Guess What?! (Week 71)

Hey Everyone!

It's Monday! Email day! 

Guess what?! I got a call Sunday morning informing my companion and I that we are getting transferred, but not too far away. I just got transferred to the other ward next to me. It is right behind our house so that's awesome. Elder Belo (now my future new companion) does not have a companion so they needed me over here in the this ward with Elder G Santos so that Elder Belo isn't alone. So we are going to be a trio until Tuesday. 

Oh I am also a Zone Leader now. So now I have more responsibilities than I did as a District Leader, so that also happened. I look forward to it, and I'll make sure to continue to pray to be an instrument in the Lords hands. 

Spiritual Experience:

This spiritual experience was with someone named Jr. 
He is a young man we are teaching. He knows the church is true and he is doing his best to help his family get better, because his family is involved with some stuff...so he is setting an example for them, and he is not even baptized! He is so awesome!  His happiness and will to help other people is something amazing! Truly a gift of God. I am so proud of him. He is going to do great things I can feel it. 

Anyway, please pray for me and all missionaries around the world! I will make sure to keep you all in my prayers as well. Have a great week everyone.

-Love, 

Elder Arevalo

She Had A Dream (Week 70)

Hey Everyone!

Companion Update:

My companion is the bomb! He has a great attitude and is really happy. We are working so hard and we even made a cake together. He even told me he really wants to help his family since his entire family aren't members of the church. 

Spiritual Experience #1:

Finally! A picture with the new companion!

So this week we had a baptism lined up for Ellen, but on the day of her baptism...it seemed like she vanished off the face of the earth. Out of all the confusion, I felt the spirit during the day saying to me everything will be okay. We could not find her at all and she was not baptized. So my companion Elder G Santos and I went home. While at home I continued to think about what could have happened to Ellen...saying things like "Why would this happen? How could this happen? This makes no sense!" I was so confused and a bit bitter. ALL OF A SUDDEN...I felt the spirit saying to me "You will do my will and nothing else" and at that very moment I saw how childish I was. 

I knew at that moment that if the Lord wanted it to happen he would have made it possible and I am here on the earth to do the Lords will not mine. I learned to be humble, to listen to the spirit, and follow the Lord because (as always) he knows best.

Spiritual Experience #2:

Just call us chef's Arevalo & Santos! The cake was so good!

There is an investigator with the name of Lucia. She lives next the to the church. We told her to pray to know if we are showing her the correct path. She prayed and she had a dream that night! She dreamed that she was in her church (catholic), and the pastor got up and said he doesn't feel that she should go there and left the church. Then she saw her following me and my companion on a path with lots of people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know with all my heart that this church is true! I cannot tell you all enough. Thank you for letting me share my experiences with you all as you continue to support me with all your emails! I am so thankful! 

Until next week.

Love, 

Elder Arevalo 

I'm So Grateful (Week 69)

Hi Everyone, 

New Companion: 

This week I finally got my new companion, and he is awesome! His name is Elder G. Santos. He is really tall, funny, a recent convert, and an overall super happy guy. He has been on his mission for about 4 months now, and is from São Paulo! 
I think as a companionship we are going to do great things. I really admire that he is out here on the mission, because his entire family are not members of the church. 

Me with my package last year!

Spiritual Experience:

So when we where teaching Ellen she started to cry, because she knows everything we are teaching is true. She said, "I know the church is true...you guys are representatives of the Lord here today to help me and I am so grateful. Plus she is really happy to go to church. It was awesome to hear that from Ellen. I'm excited! 

Christmas Package:

So my parents sent me a Christmas package and it arrived in Brasil at the mission home on the 23rd of December, but since I am so far away I haven't been able to receive it yet. I don't mind that I haven't gotten it yet, but I was just told that the zone leaders are going to give it to me in two days (Wednesday).

I'm Grateful: 

My mom asked me if I was now a senior companion, and I was thinking...to me it doesn't really matter if I am a senior companion, zone leader, district leader, etc...I am just happy I am here to serve others. I love this work. I am having a great time, and I am learning a lot. I have never been so grateful for such an opportunity like this. Thank you so much for all the help you ALL have given to me on the mission and before the mission. I really appreciate you all.

Until next week.

Love,
Elder Arevalo 

He's Got His Priorities Straight (Week 68)

Hi Everyone, 

I just wanted to start off and say Happy New Year! ☺ I'm so excited to start my new year off here in my new area Macapa, Brazil. 

Update:

• I ate a huge Shrimp on New Years Eve haha. It was good. 
• I currently don't have a companion...I am in a Trio with Elder Belo and the Zone Leader Elder Luiz. They're great, but I'm excited to get a new companion tomorrow. He arrives tomorrow at 1 pm. I don't know anything about him, so I'll give you the run down next week. 

Spiritual Experience:

There is this investor named Isaias. He is great! He went to church last Sunday, and he wants to get baptized...AND...he went to church even though he went to bed at 2 O'clock in the morning! What an example he is to all of us! Isaias is putting the Lord first, and I am so amazed because he is an investigator. What a champ! The Lord truly always helps us find people that are ready to be closer to our Father in Heaven. 

I hope you all have a great start to the New Year! Remember to always strive to become better, and closer to our Father in Heaven. 

Love, 
Elder Arevalo 

How was your Christmas? (Week 67)

Hey Everyone!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! I definitely had a good one. I even (unexpectedly) was welcomed into the homes of many members, and my new companion and I got a few gifts! Check it out! 

Skype With My Family:

I got to talk to my family on Skype on Christmas! It was great to be able to see and hear their voices again. They had such uplifting stories to share, and I think they liked mine too. I had such a fun time. Its kind of weird to think that this is the last Christmas I will be spending here, and the next one will be back in the USA. 

Update:

I have a new companion. His name is Elder Belo. He is Brazilian and is from the state of Para, and he knows English! He originally was in the US studying, but he got called back to Brazil! Haha so cool! 

Spiritual Experience:

So we found a women named Ellen. She is very interested in the church. She went to church this week, and she is very excited. She also went to an activity, and she is loving the church. She is reading a lot, praying and overall she just seems really happy. We found her Friday and she is already excited to get baptized. She told us that she knows the church is true. She also told us that she wants the best for her son and daughter too. Overall, Ellen is amazing and we are going to continue to teach her and help her feel the spirit This just goes to show that when we obey the lords will...he will respond at his timing.  

She told us what after our lesson? (Week 66)

Hi Everyone!

The new companion!

Update on the new area I am in:

• This is the first apartment where I have air conditioning

• My apartment is so easy to clean, I'm so grateful! 

• This area is much bigger than my last one

• I still have a lot to learn about this new area, but hopefully I start picking things up quick

Spiritual Experience:
We where knocking on doors and than we made it to this one house. We clap at the door, because knocking is rude here in Brazil, and this woman invited us in, and welcomed us. We started to teach her and she surprisingly already knew everything about the the Book of Mormon. My companion and I were so amazed and happy she already had some knowledge.
She then told us...that she was praying for the Lord to send someone to help her find the correct path, and it just so happened that we showed up and taught her.
BUT THEN...it also turns out that she is very religious...and she is very strong in the other church that she is currently involved with...and the pastor of that church told her that she will be invited to go to other churches and that she should NOT GO...I can tell that the adversary is working hard, but not to worry...so are we ;) 

Gym:

Okay, I am so happy! I'm going to an actual gym today to workout! I know that I walk miles and miles a day but I am so happy to for once for workout at the gym. Anyone that knows me knows I love working out, and I know that the mission is more important right now, but it'll be a nice change to go in this one time and exercise a different way for once. 

Final Remarks: 

Well, I hope everyone has a great week. Thank you all for your love and support and your emails! Merry Christmas!! :) 

Love, 

Elder Arevalo 

Planes, Parties, & Potential (Week 65)

Hi Everyone, 

As you all know...I got transferred, and I am now getting moved AGAIN! Haha they want me to open a new area, so I am officially going to be doing that with my new companion Elder Costa. He is from Sao Paulo, and has been on his mission for 10-11 months so far.  

Off to the new area! 

We took plane and the plane ride was about 45 minutes. The first day in the new area was on Friday, and this past Sunday the new ward had conference so it was good. I didn't get to meet a lot of the members that day, but the ones I did meet were very nice.

Mission Christmas Party:

Christmas Party

So this was a lot of fun! There were games we could play, and I kept going from game to game. We even had a gift exchange, and I had to give something to Elder Silva. I also got a really cool gift! I also saw so many familiar faces, and so many friends that I haven't seen in a long time so that was really great. I am so thankful that our mission president and wife do such nice things for us! They are wonderful. 

Spiritual Experience:

I would say the most spiritual experience I had this week was the Christmas devotional that our mission Christmas party had. The spirit was so strong, and I love every minute of it. 

Investigators:

So in my new area we already have 3 new investigators. Please pray for them!

• Valmir 

• Juvinal

• Vivani

Some last goodbyes from my last area:

I'm going to miss them all so much.

-Love, 
Elder Arevalo