February 13, 2012 ~ Early Valentine´s Greetings from Parque das Nações!

觢a, everyone!

This week was a good one. We worked really, hard, and we were able to find a bunch of new people to teach. One of the difficulties or challenges that we have is, I think, somewhat different than lots of other missions in the world, and it磗 a blessing at the same time: when you are knocking on doors or walking down the street trying to find someone to teach, you can teach a first lesson and extend all of the commitments to almost anyone. If you say, ``Can we come in a share a message with you?创, nearly everyone says, ``Sure, you can.创 The difficulty is in finding the people who are in reality open to receiving the message of the Restoration, those who are being prepared to receive the message of the Restoration, and who are willing to act upon it.

This is a good thing because we can help lots of people to learn about the message, and to try to help them to feel the Spirit. The difficulty lies in them actually keeps the commitments, coming to church, and really wanting to receive an answer by the Holy Ghost that these things are true.

One of the best things to do that helps with this difficulty is member referrals and/or involvement. It磗 great, too, to involve people who are less-active in the Church, and they can help other to receive the Gospel, while at the same time feeling and learning and growing into full-activity in the Church for themselves. It makes the who process easier to involve members, because those who we teach have someone who they can go to church with, someone they can ask questions, and someone that can really be their friend in the Church. As President Hinckley said, new converts need three things: a calling, a friend, and to be nourished by the good word of God. So, if we involve a member from the very beginning, the whole process runs smoother and more naturally.

For example, we are teaching two young men whose grandmother and cousin are members. One is ten years old, and the other is twelve. They live most of the time with their grandmother, and sometimes they go to their mom磗 house. They wanted to be baptized before we even started teaching them. We learned about them because their cousin told us that they wanted to be baptized, and so we went! The thing is that they have seen the example of their family members, and they want to be a part of it.

I think that we don磘 always realize how important our example is to other people. There is a often stated phrase that I am continually learning to be true: people are always watching. Even when we don磘 think they磖e watching, their watching. As missionaries, I think we tend to forget this, because people are always watching us, especially, simply because we stick out! We walk around wearing white shirts and ties and name tags, and I wear glasses and everyone says I look like Harry Potter (I never expected that to happen, buts tons of people say it!). We need to always be examples of kindness and goodness and witnesses of God at all times, in all things, and in all places, just as we covenanted to do. As we testify of Him in our actions and countenances, as well as in our words, we will be able to influence others for good, and sometimes, if not a lot of the time, it will happen without us even noticing it.

So, be faithful and true, even when you think or ``know创 no one is watching, because someone is always watching (even if the only person who磗 watching is Heavenly Father, and He is always watching!). As we are witnesses of Jesus Christ at all times, in all things, and in all places, our examples can help plant and nourish in others the desire to learn more and to accept the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. What a blessing, privilege, and great responsibility we have, to be witnesses of Him, and to help others to come to know Him because they knew us:)

I love you all so very much! Keep pushing forward, and don磘 forget to look for the joy in living. As the scriptures tell us, ``Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy创 (2 Nephi 2:25). So, seek to be grateful for the many blessings that you have, and you will find that your gratefulness and happiness will increase. Why? Because He will show you, as you express your thanks, the blessings that you haven磘 seen, He will help you to hear the loving and kind words that you didn磘 notice, and He will help you to feel the love that you didn磘 realize was always there for you to feel.

Love you all tons and scoops and buckets and truckloads full,

Elder Reid Powell Empey

February 6, 2012 ~ What´s Happening in Parque das Nações

Hello, all! Hope your having a great day!

This week was very busy. We磛e been working very hard at finding new people, and we were able to find lots.

It 磗 interesting to me that we, in the United States, typically feel embarrassed or shy or maybe even jealous (in the ``God is a jealous God创 sense, as in we want to keep what we have to ourselves) with our friends, and we are nervous and worried about giving their names as referrals to the missionaries. Here, people are less worried, and often very open to giving us names and/or addresses. I remember that there was a challenge that we were given in our stake quite a while ago that if we will write down the names of friends of the family, and prayer and read the Book of Mormon regularly, we can pray to know which names are of people who are more prepared to receive the gospel, and we can act on it, and give them a Book of Mormon. I can磘 remember exactly what it was, or how the challenge worked, but I think that we could all be better at doing our ``member missionary work创, including myself when I get back!

I磛e gotten to know some of the members better this week. There is a new bishop in the ward, because the ward is actually a new ward. It used to be called ``Aeroporto创, or airport, because it磗 close to the airport. But, the ward boundaries were expanded so now it磗 really big, and it磗 called ``Parque das Na珲es创, or ``Park of the Nations创, which some members have said sounds like the name for a cemetary:) Anyway, things are going alright. We didn磘 have any baptisms this past week, but we will have to see what happens this next week.

Thank you all for your letters and your love and support. I cannot tell you how much it helps:) It helps me to remind myself of the good things that have already happened in my life, and the truths and principles that I have already learned that have helped me, and hopefully others, to live happily and without dwelling on the negative, and on my imperfections. Thank you all for everything:)

Anyway, my time is up, but keep moving forward, read your scriptures, say your prayers, trust in the Lord, and know that He loves you perfectly, infinitely, and unconditionally. It磗 okay if we mess up sometimes:) That磗 why the Savior gave His life for us! I know I have a long way to go, but I know that it will be worth it. It will be so worth it:)

Love and hugs and kisses and all (for those of you that are not family members, we磍l consider them ``pre-mission hugs and kisses创 and ``post-mission hugs and kisses创),

Elder Reid Powell Empey

January 31, 2012 ~ Salutations from Parque das Nações

觢a, a gente!

I have some crazy news: I was transferred! Elder Call was transferred as well, and now we are both here, with new companions and new areas, in Fortaleza! I will miss the people that I met in Juazerio do Norte, and I磎 glad for the things that I learned there, yet I am excited for the experiences ahead.

My new companion is Elder Moreira Santos. He is from Rio de Janeiro, and he is really great. I think that we are going to get along just fine, and that we will learn a lot from each other. Also, I have the chance of having a native Brazilian for a companion! In this way, I can improve my Portuguese even more, and learn even more about how to be a good missionary.

Our area is called, ``Parque das Na珲es创, which means ``Park of the Nations创. It used to be called ``Aeroporto创 because it磗 right next to the airport, but that area combined with another, and now it磗 really big:) We will be walking a lot! But, it should be good. I磎 excited to see how things turn out.

This past week was good in Juazeiro. We almost had a baptism on Sunday, but it didn磘 work out. Even so, she came on Sunday to church, and afterwards she said that she really feel the desire to be baptised! I hope and pray that everything will work out for her, and that she will really get baptised! I am so excited for her. She is awesome, and has been from the very beginning:)

Anyway, I gotta go, but I wish you all a good week, and hope that you will feel the love that the Lord has for each and every one of us, without exception:) As we seek after His love, and begin to love Him even more in our lives through obedience and faithfulness, we will feel the love that He has for us even more, and we will also feel the love that He has for all those around us; and we will receive a greater capacity to love ``all men创 (2 Nephi 31:20) with charity, even ``the pure love of Christ创(Moroni 7:47).

Tchau, tchau, a gente! Eu se amo muito!

Love and hugs and handshakes galore,

Elder Reid Powell Empey

The Weekly Epistle: From Juazeiro do Norte

Hello again, everyone!

This week was pretty crazy and busy, but it was a good one!

After months of renovation, the capela (``chapel´´, or church
building) had a public visitation (I´m not sure why they don´t call
them open houses any more, but they aren´t using that phrase in the
Church here any more). We were there to give a little part of the tour
on Thursday night, which was the first night. However, we actually
just ended up running around getting things ready for visitors, and
didn´t really teach any of the nonmembers who came through. There were
few people who came the first night to begin with, but I think that´s
a little bit to be expected.

Anyway, on Friday the other Elders were there at the capela for the
visitations, and Saturday morning we were there to have interviews
with President Souza, which we have once every other transfer, and
again that night for the dedication. Then, on Sunday, we were there
for church. AND we were there at the capela today for P-Day to play a
little bit of basketball and to watch a movie (``Glory Road´´ in
Portuguese. I was happy because, towards the end, I realized that I
had been focusing on the movie and the story of the movie with
thinking about the fact that it was in Portuguese. I didn´t understand
everything still, but I understood enough to get sucked into the
movie). In our mission, you can watch one Disney film that is
``livre´´ (Brazilian rating system, it´s basically G-rated movies) per
P-Day. Until today, we didn´t have the capability to do that, so it
was the first time for me to watch a Disney movie on P-Day.

Anyway, we spent A LOT of time in the capela this past week. I am so
grateful for the blessing it is to have a such a beautiful and special
place to gather together and worship. It truly is a blessing, and I
hope that we can all see how blessed we are, and that we can be
grateful for the things that we have taken for granted in our lives.

Anyway,``the time is far spent´´ (that´s actually a hymn title, and
I´ve been hearing a lot about it the past few days from Elder Call,
and also from a conference talk that I read), and I need to go, but I
love you all, and wish you the very best! Keep moving forward, put
your shoulder to the wheel, and remember that you truly are a child of
God. He is mindful of us. And He loves us so very much:)

And, I love you all too! Don´t forget that either:)

Love always,

Elder Reid Powell Empey

Hello, everyone!

This week was a little bit tough, but we worked hard and we´re looking forward to the next.

It´s so hard sometimes when people think fundamentally differently than you do, and they don´t understand the implications of what your saying. For example, Juazeiro is basically all Catholic (we say, ``católica até o pó,´´ which translates to ``Catholic into the dust´´ or ``into the dirt´´; ``atè o pó´´ is a phrase everyone uses for something that is really, really a certain way, like saying that they are Mormon until the death, or something is expensive beyond belief. It´s not just used to describe Catholics, I promise:) ). Because so many people are Catholic, they sometimes are Catholic without even knowing why they are. They pray every day, and go to ``misa´´ or mass once or twice or even everyday of the week, and yet they don´t really know what they believe. We talk about Joseph Smith, and ask if they think that he was a prophet, and people sometimes say, ``Com certeza,´´ or ``Of course.´´ They think that he could be a prophet, and all of those things could have happened, but don´t realize that means that the Church is the only true church.

Also, we ask people to pray about Joseph Smith, and then some people say, ``I pray everyday before I go to bed. Yeah, I believe praying is so important.´´ Yet, they sometimes don´t realize that they need to pray specifically about these things if they want to get a specific answer that they are true. It´s just kind of a struggle sometimes, but I am trying to improve every time, and to improve in how I explain things that it can be clearer and make more sense to the people that we are teaching.

One day this week, I was really feeling down, and really not feeling like things were going the way they should. I was trying to pray a lot about it, and seek the Lord´s will and guidance, and yet it was still hard. We left the house and started walking to one of our appointments. I was thinking about what was on my mind, and I was praying in my heart as fervently as I could. As I was thinking, I thought about my covenants that I have made, especially the covenants of the temple. As I focused more on my covenants of the temple, the thought came into my mind: ``This is My covenant, too.´´ Just as I covenanted with the Lord, He covenanted with me. And He will never back down from His covenants. If I keep my part, and honor my covenants, I will receive the promised blessings.

And as these thoughts went through my mind, the hymn ``How Firm a Foundation´´ popped into my head as well. As I began to sing the words in my mind, I began to tear up as the Spirit touched my heart, testifying to me that the Lord will always bless those who are obedient to Him and His words. In D&C 82:10, He says, ``I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.´´ And, in D&C 58:31, He says, ``Who am I, saith the Lord, that have promised and have not fulfilled?´´

We have covenanted with the Lord, and He has covenanted with us. If we are faithful to our covenants, and honor them, and remember them and Him, we have the Lord´s promise that we will be blessed. It may not be in the ways we expect, or according to the timetable that we want, but the Lord´s promises ``shall all be fulfilled´´ (D&C 1:37-38, or verses 36-39).

I know this to be true. I love you all so very much:) Keep fighting the good fight, relying on the Lord, and following and remaining faithful to His words, and His promised blessings will come to you in ways that you cannot now imagine to be possible.

I love you all so very, very much! Don´t forget it:)

Com amor ``até o pó,´´

Elder Reid Powell Empey

P.S. I did receive the letter package with the tree and the banners. Thank you so very much! I love the notes that people wrote on the banner, it means a whole lot to me. We didn´t put the tree or the banners up, because it came quite a bit of time after Christmas, but I am so glad that I have all of the comments, and I will be sure to keep them with me and read them often:)
P.P.S. LOVE YOU ALL TONS AND SCOOPS! :)

Brownies for the missionaires!

A Week Indeed - From Juazeiro do Norte

Hello, everyone!

So, a couple things happened this week.

First, on Tuesday, the police in Fortaleza went on strike, and the strike gradually made it´s way down to Juaziero do Norte, where I am at. At around one o´clock on Tuesday, a whole bunch of stores got robbed in the ``downtown´´ of Juazeiro (it´s called the Bairro Centro). Anyway, they basically all got robbed at the same time, and nothing could really stop them because the cops were on strike. 

So, as Elder Call and I walked through the Bairro Centro around 2 pm, all of the stores were closed in the middle of the day, and we weren´t totally sure what was up. We asked a few people on the street, and headed to the church. We called our leaders, and they got a hold of President Souza, and he said that we all needed to be in our houses by 6 pm. So, we called a bunch of people in our zone to let everyone know, and we headed home. We taught one more person after that, but the rest of the day we spent in the house. Pretty crazy! The police are not on strike anymore, and the Brazilian army actually got there the next day to make themselves known. So, everythings basically back to normal.

Second, on Thursday Elder Call and Elder Borrêa, another elder who live in the same house as us, went to Fortaleza for a leadership training, because they are both trainers (Actually, Elder Borrêa is training Elder Nielsen, my first companion in the MTC, so it´s pretty cool!). So, they actually left on Wednesday night, and Elder Nielsen and I worked together on Thursday. Neither us us speak fluent Portuguese yet, so it was quite the experience! on Wednesday night, I slept in Elder Borrêa´s bed, and the next morning I woke up with a huge pain in the left side of my neck. It was like I was getting a big Charlie Horse every time I turned my head that direction:( Anyway, I called a bunch of people, got a hold of Sister Souza (the mission president´s wife is typically responsible for the health and physical welfare of the missionaries in the mission), and she told me to go buy some ``Dorflex´´, which is a muscle relaxant. So, I´ve been taking that, and I feel lots better!

I am out of time, but I hope that you all know how much I love you, and that things are trucking along here! I was thinking today about the importance of love in our lives, and how we receive the love of Christ as we become true folowers of Him (Moroni 7:48). It reminded me of the talk I based my farewell talk on, from Elder Gonzalez in the April 2011 General Conference. I highly recommend it!

Anyway, I love you all, and I will talk to you again soon!

Love always,

Elder Reid Powell Empey

P.S. For those of you in the Connell area, all I have to say is that we always find some way to get on the map:)

P.P.S. For those of you at BYU, I would like to tell you that I love you all so very much, and that I don´t you are having the time of your lives up there:) (Weird, I´m pretty far down, aren´t I....:) )

P.P.P.S. For my dear family (and adopted family, so ALL of you), I LOVE YOU TONS AND SCOOPS! Keep moving forward, and don´t forget: you ROCK today:) Tchau!