He is my Savior, my Redeemer, my friend and all of yours as well

Hello everyone!  This week was another great week as we had a wondeful division where I worked for a day with a fellow tooele valley man Elder Durfee from grantsville!  Awesome Elder!  I also wanted to give a quick shout out to my man Jonathon Cox who will enter the MTC in March preparing to come across the atlantic to serve with me here in this wonderful country of Portugal!  Congratulations and see you soon my friend!  

Luisa and Beatriz continue to progress and were a huge help at our ward christmas party which I will send pictures of.  And now that our main investigators Luisa and Bea are baptized and progressing on their own we have had a lot more free time and are back to square one with finding new people.  Finding is always a great classic missionary activity as we go from door to door person to person introducing the gospel message what a wonderful priviledge it is!:)  

These photos I have included was how we spent our p day today.  We went with some of our members to the old folks home in the hospital and sang a few chirstmas hymns for various groups of people it was a lot of fun and great opportunity to serve in a little way!

I hope that each an every one of you have an absolutely amazing Christmas and remember just exactly why we even have this wonderful celebration.  This week my challenge to every one is to read the Christmas story with your families and watch again the church video "He is the Gift".  I promise that if you will do this you will get more out of Christmas this year and the Spirit of the Lord will be in your homes!  I love you all so much and wish you all a great Christmas!  I love my Savior I know he was born with the purpose of saving us.  He lived his every day never forgetting his purpose nor the love he had for each and every one of us and the Father.  He is our brother and our King.  He is my Savior, my Redeemer, my friend, and all of yours as well:)   He lives.

Eu amo-vos tanto!

Merry Christmas and 

Happy Holidays:)

Elder Brandon Eldredge

Our humble Christmas setting :)

an awesome member family

Some city lights in Vila do Conde

Our awesome recent converts

Luisa & Beatriz!!

Pictures!!

Christmas lights

These cool cats: Leonor, Alexandra & Luisa

Portugal during December

Christmas conference

More Portugal during December

Our buildings Christmas tree

The answer is always the Atonement

Well i dont have very much time again and i am doing e mail in a members house on a tablet but just wanted to let you all know about some great things that happened this week.  Frist of all Luisa and Beatriz were baptized and confirmed this past weekend.  It wss super powerful and a wonderful experience.  The atonement has strenghtened those sisters in so many ways and it was wonderful to be a part of the story.  During the week we had a scare when they found sone anti mormon stuff on the internet but we went there with a member and he testified of the truthfulness of the gospel and how it blesses families.  And in the end they were touched yet again by the spirit and entered into the covenant of baptism.  They are incredible people and their family will look at their example and soon will be baptized as well.  I will be staying here in povos with elder ricci one more transfer which means i will be here at least until february!  I am super happy about it!!  Anywho be happy and trust in the atonement of christ.  The answer is always the atonement:)  

With much love

Elder Brandon Eldredge

Ward dinner!

Mais una semana (another week)

Hello once again friends and family!  We are doing just swell here in Povoa.  Actually we are super excited for our baptism this coming Saturday.  It is possible that we will have 5 baptisms this saturday because we found out that the children of Luisa and Beatriz that have been going to church are older than 8 and are really liking church but the only thing is that if their fathers will let them get get baptized or not.  But I know it will be awesome!  It is just so gratifying and strengthening to see people actually being converted not just baptized.  That is really what I want is for hearts to be changed not just for some white clothes to get wet.  I know that baptism is essential for all and it is good to baptize but when you know that they are going to stay is really what makes me happy.  Luisa is awesome and likes church more and more the more she goes.  Beatriz (luisa´s friend) is also loving it even though she has only been twice, the sprirt has touched her in such a way that she cannot deny what she is feeling!  It is so powerful!  She actually even had us over for dinner last night and her husband really opened up to us which made me happy.  He changed his mind and will go to watch her baptism now and I know the spirit is going to touch his heart as well!:)  It is has been great to get to know these two families and I am so grateful the Lord gave me this opportunity to help them know and feel the truthfulness of his restored gospel.  Truly and amazing experience.  Also our investigator Thomas will also be baptised on Saturday.  He told us he is not taking any tobacco to the sea and when he come back on friday going straight to bed to be baptized saturday moring!:)  Transfers are also coming up this week again but I am pretty sure that I will be staying here another transfer with Elder Ricci and I have no problem with that at all but it will be interesting to be here until Februrary!

So I don't know how many of you have heard about the church's "He is the GIft" missionary initiative but it is incredible!  If you haven't, go online to christmas.mormon.org and watch the awesome video the church has put out and then share it on Facebook twitter pintrest all that jazz.  It is a truly touching video and will help many come unto Christ this chirstmas season but it is up to us (the members) to get it out there!:)  Share the Gift!:)  

I love you all so much and I am so excited to hear how your holidays are going!  I hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving and know that we are well, excited, and happy here!

With much love,

Elder Brandon Eldredge