Well I've officially been in Abreu e Lima longer than any other of my previous areas. Yesterday marked 3 months since I showed up here. It's wierd that I haven't really stayed put for very long in any area, but I have been so blessed to have already known 5 areas on mission, and I haven't even been out a year yet! Many Elders have only 4-5 areas on their entire mission! It's wierd when you know an area so well that you're even saying hello to the dogs by name....just kidding.....Everyone knows that the dogs here only speak portuguese.
We have been working for a good time now with Mical and her family. Mical is about 65 or 70....I'm starting to fear that she just enjoys our company and doesn't really care too much about the church or even God. She lives with her son and his family. His wife, Regiane, is always suppppper stressed out whenever we see her, and never has time to listen to the message....it's a shame, because what she doesn't have time for is exactly what her and her family need. She has 3 kids....we have been teaching Raquel (11) for a while....she wanted to be baptized, but isn't willing to go to church every sunday. Rafael (12) also wanted to be baptized, but has been a bit flaky with his commitment (that's usually what happens when you teach kids...). Rute, a 3 year old, is probably the firmest in the family....she calls "Jesus" (in portuguese, it's more like "Jay-zeus" or in Pernambuco/the nordeste, "Jay-zwois") everytime that we come walking up the street....she's pretty cute. It's difficult when being faced with the decision of sticking with a family and trying to help them and moving on to try and help others.
Lunch with recently baptized Xavier and Bianca
Ward activity
We went to the dentist this week in Recife for Elder Chapuis....looks like he is gonna have to have a root canal....poor guy...it's about 4 hours that we lose everytime that we make the trip out there. I did manage to get the dentist (she's a member of the church) to look at my teeth....no cavities!!!! what a blessing considering how much soda we end up drinking here.....I never liked soda very much, but boy to Brazilians loveeeee coke! They almost get offended if you don't drink it!
With Eliel, our pastor friend, we've had some complications. He has some serious back problems (4 screws to be exact) and had to have a surgery this week. It was difficult to get a chance to sit down with him this week. He just needs to go to church and he'll be baptized!
We had a zone meeting this week. We tried to address the lack of baptisms that the mission has been having lately. President Lanius has been going after the level of committment of the missionaries alot. I talked a lot about D&C 4. I am blown away at how much power this scripture has for a missionary. I made the habit of reciting every morning as I wake up. It gives me a refresher in respect to my perspective as a missionary....it really shows how important and sacred every second of these 2 years are. I focused on v.2 and 4.
"Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day"
"For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul"
I talked about the allegory of the vineyard in Jacob 5 too. I emphasized how we are doing the work of the Lord in these latter days.
"And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come. And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things."
I want so badly that these missionaries understand that this is the Lord's work! We are merely the participants....he will do 99.9% of the work for us....we just need to do what he asks!!! The mission rules, commandments, advice from our mission president etc. It's sooooo simple! I don't understand why so many people have so many difficulties with it (myself included). If it were something easy though, it wouldn't be worth the while....we are getting there, bit by bit.
We are working with a 20 year old girl, Thayres. She is supppper good! She was a referral from another companionship. She has a friend that is a member of the church in another ward. We got to teaching this last week. She keeps all of her committments! Any missionary knows that this is almost unheard of! She recieved a answer from the Lord about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, and is preparing to be baptized this Saturday! We are way excited for her!
Mike and his companion formed a band: an accordian, tambourine, and drummer boy
The work has its ups and downs folks.....but the when there are ups....they are really "up"! There's such an andrenaline rush that you feel as a missionary when someone says that they recieved an answer from God, or they want to be baptized....its unlike anything else that I've ever seen in my life! I find myself continually amazed at the blessings that the Lord gives me each and every day....it's a mission full of miracles....It truly is a blessing to put on the missionary name tag every day.
Until next time,
Elder McKinley
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