Easter & Yoda

Ola, tudo bem?

Este semana fue muito fixe. Olay! My companion is teaching me some Portuguese to go along with my broken Spanish. He's pretty cool. In fact, he's so cool that he wears a Minion onesie around the flat. It is a sight to behold. This week was eggstra special ;) there's only a couple times during the year when you can really feel a different spirit in the atmosphere. One of them is Christmas, and the other is Easter. It is impossible to deny the Spirit that was present all throughout the week! And I know I'm not the only one who's noticed...people on the street had a different reaction to the Gospel. A lot of them accepted it and are willing to learn more. People's light of Christ is definitely amplified during Easter! My number 1 approach this week has been asking people what their favorite thing about Easter is. Responses varied between Christ and chocolate, which happen to be my two favorite things as well. Elder Ferrreira and I are still getting over our chocolate hangovers. Easter is a good time to be a missionary.

This week:
-zone conference
-interview with President
-singing in sacrament meeting
-singing in a care home
-Easter party
-got fed loads

I want tell you how cool this ward is. I'm pretty sure everybody in the mission has heard about the St. Helier ward. The members few in number but great in faith! Just about everybody in the ward has fed us this week. We even got fed by 2 less actives! People just love missionaries here. Elder Ferreira has done a great job gaining the trust of the ward since he's been here, which I'm really grateful for. We even got fed by a nonmember family this week. A lady stopped us in the road and recognized us as Mormon missionaries. Funnily enough, her brother was an RM in Ireland so she was pretty familiar with the church. She invited us over and we had dinner with her and her family one night last week. We got to share our conversion stories with them and now we're good friends! What's even cooler is their name: The Thomas family...coincidence?

Well, today marks 20 months since I've left home. It has been real fast and real good. There's not much time left, but at least it's some time. I just know there's big things to come in the next few months...I feel it. I've felt even better this week too because we received some great training at zone conference on how to teach people according to their real needs. Whether on the street or in a home, the training involves asking sincere questions to find the persons need, and then teaching briefly the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which can meet anybody's needs. By teaching people right off the bat to have faith in Christ, repent, be baptized, and received the Holy Ghost, we help them to become converted to the Gospel (not to us or the church) and accomplish our purpose--2 birds with one stone! As I've applied this new teaching method, I've found that every single problem, concern, and question that people have can be met and answered by the gospel...every time! Witnessing that has really built my testimony. Even though the church and people in it may not be perfect, the Gospel is.

You guys, President Gubler is awesome. We had interviews with him via skype last week and it was one for the books! President gave me a charge to baptize on this island, and in response I told him I would try my best. Apparently he wasn't satisfied with my answer, because he looked at me intently and said, and I quote, "do or do not. There is no try. You know who says that?" Yup...straight up quoted Yoda. President Gubler is such a legend. Love that man. I will baptize on
this island!

Runnin short on time today, but I just know this work is God's. I know that the resurrection of Christ was an actual event. The Savior's Atonement was and is the greatest thing that ever happened on the face of the earth, and I know it really happened. I also know that by living His Gospel, we can resolve or find strength to endure any challenge that comes our way. He is our Redeemer and He is the reason for Easter.

Thank you all so so much for your prayers. Keep the faith! Te amo.

Love, Elder Thomas

ELSM