Hey Everybody!!!
So this week was a week of change! It was the first week of a new transfer and I have a new companion whose name is Elder Pereira. He only has two months on his mission so I am finishing his training! He's 19 and from Fortaleza, Seará, here in Brasil. It is a little farther north of here in Bahia! The church there is growing quickly and there will be a temple there too! It is under construction right now which is so cool! Elder Pereira is a great missionary and I am excited about this transfer!
I have to say that I am loving this area recently! The layout of it, the ward, just the people in general, the weather, everything! It has been rainy and a little cold here lately too! Cold for here is in the 70s with an ocean breeze we feel that makes it seem colder with the humidity so it's good!
Last Monday night Elder Alves left for his new area! I hope he likes it there. I learned a LOT last transfer with him and I am grateful God put him in my path!
After Elder Alves left I went to spend the night at the house of the AP’s (missionaries who serve as assistants to the Mission President) since my companion wouldn’t be arriving until the next day. We had a blast that night. It was me, Elders Jenkins, Prado, High, and Pyne, who finished his misssion last week! We went to get pizza and then just sat talking and went home that night and played a board game with everyone! I slept in the hammock because there were only 4 beds! I slept well too and now I can check that off my bucket list! It was just a blast to be with American/English speaking people. It made me feel like I was back with the boys of my quorum back home. I loved it!
Tuesday morning we had the training for the trainers at the mission home and the new greenies arrived! Once again I felt so weird seeing them arrive because for me that moment doesn't feel so long ago. We had great training throughout the day and the main thing I took away was just the principle of hard work. Everything I seemed to be hearing was centered on that. Just do it! Work and you will see the blessings! It was great!
Wednesday was a FANTASTIC day!! It was the first full day with Elder Pereira and man it was great. I can't even talk about everything that happened because it was so much but I'll hit the highlights. Wednesday night we had a family home evening at the house of our ward mission leader, Marival. Last week we had challenged him and his wife to invite people to FHE and they came thru! Three of the people he invited showed up. A lady named Ana Maria, and a brother and sister, Jessica and Ander, the first is 19 and the latter 12. Irmão Marival gave a quick message on the Plan of Salvation and it was so spiritual. We bore our testimonies after about eternal families. It is always so cool to me to see how people react to that doctrine! They all thought it was amazing and we got their info to visit them this week!
Wednesday night after the family home evening we were walking home. As we were walking we saw this truck with a bunch of stuff in it, a lady, and about six or seven kids. They were taking the stuff out of the truck and walking down a steep path to a house. The lady was moving in! The week before in out Gospel Principles class at church, we had been talking about service and our teacher challenged everyone to do more service this week. I was so excited when I saw the situation I ran up to the lady and asked if we could help! She seemed a little scared at first but accepted. We helped this lady for about 20 minutes put the few belongings she had into a SMALL house; fridge, stove, beds, a table. I don't know how she had planned on finishing! She was actually pregnant too so it was harder! The only help she had was the 10-13-year-old boys. The coolest part was at the end when we were almost leaving. We hadn't even mentioned one thing about the Church at all and she says, "Thank you guys so much! This week I'm busy but next week you guys can come back!" It was a miracle! We had not said anything about the church and she already wants a visit! This week we are going back for sure!
Thursday night we went to teach Davi and Michele. They are doing good! We watched the video about the Restoration and it was great! I wanted them to remember about Joseph Smith and feel that Spirit again. Afterward, we talked about Michele getting an answer and heavenly help for her doubts and worries. It was really spiritual and now we wait. Obviously, we keep visiting and following up and in time she'll get her answer! I feel like I've gained a lot of patience on my mission and learned that it is all in the Lord’s timing, not mine.
Friday morning we had our first district meeting of the transfer! It was great! I'm really excited for this transfer and really like my district. I had the privilege to give the training and I talked about using the scriptures more in our lives and lessons. I thought it went great! In our lives, in general, the scriptures can be more prominent! Jacob 2:8 says, "...the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul." What an amazing promise! We can all use the scriptures more! The word of God can heal our souls!
Okay, so I'll try not to get too excited about this next topic. Last Sunday I got a call from Salt Lake City. It was two Temple Square sister missionaries! They gave us a referral. So Thursday I called the referral who's name is Viviane! She was so nice and we scheduled for Saturday morning. Saturday came and we headed for the address. She lives in a neighborhood a little far away and a little nobler. It is just a bunch of huge apartment buildings and doing work there is tough. But we found it and she let us in! Viviane is in her late 40s and she has a daughter named Anna Beatriz who is 19. We got there and they were so so nice! We went in and immediately I could tell this was going to be a great lesson. The Spirit was there just in our ice breaking conversation! We found out why they were a referral! So they have only lived here in Salvador about a year and a half and in the city they were living in before they have a friend who is a member. Recently he had traveled to Salt Lake to see the Church Headquarters. After he did the tour the Sisters there asked if he had anyone who he was feeling would be interested in the message. He said Viviane and her daughter! And in the end, they ended up in our hands. So we taught the Restoration and it was AMAZING! We were all feeling the Spirit and when I asked how they were feeling they both said they felt a different feeling than they had ever felt before! We testified it was the Holy Ghost speaking to them and telling them what they were learning is true! Then we committed them to pray to know for themselves if it was all true and then explained how an answer could come from the Spirit. Viviane then shared a very special experience she had a few years ago. She told us that few people know the story! I won't tell it here because it was special to her but it was really cool and God comforted her. We finished the lesson and we were getting up to go and then they stopped us because they made us a cake!!!!! They made a cake for people they didn't even know!! Like who does that haha!!?? So we all ate it together and got to know them better!
This Sunday might have been the best of my entire mission! Viviane and Anna came to church and we had a lot of inactive members come who we have been visiting! And there was a 70 there too!! It shocked me cause usually we know when a General Authority is going to be at church. Elder Pinto, the 70, gave one of the most spiritual talks I have ever heard in a Sacrament meeting. There was seriously not a dry eye in the room. And what did he talk about? The importantce of members working with missionaries! It was incredible. In Gospel Principles we talked about the Word of Wisdom and found out that Viviane and Anna ALREADY LIVE IT!!!! It was a miracle. They are golden. We are so excited!!!
Anyways, that was a lot but my week was amazing. I love how Heavenly Father blesses us when we are obedient and diligent!! He knows us personally!! I know it!! I love you all and pray you all have a great week!!
--
Elder Spencer P. Christofferson
No comments:
Post a Comment