Ready for the Bigger Miracles

 Bom dia!  My p day has officially moved back to Mondays, so I will be sending more regularly on Mondays.  

I hope you all have been able to be blessed during the last week.  I'd like to share an experience with you all from yesterday! 

Yesterday morning we got ready for church, and left early to go pick someone up to be able to go to the church.  We had spent all of Saturday confirming people could come to church, and by Saturday night a large percentage of them had canceled.  We went to pick up Natalia, but turns out she was still sleeping and didn't answer the door.  We walked back, somewhat dejectedly to the church.  I turned to Elder Serafim and said, "Well Elder, we did the right thing.  It's a good thing.  We showed our faith to the Lord, and our action.  Now we show him that we are ready for the bigger blessings."  I would soon realize how true that statement was.  

As we got to the church building, and after 10 minutes, we had only one person in church, Joelma (who is a giant miracle as well, I will talk about her later).  But I still was a little sad.  Within the next 20 minutes, we had various visitors come in, a lot of them being part member families that we have never been able to contact before.  And now we know where they live and when we can visit them. We also were a part of Ward Council, and we created goals, and all of the ward leaders were super on top of it!  Now we have a big list of things to do, and people to visit, and family nights to mark, and it is MARVILHOSA!! 

This last week began with me being in an exchange with Elder Valente, who is a new missionary.  It was a pretty great experience with him, because I was able to teach him some things, and he was able to teach me as well!  We had some awesome days that we focused on teaching and bringing other people to church.  Despite all of our efforts, we couldn't find any new people that came to church that last week.  We became sad because of that fact, and then me and Elder Serafim finally were able to get together officially as companions!  YES!!!

Now I will talk about Joelma! Joelma was another referral from Social Media, who we tried contacting various times, and it never worked, until we luckily called at a good time and marked a time.  Normally these visits are 50/50, but as we arrived, she put down her phone to answer the door, and as we came in, we saw that she was reading about the sacrament on the Church official website.  Well, that's a good sign.  

She is amazing!!  On Tuesday we gave her the Book of Mormon, and by Wednesday she had already read into part of 1 Nephi.  By Friday she had read 1 Nephi 15 and had prayed and received an answer that it is the word of God.  She came to church this Sunday, and loved it!  It was very nice to have so many nice sisters in the ward be open and helping to her.  She wants to be baptized, and even recognized herself that she needs to be baptized!  We just need to mark a date, but it's having a little trouble because she needs to care for her husband and son who are both in recovery from surgery.  So please, keep Joelma in your prayers so that she can be baptized this month of March!!  

Me and Elder Serafim are getting along so well!!  We are a little stressed because all of the district leaders in our zone are all brand new, and so we are trying to help them all be trained as leaders.  Fun Fact:  One of our District Leaders is named Elder Gailbraith.  He is currently training a new missionary, his 3rd son.  His other two sons?  The other two district leaders in our zone.  So, 20% of our Zone is all from the Family Gailbraith.  

I have been thinking a lot recently about covenants, and the power they have in our lives.  Covenants are more than just promises.  They are binding, and essential parts of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I am beginning to understand more about the blessings that come only from making covenants with the Lord.  

I was reading in Mosiah 24 this last week, and there is a story about the people of Alma, and how they were being persecuted by Amulon and his servants.  They began to pray, but were later told if they prayed out loud, they would be killed.  They all began to pray in their hearts, and I love what happens next! 

13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage. 14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

These people were the same people who made the baptismal covenant here in Mosiah 18.  They received the blessing because of their covenant made, and though the burden was not taken, it was lightened.  

I hope you all have an amazing week!! I love you all, and hope the best for you.  

Elder Moss

RJ, Brasil