Letter - back and forth.....

Dear Elder Reinhardt, I hope it has been a great week and this week is even better.  If I remember correctly, you are in a new area.  Can you send the new address/location so we can look it up?  We are still praying for the three names you sent:  Merger, Sergio, and Elder Willet.  If you have new ones, please send those names. We just got back yesterday from our Jack Johnson adventure.  It was nice to get away, but I doubt we go to another concert there.  I'll let Mom tell you the details of the concert....  We did get to see the big cats at Cat Tails and had fun at Grand Coulee dam and the hotels.   This week is going to be busy for me since I have to go visit the other offices in St Maries and Lewiston.  You should see how tall you brother and sister are getting.  One more week and they are back in school.  Jayson will be start basketball again soon. I am sending pics....hopefully it is not too many.   Jamie and white tiger at cat tails.   Jamie playing with dog in river behind the hotel at Gran Coulee.  Jamie with her new tatoo in the pit at the concert...with 20000 people in the background.  Jayson at the concert with a view in back ground (people included).  Mom, Jayson, Jamie on an overlook on the highway going to the concert. Selfee with all of us at Grande Coulee dam while we waited for the lazer light show. It was interesting reading the BofM this week.  I read about the separation of church and state that Alma learned.  It was some time after King Bengimen's speech and the people had been righteuos for some time.   A new generation was coming up that was not thete for his speech.  Alma was frustrated and took those of the new generation that did nit follow the gospel to KingMosiah for judgement.  King Mosiah would not judge them as King.  So Alma went to the Lord.  The Lord made it clear to Alma that the only thing he coukd di is remove their names from the church......they were to keep their free agency....even if it made it difficult for the church.  Instead the Lord taught Alma how to offer and help those sinners through repentance.   As the persecution became worse King Mosiah did put in laws that are similar to our freedom of religion laws.  Even then the same principles of free agency and freedom  of religion existed.   The hard part for Alma and King Mosiah was the fact that their sons were ones rebelling and fighting against the church....even after the freedom of religion laws were past.  We love you and keep you in our prayers. Dad, I love the photos!!! I am pretty darn jealous that you all went to Jack Johnson!!! did you all have a blast (i'm sure that you were the one who was most 'in the groove' =) ) or was it even a kid friendly environment?  Grand coulee damn...that is in washington as well, right? how long of a drive is it? Holy cow!! jayson is super grande!!! he looks like he's gained a little more mass as well!! what sport are they loving the most right now? That same story happened to us when two companions weren't getting along. They called in the president, the president came, told us we were doing a good job, and gave the problem back to us. I love the way that God comforted alma...in that same manner, our president comforted all of us. I'll put more about them in another email. right now, we have a new area. The names now are Maria Odete, Martina, and Fabio Carlos. I love ya dad!! James   Dear Elder Reinhardt, I hope you had a great week and this week will be even better.  It is the 5th Sunday and the adults were together and then the young women and men were together.  The bishopric spoke based on a talk Elder Bednar gave recently on media.  They talked about video games and where those have come from: pong - packman - joust - mario - donkey kong - sniper - grand theft auto, call of duty.  Then they gave some realy good examples of how video games and media impact us.   They are also starting to flood the earth with the gospel using the internet and social media.  Im sure you have heard all about it and know more about it than I do. Is your mission using multimedia or social media, or do they have plans to use socual media platforms?   Nothing too exciting this week.  I had to go to Lewiston for a few days....I made the mistake of drinking too much cafine while traveling and this weekend has been rough going through the withdrawals as the cafine leaves my system. James Cartwright gave his talk today since he will be leaving for the Mexico city MTC in a few weeks.  He looks really good and really excited to go. Jamie and Jayson start school no Tuesday.  Im not sure they are ready for summer to be over.  Tomorrow we will have family night and they will each get a blessing to start school. We love and pray for you. Dad Hi Dad! I want you to know that I love the letters and I love knowing that you all are happy and safe!  Apoligies that I don't have alot of time again to write. holy cow Jayson is getting huge!!!! I was sooo spiritually fed yesterday!!! our recent convert, martina, is already a missionary!!!!!! But today i'm just trying to figure out how to help the elders that are living with us. Like the little fubecagems - breaking the rules and slacking a little bit. I get frustrated and want to help them while not riding them. Like i strive to follow the rules and have the spirit, but for them its not a big deal. How can I help them see the need to improve with love while not being used or just letting everything slide?

Hi Elder Reinhardt,

Here are some pictures from family night.  Jamie caught a small bass. 

Plus Jamie and Jayson recieved fathers blessings to start school tomorrow.  There was one distinct thing that I was not expecting but was supposed to tell Jayson in his blessing..... that he would find answers to his questions in the scriptures, his teachers and from his brother. 

Love you,

Dad

 

 

 

Hey family!

 

here is where i'm at...again!!

https://www.google.com.br/maps/@-21.772404,-41.325659,3a,75y,106.74h,91.7t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sVGPXssi0-1TIo20GK4WBlg!2e0

I was transferred back to Rio de Janeiro!! Where I was at during mother's day! I returned to the same chapel but a different ward!! woooo hooooo!!

It was sooo good to see that my recent converts were firm in the gospel. 

I only have time for one miracle, but it's waaay sweet.

We went to interview an investigator that wanted to be baptized. Maycom is 11.

As i talked with him, I felt that even being small, he wanted to follow the savior. He told me that he had already stopped drinking coffee 2 weeks ago. That he cried when the other missionaries left because he thought he wouldn't get baptized.

His mom, Tania, thought that he wasn't ready to be baptized and that he was just doing it to follow his friends...but at the end of the interview, he said the prayer. He asked God to help his mom  accept his baptism.

After the interview, we returned to the kitchen to ask Tania again if he could get baptised. I shared the story of my mom with her. That my mom baptized young and even though life came at her with all it had, her name had been written in the book of God. We testified to her, pleaded with her, and waited.

The suspense mounted and finally Maycom's aunt said, "just decide already!"

...'ok. He can.'

Maycom leaped for joy and covered his mom with kisses!

We wanted to leave shortly afterwards to let them enjoy the spirit of the Lord in the family, so we asked Maycom to give the final prayer.

In his prayer, he thanked his Father, "God, thank you for changing my mom's mind."

I love this gospel. I love that it is not us, the missionaries, inviting everyone to come to Christ, but it is really the Savior that invites them to come to Him through us.!

Dude!  

Back to Rio?  Your heart must be so full!  To see your converts firm.... and what a sweet miracle you shared about Maycom!  Tell his mom I send great big hugs to her!

We have been praying for you every night and day.  I'll share this story with the kids tonight at family night!

We just got back from a road trip!  States at the "Cat Tales' Big Cat Sanctuary, then  Went to Grand Coule Dam...for the laser light show... and then to see Jack Johnson!  He was great!  However... pot is legal in WA now, as is gay marriage. ... so I am sad to say that the milleau was disappointing.  But we had a lot of fun!

Miss you buddy!

Mom