My New Area / Gratitude is the Source of Happiness!

My New Area   1/9/17

Hey guys I was finally transfered! I felt like a new missionary again because i have never been transfered before so i had no idea what i was doing. I am training Elder Pastene! He is from chile and is learning Portuguese! It is quite an adventure working with him because i dont know spanish haha. But he is really cool and is improving every day! I live in 4! It is me, my companion, and the assistants! Its such a cool priviledge to live here. This ward is so solid in the church. This area is pretty wealthy but with the help of the Lord we are finding people to teach. We live in an apartment on the fifth floor overlooking the city of São Paulo. Its cool, we have a balcony and everything. Compared to my last house it was like leaving a dungeon to enter a palace. This was a house of sisters and they left a mess. There was about 20lbs of clothes that i crammed in a closet and i find hair everywhere. I guess this is another part of mission life preparing me for marraige. Opening this area is a challenge. We arent having any progress with information in the area book so we are just doing tons of contacts to try to establish a base here to work on. I am enjoying it and learning to work in new ways.

I am so grateful for the emails that i receive. I read them, i may not respond because of time but i read them! I love you all, this is truly the Lord´s work. I need to trust in him more now than in any other time in my life.

Com Amor,

Elder Sanchez

Gratitude is the source of happiness        2/6/17

Wow this week was amazing! I am so happy to have recieved galoches this week. Thank you so much mom and dad, i had no idea that this was coming haha. They are even fancy! Moccassin style! I think that I and the elders that i live with laughed for about five minutes seeing the galoches, after we finished entertaining ourselves popping the little bit of bubble wrap that came with them! I will take and send fotos of them in action!

I ate this grose native fruit this week... it is so sour. This girl in Jardim Colombo was eating them and i passed by and asked what it was. She said the name of the strange fruit and offered it to me. I ate it and didnt like it. Later i learned that it is better in juice! I also was walking with Elder Bartling and he stopped on the sidewalk and started eating these berries. I had never seen this berry before. He said it was good so i ate it too and it was really good and really sweet. I still dont know what kind of fruit i ate both times but it was a good cultural experience!

A family came to church this week! It was the first time on my mission that a whole family, Dad, mom and kids came to church. They loved it, I loved it, They want to come again, they love the Book of Mormon and have growing testimonies of Jesus Christ. I am grateful to be a part of their conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am grateful for the experiences that i am having with my companion in this area. I am learning little things like how to listen and how to learn. I love my mission president, especially because i know that his vision for me and this mission is the Lord´s vision. I can feel it and experience it here in São Paulo West.

I am learning so much about the nature of the Lord. I was thinking about the creation of the world. Jesus Christ created the world, but it was under the direction of God. Jesus Christ, alone, didnt have the power to create a world during that time, He was  how we were, only spirit. But through the priesthood power of God, Jesus Christ was able to build this beautiful world. Today because He completed His mission, Jesus Christ has recieved His Glory. Now He too is a source of power and priesthood. The same principle applies to us. And like Christ before, the initial power that we have today is our agency to choose. And if we choose to rely on the Lord, His Son, and His Priesthood we can do anything according to His will! The power, glory, and joy of the Lord will become ours in humble obedience, service, and gratitude to God. Endurance in these sacred principles will lift us to be like our Father. The same way our Brother and Savior, Jesus Christ, is like the Father. I just invite all to be more grateful and remember that we are a part of a Grand and Glorious Plan. A perfect plan. We all have our individual purpose here on earth and in the eternaties.

I love all of you guys. I am so proud of the Patriots and of Tom Brady for taking the win one more time through teamwork and professional couching! I could not have asked to be born in a better part of the country where our country is honored through a football team that wins! Tom Brady´s wife is also Brazilian! Love you guys! Have a great week!! Be an example!

Elder Sanchez

2017!!

Happy New Year everybody!! I can certainly say that i grew a lot this past year. From welding at Caterpillar, to being Troy Bolton, to taking the AP Calc test, to graduating high school, to becoming a full-time missionary in Brazil... it has been a journey! I will be transfered on teusday. It is a wierd feeling. I have been in this area for 6 months. These roads are the only ones i know in this country and i know them by heart. Its hard to fit everything in my bags. My new area is in Zona Ferreira. I dont know the name of the area because i didnt understand very well the portuguese of my american mission president. I am entering deeper into the city of São Paulo. I dont know yet but i think my area will be filled with apartment buildings and business. A HUGE cultural change from this area. I will be having the priviledge to train again! A Novinho (new guy) fresh from the CTM in Brazil. I will meet him on tuesday and then find out how to arrive in my new area. I hope it has a good area book and at least the address of the Ward Mission Leader or Bishop. My companion, Elder Pittella that i just had the opportunity to train, will be training a novinho too in Catanduva! I am so happy for him. The have some amazing families to teach and help right now.
I have made some goals to be more grateful this year like writing in my journal. But my biggest overall goal is to become a man in my work-ethic, attitude, happiness, obedience, portuguese, and my purpose as a missionary. I love a what one the assistants to the President said in his last weekly letter. He said that faith is not based upon the past but is based upon the blessings, truths, and occurances that in the future will be effective in our life. Faith always points forward to the future.
Love, Elder Sanchez

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!!

12/5/16

Hey everybody!! This week was great! We found a lot of cool people and like three families with a lot of potencial. My favorite visit was with Eduardo, Marcia, and Izadora! They were so excited to here that we have a living prophet! Dad, you made me start thinking about gratitude and I dont have a story from my mission that i can think of right now but i am will start to try and share more stories about my life here haha. I am so grateful for my family. So the Confraternização de Natal (probably the longest word in the world for Christmas party) of the mission will be a talent show. Our zone (Campo Limpo) is putting together a show about Christmas and missionary work for our mission. I am acting as an investigator that will be baptized. It is so much fun organizing this thing. We work on it the mornings of p-day! It is making me miss my days as Troy Bolton under the bright lights in the Oconee county Civic Center haha! But really i am so excited for Christmas. I have been sharing the christmas video of the church in almost all of our visits recently! It brings the spirit so strongly. I am learning so much on my mission how i am very imperfect but i love to be imperfect because it gives me the opportunity to grow! Jesus Christ is our savior. He was born, lived, suffered and died for each one of us. He knows us and loves us and He lives! Lets commemorate this Christmas by helping others feel His love and light. If you haven´t seen it yet, its not too late! Go to Mormon.org and watch the video! One day this week it rained alot and i saw a transformer blow up! It was pretty cool. reminded me of welding! You all have a wonderful week! I love you all!

Com amor,

Elder Sanchez

12/13/16

Hey guys i dont have much time today. I got to go to the temple today and it took up my p-day. Sorry to not warn about p-day being tuesday this week (mom and dad). Mom, the box was rejected, thank you for putting in the money. I had to pay 239 reais and i paid with cash, I will take out the money in the account to buy food for this week. Thank you so much for the box, i havent recieved it yet, because the secratary will get it for me this week from the mail service here. But it is paid off. I hit my six month mark, it feels like i arrived yesterday. I am sick again today. I have been sick so many times on my mission. I dont know if it is the climate here or just because i interact with so many people but i´ll figure it out. We are teaching a lot of families. It is cool to see fathers find more purpose in their family role as they learn about the restored gospel. We had a mission tour by the Area President of Brazil. It was amazing. My whole mission has been doing weekly planning wrong and so now we learned how to plan and utilize the area book better. It was an amazing training and we started applying the principles the day we were instructed and we are already having results. Less appointments are falling through and we are able to follow up with people way more effectively. We got a new smoke detector because ours broke and wouldnt stop beeping. Two days ago it rained so much during weekly planning. We were planning in front of the window where the map is and the transformer just outside exploded. It was the first time i have been that close to an exploding transformer. My whole body shaked and it scared me i almost fell out of my chair haha. And the thing about a transformer is that its not just once, the thing keeps exploding until they shut it down. It was booming and sparking for about 15 minutes! I had seen it from a distance a few weeks ago and i thought ot myself "wow! thats so cool!" but now that it happened right outside of my window, i never want to be that close again haha. Sorry i dont have any pics for the christmas card mom! I didnt have time this week to take any pictures.

I love Christmas. I love how everybody is thinking more about Jesus Christ and his example. I know that He lives and loves each on of us. He is the Christ and recieves his commands directly from our Father. Lets obey Him and rejoice in His joy and liberty!

Com amor,

Elder Sanchez

12/19/16

Hello, I dont have much time. We got a box from the Relief Society, it was awesome. I finally got my box from home, thank you. Just to let you know the cock roaches are not winning. I've been out for a little over 6 months, 18 left to go. It's starting to get hot here. I love you all!!

Merry Christmas!! 

Com amor,

Elder Sanchez

#SejaALuzDoMundo (#BeTheLightOfTheWorld)

We got to sing in a mall.

installing a fire alarm.

Baptism of Vinicios

Found some canned food a the store.

Peanut butter and sugar sandwich!

 "Elder Neilson veio visitar! (Elder Neilson came to visit!) Nov 14

This week was great! Packed with the spirit! Now that portuguese comes a little easier, i am actually listening to the lives and situations of the people that we visit and it is helping with descerning their needs. Elder Neilson visited with his wife. He is one of the seventy of the church and his designation is President of the Missionary Dept. of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The devotional he gave was awesome! I learned so much that i can apply. We had the opportunity to see the Christmas video of the church this year early and it is awesome. All of you will have the opportunity to see it here in a little bit. He gave a statistical report of the missionary work in the world. Every month there is an average of 25,000 baptisms in the world. This reminds me that this is the work of the Lord and cannot be stopped or slowed by man. The world is being prepared.
I heard from a few brazilians that Donald Trump won and i am excited to see how he will help the nation. Regardless of who is the President of my country i will support him. This country was founded by the hand of God and will be guided today if we pray and support our leaders.
My companion got really sick, so we have been in the house since after church yesterday. I´m using all the skills that i learned from my mom to take care of him haha. One sister of the ward brought soup for him!
It has rained all this week! São Paulo weather is the wierdest on the planet. It is literally a concrete jungle. It heats so fast with the sun and cools so fast with the rain.
This past week marked 5 months on the mission. I feel like i arrived yesterday and i am still serving in my first area. I asked my president if i could stay one more transfer here because we have so many amazing families right now and i would love to see their progress in the Gospel.
Every day is an adventure. I know that many of you my friends would like to hear of the crazy things that happen here in Brazil. One day you will here them! I promise.
Love you all,
Elder Sanchez

Eu tinha que dar um discurso em Portugués! (I had to give a talk in Portuguese!) Nov 21

This week was awesome! Things are warming up here. My companion and i were both sick this past week but we continued to work. I lost my voice and regained it, portuguese was a struggle with a raspy american accent but i made it through. We had the opportunity to participate in the baptism of Vinicios. He is a great guy and i am so grateful that he made this change in his life. He stopped smoking and drinking before we even taught him it was wrong. The big search for new people has begun again. I dont know what i am going to do with Thanksgiving this year. Maybe i´ll eat some more rice and beans that day haha. I had to give a talk on Sunday! It was so cool. I was nervous but it was great. I used an analogy of how when David and I built a Lego spaceship we needed to have the same vision to arrive at the same result and i compared it to us and Jesus Christ. We have our vision and he has His. We need to make our vision the same as his vision. His vision and focus is our Joy and our salvation. We gain his vision in our lives through obedience to his commandments and through making covenants with him.
Love you guys. Have a wonderful turkey dinner this week!
Elder Sanchez

#SejaALuzDoMundo (#BeTheLightOfTheWorld) Nov 28

This week was great! We had some really great days and met some really great people. We are starting to teach faster to get more lessons in one day. It is starting to get really humid here... its like Georgia humidity but in Brasil haha. I had a great thanksgiving! I worked like normal and ate rice and beans! Oh man when i recieved that box with regular american deodorant and peanut butter i dont think i have ever been filled with adrenaline of happiness so strong before! I ate one entire jar of peanut butter that morning because i was so happy!! First time in six months, it was a moment to remember! Right now my companion and i are running every day! I am feeling so healthy, we also starting buying a lot more fruit. I love this thing we make that is milk with mango and sugar. It is delicious and smooth. We had the opportunity to sing in the mall next to the São Paulo temple! It was so cool! I got to sing a solo of Jingle Bells in english over the mall speakers!! Everybody, Christmas is coming! A time to help more, hope more and love more! Everybody go to the site Mormon.org to watch the video of this year. Every day you can watch a new video to see of how Jesus Christ help someone and how we can follow his example to spread His spirit this Christmas season. I testify that Jesus Christ is our Savior and i promise that if you choose to participate in this campaign to be a light to another. You will feel a little of the love that God feels for His children and you will be blessed this Christmas season! You guys have a wonderful week in the land of the free!!
Com amor,
Elder Sanchez

"O poder da Restauração!"

Everyone here drives a manual car. They are just now buying automatics and don't know how to drive them yet. Someone broke off the gate with an automatic car. Ha ha

I don´t have a lot of time today. This past week was amazing and i would like to share two experiences with you guys. We were sharing the message of the restauration with an atheist named Kelvin. We arrived at the part when we recite the First Vision of Joseph Smith and the spirit was so strong. Then we continued talking but only a few moments passed and Kelvin´s brother Josué entered the room and said, "Can you say that again?". I said, "Say what again?". He said, "Vi um pilar de luz (I saw a pilar of light)". And so my companion and i stopped where we were and returned and i recited the First Vision again. The spirit was so strong again, and then Josué said, "I know this is true. I know this happened. I was in the other room listening to you guys and when i heard these words, i knew that they were true." It was amazing. The spirit was so strong there that when we arrived Kelvin was athiest and when we left he was a Christian. I know that it was not because of me, nor because of my companion. But because they paid attention and let the spirit touch their hearts through the words and testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith. My testimony grew was strengthened as well. We had another experience with a family. I got to know the parents because of their food truck. It is always parked in front of the Catholic Church across the street and we wave to each other every day. We were knocking doors on this one road and i saw their food truck and knew that they lived there. So i went and called them and clapped my hands. They arrived and we sat with their family. Two young parents with two teenage boys (reminded me of my family). Before we even started the Dad started to cry and the spirit was so strong. They live a hard life and were so grateful that we had a chance to meet with them. They pray often as a family and read the bible together. I could feel the power of love in their home. We shared the restauration to them and it all made sense to them! It was amazing! They were truly prepared. We started to explain about the Book of Mormon and the Mom of the family said "This is it! This is it!" I asked what she was talking about and she said, "This is the sealed book that is spoken of in the Bible!" We were all so happy and i said yes! Then i showed to her the passage in the bible because she had forgotted where it speaks of the Book of Mormon. And they were so happy to recieve the Book of Mormon and to hear that we have a living prophet today.

I am grateful for these experiences. Sorry if they dont make a ton of sense, i was typing pretty fast and struggling to think in English. I love all of you guys and am so grateful for you all. Jesus Christ is our Savior and God is our Father and one day everyone will know of they truthfulness and glory.

Com Amor,

Elder Sanchez

"Marcia e Sandra realizou um grande passo na vida delas!"

Helping a family move!



Sister Isabel gave us the best Brigadeirão in the world!!


Cleaning mold off my ceiling.

Hey everybody! Man the mission is amazing. I dont know how to describe it. I had my first baptisms. They were awesome, i was so nervous about dropping them but i prayed and they felt as light as a feather! I am so grateful for the power of the priesthood and the grace of Jesus Christ. My friends, Marcia and Sandra, took a large and probably the most important step yesterday in their lives. All of their sins were erased and they made a covenant with the Lord to keep his commandments in this life. Through this covenant made by the priesthood power of God and because of the example of Jesus Christ we all will have the opportunity to return to our Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father sent us here to this earth to obtain a body, to make covenents with him (like baptism), and to demonstrate our willingness to submit our will to His will so that we can esperience celestial joy now and in the future. If you would like to know more about this, go to www.Mormon.org or www.LDS.org or contact the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in your area and they will do all they can to help you!

Love all of you! You all are amazing people doing amazing things. Continue learning and growing, the time on this earth is short. Take advantage of it! I am especially grateful for my parents and the power of their example in my life. Stay strong and remember you are a Child of God. He loves you and knows your worries and supports all of your righteous desires!

Elder Sanchez​

2 Letters

Oxe!!! Uma grande Mudança e muitas beijas para todos vocês! 10/10/2016

So guys! I accidentally deleted all my photos (i need to develope patience with the computer haha)... but you guys already have most of the good ones. I´ll just have to start fresh again. And next week you will have some fresh pics of brasil.

A lot of things happened this week. Last week of the this transfer ended... i had a division with Elder Castro (the assistant to the president)! It was awesome, i slept in the mission office and learned soooo much with him. How to teach, how to contact, how to plan and more! We even did a bus contact, instead of just a few people on the bus we contacted the whole bus. He talked while i handed out pass along cards of the Book of Mormon! It was nerve racking drawing the attention of all the people on the bus but went well. Now i feel obliged to do it everytime i´m on the bus because i know how now! I only have two years to help people come unto Christ, gotta do whatever it takes!

I also had a division with Elder Uchtyl, he is american and is going home tomorrow. He is an awesome missionary. I taught with him on his last day of working. His testimony was so strong and he told everybody we talked to to take advantage of the opportunity to visit with the missionaries! It was an awesome experience, i want to be like him when i end my mission!

So tomorrow is transfer! We recieved word on the detailes yesterday! I will stay in Jardim Catanduva, Elder M. Silva will go to serve in Zona Osasco! And the scary part is that i will be a trainer starting tomorrow. I will recieve a greenie fresh from the CTM! Brazilian, at least i wont have to teach him Portuguese! But i am learning quick how much more i will need to trust in the Lord to fulfill my purpose in this area.

Right now the work is going well. We have two investigators that will be baptized this month on the 16th and 23rd. They are awesome and both very intelligent so its so cool to be a part of their conversion. Marcia and Sandra are their names! We found a family this week!!! An entire family and the parents are married and everything! the first lesson with them was awesome! It is rare to find a traditional family in São Paulo but we were blessed to come across one!

So if you are in brasil and walk through the exaust of a car and it smells like a burning bar, its because the driver is being economic haha. They use pure alcohal if they cant afford to pay for gas and it smells sooooo bad haha! I always wonded why some exhausts smelt worse than others but my comp finally told me it because the fill the tank with alcohal which is way cheaper.

I learned a lot from my trainer, I will miss him. I am still in my first area which is a good thing, i dont want to have to learn more street names yet haha. We got a missionary couple in our ward this sunday, Elder and Sister Anderson! They are from Texas. During the week they work with the church´s webcasting program and establishing it in Brasil but on the weeked they will help my ward with the less active members. I am going to help them by putting together lists of less active families for them to visit! They only have two months in Brasil! its wierd being out here longer than other people! This past saturday marked 4 months on the mission. The time is passing so fast! I love all of you guys! I know that God is real, and i know he hears and answers prayers. Not because i learned from other people but because it happens in my life. If you are not a praying person, your Father in Heaven is waiting to hear your concerns, needs and wants. There are many blessings that depend on our asking! Love all of you guys! My Americans!! If any of you have questions about Brasil or the work i do on my mission, please feel free to send me an email and i will try and answer in the best way i can!

Com Amor,

Elder Sanchez

General Conference 2016

This is my new companion fresh from the CTM! Elder Pittella! He is from the very south of brazil. Everyone calls him a Vaqueiro (brasilian cowboy) because of his accent haha. It is nothing like a cowboy accent in english but i understand it really well. He is freakin awesome! He served for a year as the executive secretary of his home ward before the mission and he has all the ideas to ramp up the Jardim Catanduva Ward! Yup, i´m still in Jardim Catanduva. I figured out that i will be here at least six months, two tranfers to be trained (already done) and two tranfers to train.

My companion´s first pizza on the mission!!! Chocolate Border and all!!!!

"Estou treinando um novinho!" I am training!! 10/17/2016

So this week was awesome!! My companion is soooo good, Elder Pittella! I swear he already served a mission, he basically knows how to do everything and teaches very well and by faith. We have been walking alot and it is starting to get pretty hot here in just the past week. We have two baptisms coming this weekend. Marcia and Sandra will be baptised on the 23rd after church! I am so happy for them and their progress! It is so cool to be a missionary. A large part of my happiness on the mission is from seeing the joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ change other people and to learn more about the nature of our Heavenly Father. So many times we teach the first lesson about the Restauration of the Gospel to people and my favorite part is in the very beginning when we get to talk about the love of God and how he blesses families! The truths are simple but have so much power. I love to tell people that God is our Father and that we are His children and that he loves us more than we can imagine. Everytime i say it or my companion says it, the spirit confirms the truth of it in my heart and in the hearts of those we teach. Its freakin awesome!

I got so many emails from friends this week!! Thank you sooooo much! I read all of them and dont have a ton of time today to respond but i will soon enough dont worry! Things are changing here, all the differences in the brasilian culture are normal to me now and i´m forgetting all of the concepts  and commodities of your average american lifestyle. I love being a brasilian! I am also kind of glad that i am out of the country during this election. I hear it is a bunch of junk. It sounds like two pastors of different churches arguing about what the apostle Paul said in the bible regarding marraige. Good luck with that vote! I am exempt this time!! 

I read the testimony of the Prophet Abenadi in the Book of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon. He was the man. He was testifying before the wicked King Noah and his priests about their wickedness and how if they dont change then God will destroy them and how Jesus Christ will come and redeem the righteous and not the wicked. They tried to kill him in the middle of his testimony but by the power of God he commanded them to give him more time to finish relaying what God had to say and they stopped until he finished. Abenadi changed the heart of the King for a moment but the peer pressure of his priests hardened his heart in an instant and they burned the prophet of the Lord at the stake. The death of the prophet Abenadi serves as a witness that Jesus Christ is our Savior, that only through obedience to his comandments, we can live again with our Father in Heaven! I love this story and his sacrifice for Christ!

Love you guys!

Elder Sanchez!