"This work is a work of love!"

View from our Apartment of the Sunrise

Hi everybody!! 

How are you all doing?! I hope it was a great week for you all! Our week was great and if everything goes well, this week will be even better! We are praying all does go well! Faith is the key! 

Our week started out a little slow. Monday night we had a few appointments marked that all fell through. Tuesday also just seemed like everything was against us! It was crazy. It was like we were invisible! There was a moment Tuesday night when we literally were ignored by 7 people straight! Even just saying "Boa noite," which means good evening and is a common thing to say to people on the street, we were being ignored. People just didn't respond or look in our direction. But that just happens sometimes I guess. 

Wednesday things started to get a little better! To start off we had an amazing District Meeting. It was so great! I think I had the best training I've given so far! We talked about finding new people and thinking in new, different ways to find, than what our mission is accustomed to! It was so awesome. Everyone was participating and I was only able to give the first half of the training I had prepared because there wasn't enough time to finish due to all of the participation! And I was worried when I was preparing that it would be too short! HA! 

Recently our mission changed a little in respect to the weekly goals we have. For example one of the new goals is 21 New Investigators a week. So I challenged my district to hit that goal! I am happy to say that our entire district crushed it!!! So things are going great here. 

Wednesday afternoon we went to teach Mateus, the less-active guy we have been meeting with. When we got there Elder Pereira and I had an "in-tune" moment. Mateus lives with his girlfriend but EVERY time we have gone over there she is in the other room. We had never even seen her. So the "in-tune" moment was when we both simultaneously said, "Invite your girlfriend to come join the lesson!" It was so funny. One of the ways to get new investigators that we had talked about at the district meeting was to round up everyone in the house we are at for the lesson! So we did! It was great. We met Lo, Mateus' girlfriend and she is awesome. She loved the lesson and we just read the story of Enos with them. They thought it was so cool how Enos prayed for the Lamanites. Mateus seemed to be physically affected. He got quiet, which is rare, then said, "I had never thought that someone would pray for an enemy. This guy really was a man of God huh?" It was really cool! They just need to come to Church!! 

Thursday they invited us back to have dinner with them and Mateus invited one of his friends to get to know us! His name was Icaro and he is awesome too. It is just the best when people introduce us to their friends! You guys back home, just invite a friend to dinner on the same night as the missionaries! They will LOVE it! 

Friday was great too! We taught Viviane and Anna Beatriz again! Man they are just the best. We got there and found out the best news. Viviane switched with someone at work!!!!!!! So on the 20th she can go to Church and be confirmed! It was, well IS, a miracle! We prayed and fasted, and the miracle we needed happened! Thanks to all of you guys for the prayers! It helped so much! Viviane told us that the guy who switched with her will work 36 HOURS STRAIGHT, so she can go to Church Sunday. She said she explained to him the whole situation and he was more than happy to help. I need to find this man and thank him, haha! I love when Heavenly Father responds to our prayers with people. During our visit we answered some questions they had about baptism and stuff and it was great. Anna Beatriz had a few questions she was concerned about but we responded to her doubts and we are praying a lot for her! We taught about the Law of Chastity and it went perfect. It was an amazing, spiritual lesson! We gave them a present, the church magazine, The Liahona and they loved it. 

Friday night we went to visit Mateus and Lo for a lesson. Mateus was pretty sick so we just taught Lo. She is very shy and timid but liked the lesson about the Restoration. We challenged her to be baptized and she accepted! We hope she continues to progress. 

Saturday morning we also went to Viviane's again. Anna Beatriz went out of town for the weekend because here in Brasil Sunday was Father's Day. So she went to her dad's in a different city. So Saturday morning we went to just visit with Viviane! I seriously can't express how amazing Viviane is! That lady has gone through a lot of hard times but she just oozes joy. I love our lessons with her. During the lessons she will be listening and then out of nowhere raise her hand a little bit and get all excited and laugh and say she has an experience! So we let her talk and then she tells some incredible story or makes a perfect comment about what we were talking about. I am so excited to see how she grows in this Gospel. I can see her being VERY strong and a leader in the Church someday. Saturday was great! 

Sunday was a great day as well and we ended the week with a wonderful Sabbath day. 

So this week is a big one! Viviane and Anna Beatriz will be baptized on Saturday! We are excited for them and are praying like crazy! 

I love being a missionary. Like, I REALLY love it. I have realized during my time that this work is a work of love. It might sound cliché but it is true. Love runs it all. Love that we have for our companions, investigators, the members, and most important for God. His love for us is impossible to comprehend. Love is what this world needs more. The way we will get it, is through Jesus Christ. I love you all! Have a great week! 

-- 

Elder Spencer P. Christofferson

District Meeting this week