August 15th - Marriage, It's what brings us together today

Family and Friends,

At least here in Brazil nobody calls me Elder Murphy. It´s all Moohay here.

This week was rather fantastic to be honest. As I have said, marriage is often our greatest enemy here in Brazil. To be baptized, you can´t be living with someone without being married, and everyone does that here. There´s a lot of bureaucracy and nobody wants to pay the fine to get married, so people just get together. Luckily though, this week, we beat this foe. Let me tell you a little bit about the story of Felipe and Viviane.

We met Felipe one day searching for less-active members. We were knocking on all the doors we had in the ward directory, and it was pretty disheartening. Normally the person isn´t there, or moved, or doesn´t want anything to do with the church. But Felipe was different. He told us that he was looking to return, and that he would be in church on Sunday. I thought little of it, because a lot of people tell us that they will go to church but then never show up. Then, that next Sunday, Felipe was there. We, of course, started visiting him, and he told us that he wanted us to teach his "wife", Viviane. She was a little timid at first, but then she started to participate, and she went to church too. We went to the government office, marked their marriage date, and the rest is history.

The marriage of Felipe and Viviane! Hooray!

Baptizing Viviane!

This Saturday, Felipe and Viviane were married and Viviane was baptized. I have really learned that miracles are real, and that families can be forever. As we went to the temple with them this week on Wednesday, we all felt the Spirit really strongly. One of the ordinance workers came up to us, and bore his testimony. He then told the story of the conversion of his wife, and there were many similarities with Viviane´s own conversion. I know that the Church is true, and that we have to Gospel of Jesus Christ here again on the Earth. Nothing happens for coincidence. It all has a reason. I'm thankful to be a missionary, and I really am happy here. I hope you all have a great week!

Elder Murray

A little Usain Bolt in honor of the Olympics in Brazil!