What a Conference!

From: Nicholas Holmes <nicholas.holmes@myldsmail.net>

Subject: what a conference!

Hello!

What a conference right?! Wow what a great way to spend the weekend, listening to these inspired servents of God speak to us! I absolutely loved it. All of the talks were so good and so perfect. It continues to amaze me how awesome general conference was. I find it difficult picking a favorite talk because so many of them were so good. Of course Elder Ballard's was a favorite in the missionary world! I loved that talk and learned so much more about being a missionary, but at the same time, he helped the members understand their purpose! It was a great talk. I also loved the talk by Elder Holland mainly just because of his testimony. You could just feel the conversion he has to the gospel and the love he has for our Savior. I loved Elder Uchtdorf's talk in the Priesthood meeting and the story he shared about being in the Air Force One aircraft. All in all, there wasn't a single talk that I didn't like! They were all so awesome! And what got the whole mission here super pumped was that President Pinho was called as an Area Seventy! He was there in Salt Lake this last week and should be returning today. Everyone got real excited about that which means that he will talk in future conferences! He's so awesome!

We had a few investigators show up to conference which was good, seeing as the stake center is pretty far away so it showed the desire that they have! Mara and Rodrigo, a couple we need to help marry, went on Saturday and Sunday! They said they liked it a lot better on Sunday because on Saturday they were a little lost and didn't know exactly what was going on, but they said they loved it on Sunday! Rodrigo said he was reading a little in the Book of Mormon and when some one was talking, they were explaining the same principles that he was reading. It was an answer to him that these men know the scriptures and have a testimony of them. He said that he knows that they really are prophets of God! So that was a way cool experience that we had while we were teaching them last night! We are hoping to mark a marriage date this Saturday, if his birth certificate arrives in time! Keep them in your prayers! We had a baptism marked for Saturday that unfortunately fell through. This guy is a super awesome guy, but he has problems with drinking. He was doing way well but fell pretty hard and was embarrassed to talk to us. It's super sad cause he has lost so many good things in his life because of drinking, but we're going to help him for sure to understand the atonement and help him to be baptized! Keep him in your prayers as well!

Elder Steadman and I are still doing well in this area! Mom asked some more questions about him! He has about a year and 5 months on the mission so he he is older than I in the mission. He's super awesome and we are having success thus far! We have a lot of families that we have been teaching but it's so hard to find people that are married here in Brazil! So as of now we have a bunch of couples to take to the wedding chapel! We will see where that goes! But we have found some way cool people so things should continue to go well! I wanted to send photos today but unfortunately I forgot my cord so sorry about that!

Sounds like it has been a great week for everyone there! I hope that everyone is doing awesome! If anyone didn't have the opportunity to watch conference, or all of it, make sure you find time to read or watch here in the next few weeks!  The spirit that these men and women bring is incredible. No one can deny the power they have. The church is true!!!

You can find conference at https://www.lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2014/04?lang=eng.  

Have a great week!

Elder Holmes