Have to find humor on the mission.

Feb. 20th 2012
 Well my health is good! (Except the fact that I ripped off my big toe nail) But hey things are great! Jiu Jitsu today was very fun and after we played basketball at the church on the cement and I showed no mercy. Elder J S---- and I are starting to baptize the people that Elder Loveless and I were teaching and so it is going very good! Now I can understand everything but still have a few problems with some words. I pray every day for improvement. I cant wait till I get back! I´m going to go to each house in our ward with Adam and we will try to help them come to church.

wanna be home teaching companions

 I dont really have that much to talk about. Oh!, interesting experience this week  We were teaching this lady about the gospel and she seemed to be taking everything really well so we asked her to say the closing prayer and she started saying the prayer baptist style and then her voice got louder and louder and then she raised her hands and started yelling mumbo jumbo which we later learned she thought it was the gift of tongues.  It was very awkward. But one of those things that makes a good story. :)  Good news though she still is progressing in the gospel, we had to tell her in a nice way that her ´´inspirations´´ are not of the Lord but it worked out well.

 Oh the lady next to me is named M---- de L------ and I baptized her. . . . . eight times. She gets nervous easily and she kept letting body parts fly out of the water, the eighth time I kind of just looked up at our first counselor and after the prayer pushed  her down into the water a bit further :/ but it worked and now she has entered the gate and is going to continue on the path!. :)  Well I love you all so much and have to JET! Temos fichas batismais a gente tem que mandar! Falou!!!!  Elder Joseph Vincen

Love really is the key.

Feb. 13th, 2012
"You have to teach with love, this is the only way that the adversary can be thwarted.  Love really is the key. This is why he sent his son for us.  All we have to do as missionaries (and this includes you guys too) is help these people find the love of the lord." There was a family that used to be well off and had a dramatic turn in their situation.  They were embarrassed and were reluctant to let the Elders in because they had nothing to sit on. Joseph reassured him that he would rather sit on the floor-the Lord prepares his children to hear his message. Joseph  bore strong testimony with love about the gospel and the father said, "I know this is the Saviors gospel.  I will read this book and pray about it but I already know that this church is true. Seeing you people come in to my house and sit on the concrete floor,  with no judgement in your eyes, but with love. I already know that you are servants of our God. Your teaching has to be true.´´ I know that with our actions we testify to people of our gospel.  With our love we seal our testimonies. 

Never let your gaurd down!

 "P-day Elder J. Silva and I are learning Jujitsu, and we are learning to fight really well. I've noticed a cool thing about Jujistu. The object is to choke your opponent or win by points or tap outs.  There are two positions that are the most famous; the position where you win and the position where you loose. You must watch every part of your body. Our lives are the same way, we can have all our gaurds up against Satan but if we forget one little part he will grab this part and use it to his advantage to choke us. He only focuses on the weak points and not the strong.  He really wants to choke you out. We have to apply this to our lives. Watch your weak points. Now go out spread your testimony by showing your love for others like our savior and never let your gaurd down!!!  :)  Love Elder Vincent"

"Wow, This will make a great story."

Feb. 5, 2012
My new comp is Elder J ----- and he has the same time in the mission as I do, aaaaand I might have been rushed to the Hospital in an ambulance and spent the day there, . . . the story about the hospital and the ambulance actually is true. A week ago I came down with a huge fever and that is the day that Elder J. ----- came, and so the next day, on tuesday, was even worse, we decided to eat at a restauranut, and I was convinced I was well enough to put on my clothes and walk a mile in the hot Brazilian sun so I did, and when we got to the restaraunt we waited for the sisters and when they got there we entered and it was super hot inside, and so I went over and got some water and by this time my head was going nutso, and after I got a quick drink I stood up and Sister A------ said "are you okay you don't look so good?" Then I was on the ground and everyone was flippin' out and crowded around me .What happened?  I fainted and then hit my head on the chair and then the ground and was out for a while and they called the ambulance and stuff, and then when I came to I told them I was well enough to get up and walk to a chair and so they all helped me and we went into a room that was easier for the ambulance to get me. After I sat down the lights went out again and I fell forward and hit my face on the wall and fell on the ground again. The Ambulance got there and I came to when I was on the stretcher and being rolled out onto the street and I remember thinking, "gaaah, everyone says leave your mission on a stretcher but I'm not ready yet!"   I was in the ambulance and being rushed to the hospital, and I remember thinking, "Wow this will be a good story."  But yeah I spent the day in a brazilian hospital and it is the worst!  What happened was I had eaten nothing that morning and was extremely dehydrated and then fainted,  hit my head a couple good times and then spent the day in the hospital.  Good days work eh?  I am good and we are working again just like normal! Funny thing mom right after you told me to watch my health you hear this story  :)  :) I love you all and know that the only time this work can stop is when the great Jehovah says "This work is done" and comes for the second and last time to this earth. Act like every day will be the last and work with all your heart mind might and strength to gather his sheep!

ELDER JOZEFEE VEENSENCY

The city with the most churches per capita!

Jan. 23rd 2012

Turtles the size of a 50lb sack of wheat, toucans, noisy macaws, but my favorite are the owls here, they burrow in little holes and they are so cute. :) They have the roundest little heads that I just want to snuggle with one. They sit their and guard their little holes. They are sweet. The insects here are great too. :)

Well we eat about two different things. Mortadella, (the big bolagna-lookin thing) with french bread, and cookies. They are cheap and I have many expenses to take care of. Gahhhh. We are having the hardest time with people coming to church. There's a city in our mission called Annopolis and it holds the record in the Guiness Book of World Records for the city with the most churches per capita. So the people here always go to the easiest church, so when you have to wake them up at 8 in the morning everyone says Ai caramba! Ta cedo de mais! And then you have to go by their house and try to wake them up. That gets pretty messy. But things are great here!Sis ----------spoke in church and said, "that this work doesn't end with our missions, its ends. . . . never." :) I love you all and challenge each of you to invite a non member to church. And I am serious!! Go to it!!! Elder Joseph Vincent"

Members as missionaries. The Virtues of Facebook and Cell phones. :)

Jan. 16th 2012

"The first thing I want to say is that missionairy work is nothing without the members. This applies in every. single. mission. All of our progressing investigators are references from members. Without the help of the members we are
nothing. Facebook is an excellent tool to use for this and cell phones
too. However they can be a tool in the hands of the Lord or in

the hands of Satan. It depends on how we use it."