Hiking up Monte de Bom Jesus (The mountain of Good Jesus.....nice name huh?). The view from up top is pretty amazing. 300,000 people live in Caruaru.
Melo and I...thumbs up as usual!
It's been an interesting week. Had a little bit of everything this week. Success, difficulty, drama, miracles, struggles, and hard work. I like to always start with a few light moments, to break the ice ya know? It was a bit chilly this week, and by that I mean that it was anything other than blistering hot. I think that's my new definition of "chilly". But we had rainy weather for about 4 straight days. Elder Melo whipped out a zip up sweater....the other Elders were bustin his chops over it, telling him he looked like a tourist or a model with his sweater...I was getting a kick out of it, when Elder Melo responded with a quality gem: "No, no it's a cardigan!".....I don't believe he has ever seen dumb and dumber, but I felt like I was there with Harry and Loyd in that moment. I fear my sense of humor is becoming diluted here! There's also been a new record broken here.....we met a 15 year old girl with a 20 month year old daughter.....but wait there's more....she was pregnant with #2! My mind has trouble wrapping around things like that.
Our weekly planning meeting...it's a bit difficult to follow, I know...
What my companion is doing while I'm planning
Well like I said we had some miracles this week. I made a contact with the "cash stand" guy on the bus. The busses here have a driver and a person to collect money. Anyway he invited us back to his house. We showed up there to find his wife and two step daughters, Renatta and Rafaela who are both in their 20's. We left a message with them, and scheduled an appointment to come back the next day. When we showed up on Thursday, they had invited 2 more of their friends, Dalila and Claudia, sisters who are in their 20's as well. We taught the first lesson again, and scheduled an appointment for Friday, where there were 3 more people! My word! Everyone was humble, and felt the spirit during our lesson. We got 3 of them to church this week (I'll take what I can get!), and one of them to a baptism we had on Saturday. The one, Dalila, was telling us how she has searched many churches, and had kind of given up on the whole organized religion idea. She was telling us that after hearing the first lesson, she was feeling a strong desire to be baptized. Like I've said several times before, we don't do anything in this work....The Lord does it all, we just reap the blessings.
We also had another miracle. While walking to another appointment, a black guy "summoned" us to talk to him at a little snack shack he was sitting at. He asked what he had to do to join our church....we talked with him for a bit, scheduled an appointment later than night, and then he proudly said, "you guys are going to have to be pretty good to convince me to join your church!" My companion and I just smiled at each other. He didn't know what he was in for. We came back to his house (he lives with 10 other people, including a very very old lady who smokes tobacco pipes, who for some reason appears to me that she belongs on a pirate ship....I know like I said, my sense of humor is getting watered down). We taught 4 of them a fantastic lesson....they were all touched....Leomar gave an amazing prayer at the end of the lesson....I've never heard such sincere, heartfelt language from an investigator. He was asking for God to literally change his life, and to show him the truthfulness of these things. When we came back the next night, he said that he is still awaiting for an answer to his church. We talked to him about having patience, and allowing the Lord to work things on his own time table. He too, went to church this week, and was like a kid in a candy shop. He ate it up! It is amazing to see the changes that come about in these people after only a few days of contact with the gospel.
Aparecida and Ronisson. We have been teaching them for about 6 weeks, and after cancelling on 2 baptism dates, we finally got them dipped! Aparecida's dad baptized them. I think it was his first time witnessing or doing a baptism. I don't think he got the memo about waiting until getting in the water to raise the arm to the square.
If you remember Luciano, the less active member hearse driver, he too was at church last week. I forgot to mention that to everyone. Don't want to "leave anyone hanging" out there with what's happening to our investigators. Yuli and her mom decided to stay an extra week in Recife....still waiting to get back to working with them. Tiago, whose wife is a member, is progressing. We taught him in the chapel. He is as sincere as they come. Said he read Moroni 10:3-5 15 times since last week. He really wants to know these things are true, but is just waiting for an answer....this is where missionaries' patiences are tried. We have to remember that the Lord has a plan and a timetable with everyone of his children.
We got a phone call from our Zone Leaders while they were in Recife this week. They told us there would be a mission conference this Thursday, and that Elder Bednar of the 12 would be coming to visit our mission! I was ecstatic, until I learned that they had no idea who was coming, and they were just guessing it was an apostle, and that it would be Bednar. Goons. But nevertheless, our mission will be blessed this week with a visit from Elder Jay E. Jensen, of the presidency of the 70. We don't know what it's about....we just received notice to show up in Recife on Thursday.
Paulo and I. Elder Melo and I found him but it was the sisters that taught him. I always will remember him shirtless....haha
Paulo and his family. He is 40. His wife is 19!
Well the biggest news of all.....Elder Melo was transferred last night! I put an exclamation point because it's always a big change as a missionary, not necessarily because it's what I wanted. I was starting to grow with Elder Melo. We were working, teaching, and getting along together very well for the most part. I talk alot about all of our challenges with one another, but it is through those challenges thatt we grew to become so good with one another. Elder Melo went with Elder Oliveria to Recife to pick up my new companion (I don't know why I didn't get to go to Recife myself, the Assistants to the president requested Elder Oliveria to come in), and I will get to meet him sometime tonight! I have no idea what to expect. Elder Melo was district leader, so that will mean either myself or this new missionary will fill that role....could be interesting...but like I said at the beginning, there was some good drama this week.
Melo got the phone call last night....he started crying on the spot....we went to say goodbye to a lot of the families here....we started to run to try and visit more people....when we showed up to each house, we were drenched....Melo with tears, myself with sweat. Wonderful. Most of the families were crying as well to say goodbye to him. When we got to Crisitina's house, who he was easily the closest with, he kind of lost it. At first he didn't want to go past their house because he didn't want to have to say goodbye. I talked him into it....after about 5 minutes, he was sitting in a chair and started to do more or less of a hyperventilating action....his body locked up and turned nearly paralytic....it was very very strange. I've never seen anything like it. He seriously couldn't move. His hands were all clenched up and he was breathing uncontrollably. I tried to help him stand up and walk around but his whole body was completely limp. I gave him a blessing, but his body was still not cooperating. Everyone there was freaking out....I had to try and keep everyone cool there....never a fun role when everyone's emotions are high. We talked with Sister Lanius, who consulted the church doctor. Apparently when you cry for an extended period of time, the nerves in your body go a little bit crazy and lose some function...we got him onto a couch, where he eventually calmed down and fell asleep. Way to go out with a bang huh?
Well I don't know what kind of prophetic advice I can give this week. Some of the things we experience as missionaries can't really be explained, told, or taught....you kind of have to actually serve as a missionary to know. But please know that this has been the best 6 months of my life. I am so grateful I have 18 more months of this left. The Lord really is taking care of us. We aren't serving him here. He is serving us. Good week to everyone! Stay strong! Do something good for someone, and don't be afraid to show gratitude to those around you!
Until Next Time,
-Elder McKinley
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