Fighting the Good Fight [6/2/15]

Whoooohooooooo!! We've got big things popping here. It was a roller coaster of emotions this past week - full of ups and downs. Nevertheless, I'm excited to share my week with you all and bear my testimony of this incredible work!

-First, I couldn't believe that Elder L. Tom Perry passed away this past weekend! What?! He was my apostle! My connection with the Quorum of the Twelve! The man that ate my peanut butter and honey sandwich! No but seriously, I felt a pit in my stomach when his passing away was announced over the pulpit on Sunday. I was without words. I will always remember that weekend we passed with him. That single visit marked me a lot while in the mission field.

-One of the families we baptized in Socorro traveled 3 hours Sunday morning to surprise me at church here in Campinas! Man, if I could adequately express how happy I was to see them... It was one of the best moments receiving letters in person from them. Seriously, I felt really loved - appreciated to say it better for the work that was done in Socorro. In reality, I will visit them one last time next Saturday. Please pray this week that AFONSO gets baptized. I've been praying and fasting for more than ONE YEAR to complete this family. I know it's possible, we just need the faith. Let's put our Welch faith to the test these next 11 days so that his wife, Ariana, can have what she has always prayed for. Seriously, I KNOW this is going to happen.

-We had the incredible opportunity to get to know and help guide the family Santos to baptism this past month. The last three members of their family were baptized on Sunday together with a mom of our Ward Mission Leader! It was a good Sunday last week. A lot of joy.

-We performed one of the greatest parties that I have been apart of this past week as a missionary team. WOW! Did it cause a lot of work. Haha seriously, I never knew what I was getting myself in to. I never have received so many phone calls from members calling me to ask permission and to report what was done. I felt like a CEO of a business - sending out orders and receiving reports. Did it cause stress? Lets just say a little bit of a LOT of it. Haha on the day of the party, the president of the relief society even had me ''proof taste''all of the food so that I could give the 'ók.''Haha but the turnout was incredible. The members loved it and more than 20 investigators were present. In all, our ''Mexican Night'' was a success! Mom, I think you would be proud of our creativity!

-This past week I had my last interview with President Perrotti. Wow, does anyone want to get married?? Haha I've never seen myself more than just a missionary... Now with a wife? Strange to think that just in a few weeks, things will change.

-It rained hard on us this past week. And the best part was that one of the cars sprayed us pretty good while we were walking on the side of the road. My companion, because he is new, wanted to get really frustrated - but before he said anything, I looked at him and gave him a ''WHOOOOOOOO!! That's what I[m talking about!'' Haha he started to laugh because of how excited I am about this great work. It's opposition. It means we're on the right track!

-I also got expelled from a house this week just because I'm American. I was rejected hard in MANY ways this week, received few times, but had a happy happy happy week. I love this work.

A strong abraço for you all! Let's work this miracle for Afonso and his family. I don't know if I will be able to send an email to you next week but Ill write at least one more email before seeing you all in person!

Love,

Elder Welch

Here we go, baby! [5/25/15]

´´Well, that makes one more that  I don´t know,´´ were the words that came out of my mouth as I opened up my email today. Whhhooooo for Brittany and Adam! It´s so exciting yet so strange, knowing that there´s people of my immediate Family that I don´t know. Congrats to Ashley and Brittany with their two newborn daughters, Blaire and Kenzie!

Well my dreams came tumbling down yesterday after church. The baptismal font was filled, my companion dressed in White to baptize, the members sitting down waiting for Ronaldo to enter the room, when all of the sudden he decided to wait until next week. WHAT?! Next week? But, everything is ready! Lets go and do this thing! Haha but apparently he fought with his wife on Saturday and he didn't feel good being baptized without her present. I understand and even agree with his decision, but meu! What is this? The work of the enemy really is a tripping block in this work.

With Ronaldo, we´ve got 4 lined up for this next week. Should be an exciting one. My companion is a lot like, and I mean almost identical, as my first companion in Georgia, Elder Peery. I´m learning a lot with him, and about myself. This week I asked him if he thought I was funny... ´´Only sometimes,´´ he replied. Hahah, I can´´t please everyone I guess.

But with the baptisms lined up and ready to go, Ive got the members counting on me this Friday. I´m the leader of a ´´Mexican Night´´ that is going to happen this Friday. All of the sisters in the Ward were talking me down yesterday that I wouldn't be able to pull it off (the Ward mission leader throwing the responsibility on me). It´s either time to gain a lot of confidence here or lose it all. Well, in reality I don´t have THAT much confidence because I just got here. But its better that way. I´ve got nothing to lose and everything (referrals) to gain!

Yeah yeah yeah, here we go baby!

Love you all.

Elder Welch

Guardian

Big things keep on rollin here in the work of the Lord. Seriously, I´ve got fire in. the. BONES! One of the reasons is because one of the goals that I set, and never achieved, was to baptize 6 weeks in a row. I only have 5 more weeks, and because we baptized Lucas yesterday, this is the last opportunity to achieve this goal. This past week was crazy, a lot of work and a lot of fun. All I can really say is the field is WHITE.

Sorry for the short letter, and that I didn't email last week, but all is well. Also, on pday we got an invitation to play golf with the stake president last week... He won because of a missed putt I had for par on the 17th (see foto). It brought back good memories with Dad on the golf course again - as well as ideas for parables to use in the lessons with investigators! Haha

Love you all!

I´m Livin´ It!

Elder Welch

There are monkeys here in my new area

Cinderella Upset - "This is Madness Babyyyyy!" [5/4/15]

Well, I woke up this morning at 3:30 and wasn´t able to go back to sleep... I decided to use the time of lying down in bed with my eyes open, to write down some of my feelings. Here´s what I wrote as the moon was still out this morning.

´´I can´t sleep... I toss and turn, kneel and pray, use the bathroom and drink water - just about everything but sleep. It´s because of the News I received today. The transfer call came. ´´Elder Welch... Saiu Nova Vinhedo!´´

I couldn't believe it. An hour after the baptism of Gustavo, the baptismal record of Ester in hand, the baptismal date finally set for Sérgio... Alexandre saying his first prayer OUT LOUD! Too many exciting things coming to an end.

But in all, I know better. Was I sad? Without a doubt. But as I told Sister Reginna yesterday after church as she asked me if I think I will stay in Nova Vinhedo for my last transfer on the mission, ´´ My desire is to stay in this city,´´ I said. ´´But I´ve learned on the mission that what I want usually isn´t what happens - so I will be prepared for anything.´´

Tomorrow begins with a new end that I didn´t see coming. 6 months of work and fasting for members and non-members in order to better understand personal needs and thoughts, will need to be re gained as I will go to a new area, in a new zone, and with a new companion. My heart swells in gratitude to God for these incredible experiences and the work that has been done.

It´s strange to see it coming to an end. After all, it´s all I really ever wanted in my life. The only thing I thought about, dreamed about, talked about in relation to my future was wearing this name tag and crying repentance to a people that need what I have. It´s what I love to do. It´s become who I am. And now what? I don´t know. It´s just hard to see myself doing something else.

On the mission, a lot of changes have been made in my life. I believe in God and know that good things will come. Unfortunately, the day will soon come when I´m back in the same office with my dad again, but this time being released from the only calling I ever wanted. But I know these changes are permanent. I have found and experienced a higher life of living - a happier life that brings more satisfaction. A life that has everything - all of my heart, all of my might, all of my mind. and all of my strength - centered on the King, Jesus Christ.

Sure, I might be ´´strange´´ upon arrival to my Family and friends (I sure remember how awkward Dustin was to me, haha) but tudo bem. I can see how my mom will worry if I will ever adjust back to normal, member life, or maybe even American life, but tudo bem. What the Lord has done to me in my service to Him, what I have been apart of these past two years, enables me to simply adapt and repent instead of fall in to old, bad habits.

The future is bright! I´m excited for this next transfer (not because it´s the last one, but because it´s at least ´´one more.´´) I am grateful to a loving Heavenly Father for this area. I have labored all of my days with the elect of God. It´s been a dream come true.

Well, here it goes - one last time as a (single) full-time missionary.

´´THE LAST TRANSFER.´´

Mom. Dad. I´m going to ´´Live the Dream´´ one last time.

Love you all!

Elder Welch

May Already?! [4/27/15]

[Tyler's brother, Matt, got his mission call to the Ecuador, Quito mission - reporting to the Mexico MTC on July 29]

Wow, this past week may have been the greatest weeks for me on the mission. Seriously, the mission just keeps getting better and better. Let me give a day-by-day replay of what happened.

-Last week, for the first time on the mission I played American football. Wow, it brought back such good memories as we played with some other elders and ym from nearby wards. It was a lot of fun too because no one here knows how to play so I had to explain a lot of rules. The American missionaries definitely dominated as the Brasilians just wanted to kick field goals... haha

-On Tuesday, I had the HUGE and amazing opportunity to travel back to my favorite city, Socorro. On average, every 3 months I will travel there to see how the branch is progressing and see what I can do with missionary work. Anticipating my visit, they planned a surprise Brasilian bbq with a bunch of desserts that I love (with peanuts! haha). I saw a lot of members and converts that I baptized with my companions. We shared a lot of great memories. At night, they surprised me again with a HUGE family night with even more members and converts... Many cried as they just saw me walk in the door. They asked me to say every prayer, to give every message, and to do just about everything else -I don´t know if I´ve ever been so happy in my entire life. They all looked at me as if I was a superhero. The little kids remembered my name and asked to take pictures with me. I knelt down that night as Enos and just poured out my whole soul in thanksgiving.

-Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday were spent traveling to different cities - Bragança Paulista, Atibaia, Amparo, Imperial, Perdões - training and teaching members and missionaries. It was absolutely exhausting, but an incredible experience. 

I don´t believe it but the time already ran out! I need to figure out a way to send you all some pictures from this incredible week. This work is His work. I love my Savior and just want to serve, serve, and serve Him some more for the rest of my life.

Yes, I´m still livin´ it! The dream all day, everyday.

Elder Welch

-Thank you Mom and Dad for your ´´Top Ten´´ lists of what you are grateful for. They made me tear-up. Haha I don´t know why but they made me really happy. Matt, Dustin, Brittany, Adam, Ashley, and Joe (oh, and Boston, Reese, and Chase - and Nixon if he can talk... can he talk yet?) I still would like to receive your lists.

-CONGRATULATIONS MATTHEW!!! WHOOOHOOOOO! WOW, I´m seriously PUMPED up for you. Equador! ´´Eiii Siiiiiiii!!´´ (as the brasilians would say)

Grateful

I began reflecting today about all of the incredible miracles that have happened on the mission. We concluded this week my last ´´multi´zone conferences´´ as I was asked to bear my testimony (being the last one for me). Knowing that I would be called on, I read the day before the last few days before I entered the MTC, the first couple of days in the mission field, and the first couple in the mission field of Georgia and Brasil. What incredible experiences the Lord has blessed me with. Many miracles happened this week - let´s just say the mission is full of them. But what I would like to share today is how grateful I truly am for all that Heavenly Father has given me.

-Mom and Dad. Wow, I would´ve never thought how my feelings about you two would change drastically on the mission. You both don´t know how truly grateful I am. The firmness of a Christ centered testimony is blessing my life and the life of thousands down here in Brasil.

-Matt and Dustin. You guys are the best. I thought a lot this week about joking around in the basement, going golfing, and playing sports this past week as I prayed and thanked Heavenly Father for our Family.

-Ashely and Brittany, yeeeee!!!! Haha I´m so excited for you two and the babies that are coming logo logo. I admire your examples of mothers who pride themselves on taking care of the needs of the Family and home before anything else. I really, really admire this in you two.

Be grateful this week. Sorry the letter is short, but I hope you all reflect more this week on how much the Lord really has blessed our incredible Family.

Invitation to you all - email me your top ten things next week that you are most grateful for in your life. I promise that it will bring happiness to your life.

Matt´s mission call - Chile!!!!

Elder Welch

Tenacidade [4/13/15]

This week was a battle to say the least. Man, I traveled more than 17 times going from city to city in order to find, teach, train and interview investigators for baptism. This might of been one of the most tiring weeks on the mission to tell the least. I got physically sick of waking up so early and sleeping in so many places that I almost threw up on the buses at the end of the week. With this, we had 5 people on date for baptism as Thursday hit. I had to really put my trust in Elder Bartolomeu this week as I traveled. It was a hard pill to swallow as I was so caught up in trying to help others that my own area suffered a loss - On Friday night I got home to the area and realized that all five of them had fallen. Because I´m training a new missionary, it was hard to know how to handle the situation. I knelt in prayer that night just to ask for help. I was feeling a little bit overwhelmed with all of these callings that the lives of these investigators weren't getting what they deserved. After a fast for them, ´´Karina´´ resolved her concerns and was baptized miraculously on Sunday. The first time my companion baptized on the mission! Aghh, I love that feeling of being with a missionary the first time he gets a taste of the joy of this work. It was really a miracle.

Last night I went over to the house of our old Ward Mission Leader (he was called as an area 70 during conference! haha pretty crazy, huh? Makes two in our ward now) to thank him for the lessons and example he gave me. He gave me some really cool insights. One of the things I thought that was interesting was that he said every general conference, the quorum of the twelve hold leadership training on Thursday and Friday for the seventy about what they need to do with the missions and stakes. He said the focus this time around will be the Sabbath Day. How to keep it holy at church and in the home. Get ready Dad!

I love you all. I'm living the dream! I´m incredible tired but pumped up with fire in the bones! Whoooo! Here comes another week full of miracles.

Elder Welch