eu sou a lenda [I am Legend]
All I have to say is this:
2nd John 1:12
"Having many things to write unto you, I would not awrite with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full."
tchau [Bye]
já era [it was]
Elder Manis
Monday, May 16, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Why
"Why go to a far away place where you eat fish and rice all day?"
1. Because it's a commandment from God. Yes, comandments like the 10 comandments that God gave to Moses.
2. Because I wanted to. I knew that serving a mission would bless me in many ways.
3. Because I knew that I had no future in football. There was no way on God's green earth that Zack Manis would be an NFL star. Ya it would have been free school but what does that have to do with the fact that I would have a broken body for the rest of my life. I wanna be able to play ball with my kids not just watch them play.
4. Because I have a testimony. Maybe that's something others don't have, but all you have to do to get one is "want one".
5. Because there has been no greater joy than serving a mission, learning a new language that I plan to use in my professional life, and there is no greater joy than being with and around and helping people come to know that this is the true church of God.
There is no way physicaly, or not that I can deny these feelings. It's just like Joseph Smith said;
I know it, and I know that God knows that I know it, and I cannot deny it.
Jamilson was baptised this past week. I have never taught someone who just didn't want to know. Just asked questions, liked to doubt and things, but he lost [the fight] and he came to realize that what he was doing was wrong. He repented and was baptised. I baptised him and after the baptism, still in the water, he gave me a huge hug and thanked me and again asked for forgivness.
You can't deny the truth. Maybe you can't handle the truth. Only you and God know what you are capible of.
The mission has changed my life. I hope you know that,it has been the best thing I have and maybe ever will have achieved.
The Church is true, and there are no if's and's or but's about it.
This is why I walk all day in the sun, getting rejected and even spit upon. This is why I eat fish and rice every day, and do it with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes knowing that here in 2 weeks it's all over. I do it because I love it and that's that.
I love you and I want you to get the big picture. The Church is true.
Love,
Elder Manis
1. Because it's a commandment from God. Yes, comandments like the 10 comandments that God gave to Moses.
2. Because I wanted to. I knew that serving a mission would bless me in many ways.
3. Because I knew that I had no future in football. There was no way on God's green earth that Zack Manis would be an NFL star. Ya it would have been free school but what does that have to do with the fact that I would have a broken body for the rest of my life. I wanna be able to play ball with my kids not just watch them play.
4. Because I have a testimony. Maybe that's something others don't have, but all you have to do to get one is "want one".
5. Because there has been no greater joy than serving a mission, learning a new language that I plan to use in my professional life, and there is no greater joy than being with and around and helping people come to know that this is the true church of God.
There is no way physicaly, or not that I can deny these feelings. It's just like Joseph Smith said;
I know it, and I know that God knows that I know it, and I cannot deny it.
Jamilson was baptised this past week. I have never taught someone who just didn't want to know. Just asked questions, liked to doubt and things, but he lost [the fight] and he came to realize that what he was doing was wrong. He repented and was baptised. I baptised him and after the baptism, still in the water, he gave me a huge hug and thanked me and again asked for forgivness.
You can't deny the truth. Maybe you can't handle the truth. Only you and God know what you are capible of.
The mission has changed my life. I hope you know that,it has been the best thing I have and maybe ever will have achieved.
The Church is true, and there are no if's and's or but's about it.
This is why I walk all day in the sun, getting rejected and even spit upon. This is why I eat fish and rice every day, and do it with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes knowing that here in 2 weeks it's all over. I do it because I love it and that's that.
I love you and I want you to get the big picture. The Church is true.
Love,
Elder Manis
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Happy Easter
Só nos milagradas do Pai [Only in the miracles of the Father]
One more great week has come and gone. This week was amazing. I'm not sure if it's Heavenly Father showing me that He is accepting my mission or just prayers being answered, but so many amazing things are happening in the area.
Let's start off with Camilla. She is not a lady she is a Moça [girl] of a young lady. She is 15 years old, and it was amazing to baptize her this week. Elder Pinhiero baptised her and was so nervous that his hands were trembling and he said the prayer wrong so the ordinance had to be done twice. haha But still, it was so amazing to see her transformation. She is studying the scriptures like crazy and is loving every minute of being a member if the Church.
OK OK... now for the miracles.
A few weeks ago we baptized Cirlandia. Actually the plan was to baptise her and her husband Jamilson as well. But he got cold feet and just started to be all lame and reject our visits. He stopped hearing our lessons. But this last week, I think it was Wednesday, we finally got the chance to talk to him and really invited him to pay good attention and count the blessings of the Lord in his life. To just focus on receiving an answer as part of the whole deal. Then Friday we stopped by just to see how things where going and he starts to cry. This is a big guy like Dad, and he basically told us how he had received an answer that the Church is true. Then after that he screamed "I'm gonna be baptized!!!" It took both me and Elder Pinhiero by surprise, but he gave us both a huge hug and lifted us both up. Then he said, "So, can I baptized on the first?" I was like, "Uhhhh ya!!!!" It was just amazing. It was just like Camilla, we just left him in the Lord's hands. Also, Valeria, she will be baptized on the first as well. She is the most elect person ever. You teach it, she obeys it. She lived in Andre Carloni when I was there but I didn't find her there. Now she moved here and now I found her, haha The Lord works in many mysterious ways. :)
I love you guys,
Elder Manis
PS-Mother's Day is coming up and I'll call home using Skype OK? So invite the people. :)
You said that you got my traveling arrangements. What are they?
One more great week has come and gone. This week was amazing. I'm not sure if it's Heavenly Father showing me that He is accepting my mission or just prayers being answered, but so many amazing things are happening in the area.
Let's start off with Camilla. She is not a lady she is a Moça [girl] of a young lady. She is 15 years old, and it was amazing to baptize her this week. Elder Pinhiero baptised her and was so nervous that his hands were trembling and he said the prayer wrong so the ordinance had to be done twice. haha But still, it was so amazing to see her transformation. She is studying the scriptures like crazy and is loving every minute of being a member if the Church.
OK OK... now for the miracles.
A few weeks ago we baptized Cirlandia. Actually the plan was to baptise her and her husband Jamilson as well. But he got cold feet and just started to be all lame and reject our visits. He stopped hearing our lessons. But this last week, I think it was Wednesday, we finally got the chance to talk to him and really invited him to pay good attention and count the blessings of the Lord in his life. To just focus on receiving an answer as part of the whole deal. Then Friday we stopped by just to see how things where going and he starts to cry. This is a big guy like Dad, and he basically told us how he had received an answer that the Church is true. Then after that he screamed "I'm gonna be baptized!!!" It took both me and Elder Pinhiero by surprise, but he gave us both a huge hug and lifted us both up. Then he said, "So, can I baptized on the first?" I was like, "Uhhhh ya!!!!" It was just amazing. It was just like Camilla, we just left him in the Lord's hands. Also, Valeria, she will be baptized on the first as well. She is the most elect person ever. You teach it, she obeys it. She lived in Andre Carloni when I was there but I didn't find her there. Now she moved here and now I found her, haha The Lord works in many mysterious ways. :)
I love you guys,
Elder Manis
PS-Mother's Day is coming up and I'll call home using Skype OK? So invite the people. :)
You said that you got my traveling arrangements. What are they?
Sunday, April 24, 2011
The 400 Yard Sprint
Have you ever run the 400? Well, if you have you know that in the last 35 to 45 meters it's pure guts. Your body doesn't have much to offer but you just keep running. That's exactly how I feel every night. This week was an amazing week full of tears. Yep, tears. I cried. It's just amazing to see the miracles of God in these last 4 weeks that I have.
It's not that I'm spiritually drained this week, but I'm physically tired. Seriously, like the last 35 yards of the 400 yard sprint. I'm just giving everyday my everything and its paying off. I don't think my feet, knees, back and even my shoulders have ever hurt so much, but I don't think that I have ever had a bigger smile on my face than I do now. I love being a missionary. :)
Next week we will have the baptism of Camilla. She is a special story. When my companion and I first got here in the area, we met her. She is a daughter of a recent convert. So we started to teach her and we wanted to baptise her but she basically didn't want anything to do at all with the Gospel. She basically called us stupid and said that the Church is false and that we are going to hell. So we pumped the breaks and let her do her thing. Well... Heavenly Father works his magic. Come to find out that she watched General Conference with her dad on the computer at home. She basically took a round house kick from the Spirit and became humble. She showed up at church and so we went back to see her and asked her how she was doing. She basically broke down in tears and was asking us for forgiveness to have thought that the Gospel was false. She has had some really marked spiritual experiences in the last week. She explained that she prayed to God and the Spirit responded to her and said here take this, this is all you need. So while she was explaining all this she said, "Yes, yes, I will be baptised and I'll be baptised on the 24th." So we said, OK. She is all ready to be baptised. After the lesson, Dean, her dad came to me and said; "Thank you, thank you sooo much for you work." Man, I just love being a missionary. I love helping these people out, all day, every day. It's amazing.
We also found a lady, Valeria, clapping doors. We taught her one of the most "authoritative" lessons ever. I don't know if that makes sense. But basically I just taught with authority, and she had no way to escape. She accepted a baptismal date for the 1st of May. Happy birthday Robbie. I'll give you and the Lord a baptism.
I just want to thank you all for sticking with me during my mission.
I love you all. :)
I'll try to bring some Brazilian stuff home. Some original stuff. Not just the tourist junk. haha :)
I love you guys so much.
Know that the Church is true.
Elder Manis
It's not that I'm spiritually drained this week, but I'm physically tired. Seriously, like the last 35 yards of the 400 yard sprint. I'm just giving everyday my everything and its paying off. I don't think my feet, knees, back and even my shoulders have ever hurt so much, but I don't think that I have ever had a bigger smile on my face than I do now. I love being a missionary. :)
Next week we will have the baptism of Camilla. She is a special story. When my companion and I first got here in the area, we met her. She is a daughter of a recent convert. So we started to teach her and we wanted to baptise her but she basically didn't want anything to do at all with the Gospel. She basically called us stupid and said that the Church is false and that we are going to hell. So we pumped the breaks and let her do her thing. Well... Heavenly Father works his magic. Come to find out that she watched General Conference with her dad on the computer at home. She basically took a round house kick from the Spirit and became humble. She showed up at church and so we went back to see her and asked her how she was doing. She basically broke down in tears and was asking us for forgiveness to have thought that the Gospel was false. She has had some really marked spiritual experiences in the last week. She explained that she prayed to God and the Spirit responded to her and said here take this, this is all you need. So while she was explaining all this she said, "Yes, yes, I will be baptised and I'll be baptised on the 24th." So we said, OK. She is all ready to be baptised. After the lesson, Dean, her dad came to me and said; "Thank you, thank you sooo much for you work." Man, I just love being a missionary. I love helping these people out, all day, every day. It's amazing.
We also found a lady, Valeria, clapping doors. We taught her one of the most "authoritative" lessons ever. I don't know if that makes sense. But basically I just taught with authority, and she had no way to escape. She accepted a baptismal date for the 1st of May. Happy birthday Robbie. I'll give you and the Lord a baptism.
I just want to thank you all for sticking with me during my mission.
I love you all. :)
I'll try to bring some Brazilian stuff home. Some original stuff. Not just the tourist junk. haha :)
I love you guys so much.
Know that the Church is true.
Elder Manis
Friday, April 15, 2011
Away From Me Satan
Aaste de mim Satanás (Away from me Satan)
Man, this week was a brutal week. Just in every way possible. It was a good that we had the baptism of Sirlandia. She has had some problems in the past few weeks, in deciding whether or not to be baptized. Her husband got cold feet too, but seeing the baptism of his wife opened his eyes. So I think we are going to baptize him the 24th. It's was amazing to see Sirlandia make the decision to be baptized. Basically we just left it all in the hands of the Lord and trusted that everything would work out and it did. :)
As a missionary one of the things that we tell people in the last week before baptism is that Satan is going to try and do everything he can to break you so you won't be able to be baptized. We say that "you're going on the most wanted list of Satan."
Along with that, I can say the same thing about the last 5 weeks of a missionary's mission. I've got Satan and all of his demons on my back. It's not that I'm being tempted or anything like that, but I can just see him working so hard on the people we teach. Even those we talk to in the street. I have never gotten home this spiritually and physically drained in my life. Man, like last night I just slept in my get up. Shirt, tie, everything, even my shoes. I didn't wake up until this morning. But it's good to see that Satan will always lose. It's amazing to see the miracles that are happening in our work too. People just showing up at church and asking to be taught. Elder Manis doesn't clap doors anymore. I'm just being guided by the Spirit. haha We have an amazingly large number of good things that are happening, so Satan is working extra hard. But everything is good with me.
I found out this morning that another one of my baptisms is getting their papers filled out to serve a mission. She is Tamara from Andre Carloni. It's the most bestest feeling in the world to know that you actually helped the church grow. :) She will baptize the world.
Family, I'm sorry but I'm mega tired. I think this p-day I'll just sleep. But know that I love you and I'll see you guys in 5 weeks.
Love ya,
Elder Manis
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