Nathan's email from Sept. 9

Subj: Marriage!!!...almost :D

Well its already been over a month since I arrived in Piratininga now and its flying here holy Toledo. Elder Santana and I have been working hard to create a new group of people to teach. See y'all need to understand that countries are different, well cultures are. For example the soldiers (missionaries) in the US are fighting to find an investigator to teach, whereas in Brazil we need to get rid of our investigators in order to find new ones. See, here people are very open and love to talk, especially lonely people. But that doesn't always mean they will follow and be baptised, it just means that they'll let you teach them until you get sick of them not following through lol. But with higher turnover rate we also have many results as well :D, Sandra and Valfreido, a cute little family weve been teaching are marked for marriage. In Brazil you have to go to the marriage place, mark a future date, then go back on that future date and you're married. Well they made the step, yay, and so on October 23 there will be one more beautifully married couple in Brazil (that means we can baptise them, YAHOO!!). But the story for this marking of the marriage is actually quite entertaining so I will tell.
So we talked to Valfreido and Sandra and agreed to meet them at the cartorio (marriage place) at 3 o'clock on Friday. They both said they knew were it was and they both had work so it would be easier to meet them there. Well, little to our knowledge the cartorio moved locations to another area, so two lost elders show up, luckily, (for missionaries luck is divine intervention) we had with us a sister in our ward who knew where the other cartorio was. Well in 30 minutes we show up to find Sandra with her 2 year old waiting for us. Perfect we've got half the couple at the cartorio, now just waiting for husband... 10 minutes...30...45...60...83 minutes and 47 seconds later, with 10 minutes to spare until the cartorio closes, screeching around the corner rolls a taxi with husband's head out the window :D Oh, I forgot to say that the whole while wife is saying "this is his last chance, if he bails on me at the cartorio its over :s " So he arrives with some excuse that doesn't even matter because now they are going to be married haha!
Now lets see our other family that have stopped using drugs and drinking and smoking and yelling at their kids, with the exception of a little yelling (the kids are really bad) they are still a 100%. It's so wonderful to see the power of the gospel in effect with this family. Truly the Light of Christ is returning to the eyes of this humble and loving couple. We're still searching for work for the husband so that he can come to church on Sunday and eventually be baptised, but the fire has started and the Lord's refining fire will make a pure and delightsome family out of what used to be torn and shattered lives. I love the Lord and his loving gospel which blesses all who heeds its councels, both temporally and spiritually. I know my Savior lives and loves me too, He shows his love in such remarkable ways to every people; if we just search with an open heart we will find that love. Thank you all for your love and support, your prayers in behalf of the missionaries are being felt and appreciated!
Elder Nate Spencer