Detroit!

OI! Tudo Bem!

Como estao? Eu estou contente e estou amando o missao. Still practicing! It was great to talk to you all yesterday! Wow, it was awesome! Just like old times! It was great to hear all your voices. Thanks Spencer and Lauren and Grandma and Grandpa O for coming to talk…very nice to feel all the love!

So yeah! I didn’t say on the phone, but the other day the coolest thing happened. We had just finished our dinner with some members at a restaurant, and we were coming home on our bikes. We were waiting to cross at the street corner, and this guy yelled from his car and asked, "Are you guys Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness?" Obviously, we yelled back that we are Mormons. He said, "Have any Books of Mormon?" And he did say, “Books” of Mormon haha. We said yeah, and he said to meet him at Somerset, which we did not know where that was, so he turned, and we followed him as best we could. Somehow, we managed to get to his house. He was a young guy with a girlfriend and a couple kids. We gave him a little taste of what we believe, and set up an appointment to meet! He wasn’t there when we went back though, but hopefully this next week we will get to meet with him. It was just cool because if we had not been at that exact place for that 30-second time span, we would have never seen him…very cool!  

So, yesterday during Church, we got to watch the kids in Primary during singing time, so the mothers could go to Relief Society…pretty fun haha! And the little boys were like so excited to see us. Something cool made an impression on me yesterday. The kids all drew pictures of the Prophet, and wrote what they would do to follow him. All the little boys want to go on missions, at age 8. I don’t know if they fully understand everything, but it made me realize how important family is, because the children grow up with the Light of Christ in them. They all wanted to serve, and I guess the only thing that stops them is the influence of the world. I just hope that they develop their testimonies to withstand it. They are so protected in the home, that’s why it is a perfect place for them to grow and develop their testimonies. They can become strong without bad influences, until they can hold their own.

I thought about that when the guy yelled at me. I got all discouraged because it was the first person I talked to, and I hate when people yell at me, that’s why I never give anyone reason to, or try not to. This guy didn’t have a reason except that I am a missionary, and I’m not even sure he knew which Church I was from. I was too scared to talk with anyone else after that, and I thought to myself, what the heck am I going to do, I can’t handle this. But then I remembered, I’m not on my own. We said a prayer right there on the side of the street with our bikes, and I remembered. I remembered our Savior and what He had done. How much He loved me, how much He was cheering me on. Then off we went. Think about how much love He has for us. Mom, do you remember that one time I was in the car with you on the driveway, and you said you could help take my pain away, that mothers can help take away the pain, that you have the ability to feel it with me? After you said that, I was thinking about it later, and I thought, that’s exactly what the Savior has done for us. He loved each one of us so much that He wants to bear all our pains for us. He wanted to take it all away. It’s way more than we can comprehend, but I want to be able to experience the Atonement more, and be able to use it more. I know we can become so much stronger when we rely on the Lord. 

I want to do that more. And I want to be a better missionary. It’s hard to do it. It’s easier said than done, especially being the week-old Elder whose been trained to teach in Portuguese haha. I’m learning all I can though. I love you all! I love all the support. You are all the best. I pray for each of you Mom, Dad, Ryan, Carina, Lorenzo, Spencer, Lauren, and Lizzie. Eu se amo voces. voces sao familia maravilhosa. Obrigado por seus oracaos. 

Love,

Elder Hoyt