"We had over 30 lessons this week!"

District Meeting this week

Hey everybody! 

How are you all doing?! I hope that everyone had a great week! We had a crazy busy week here in Eunápolis!! We had over 30 lessons this week so it was fantastic! I don't have the capacity to write about all of them but I will hit the highlights! It was super hot this week but now is starting to cool down and today is all overcast and rainy! It is nice to have a little cool down since I will be getting home in the middle of SoCal summer!

Tuesday we had a crazy full day! But one of the highlights was when we went to teach Sabrina and her grandma Jazi! I can't remember if I wrote about it last week but a lady in our ward named Dajuda gave us a referill of her work friend Jazi. She said that their family was needing some help so we went over last week! We taught Jazi and her granddaughter Sabrina. We went back on Tuesday for the second visit and we found them two again and this time another one of Jazi's granddaughters was there! Her name is Raissa and she is awesome! She goes to a different church but was super interested in our message. So we gave a little summary of the first lesson and then focused more on the Book of Mormon. It is so interesting to me to see the reactions of the people here when we talk about the Book of Mormon. My favorite part is always when we explain Moroni's promise. I get to bear my testimony about it and I love it. One thought that came to me when I was bearing my testimony is how we don't have to just ask God if the Book of Mormon is true once. We should ALWAYS ask him to give us confirmations about it! I know that it is true. My testimony about the Book of Mormon has grown so much in these last two years! I have no doubt that it is true. So to those who haven't gotten that testimony yet, go get it! And for those who already have it, keep it! 

Wednesday was kind of a sad day! I'll explain why. So remember Irana. Branca's daughter who is 17 but doesn't live at home? Well we were supposed to baptize her this week and it didn't end up happening! :( This is why. We headed over on Wednesday to teach her about some of the commandments. We had already mentioned some and but we didn't think that she would have problems with anything. So we got there and started to talk a little before the lesson. Right as we were about to pray, Irana goes, "Oh yeah so I talked to my mom last night and asked her about the thing she had to sign about me being married and she told me that I am not legally married and the thing she had to sign was a different paper saying that I could live with my husband since he is already an adult." MY heart sank!! UGH!! So the reason for the confusion is because we knew that when someone younger than 18 gets married, their parents have to sign a paper saying that they are letting it happen. So when we first got to know Irana we asked her if she was married and if Branca signed that thing. Irana said that yes her mom signed that paper. So we were in the clear!! Irana even uses a ring and everything. She had just misunderstood us I think. At the moment when Irana told us, I got super sad but we continued with the lesson and didn't say anything to her at the moment. The lesson was really good though and we taught about the Word of Wisdom. The only problem that Irana has is that she drinks a lot of coffee. So when we told her that she can't drink coffee she got sad. We continued by explaining the blessings that can come and challenged her to stop drinking coffee she accepted. She said, "It will be hard, but I will do anything to see my little daughter again." We didn't know what she meant but on Sunday we found out. We were teaching about the Plan of Salvation when she asked what happens to little kids when they die?  We explained that children under the age of 8 years old will go to the Celestial Kingdom in the next life. She got so happy and then told us that in January of this year, she lost a baby when some health complications came up and the baby was born 5 months into the pregnancy and the doctors couldn't save her. What was so amazing about all of this is that Irana already has a testimony that the Plan of Salvation is true and that families really can be together forever in the next life if we live according to God's will. She wants do all she can to get to receive that blessing!! 

That night we had planned on going over to meet with Branca so we asked her about the whole Irana situation just to make sure. And sadly Irana is not married. After that we proceded by talking with Irmã Branca about temples and the work we do there! It is kind of a different lesson to teach and a little harder than a normal lesson because we don't teach it as much. But we really felt like we needed to teach that to her and help her feel a little more responsibilty. We wanted her to feel that she will get baptized not to just bless her and her current family,  but also her ancestors. I think it went really well and I realized how much I miss the temple!! It really is the house of God! We all need to be able to go there! 

Thursday we had a good day. We went and talked with Irana and we had to talk to her about the fact that her baptism was going to have to be postponed. I was super nervous because she was super excited for Saturday! I was praying the whole day that it would go well. We took Flavia with us and headed over. And it went totally perfect! We went in and told her we needed to talk! I said, "Irana we are going to have to postpone your baptism." She said, "I know." I was a little surprised and then she went on to explain that she knew that after she found out that she isn't really married that she wouldn't be able to be baptized yet. She was super calm and totally fine about it! I was so relieved! The Lord really answers our prayers! Now we just got to get Irana and Samuel married!! 

Thursday we also had a fun lesson with Alefe!! He is doing really well and progressing well! We talked with him about Alma 42 and explained some things about the Plan of Salvation and the Atonement. Alefe really is a good guy and knows that all that we teach is true! And he FINALLY went to church on Sunday! SOO we are planning on baptizing him on Saturday! We are praying it all works out!! 

Friday was funny because during the day we headed over to Flavia's for a little bit for Elder Palma to help her with some Spanish since she just got her mission call to Argentina! We also had a good lesson with Tais that day! She is doing great and apologized for not going to church! She said that her work schedule changed last minute and she had to work sunday. But we read with her 3 Nephi 11 and man I love that chapter!! Christ shows up and the Spirit is just so strong. One thing that I really learned to do and that I love is put myself into the scriptures. Use my imagination to think and ponder how it would be to be one of those Nephites that had just survived so many things and then to see Jesus. All those years of waiting and hearing the prophecies and finally it happened. I know that the joy and emotion that they felt was incredible! I think it is similar to the feeling that I feel when I see someone realize that this Gospel is true! It is an amazing feeling! 

Sunday is always just amazing! So we had confirmed with a ton of people to go to church on Sunday and we got there early and were waiting out front and it was almost 9 and no one had showed up! We were getting sad but then Sabrina and Raissa showed up! And right after Alefe with his two kids! We were so happy! Then we had two members bring others! That day we ate lunch at a girl named Bia's house. She is 17 and the only member in her family. She brought her friend named Elizia. And we were eating lunch there so it worked out perfectly! We ate and got to know Elizia and then we gave the first lesson! It was soooo awesome! Elizia is great! She loved church and even asked us how she can know that this is the true church before we had taught the lesson! My favorite part of the lesson was at the end when I asked how she felt. She said, "Would you believe me if I told you that I can't describe it? I just feel something good inside of me but I don't know how to describe it." It was so awesome!!! We testified that that is the Holy Ghost telling her that our message is true! It was a great lesson and we are going back tonight! 

Well ladies and gents I think that is all! I just wanted to share one last thing! So on Sunday I got to give a talk in our sacrament meeting! I said that I finally became a real Mormon man because I was the last speaker haha. But I got to talk about the Atonement. During my preparation I found a quote that I closed my talk with and I wanted to put it in here. It is from President Monson,  “With all my heart and the fervency of my soul, I lift up my voice in testimony as a special witness and declare that God does live. Jesus is His Son, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He is our Redeemer; He is our Mediator with the Father. He it was who died on the cross to atone for our sins. He became the firstfruits of the Resurrection. Because He died, all shall live again. ‘Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: “I know that my Redeemer lives!”’ I also testify that Jesus lives and loves us! Have a good week everyone!! 

#itsalltrue

Elder Spencer P. Christofferson

I love my district!

Elder Palma was asked to read a poem in Spanish during a big event at the local school.
A member in our branch is a PE teacher at the school.
We had no idea this many people would the there and he was so nervous but he did great! 

Elder Palma is in the bottom corner waiting til it's his turn to go onto the floor to speak. He did great!