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Elder Rapp's Testimony

Eu gostaria Prestar meu testumunho para vocês com amor. Que Esta obra do Senhor e a obra maravilhosa. Que realmente Esta Igreja A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Ultimos Dias e a Igreja restaurado aqui na terra. Por meio do um rapaz de 14 anos a Igreja foi Restaurado novamante. Eu sei com todo meu coraçâo que as bençâos que nos podemos receber e atraves nosso obediencia ao mandamentosdo Pai Celestial. Eu amo asse Trabalho. Eu nunca pensei realmente a luz que eu posso trazer por tantas pessoas. Que realmente eu posso ajudar alguem a ter Fe em Nosso Salvador Jesus Cristo. Eu seui que ele vive que ele nos amo. So presisamo buscar ele em Oraçao e ele vai no ajudar. Eu amo cada um de vocês. Você sempre esta em meus oraçoes. Obrigado por todo que vocês fazem para mim. Te Amo!!! E eu digo estas coisa em nome do Meu Salvador e Redentor Jesus Cristo Amèn.

Monday, June 30, 2008

Mais uma Semana passou!!!

Hey guys! How is my wonderful family today? Thanks for all the wonderful emails and pics of my lil nephew or however you spell it. Portuguese is much easier. Well we are rocking it down here on the bottom of the world. We should have 8 baptisms in the next month or so. Workin our lil butts off that is for darn sure. It keeps raining like crazy which sucks because shoes and clothes don´t dry at all. Humidity. Funny story, e. Gubler sent me some peeps, yeah reminded me of my dad. But they won't harden because it's so humid. Shucks né. All is well here. Me and my comp are getting along great and workin hard. Ya´ll want stories eh, I've got a good one for ya. My Birthday went great, but when we were coming home a man aproached us in a dark street and asked how to get to the bus station. My comp watched closely from the other side of the street as I gave him directions. He didn´t want directions he wanted to assault us and take our money and stuff. I thank my comp because he didn´t give him the opportunity to assault us both. He went away with out taking anything but kept following us and watching us closely. WE were protected and nothing bad happened. That was the highlight of my week this week. I really don´t know an elder in my mission that hasn´t been assaulted yet. I think I'm the only one. But hey, I pray it doesn't happen to me cause that wouldn´t be fun. Congrats on the new member of our family!! He is a cutie for sure. Tell Justin and Kayla congrats for me. I'll be seeing him before we know it. Well I'm out of info for today so have a great week. I love you all!!!MUAH!! ELDER RAPP

Friday, June 27, 2008

Elder Rapp is a new Uncle!



Elder Rapp got a new nephew yesterday! Baby Eastton Seth was born at 5:07 pm. He weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces and measured 21 1/4" long. He has lots of hair and looks both like his Mom and his Dad. He had some breathing issues at first, but they put him on oxygen and he is doing fine. He is very loved! Everyone is loving on him and spoiling him already! This makes the second time that Elder Rapp is an Uncle. Now he has a niece and a nephew! Congratulations Uncle Jacob!

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Life is going great here. Man its cold though. This is my first cold birthday. Haha I am lucky to have it land on p-day. We are going bowling this afternoon. Pres Johnson called me last night and said that he was gonna do interviews in our appt. Weird, I have never had Pres. in my appt. Good thing I'm a clean freak and the appt was already clean. He brought me a package and a letter from the ward yeah. Packages are always good. Man this last week was full of fun and exciting things, rain, wind, rivers in the road. Blah it was a miserable day and Thursday, it rained like I have never seen in my life. The streets were rivers and the side walks as well. Hey how do you stay dry in weather like that.. hahah, ya don´t and I only have one pair of shoes that don´t hurt my feet. Now they are wet. It's life though. This week we worked a ton with less active members and man was it successful. I've always thought that working with them would help out the ward and help us find new people to teach. It's a fact the best ways to work are with the members. Thanks for all of your emails today. The best birthday ever is today. All of your love means the most to me, and I liked the ice cream idea Dad I'll do it for sure. (Even though its freezing cold out side.) Thanks for all the pics too. Man my family is growing and changing ssoooo much. Um can you explain how to send pics in emails? I don't know how but want to send some eh. I love you all and am so very grateful for all you do for me. It means the world to me. Have a great week. Muah!!! ELDER RAPP

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Funny story, I told Jessica about the dog and told a little bit more than the truth and she told me she hopes all goes well with the surgery. HAHAHa I make myself laugh. Blonds think everything is the truth!!! I'm doing great here. Man the weather is cold. Yesterday was the coldest day of work yet, 4 degrees Celsius not sure the exchange rate. Windy and flippin cold. Guess what? I'm senior now. Pres called me the day of transfers, Elder Rapp are you ready for this... I sure hope I am Pres. I couldn't´t have asked for a better comp to help me out, he rocks. E Sousa. He's from Sao Paulo. He is great. A little bit slow getting stuff done but does a great job. He's an old man 25 almost 26, and I haven´t even gotten to 20 yet. One week yea, and it lands on p-day. We are having churrasco with the Bishop and going bowling with the zone leaders. Hope all turns out well. Don´t worry about not having the package out yet. I understand 100 percent. Hey my fingers are shrinking with the weight loss and cold. Can ya send me some more ctr rings 8 and 9 to see if they'll work. Can´t say no cause it for my b-day. So hows things going for you all? Life is warming up there ne? Hey, I'm gonna keep looking for a suit. Ill try and get a cheap one. We'll see how things look . I'll let ya know. Dude, we had a pizza party Monday night cause all of our comps hadn´t arrived yet. They got here Tuesday but ya. 5 pizzas 6 elders and 4 liters of pop. Barbaridade it was good. Homemade pizza is always better than the pizzas from the pizza place. Well have a great week. I love you all and am always praying for ya!!! ELDER RAPP

Monday, June 9, 2008

For your information, I put up 3 letters for Jacob today. The first is a letter he wrote to the Youth in our ward. He wrote separate small letters for his Dad and I, so I put them both on. Enjoy!

If it makes you feel any better my connection just fell and I lost my letter too. It was really really funny too, stupid computers. Anyways this week went well. My comp is kinda really really trunky and it was a little hard to work. That and he got sick and had to stay in bed Saturday. But hey, it's life. So I'm finally a missionary!!! I got attacked by a dog. I was walking down the road yesterday after lunch going to pick up a family for church and this stupid dog came out of no where and attacked me. Well you all know me, well I wasn´t gonna let him get away with attacking me. So I wanted to kill the lil bugger. All in all the lucky punk ran faster than I did before I could kill it. With my steel toe boots, he's lucky he got away. But don´t worry he didn´t even leave a mark on me. I just took out my insurance for dog attacks from my Father in Heaven and he came through and protected me. I have a great testimony of the power of garments. I never really thought about the blessing they promise you, but they are real. I can tell you that. The dog only ripped my pants, which Iwill now hang on my wall when I get home. Along with my deer heads, hahaha. So transfers are tomorrow and my comp is going away but I'm staying. YES, I don´t have to pack my bags. Oh and his dad didn´t send him money for a new suit so he isn´t selling it, but I'm looking for another one in the same price range. Well all is good here. Nice and cold and rainy blah, that puts a damper on things. I love you all and pray for you always. Keep up the good work. Muah xoxo!! ELDER RAPP

Hey Dad!! I'm glad that all went well in your Bishops youth discussion. I hope it made even a little impact on their lives and attitudes towards a mission. Sounds like the tooth problem in NYC turned out to have an implant done huh? Yikes, I don´t like tooth pain or any pain for that reason. Transfers are tomorrow. Man time is flying by too fast. I feel like I just got here in my area and my comp is already leaving. It seemes to me like there isn´t enough time in one day to do all that I need to do. So many people to help that I love so very much and want them to feel what I feel but the sun just doesn´t stay up long enough. I' m sure you felt that way on your mission too. But hey, just putting forth all I can to help these wonderfull people. Thanks for all you do for me Dad. All your prayers and love you send, and especially you testimony that strengthens me always. I love you!!! ELDER RAPP

Dear Coltman Third Ward Youth, I would like to take the opportunity to write you all and express my love for each one of you. Also I would like to talk to you a little bit about the work Iam doing here in Brasil. The mission field is a marvelous blessing to me to my family and to many many others. I can truly say that this is the Lords work. If it weren´t for him we wouldn´t have the blessings that we do on the earth today. I am writing to maybe help you all answer a few question that our lives bring up. What will actually happen when I grow up? Well you all are growing up faster than you think. It seems like just yesterday I was sitting in a Bishops youth discussion learning as you are today. But now It's been close to a year that I´ve been out of the United States. Our time is short and we must make the best of it. Learn all that you can from your church leaders, school teachers and especially your families. As a missionary our purpose is to 'Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them recieve the restored gospel through Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and his Atonement, Repentance, Baptism, Recieving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.' With trainings from my leaders from general authorities the main purpose of missionary work is to Baptize and Retain the new members. Yes this is not always easy. The First Presidency wrote in Preach My Gospel Page V. 'We compliment you on the great opportunity you have to be a missionary. There is no more compelling work than this, nor which brings greater satisfaction. Preach My Gospel is intended to help you be a better-prepared, more spiritually mature missionaryand a more persuasive teacher. We challenge you to rise to a new sense of commitment to assist our Father in Heaven in his glorious work. Every missionary has an important role in helping 'to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man'Moses 1:39. The Lord will reward and richly bless you as you humbly and prayerfully serve him. More happiness awaits you than you have ever experienced as you labor among his children' This is true. The blessing of a full time mission are not a temporary thing but will last for eternity. I would invite all of you to read and pray about THE POWER AND AUTHORITY OF YOUR CALLING Page 4 Preach My Gospel. It contains the fullness of our joy as missionaries. From President Gordon B. Hinckley ' Go forward. Do your work. It´s so very,very important. You have on your narrow shoulders the responsability of teaching the Gospel to a world that doesn´t want it.' So true but it starts as youth. You walk the halls of schools, lots of you have jobs. What great opportunities to be missionaries. It can be a smile, a Hello, A helping hand, and most important your example. I t reminds me of a scripture I read recently but in portuguese Matt.5:16 Let your light so shine befor men,that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. Scripture mastery I think. How great our example is. Our Attitudes show alot of who we are. We we raised in the Church this gives us a head start. We know the doctrine principles and we study them in Seminary. But the thing that is most important is that decision to serve a full time mission. There are many other fun and exciting opportunities out there that bring joy, a few good times maybe, glory to play Football for BYU but nothing will bring as much joy as a mission. I'm am truly Grateful for my leaders my friends and my family who always put in my mind and heart that a mission was important. If it wasn´t for my decision to serve, I wouldn´t have learned as much as I have in this short time and wouldn´t have the opportunity to serve for another year and a month or so. This work is growing, not only here in Brasil, but over the face of all the earth. The mission has taught and continues to teach me something new everyday. Ya, its tough but its worth the walking, the studying and all the fasting and prayer to see at least One Person enter the waters of Basptism. I am a Testimony of that. I have seen Miracles in my life and in the lives of others. If you don´t have a Preach My Gospel, get one and read it study the lessons the scriptures and I promise as a representative of my savior Jesus Christ, that Your life will Change and Change for the better, as it has mine. Once in the Mission field we must learn to love First our Savior and this marvelous work, second our companios (which trust me is not always easy). Look for miracles and really expect them because they are real. Work smart and Hard, and Not let rejection get us down. I have been rejected for some of the most outrageous reasons but always tried to hold my head high. Do all you can now to prepare for a mission. Whether a young man or a young woman. You don´t know if your mission will be to preach or raise a family girls. Sister missionaries have a power that we as Elders don´t have. Study just as hard as the boys do, so that you can serve where the lord wants you to. I remeber President Hinckley always telling us to get as much education as possible. I'm seeing now where education has helped me and others. Study hard even if it is the most difficult course or the hardest teacher. But really pay attention to the spiritual side of studies. Read and pray about the scriptures and the message that they have. I had a pretty silly thing that I did with one of my friends almost everynight, she would ask me to read her a scripture and apply it to the life of a missionary or to explain the message and then bear my testimony about it. Not everynight she wanted to hear a scripture but even when she was mad at me, I read a scripture to her. Wow, what a testimony I gained. When I left she told me that the scripture we read almost daily together helped both of us grow. I can say the same I saw the difference it made in my life and the changes I had to make to live worthily to serve a mission. This Gospel has a power to change lives. Always remember that. Pray for missionay opportunties and always live worthy to enter the temple. Those of you who just graduated congratulations but now your life begins, set an example for others. Those of you who are close to going on a mission (Heath and Trevor) Really Study hard Preach my Gospel and the Scripture. Pres. Batt challenged me to get up early and study with my Dad. Wow, what a difference that made. Ya I was tired and ya we didn´t study everyday, but I came to know my Dad better and he really taught me alot about missionary work. Not to mention got me in the habit of getting up early and studying which is a daily thing now. I thank him for that. I thank My dad for helping me get to where I am today. I Love him for that. I challenge each and everyone of you today to go home after church open Matt. 5:16 read it and pray to have a better clarity and decision to serve a full time mission. I love you all and am always praying for your success. Keep Working hard and know that your Heavenly Father is counting on you. And hey, feel free to write any time and ask questions or tell me how things are going. Thanks for all you do as youth for the Church. You truly have set a great example for me. Love, ELDER RAPP

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Hey Family!! Hows everything going this week. Life is going good here. Man the temps are surely dropping though. I'm having to use a scarf now how lame is that. 3 shirts 3pants ya definitely cold. But hey never been better. We are really poor right now well I am because I am paying all the bills that my comp won´t pay. But hey I love him any ways. Difficult to pay for everything but I know how to stretch a penny or in this case a centavo. My Mommy and Daddy teached me gooder.Thanks by the way sister Johnson send a hug for teaching me how to use money. Well transfers are coming up next week. I don´t have any idea what will happen. Which isn´t fun. Hopefully I don't get transferred again. Its all in the lords hands now. No baptisms for now. We have one on the 21 of June for sure but so far that's it. Working our butts off to find new people to baptise. This week went well. We had the Dedication of the Curitiba temple on Sunday. That rocked. The profet is so funny. It was cool to hear it in English and Portuguese both. Alot funnier in English as you can imagine. The Profet was cracking jokes like crazy. It was him and Elder Nelson here doing the dedication. Hey I got to talk to him in real life. Things went well and the temple is beautiful. I would like to visit it someday. Do a temple tour here in Brasil. Lets wait for Manaus to finish and then come. Well My comp has been acting funny for a while and I asked him about it. He doesn´t want to be here. He wants to go home so we are having to talk alot and help him keep the drive to stay for one more transfer. Came as a shock to me too. It is really difficult. But we are making the best of it and I'm trying to take over the best I can and help him out. But hey we are going along a little better this week we worked better and tried to do all we could. Its tuff but I'm learning alot.Can't have good times if you don´t have the rough times. Well I'm running out of time. Just know that I love you all and am praying for you always. I will write to those of you that wrote me next week. Had a letter to write to the Coltman 3rd ward youth that went a little longer than i thought. Sorry . Love you all. ELDER RAPP