Olá Tudo mundo! 

Como Foi a Sua Semana? 

Seems like I blinked my eyes and now i am another 6 weeks further in the Mission.

I feel i will be Transfered this Transfer. Transfers are on wednesday. 

I can´t wait to see the new missionarys. 

We are Teaching a family here Valdinei and Joelha. With Their 2 Daughters Andreza and Ingritch.

They need to be married so we are helping with that. We only have 20 people here that are members. so we are trying to create a Branch. 

We are inviting everyone we can here to experience the joy of millions. 

I love this work. Though it is veyr hard to continue with faith when we invite 200+- people to church and only 2 people show up on sunday. It is pretty sad. 

The Mission President payed a special suprise visit to us last week. He helped us realize that we need to use the Spirit more. I have been studying every day to find how to use the Spirit more. 

I have used this film of the Church almost 15 times this weeks to celebrate Easter. 

I hope everyone enjoys and is uplifted by it. 

I love you all

-Elder Riches

Limeiro Do Norte
Fortaleza Lesta Missão Brazil

picture of their chapel

Happy Easter Everyone! 

I hope everyone of you had a wonderful time to remeber The Savior of the World and his sacrifice. Remembering that he did what no man could, can, or will be able to do. We can show our appreciation through repentance and following the teachings of Him and His Prophets.

This week we had 0 baptisms again, but on the bright side we reactivated a less active. Normally we have 20 of our investagators in the church. This sunday. We had 0. We had the least amount of people baptised and in the church than throughout the entire mission.  I have been praying for strength to look into each one of their eyes and ask "Why"?  

 I love this work. It is in no doubt the hardest work i have ever done in my life. I hope and pray that one of our investagators will progress. 

We had a miracle but Satan is determined here. 

Patrick. He is a young boy of 16 years. He prayed with an honest heart to know 3 things. 

1. Is The Book of Mormon a true revelation of God and words of Prophetas. 

Answer: Yes.

2. Is The Church of Jesus Christ of The Latter Day Saints the true church of God.

Answer: (Vocal Voice Of Unknown Origin) YES. 

3. Do I (Patrick) have a purpose in my church (Baptist of Cannão). 

Answer: "Nothing" 

He later accounted that the pastor of his church called him the next morning and asked him to play the guitar in the church. I had been waiting 3 years for her to ask him. I don´t know why but Satan is determined to keep everyone pinned down here in Limeiro Do Norte. 

I pray for him and our other investagators each day. 

 I also Pray for each of you. Let this amazing experience and miracle stregthen your faith as it did mine. 

I wish you all a Happy Easter. 

Love,

Elder Riches

Family Home Evening with some members

Members recently baptized

members in their ward

An armadillo tail?

Hello All! 

This week has been going well. We have many investagators and many baptisms set. 

I love this country. I can´t believe how fast time is passing. One goal i will accomplish in the next couple weeks is that 4 days ago i began reading in Portuguese, The Book of Mormon. I arrived at chapter 3 of 2nd Nephi this morning. I am taking time to mark the scriptures and read each verse. I am reading so fast because every 5 mins i have, I read. I find it so fascinating that i can read in another language. I can´t wait to read today. I take the Book Of Mormon with me everywhere. 

I love this gospel. We had one interesting experience when we encountered a pastore. Of another Church. She questioned us about the Book of Mormon. She tried to say that it is wrong and that we are wrong and that we should leave. I told her with every ferver of my soul in my testimony that any person that has an open heart and faith will read this book and then i bore my testimony about the promise of Moroni, that if anyone should read these things they should pray to God in the Name of Jesus, and question if these things which he/she read are not true. 

I told her that she can not throw the Book of Mormon in the trash before reading it. I promised her she would know that these things are true. She accepted it and we left. I can only pray she has a heart soft enough to change her entire life to believe in the one true Church of Jesus Christ. 

It hurts me to think that my investagators will not even go to church to  try. Each time they don´t complete comprissos i blame it on my lack of teaching ability. I need to teach stronger. I need to teach with the Holy ghost. I need to bear my testimony with every ounce of faith i have. Then, if they don´t commit. They will have to explain to God in the Heavens why, when he sent us, they did not even care or want to know. 

I love this gospel. I will never be able to deny the miracles that are happening on the Earth every day we live. 

Thank you, my wonderful friends for your beautiful emails and testimonys. I love to read them and i love to hear about the States. 

Everyone have a great week! I leave you with the Inspired Beautiful Words of Elder Holland. 

"If you have made covenants, keep them. If you haven’t made them, make them. If you have made them and broken them, repent and repair them. It is never too late so long as the Master of the vineyard says there is time. Please listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit telling you right now, this very moment, that you should accept the atoning gift of the Lord Jesus Christ and enjoy the fellowship of His labor. Don’t delay. It’s getting late. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

Love you all without end,

Elder James Riches 

Fortaleza East Mission Brazil

Limeiro Do Norte

I love General Conference. I watched it in Portuguese. :P I loved it. 

So one thing that was very ironic this past week. 

-I was walking on the side walk and i was talking on the cell phone. I asked. Where is the Cabeleria. (Where you cut your hair) I forgot the word in English. :( 

Then i hit my head on a Air Condicionar. I fell to the ground and touched where i hit my head and my head was red.. 

My companion grabbed the cell phone and asked immediately. Where is the Hospital?! 

We walked to the Hospital with a trail of blood spots following us. 

I received 3 stitches. I will send photos. I got them taken out today. It was pretty scary. I was able to teach lessons the very same night. 

God looks out for us. We went back to the scene of the accident. We looked at the Air C. And there was nails that i could of hit and did a ton more damage. 

I am grateful that it was not worse. :)

1. pic is after a service project we did, very dirty. 

2. We rented a hotel room for our investigators to watch conference (below).  There is only one hotel here.

the other photos are of our church, and the area.  It is really beautiful here.