Semana Santa

Saturday April 15,2017

Hey ya´ll!
 Hope everyone is having a great Saturday and making lots of boiled eggs for Easter! haha

This week was great! Just another normal week here in Brasil. Easter is so weird here.

It's so much different. Everybody celebrates Easter here. It's more of like a Christmas. 

It's not just kids and candy. Everybody buys presents for one another. Presents for 

mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, kids, neighbor , dog. This week is called Semana Santa 

or in other words(Holy Week). Easter is a thing that lasts a week. Yesterday was a 

Holiday called Paixão de Cristo. Nobody was out. It's weird on Holidays everyone just 

disappears. The roads were empty everything was closed.  The only thing was all 

the Catholic churches were full of people. They go to church like 2 times a year week 

of Easter and Christmas. 

Easter really is such a great holiday. It's not about easter eggs or presents but it's about 

Christ and the life He lived. One thing I love so much talking about. Our Savior and the 

love He has for every one of us. A week we have to focus on HIm. We should always be 

living in a way that Christ is the center of our lifes but a great week to reflect on him. 

When all the people here focus on his cruxifiction and death we talk about how He lives.

What a great thing! A great victory! He has already won it. We just need to follow Him. 

He suffered and died for us and rose again. And now we can rise again too! I'm so 

grateful for Him for this. We can become clean through Him. That's why I'm here ...

because of Him and what He's done for me. Now I need to help others experience the same 

joy. Hope you guys have a great Easter. Take a minute and think about Him and what he 

has done for you! 

Love you all!!! 

Have a great week! 

Elder Orton 

Conferencia Geral meu chapa

April 8, 2017

Hey everyone!
 This week was great! We had transfers again but I'll be staying here! 

This will be my 5th transfer in this area already... Crazy! 

I really like this area, i'ts a little different and people are a little more closed off

but I've learned alot here. I've had to rely on the Lord for lots of help and guidence.

I'm excited to stay here and see what more I can do to help the people in this area. 

The week was pretty crazy as far as the transfers went! We had 13 missionaries 

leaving and 13 new ones coming in, so lots of stuff to do. It was great and 

everything worked out. I'm just glad it's Saturday and I have a little time to breath...

it was so nonestop this week. 

Last week was General Confrence which was awesome! It's really so cool how 

every 6 months we get to here from our prophet and liders of the church. 

Messages that are meant for us, modern day revelation. I really loved listening

to the messages and I need to listen to them again. One thing I really loved 

was when President Monson talked about the importance of the Book Of Mormon.

Something so simple but so important. It's something the liders of the church always talk about.

but why?? Maybe because it's so important! I've come to learn that here in the mission. 

Before I always read the Book of Mormon and I knew it was important but never really 

understood why. Now I can see how key the daily scripture study is in life. I have 

came to know my Lord and Savior so much through simple study everyday. I've 

seen it change lifes. I've seen people change every aspect of the way they live 

through one simple book. There is really a battle between good and evil ever so clear, 

but the adversary doesn't want you to believe that. The Book of Mormon gives us that strength 

to overcome the adversary to resist sin and it helps us learn more about our Savior. 

I'm so greatful for the Book Of Mormon. The chance I have had to discover this for myself 

I know it can change any life. Love being out here and teaching people about the Gospel.

It's so perfect! 

Love you all!!!!

Have a great week and always remember to read! :) 

Love Elder Orton

Conferencia Geral:)

April 1, 2017

Good morning!!
 Hope everyone is having a spectacular Saturday! 

Don't have much time today because we will be going to conference 

here soon but it's alright.

This week was good! Nothing to crazy happened, a pretty normal week

in the mission office. I was mostly just doing stuff to get ready for the 

transfer that will be next week. I also got to go to the airport again 

to get someone returning from the mission. Always an adventure going there.

It's been really rainy latley. We have so much rain here. I'm starting to think it would be good to 

get around in little boats. No, not really but lots of rain! 

 We also got to teach a couple new people this week. 

Hopefully they'll come to conference in the morning. I'ts always fun to bring people to watch general 

conference. Got to go but love ya all!!! 

Church is true! 

Choose the right! 

Elder Orton

iiieeeiii MEU Chapa

March 25, 2017

Can't believe it's already Saturday again! 

This week was great! It passed by so fast!! 

The highlight of the week was Zone Conference. On Thursday

everyone came to the Chapel in Aguanambi and we had conference.

I'ts always cool when the whole mission is together and we get to hear 

from President. It's always a little scary because we have to give 

anouncments in the beginning. I've never liked getting up in front

of a ton of people but I guess it's a chance to learn. Think it would

be pretty easy in English but when you have 200 Brazilians 

staring at you it makes you more nervous. haha 

Conference was really inspiring. President Bonini always is 

really in tune and gives great talks. 

As a former Marine and firefighter he really has a way, hes 

really direct and serious but you can see the love he has for all the

missionaries. 

This week has been slow as far as our investigators go. We have

been really working hard to find people ready to hear our message. 

Really love you guys!! Thanks for all the suport!! 

I love the Gospel and the happiness it brings to lives! 

It's so true! 

Elder Orton 

Marco

March 18, 2017

Hey everyone! Hope everyone is great!!!

I don't have a ton a time today, but just wanted to write you 

guys a little. P-day started extra early today.. haha.

Today I had to take a missionary to the airport. At 3:30 in

the morning! Just me and my Comp. The streets are pretty 

empty here that early in the morning. It's like a desert. The 

taxi drivers don't even pay attention to stop lights or anything here.

They just drive like they are the only one that exists... it's pretty funny. 

The only people you see are all the people at the bars. 

This week was great! Always busy!! We have been really working 

our hardest. I've been reading in Jesus The Christ lately. I am 

really enjoying it. Such an inspired book. I love reading about the Savior 

and all that He did. He was a person just like us. He still was hungry, 

felt happy, sad, had good days and bad days, yet he was perfect. 

He was the perfect example for us. He has already won! 

He lives again. For this we can be perfect like Him. Nobody 

is perfect but we can all do are best and that's what counts! 

That why I'm here to help others know that. I know that too. 

I'm so grateful for that chance every day. I know I'm not perfect 

but I have a Savior. He loves all of us so individually! 

I hope you all know that! 

Love you all! 

Sorry it wasnt a ton! But you guys are the best! 

Love Elder Orton

Bom Dia!

Saturday March 11, 2017

This week was great! I can't believe how fast it went by! 

I'ts been raining lately here in Fortaleza. I'ts almost rained everyday 

for about a month now. I'm really enjoying it... it's been so nice. 

The only diffrence here is that you don't get the fresh rain smell.

I don't know why it just smells different here. One thing for sure 

is that it rains hard. It's not the little wimpy Utah rain. It's 

tropical rain. If it starts you better hide because you'll be swimming 

in the street before you know it. Alot of people have been sick 

because of the rain. Everyone thinks it's cold when it rains here... but 

I'm like WHAT ARE YOU CRAZY ITS STILL 90 DEGREES!.  

This week was really great! We found a family. A mom and a daughter.

Their names are Adilia and Heiloisa.This week my testimony has even

gotten stronger in trusting Him. Everything really is the timing of 

the Lord. Sometimes He tests your patience but there is a time for 

everything. That's why i'ts so great that it's His work, because He is 

always there guiding the work. He always guides you were you need

to be and gives you the words to speak. This family is great. They already 

have accepted to be baptized so we are working on getting them ready. 

What a blessing it is in our lifes, I dont know if I could say that enough.

I know I feel like I always say the same thing, but I just can't help it. 

THE GOSPEL IS AWESOME! It changes lives. I love it. 

Really love you guys! 

HAve a great week!!! 

Elder Orton

Marco ja?

Saturday March 4, 2017

HEY FAM! 

Hope everybody had a fabulous week and things didn't get to 

crazy during carnaval up there in America. This week was 

great it wasn't the most productive but it was good. Carnaval 

was this week so we basically didn't get to do almost any 

teaching. We had to be home by 7:00 everyday. We 

basically would just go to the office leave at around 5:00 

in the afternoon run to our area and do something and then 

run home. Carnaval also closed basically everything. 

Nothing was open this week. Looked like the city was 

abandoned during the day. 

I'm still a little confused what carnaval is all about..

It literally makes no sense. There would be people 

in random costumes or people drinking or just weird 

random stuff. Looked like halloween with a twist.

Monday Elder Soper and I were in the road and 

at the corner. A car passed by blasting music with

some dude riding on the hood with a cardboard 

cutout of a pirate head while people followed behind 

dancing weird. We were just like..... WHAT???

I've been studying this week. I've thought alot about 

how perfect Gods plan for us is. It was nothing thrown

together. It was planned perfectly and everything evolves

around the plan. This is why we are here! We are here to learn!

It's a step in the plan! I just really see the love God  has for us in 

everything. Everyday I have a new experience or something happens 

and it just lets me know more and more He is there. God is so real!

He is in everything that we do. Makes me so happy everyday to be here

because I get to serve him. 

Really love you guys all so much!!! 

HAve a great WEEK!!!!

LOve Elder Orton!