FELIZ NATAL!!!!! 2015

Hello Friends and Family!! Merry Christmas!

This week flew by because it´s been really fun! 

We started off Tuesday with our mission Christmas Devotional in Oeiras. It was such a great time! It was in a huge chapel and it felt like we were back in the states and outside they had a cement soccer court just like Ecuador!! So I felt just at home. I got to see my homies from the MTC Elder Fletcher and Elder Solomon and my trainer Elder Lee. It was so awesome seeing those guys! Felt like it had been forever and we caught up on everything going on. 

At the conference we had a lot of spiritual things and a lot of skits by each zone and people singing. It was such a fun time! We also had a super good lunch and a gift exchange. I got a remote control car and so did my comp. lol

At the conference we talked to the Elders that are in our last area, Costa Da Caparica, and they were like, "You guys left your investigators Luis and Neusa superrrrr elect! They are getting baptized probably the Sunday after Christmas. We went over there and didn't even start teaching yet and they had already said they were going to get baptized" I was so pumped to hear that! I can´t wait to see pics of them in all white! The Lord works in mysterious ways!

Meanwhile, here in VFX, we had a pretty successful week too!

We met up with a guy we had met knocking doors and he was finally home and let us in. We taught the first lesson and it was really spiritual. He is a super nice guy. He is a singer and looks kinda like Usher haha. His name is Luis but his stage name is Axel. We talked to him about coming to church and he said he would try and we marked him for Baptism Dec.27.. but it´s going to be too complicated meeting with him since this is Christmas week so we are probably going to move his date to the 3rd of Jan.

Then, I was looking through the area book and found a guy named Bruno and called him up to see if we could meet with him. He said we could but then we had to cancel on him because we went to the hospital to give a lady a blessing. But he didn't answer anyways. Then two days later he calls us up and said he can meet at the park at 4h30.  So we were excited for that. He had spoken with the missionaries in the past but he had a huge problem with smoking and wasn´t quitting or keeping commitments so the sisters dropped him. We talked to him and he said he had quit smoking and he had been baptized in another church this past Sunday. We taught him about proper authority and why we need to be baptized by someone holding the Priesthood and asked him if he would read the Book Of Mormon and pray about baptism and he said he would! Then we marked him for baptism on January 3rd!! I´m super stoked for these guys!! I have been really praying to see a miracle happen with them. Hopefully they read and pray! 

We also have one more potential named Antonio. Hes never home and we only see him on the street sometimes but the other day he came up to us and said he wants to be baptized because he came to church once and he felt the Spirit super strong. He told us he smokes but he says he can force himself to quit. So we keep passing his house and we have gone by like 6 times this week but he was never home :( Hopefully wee can meet up with him this week and mark him for baptism too!

As for Christmas, Thanks to all who sent me packages or mail. Its such a wonderful feeling to get mail as a missionary because it reminds you that you have people rooting you on at home. 

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas with your families. Remember the reason for the Season!! Read Luke 2!

I´m so grateful for this time of year in which we have to celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for him. Because of him, we are able to live as a family for eternity and be made clean again!! How awesome is that?

I love him. He is my friend. He is my Savior and my Redeemer. I am so grateful for the love he has for me and for the opportunity I have to represent him and share of his love with the people out here in Portugal.

Love you all. Feliz Natal!. Até proxima semana.  

Com Amor,

Elder B. Haroldsen 

Élder Brandon Michael Haroldsen

Missão Portugal Lisboa 

Rua Jorge Barradas Nº 14C

1500-370 Benfica, Lisboa

Portugal