Big Letter this week

New companion from Utah

Elder Keller and Elder Gatten

Hey! I hope that you are all doing super awesome. It sounds like things are going awesome there, and that you are all making it. Anyways, I don’t know where to start to tell you about my last week. First of all, the family in my last area in Laranjeiras, Gilmar and Joseilton, they accepted baptism and to be married. I was super excited for them and from the decision they made to keep the commandments. Their four children are progressing too, and they will be baptized with their parents. We had tons of investigators in church too. The members really helped us this last week go and get the investigators and take them to church. Things are starting to go awesome in that area and elder kunz will have some sweet baptisms right before he goes home. His family that is going to get him will see the marriage and everything. That is super neat I think and will be a neat surprise for his parents.
Time for the bigger news. I got transferred!!!!!! My new area is called nova canaã! It is located in the east part of Manaus, and is located kind of out there. It is like a hour bus ride to get anywhere in the center or to where I usually went in my last area. My new companion is another American, and the third in a row, Elder Keller. He is from Bountiful, Utah and has just under a year in the mission. His family is really cool looking, and he has two brothers and two sisters. He is the youngest like me and his bros and sis are like the age of Tom, Tim and Brett. He is like ten years younger from his next siblings. He is super cool and we are already amazing friends. You can see that from the pictures I guess! He studied a semester at Utah before he came on the mission, but thank goodness he is a BYU fan. I don’t think I could of standed another stinking Utah fan. He loves snowmobiling, snowboarding, and doing tons of stuff like that. He loves camping, and mountain biking. I love it man, I love American companions because you can totally relate to them. And what is good too is that he has already got a good hook on Portuguese so I don’t have to focus on that with him. We can just have a good time, make memories, and baptize the world. I have felt so blessed in my mission in relation to companions, areas, and just every situation that I have been in. I cannot explain it to you all, but I just feel like I am in the right spot at the right time, doing the right stuff, and I feel comfortable. I know that the lord is with me at all times, and that he knows my heart and my mind.
This area that I am in is one of the best in the mission. The zone that I am in is the best in the mission, and in two weeks of this month together we have baptized 143people28 men and 23 families. Just in our zone! The lord is blessing us and there are still two weeks left in the month. The ward that I am in is amazing. We received a reference form the bishop yesterday of a family. We went to their house and taught them the first lesson. They accepted baptism and also to get married. Their son too will be baptized. We marked it all for the first week in April, and will have it during general conference. It is amazing, I love it. The members are truly member missionaries, and have the greatest desire that I have ever seen from anyone in my life to help the missionaries, and to baptize. They are so amazing. They have activities daily! They get out and play soccer, volleyball, and love it all. I look at the chapel, which is brand new, and I think that this is Zion. It is too perfect. This ward is better than anything I have seen in my whole life. The funny part is that I am here. I am so pumped to work, and so help this ward split again. It split last September, and will split again now. There are like three hundred people in church on Sundays. I love the work!!!!
I feel like I am in the prime of my mission. I feel like everything is going awesome, and the only thing that holds me back at times Is myself. If I could just run faster, walk with a faster pace, and talk with everyone that would be awesome. I am doing my best, and I know that the Lord is blessing me and my comp. Miracles do happen in the mission field. I have such a strong testimony of the gospel. I have such a love for my Savior. HE GAVE IS LIFE THAT I MAY REPENT AND RETURN TO THE PRESENCE OF MY FATHER. What a sacrifice. I love the gospel so much, I cannot explain it to any of you in a way that you will comprehend. I would give my life for this work, it is divine.
Have an awesome week, and don’t forget to open your mouth and preach the gospel. HELP YOUR MISSIONARIES! You know someone who is not a member. Give them a reference. DO IT!
Elder Gatten