AÍ FROM BRAZIL February 24, 2009

hello everybody! whats going on! well first off i want to thank everyone for
sending me the letters, i did get everyones letter! so thanks for that, i
will definitly write you guys back but it might take awhile to get to
everyone. but thanks! anyway so i guess everyone after having told me
everything that going on up there would want to know whati am doing down
here. well first off transfers are coming up in 2 weeks so things could
change for me here soon. anyway yesterday was zone conference and we pretty
much spent all day there. from 8 in the morning until 6 at night, that was
the first time that, that happened but it was way cool. we got there early
and the president let us all play volleyball untilll the conference started,
so that was something new but way cool. a good relief. after we had this
really cool meeting until lunch and then had a a really good lunch! after
the lunch spent the day learnig with the zone leaders and practicing and
then had a little meeting at the end with with the president, then finihsed
and started on our way home. for me and my comp, we live so long that we
didnt get home till bout 9 but ya it was a great day. the meeting that we
had with the president was about a question, whats the difference from faith
and hope. seeing how the scriptures always are talking about the 2. and i
wanted to share with you guys what i learned.
first faith....faith is a principle of action in james 2: 14-18 it talks
about faith with out works is dead.
faith is a principle of power- moroni 7 :33
faith is obtained by obedience d&c 130:21
these were the topics that describe faith, and explain really what it is and
what we can do to increase our faith,
there are 5 things we can do to increase out faith
1-study
2-prayer
3-service
4-sacrifice
5-rightenous( do whats right in the eyes of God)
but the most imporetant thing is that faith always comes before the miricle(
ether 12:12) we have to show our faith to god throught our actions and then
when we are acting on what we think is right, god will show forth his power
and give us that miricle that we need, but its not till after we do our part
and show our faith.

HOPE
hope comes through faith- alma 32:21, ether 12:9
it is an unshakable firm confidence- jacob 4:6, ether 12:32
it is an anchor for our souls- ether 12:4

its like a circle, hope is the radius and faith is the circumfrence, when
one is increasing the other increases with it, you cant increase the one
with out the other. they are both very important but also very different,
one phrase that came to my mind was this...
we need faith to act today, but hope to wait for the blessings tomorrow.


anyway thats just a quick little summary but anyway it was a great meeting,
i definitly know that my president was called of God to hold the keys to the
work here in brasilia.
things here have been going great, me and my comp found a man last week
through a member reference, victor, he is great! really interested and has
already started reading the book of mormon front to back. things have been
going great with him, but i would like it if you guys would keep him in your
prayers, to help him continue to progress and that me and my comp can help
him come unto christ. well hope everyone is haveing a great week, thanks
again for the letters, they made my week!!!

i love you all so very much, thanks for all the sacrifices you guys make for
me!!!

eu te amo!!!!
elder davis