Resfriado for Conference!

Hey Guys!

First off, no Mom, I haven´t received any birthday/Easter package yet. I did, however, receive a birthday card from Grandma Pannone this week. I loved it! and I´m super excited to have her home for the short time that I´ll be with the family.

I love Conference! I was lucky enough to have been able to attend all sessions of conference (including a re-broadcast of Priesthood 8:00 sunday morning at the chapel), and I was truly touched by the presence of the Holy Ghost during this conference. I loved both talks by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, M. Russell Ballard, and without a doubt, Jeffery R. Hollands talk on the Ressurection and Atonement of Jesus Christ. I can´t wait to study these talks in the future and aplly them these last two months of my mission that way I can continue strengthening my testimony of Christ. I was able to watch the sessions in English as well. Usually, all the american elders/sisters in the same zone watch the english transmission together. Since Elder Neuman and I are the only americans in our zone, it was just us two watching, but we had the presence of other Brazillians who understand and wanted to watch in English with us.

Unfortunately, I´ve been attacked with a nasty cold for over 4 weeks now, with a nasty cough. Last tuesday, while at luch at a member´s house, I was having breathing problems after a sort of "cough-attack", and with Sister Cabral´s permission, I ended up going to a doctor´s office to see if it´s anything serious like pnemonia. I took x-rays and he said there was nothing serious, but that it must just be allergies with the change in temperature and season. They gave me some medicine, which has kept the cold symptoms controlled, but still not non-existent.

In our English class, Elder Neuman and I decided we´d teach our students how to pray in English, something a little more spiritual than we had been accostumed to do in our english class, but DANG it was way better than we expected. At the beginning and end of each class, elder Neuman and I pray in english to start and end class. We wanted to give them a chance to do so as well. It gave us a chance to teach both English, and the principle that we have a loving Father in Heaven who has invited us to pray when we would like to thank him or ask for help or guidance. They seemed to love it, and we invited them all to attend conference later that day in the chapel. Everyone but one student ended up coming to conference! (Keep in mind that all but Luciano, the young man who was baptized last week, aren´t members of the church). English classes WORK!! Preaching the gospel through service brings miracles.

Rayane is still progressing very well! She has plans to stop working at Mcdonalds next friday, and with Saturday night and all of Sunday free, we´re preparing her for baptism this saturday, the 11th! Rose is super happy with the decidion Rayane has made to become a member of the church, and we´re always thanking ur Father in Heaven for having found them in the Area Book a couple of months ago.

Shortly after we arrived in Bento Ribeiro, I asked bishop for less-active families that we could visit and help. He gave us an address of a family who had recently moved from Brasilia and still hadn´t been coming to church. We visited Manoel, Maria, and their 4 kids, and since that visit in February, they´ve been to church every week, and we´re helping their son Tiago prepare for baptism this saturday!

I´ve lost track of time, and I truly feel myself "getting lost in the work" with all the planning and teaching we´ve been doing recently. Hopefully, I´ll be able to have this same satisfaction I´m been having up until the last day of my mission. I love you all back at home, I can feel your prayers blessing me while Serving our ressurected Savior and preaching his gospel to all people.

Love,

Elder Braun