For those of you that dont know what Hell
is like come to Southern Brasil in January. Everyone says that
missionaries are allowed to go swimming but they´ve never been here. I
do it everyday!! Sure, its in my own sweat, but what difference does
that make? If I didnt have second degree burns on my neck I would look
like a true Brasilian.
I have no idea why but the Lord is just deciding to
bless this area abundantly. Something I have learned on the misson is
that when you work hard and do your part, the Lord will bless you. Not
in the way you expect, but he will fulfill his part. For example, We
spent a great part of the week knocking doors and doing contacts.
Wednesday was one of the rougher days I´ve had in a long time. I was in
Porto Alegre doing a division with the Assistants. Me and Elder Green
knelt down in Prayer to ask help for us to find a family of five. We
even left early before lunch to really get after it. We knocked doors
and were painfully rejected, so we went to lunch. We left at about 2 o
clock in the scorching hot sun with the attitude to just get creative.
We didnt have a single thing marked so we just started talking to people
in the street knocking trying anything to get in a door. Ive never been
rejected so harshly in my mission. From 2-6 we didnt teach a single
person and were just shut down. We were lost and decided to say a
prayer. Ill admit I was faithless and told Elder Green I would not say
it. I was prideful. But he having more faith than I did was confident
some one would let us teach them. And they did, after a little while we
found a family of 4 (with a baby on the way=5) that let us in to teach
them. Elder Green called me Friday to tell me that the second visit was
the best in months. They all accepted baptismal dates and asked what
they need to do to be able to enter the temple. They went to church on
Sunday. The Lord fulfills his promises.
In our area it was a bit different. We really didnt
get into any doors. We tried and tried and tried but just weren´t
successful. But when we just didnt have any more strength things started
to happen. We found the most elect family of six I have ever found on
my misson. I think I have mentioned Jaqueline. She is the most prepared
person I have found in so long. She went to church last week and this
week brought her 4 kids. We committed her to get baptized again and she
is going to talk to her husband about marriage. We are going to take the
Bishop there Friday, and I think he will agree, he likes us. We had the
marriage and baptism of Jacson during the weekend, which was super
special. And we will have one more baptism and wedding (after) this
weekend. His name is Valdecir, and he repeatedly shocks me with his
ability to understand. This dude gave up drugs, alcohol, and thug life
to try to stay with his girlfriend who recently go baptized. I never
told this but the first time we visited her he threatened to get his
thug friends to kill us if he saw us again and now he takes off his hat
when we pray, goes to church weekly, and is STOKED to get baptized. Last
night as we taught the plan of salvation he took of his shirt and
showed us his bullet wounds and told us how different this is and how
good he feels. After that we received a reference from a girl in our
ward, she went with us to her 17 year old friend who is going to go to
mutual and church this week and will definitely be baptized. I honestly
dont know why, but the Lord is just deciding to drop things out of the
sky to us.
It was a super hectic week. We literally did a
division almost every single day. This week will be busy too, we have to
go to Capão (that means one last Batatão, wahoo!!) tomorrow and then we
will watch district meeting in Torres Thursday. We also have a baptism
and various activities to plan. Friday Luciano is making a goodbye
churrasco for me, so that will be fun. He said he has a sweet present
for me. And sunday Franklin and Jussara are having us over for Dinner to
say goodbye as well. I will miss this place. But we´ll see what
happens. My p day will be on Monday next week, so ill give you the heads
up!!
Love you, stay classy.
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