Elder Gurksnis Goes to Brazil

So this week was transfers and lots changed! I will be transferred to an area called Jardim Simus. It is close to a big city called Sorocaba. I'll have to opportunity to be the senior companion with Elder Alvarenga. He is pretty new on the mission, just finished his training, and only has about 3 months here. Other than that I dont know too much about him. I'm humbled with the opportunity and am excited to work hard with him and help shape each other into the best missionaries we can be.  This week our 2 baptisms fell through because they had to travel to Riberão Preto for a family emergency. It was a little sad at first that I won't get that opportunity anymore, but I know God has a greater vision. Maybe they are needing an extra week of teaching. I know there is a reason for it all. But, I'm happy with what I will leave here with Elder Aguiar. At least 5 of our investigators will be baptized here in the next month or 2 here!! My message this week is simp...

Hi all! Hope you all are doing well. So I guess the Olympics started?!?! I'm feeling lost in worldly news, but USA-USA-USA!! It's ok if Brazil sucks in the olympics cause we'll take the World Cup this summer The weeks are fast and good here. We were able to find lots of new people this week. In specific, we went to an area Brasilandia with a few members in order to teach a lady about baptism. She had lots of questions for us and we were able to answer i think very well. At the end she told us everything we said, she already knew was true. She said she didnt feel the information was going to her brain, but to her heart. We explained that this was the Spirit testifying of the truthfulness of these things. It was truly an awesome experience of the power of the Spirit while teaching. I could definitely feel the same in that room!  I have loved to see as i deepen my study of the scriptures all of the Church of Jesus Christs teachings in the Bible as well. We have the Boo...

My goodness the mission is way to good to me right now haha. Last night was a crazy crazy experience, but probably the best day of my mission! I'll start with the crazy part. So last night we are in our house planning for our week and we recieve a call at 9:10pm. Turned out it was the president of the mission! He asked us how fast we could we could at the church to baptize two girls named Thayna and Thalita. Haha so we threw on clothes and ran to the church of course. I have been working with these 2 girls for 16 weeks here. They are super strong in the church and know much there is to know, but there mom has never let them be baptized. But long story short, there was a young womans activity at the church last night and another member talked to their mom and convinced her to allow their baptism. So at 10:43pm they were both baptized and confirmed at 10:59. The whole ward showed up and it was the most people id ever seen at a baptism. It was such an awesome, spiritual experience. We...