited to hear the message. It kind of makes for long days when you are just trying to find new people to teach or talking to people on the street, but I am starting to like it more. As I can speak a little better, I like meeting new people on the street. Some want to pass by really quickly, but others stop and talk and I have met some really cool people. The biggest problem now with the street is the sun. It has been incredibly hot every day. I have been so tired of standing out in the sun.

We worked with Sabrina a lot this week to get her ready for her baptism which will be this Saturday. She is super excited and it will be a great day for her. Raulino's family is good, but the mom has still been having problems with health. We are trying to help them as much as we can. I truly believe that although we have trials, if we have faith and push through we can learn and grow from them. I have already seen them grow so much and I don't know exactly what will happen, I know that the Lord is watching out for them.

I have felt this way a lot lately. I don't really know exactly what will happen on my mission or after, but I just have faith that everything will work out. The world sometimes looks dark and broken, but I see the light of Christ here. There truly are people here who don't have material possessions, but who have love and charity and happiness. There are definitely things in the world that are difficult, but there is also so much good. When we look to the good, we will see it, because Christ will give us light, life, and love. He will give us the warmth of the knowledge that he knows us and that he cares for us. Every person can be filled with the Spirit and receive every blessing that our Heavenly Father has in store for us. That is the promise of the Gospel and that is the hope that each and every one of us can have. I love you all. Thank you so much for everything!

Elder Johnson