Well I hope that the experience that I shared last
week set well with everyone. I thought about that experience a lot, and I
wanted everyone to know that I'm definitely not perfect, but that I,
like each and everyone of us, can learn and change after making a
mistake....the Gospel is a miracle isn't it? I like to tell people who
are worried about having to be "perfect" after baptism that the only
difference between us sinning before and after baptism is that after we
are baptized, we commit to show the Lord that it really was a
mistake....that we really don't want to do that again....that we really
did learn and become a better person through the use of our free agency
and the atoning sacrifice of Christ. He's the one "paying" for these
"tutor sessions" if you know what I mean. We can choose whether or not
we are going to pay attention, study, and apply what is being taught.
As
for the work, we had some great miracles this week. There was a flu bug
that went through our house this week....first Elder Medeiros, then
Elder Santana, then Elder Morrey....for some stroke of luck, I was
spared, but our work efficiency was not....we had to get a bit creative
with our companionship exchanges to leave the "ailed Elder" at home
while the others went to work....I wouldn't be caught dead inside of our
house when I could be out teaching and testifying, especially since I
feel like I'm the bottom of the ninth inning of the ball game here. We
had interesting weather....as we went to pick up our investigators for
church sunday morning (the true moment of truth for a missionary....),
it started to rain...I said a silent prayer on the way to their houses,
knowing how difficult it is to convince someone to walk 25 mins with you
to church in the pouring rain. Right as we got to their houses, the
rain let up and the sun came out....it wasn't a huge miracle, but I sure
noticed the Lord's merciful hand....
We
had 6 investigators at church this week! What a relief....our first two
weeks we were basically opening up the area to missionary work, so we
didn't have much to work with. There was a mother-in-law/daughter-in-law
combo, a two sister combo, and a mother and son combo! We got a chunk
of each one of these families to church this week....no we have to try
and go back and pick up the remaining stragglers. Only one of them has a
problem with chastity, so that means we have some people with
short-term baptism potential. The most promising is one of those
sisters. Her name is Isa. She's 17, and happens to be friends with a few
other young women at church. She was a bit unsure if she wants to be
baptized in this church or the Assembleia de Deus....we are going to
work with her. The little son who was at church, Alex, is 10 and agreed
to be baptized! He showed up to church with a white shirt and a Book of
Mormon in his hand! Sweet. His mom, Rosana, and him found the church in
Recife but ended up out here in Vitória. They didn't know there was a
ward here, until they found me and a few other Elders about a month ago
in the train station....they asked us where the church was in Vitória,
and we happily told them. Little did we know, they would show up out of
their own will a few weeks later! Sweet! The Mom isn't legally married,
so we will have to try and tackle that one.
The
work is accelerating here. The members are really trusting in us. We
can see that they are willing to help us out! I'm excited to be a
missionary at this time and in this amazing place! ahhhh.....Why does it
have to end????
Until next time,
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