WoW! This week was out of control! It was filled was so many things I can't even start to describe everything. Let's go from the top.
I always like to throw in an occasional culture insight....while walking on the street, I saw a man in a wife beater, carrying a small TV on his shoulder with one hand, and was fumbling between smoking a cigarette and holding the little hand of his 4 or 5 year old son. All of a sudden, the little boy stopped, pulled his pants down, and starting peeing on the sidewalk (I won't even mention that it was a sidewalk of a church!) I just stopped and said to myself, "Yep, I'm in Pernambuco!"
Last week I had the privilege to participate in Xavier's ordination to the Aaronic Priesthood. Boy is it a special feeling when you see that people that you taught progress in the church. I have the high hope of being able to witness their sealing before I finish my mission next June. Xavier walked back home (in the rain I might add) with a smile from ear to ear. When we lunched with them this week, they simply said to us "We feel so happy when you two are here visiting with us". It makes my heart melt....The Lord has really shown me some of his tender mercies with people like Xavier and Branca.
We had a zone meeting this week. We had get on top of our zone a little bit this week. Our zone is performing as well as it should for being the largest zone in the mission. We talked a lot about spirituality, and how we get companionship of the spirit through obedience and diligence. I shared a scripture in 1 Nephi 17:15, where Nephi talks about his secret to success.
15 Wherefore, I, Nephi, did strive to keep the commandments of the Lord, and I did exhort my brethren to faithfulness and diligence.
His Brothers never ceased mocking and complaining about the "circumstances" that were placed upon their shoulders. They truly doubted and denied the power of God. Nephi leaves everything real clear in verse 3.
3 And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God (and strive to work hard!!!) he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them;
We talked with our zone about how we can help people understand the necessity of being baptized. President Lanius has really been pushing that one quite a bit, and justifiably so. The formula for success as a missionary is quite simple....it just needs to be followed to yield results!
I spent a day in Paulista working with Elder França. I had the opportunity to meet a very special family that was baptized 3 weeks ago. Both the parents in this family are deaf and mute. The little children can hear and speak, and serve as interpreters when the Elders teach them. When I showed up there, I was a little bit lost....it was really quiet, and there was a lot of hand movement between the children and the parents (I felt like I was in that part of Ferris Bueller's Day Off when they are at the Chicago Stock Exchange watching from up above...). Elder França said to me, I'll let you have the opportunity to teach them. I'm not going to lie, I was lost. What ended up happening was one of the most sacred moments of my mission. I won't get into a lot of details, but I felt strongly inspired to open to 3 Nephi 17, where Jesus Christ heals the sick among the Nephites, and then blesses the little children. I will let each of you read this special chapter, but please pay attention to verses 20-24....that was when I felt the spirit the strongest. I was nearly brought to tears in that quiet room. It was something that words really just can't describe.
We taught a girl named Itamara. She's 15, and her cousin is Willian, who was one of the first people that was baptized when I showed up here. We have been pumping the members for referrals these days....boy is it yielding fruits! We taught her and her mom Jani (don't worry folks, the dad was there....he just didn't want to listen....one of the most important rules is to not be around women without another man around....it causes problems) Elder Chapuis had the idea to talk about eternal families....that's always the perfect approach for a mom. The lesson was awesome. Elder Chapuis and I are really getting on another level with our teaching. I've never had a companion for so long or that I've liked so much. We get along supppper well. Together, we are really becoming, as was promised to us by a prophet of God, "Effective messengers of the truth". The spirit was with us. Itamara went to church with us the next day. When I asked her if it was what she was expecting, she said "No....it was better". We showed her the baptismal font and invited her to be baptized....she accepted!!
We also taught another family last night....a few weeks back, when Barbara was baptized, she brought a ton of her friends to watch her baptism. One of them was Gabí. We taught her, only to find out that her mom prohibited her from talking or meeting with us....we wanted to go to her house to try and talk with her mom, but Gabí said that it wouldn't be a good idea. We, being the clever missionaries that we are, devised the idea to pretend to make a "contact" knocking on her door and her mom's house. We started talking to her....the contact was well made, but she wasn't having it. All of a sudden, the Dad showed up with Gabí on a motorcycle. His name is Manuel. Boy is he awesome. He immediately invited us in. We were able to teach their whole family (the mom still wasn't having it, but at least she listened). I've never taught a man who understood things so well as Manuel did. He understood things before we even taught him. We didn't even need to invite him to read and pray about the Book of Mormon....he signed himself up, and even asked us to call him and remind him so that he doesn't forget! I had to pinch myself! That doesn't happen in missionary work!!!
I felt a strong sense of the nakedness of the hand of the Lord in this work during this week. It was him that prepared men and women like these and opened the doors to allow them to accept the restored gospel. I felt a happiness so large and profound that I went to bed with a huge smile on. I LOVE THIS WORK!
Until next time,
-Elder McKinley
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