Joy in the Work
Bom dia! I am so glad that I can take the chance this week to relate some pretty cool miracles. We have been working hard with a lot of people in specific, to help them progress and learn a lot more about the joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Normally in the work, there are people who are just READY and they can be presented with the lessons and immediately keep commitments and be baptized. And then there are also people who need steps that are a lot smaller, but over time they gain a great testimony. These are people who require a lot of planning, and a lot of patience to give them the space and the time they need. So, me and Elder Reis have been exercising our faith and being very patient, and I would like to share the following miracles over the last two weeks.
Anna Clara: Anna Clara has been studying with us, and we invited her to baptism this week. She accepted originally, but realized that she was very nervous and wasn't ready to make that choice. It was a sad moment for us, because she knew that it was true, and she received an answer from the spirit. But we chose to be more paitient, and now we have made a goal with her to read the entire Book of Mormon in 2 months, focusing on the love of God. We are working in faith that as she reads with a focus, she will gain the testimony and the firmness that she is looking for. She is super excited as well, and has been reaching out to mark lessons with us.
Maria Lidu: Maria is the mother of a member who returned to the church 2 months ago. She was a very faithful and active catholic, but as we have been giving her the lessons, she has been moving past her past beliefs, and she has been constantly studying the Book of Mormon with her son every day. We are working to help her son, Savio, receive the Priesthood and have the chance to baptize his mother on the 9th of October! She has been sharing her favorite quotes and scriptures every single day with us.
Pedro: Pedro has been having a lots of ups and downs. Originally we marked a baptismal date with him, but when we returned, he had some doubts and questions, but was firm in the thought that he wanted to seek it out for himself. We had about 2 weeks with him being flakey and not marking lessons with us, and then he came up to us at church and said that he has been away from the word of God, and missing out. He has felt the difference when he didn't do his prayers and read from the Book of Mormon. When we returned to do a lesson, he already made the self goal to read from the Book of Mormon for 20 minutes every single day!! WOAH!! Normally that is a really really hard goal for anyone to keep, and normally it's us as missionaries trying to get everyone to keep that commitment. As he has been reading, he has been receiving small confirmations that it is true.
Natasha and Artur: Natasha is the grandaughter of a member who is also returning to the church. She knew the church in 2014 but never got baptized. She came to church 2 weeks ago with her boyfriend Artur. We have been able to give them 2 of the lessons, and they are sooooo excited to talk with us. We gave them a lesson about the plan of Salvation, or the plan of God about what happens in our lives here and what happens when we pass on. They had a lot of interesting and good questions, and we had answers for ALL of their questions! Artur was especially interested and was fasicnated that we could have the answers to some of lifes biggest questions!
I know there may not be many pictures in this one, because a lot of these lessons were quite intimate and spiritual, so we didn't have a lot of time to take pictures. We are trying to do a lot better with finding the new people, and finding more people to teach and prepare to make sacred covenants with God. Also, these 2 weeks have been the weeks of Zone Conferences! So me and Elder Reis have been able to do a little tour of the mission, visiting all the zones and giving trainings and having a great time getting to know all the wonderful missionaries in our mission!
28 Now, we will compare the word unto a aseed. Now, if ye give place, that a bseed may be planted in your cheart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your dunbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to eenlighten my funderstanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.
29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.
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