Boom!
So I have about a million things to tell everyone and I am so incredibly excited to write this letter. So here we go. My Christmas package finally arrived!! It was so nice to eat Tillamook Cheese again!
We enjoyed a very successful week in my area, district, zone, and in my mission. We had 3 amazing baptisms in my area. What a story. We arrived at the house of Daria, Sara, and Samara. When we got there, Debora, a member who lives there said, "hey, they have something they want to tell you, but are really shy, so I will say it. I spoke with them about my baptism and how the things you guys teach are true. Well, they prayed and want to get baptized too! Only, Daria is leaving soon, so can we do the baptism tomorrow?" Wow, we were completely floored. Days before we were thinking about stopping to go there because they were just not showing much interest, but I guess the Lord showed us the real power of the spirit and a good friend. So the next day (Wednesday) we held a wonderful baptism service in which many members came to see. Wonderful!
Side note, this whole week I got really sick to my stomach and I felt really bad. But I refused to just lie down, we we still worked our tails off. Well, the Lord blesses and after 30 reals (Brazilian money) in Pepto Bismol, I woke up without any pain. Wonderful!
So on Wednesday a lot more happened than just 3 baptisms in my area! We also had my final zone conference of my mission! Wow, it was absolutely wonderful and I learned SOOOOOO much. I have a lot to get better at with my new calling and area (I will get to that later). At the conference I bore my final testimony and it was weird. I did not know what to say. But I felt good but I did not cry. I am not one to cry with those sorts of things. So I did not. Felt bad about it too but I just do not feel like I am really coming close to the end. I feel like I just could keep going forever!
Afterward Sister Klein made inspections of our house. Well, let me tell you that my house was PERFECT. She was marveled at how clean everything was and gave us the highest award, the celestial house award. I even took pictures. Hehe! It was awesome. She even loved how it smelt could because I got my package from home with the wallflower scents (from bath and body-works). Awesome stuff!!
THEN, later that day the zone leaders called me saying that they had someone who wanted to be interviewed at that very moment and be baptized. So I ran about 3 kilometers to there area to find an older, very poor looking man. His name was Isaias and he was a sight. I was impressed that the missionaries were serious with me because at first sight, I swore he was a drunk street bum. Well, I was DEAD wrong. He was one of the most special people I have met. He was so truly sincere in his faith. So much had happened in his life. He had so many errors yet, I saw something in him. He TRULY believed in Christ. As I taught him and interviewed him he stopped me and said "Son, I have been to many churches and seen many things in my life. I want you to know that what you have just to told I know to be true. I have never felt truth as I have now sitting with you." In his prayer he asked to God to forgive him and he expressed such a desire to leave his sins and be clean. The man was converted. I was privileged to be able to baptize him. I wanted to cry as I saw Gods mercy in his face. Then Daria, Sara, and Samara were baptized.
The next day I interviewed 4 more people to be baptized and all of them were amazing people as well. They truly wanted to follow Christ as well and all 4 were baptized. By the end of the week, my District had 8 baptisms, the zone had 17, and the mission roughly 300. The blessings of the temple in this mission are miraculous!!
I ended this week with a very hectic phone call... Sunday was when the assistants were to call about transfers, and normally those who travel are called a day early or earlier that day. Well, at 5:50 pm I received a call from the staff saying "Hey, did you get a call yet? Yea, you are being transferred to BOA VISTA, in Roraima(that is another state). You will be taking a bus at 8pm tonight! So you need to get here by 7:30. Your companion will be Elder Shepherd." I was floored!!! I quickly found a member to take me there and after a 20 minute run home from the church we packed up in 30 minutes and were off to staff! Believe it or not I made it on time and caught my bus, along with Sister Santiago. So at 8pm yesterday we started a 10 hour bus ride. I arrived here this morning at 6 am and waited for my companion to pick me up till 7:30 am. NOW, I am chill and I love it here. Also, I had to leave most of the food from my package though because I had no space. But that is okay I shared it with my other companions. Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven.
Elder Shepherd is one of my best friends on the mission. I met him at BYU because were in the same ward and now we are great friends. He is from CoeurD'Alene, Idaho and he loves all the cool stuff. We will get along great. We are the zone leaders of the ENTIRE STATE and Boa Vista is on the northern side of the Amazon Jungle from Manaus. This transfer we will travel to a small city in the middle of nowhere that is just now receiving missionaries. Huge responsibility! I am super excited! Our home houses 4 missionaries and it a really big house, just for us. I have ac and hot water. I am super excited and I am so blessed for the best last transfer ever of any mission.
Eu vos amo,
Elder Asa Laws
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