Hello everyone! I hope you all had an excellent week. Things are still moving forward here in Fortaleza, and I have loved every second that I have spent here. This transfer, I will be staying in the Genibaú area with a new companion, Elder Viana. He is from the zona leste of São Paulo and has about a year on the mission. He is the only one in his family who is a member of the Church and has been baptized for a little over two years. It has been great working with him and hearing his amazing testimony.
There was one incredible miracle that happened to me this week. On Tuesday, while wrapping up the day with some contacting, we received a call from the Elders in Itapipoca. They had been able to get in touch with a family Elder Damo and I had been teaching over a year ago right before we were evacuated. I remember the day that I first contacted Maria. We had been passing through some difficult times as a companionship trying to find people to teach in that area, and had been praying for some sort of miracle. On that day, we had been searching for a bus to take us to a neighborhood that was well removed from the center of the city. To our chagrin, we couldn't find a single one. Upset and discouraged, we started contacting. I found Maria in a home near the center of the city. She didn't live there, but was taking care of an older woman living in that home. She said that she had been praying for someone to help her and her family find the right path. We started teaching them, and the week they were to be baptized, we had to leave Itapipoca and I was sent back to the United States.
I had kept loose contact with them all this time, but was able to teach them a few times once I arrived back in Brazil. Once the Mission President was able to assign Elders assigned to the city again, I passed off their contact information. Since we left 1 year ago, they had been diligently reading the Book of Mormon, praying, and living all the commandments. They remembered quite well all of the lessons that we taught them and last Sunday they were baptized. I was able to participate in the meeting virtually to see Irmã Maria, José, and Henrique all get baptized. They had me say some words at the end as well, and I feel so blessed that the day finally came for Maria and her family to be baptized. And I will forever cherish the moments I spent with them. I am hoping I will be allowed to visit Itapipoca one more time before I go home. I am so happy for that amazing family.
One other miracle this week was the baptism of Alexandre. He is a young man of 15 years who lives by the chapel. He was super excited to get baptized, and join his other friends. The spirit was strong at the baptism. We had a great number of youth in attendance, and several problems with the baptismal font but in the end, it worked out.
The work continues on, as strong as ever. I feel grateful every day for the opportunity that I had to return to my original assignment, to weather the heat and the beans and rice, to bring souls into Christ.
Love you all,
Elder Perry
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