Merry Christmas from Toronto!!

Here's a solid Torontonian snowball for each one of you,....catch !!

Things are well here, a mission isn't anything I thought it would be, it is so much better!! We are working on getting a Portuguese Branch here. There are 70 members baptized here that speak Portuguese but we only have about 20 active. So our work is cut out for us, re activating, and finding new prepared people. It is a rush!. We need 12 Priesthood holders and 50 active members , then we're in good shape. The Lord's hand is opening doors and windows and all sorts of other kinds of ways to make this happen, it really makes me smile being a part of this.
My companion is from South Brazil, and likes to drink a cultral herbal drink all the time called Terere, it's pretty funny. We live in a little basement that has pink carpet, but it's warm and cozy so all is well.
This last Sunday something great happened. A recent convert stood to bear her testimony and tell her story of how she investigated the church for over a year. It was beautiful how simple her testimony was of the Book of Mormon. She held the exact book that she read for so long and showed a drawing we made on the back cover explaining the obstacles of physical and spiritual death, and then showing the way out of them through Faith in Christ, Repentance, Baptism, and Gift of the Holy Ghost. The drawing ended in a house in the sky with a cloud under it,.. being the Celestial Kingdom. She taught it to the whole congregation in her sweet 71 yr old voice. After she finished, her daughter, who is investigating the church now, got up and bore testimony fo the feelings she had, of the truth that she has found and her devotion to contunue on learning more.
It was such a great spirit. It's things like this that just fill you up.
I hope all is well with each of you through the holidays. I love you and pray for you. Keep contending for the Faith and smiling, and I know the Lord will keep blessing you
Merry Christmas! and a Happy New Year!
Elder Silva