BATISMO!!!

Sending pics now while I have a chance.

His name is Wesley, the son of Elizangela - who we just baptized. He is awesome! Him and his mom are going to stay strong in the faith!

 

James is busy saving souls -- their mission goal is 25 baptisms per month - vs 4 per month in the States!  His companions love him and they are working hard!

Christmas in the Mission Field!

"Our Horde!" - We all got candy after our zone conference!

You have no idea how much this means to me...and every other brasileiro! =) after each lunch with members, we ask: 

Irmã, tem algo que a gente pode fazer por você? 

"Sure elder! this one time, an elder brought over a jar of pasta da amendoim for me! we made (i dont remember what kind of treat she said in reply) and it was super great!"

but Sister....i dont want to share =)

 love ya! 

  We LOVED the Dear Elder Box!

- James

Birthday in the Mission Field...

WOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! GO JAMES CARTWRIGHT!!!! GO CHELSEA!!!! Tell those bums to email me! =D

 

To celebrate (my birthday), we worked! hard! =) we had a baptism!

And our recent convert brought a cake and set up a surpise party for me after the baptism! =) 

 

Elizangela is our recent convert and we just baptized her son. I have unofficially been adopted into her family. She said that 'você precisa uma mãe Capixaba!' She calls me cabelo de oro or golden hair. =D So no worries Mom, I am taken care of here =) just because I'm blonde.

And we are teaching a single mom who reminds me of you! Hard working, smart, has a 5 year old son, and she's 28. She had an angel come to her in a dream to tell her that everything we have taught is completely true! we are trying hard to baptise her because we can't help her progress with out it!

I miss you tons mom! We will be able to skype on Christmas!

Love, 

James

Success Doesn't Always Come as Planned....

The picture this week is one of the suprise birthday party we helped with for Alvanir (the older woman on the left). This picture is great because almost everyone here says o meu Deus -oh my God- and EVERYone says 'graças a Deus' -grace to God- when something good happened.

Here, after seeing everyone gathered around, she did the classic, raise the hands to the air and say out loud 'graças a Deus' Maybe you'd have to be here to appreciate it =)

Otherwise, know that I am doing good. I am slowly forgetting words and grammar in English. We work hard, God gives our investigators miracles, and...they fall off the face of the earth. But Elisangela, the lady we baptized just last week, wants her whole family, neighborhoods, and ancestors to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Love you all and I wish I had the time to write personalized emails to everyone of ya. But we barely have
time here in the LAN-houses.

Mother to son.... the power of trial and belief

James, 

I loved your story about the miracle.  God is watching over you.....this I know!  You are going to have some challenges. ..and likely have some times when you just don't think you can make it......and usually what I have found is that when you are at your breaking point.....you have to just hold on because you are just a breath away from breaking that tissue paper- thin wall .... to the other side of something really grande.  Your life is going to be grande....so you're going to have some walls to break through and to tear down.....that .... you will just have to believe that somehow you will be able to do it. 

The greatest blessings always seem to come after the greatest challenges.  And you'll find, if you think back on human history - those truly great people also had incredible challenges - Hard to accomplish something truly great without great effort.

 

I see people get through impossible things all the time that they will tell u they can't do....but somehow they do.  And so will you!!!  Funny how we seem to 'understand', while we're sitting comfortably in class, that through God - all things are possible - but when we're knee deep in muck, and the fog is over our eyes.....at least for a moment, we're not sure.  

When you're not sure -- just borrow some of my belief in you -- I have plenty to spare!

I love you so much!

Xox

Mom

Kimberlee
RN BSN CPC
Beauty and Coaching Services
Reiki Practitioner

James Reinhardt	Dec 9
to me

Thank you Mom.

I am certainly learning this. Back in the states, I could tell that the truly powerful missionaries, like my trainer, had a real knowledge of the atonement. I wanted that. Sure, I have had a few trials, but my life was really easy. Parents who loved me, the gospel, all I could ever need and want.

I didn't want to ask God for a trial, but at the same time, I wanted that relationship with the savior.

meu companheiro mostrou um vídeo a mim. Você precisa assistir isso! 'A Expiação e a obra missionário' do Elder Jeffrey R Holland. Eu sei que para pregar sobre a expiação de Jesus Cristo, eu preciso andar pelo menos um pouco da caminho que ele andou.

Através a provação desta idioma, eu estou conhecendo Cristo.

Te-amo Mãe!     

James