Boa tarde!!
I had a really neat experience on sunday morning... we arrived at church with a recent convert, then Irmã Perkins and I left again during relief society to meet an investigator and a menos ativo at the bus stop, Nilza and Graciete. They are sisters and Graciete was baptized some 11 years ago in cabo verde. When she arrived here about 3 years ago, she stopped going to church because she never found the capela. Now they live together in our area with their 8 children, all boys!! Graciete has 3 and Nilza has 5!! Let me explain about them real fast then the experience on sunday...
We found them through Patricia who was baptized the first week i got here, in the elders ward then she and her family moved to our area. I don´t remember if i told you this already, but that first saturday we helped patricia and her family unpack that day, then at night we went with here to pass out invites to her baptism the next day. WHen we arrived at this house, Graciete explained that she is already a member, and that everyone was baptized except for Nilza because she didn´t want to be. Anyway, so we have passed by this house a few times since then. Earlier this week, we passed and prayed with some of the rapazes (boys) and Graciete. We felt that the boy who was visiting, Rubens(16) has potential so we got his information and then planned to go by his house later in the week. After leaving the house we were in the street saying a prayer when we saw Rubens pass by. After he passed we saw that he was going to get on the bus, so we followed him onto the bus (we tried to make it smooth so it didn´t appear like we were stocking him ) and we talked to him more, trying to find out more information about him. He said that he thinks that his mom was already baptized and maybe his sister!!! We then got off the bus, and we were laughing about our experience. It probably doesn´t make much sense, but anyway... we passed by later in the week, but never found him at home. Finally, we met his sister, and she said that yes here mom is a member, and that she has been meeting with the elders at her friends house, but in another area that we don´t know... We are still in the process to find out the whole story and start teaching Rubens. We are excited about this because we really want to teach families!!
Okay that was kind of a tangent but here is what happened on Sunday morning... so Irma Perkins and I left the capela to meet Nilza and Graciete, but we left our bags in the capela, we only had our cell phone (which by the way is super high-tech! it has gps!) So we found Nilza and Graciete, greeted them and then I saw this man from the corner of my eye and felt i should go invite his to church. ( Before church we saw this lady that we also had invited, she never showed up) I introduced myself and invited him to church. He said he was here in this area to do some things and didn´t have much time, but i insisted and invited him to at least see where the capela is. Because i didn´t have any pamphlets with me, i asked Nilza if i could have hers, and I gave it to the man. His name is Tomé (thomas). He agreed to at least see the capela. I talked with him a little about religion and he said basically that he believes in God and Jesus but is tired of all the religions that just talk against others. As we talked and walked to the capela, i could tell that he is in a sensitive phase in his life. He said he has some knowledge about God and Jesus but he is a ´baby´ and the baby starts to crawl. As an adult-baby it is more difficult to make changes but he is willing to at least see, and learn a little. When we arrived in the capela, RS and Priesthood had just ended. Some of the bretheren greeted Tomé and one member in particular, Raynerson, basically just embraced him and took him under his wing to show him the way to Sunday School, it was so awesome!!!!! He ended up staying until after sunday school, we talked about the ordinance of baptism, and he had really good questions, and then stayed for part of sacrament meeting. We gave him a book of mormon and said that we would pass on his contact to the elders.
Now why did I share this experience, well, i just felt this great love for him. He is an elect who really just wants to find the truth!! There are so many people like him and i know there are people who live in our area like him! And i was amazed/humbled/really grateful that the Holy Ghost whispered to me to talk to him. It is so important to follow the whisperings of the Holy Ghost because they will guide us to the elect! This is why i am here, to help others find the truth that they so desparately need and are searching for!
This was a week that was menos bom. Well, it took me until Sunday to reacognize that i just need to follow when the spirit whispers!!
We had an amazing zone conference on tuesday with our zone- porto and porto north zone with President Torgan, Irmã Torgan and the assistents. It was a really amazing meeting!! The talked a lot about love. How really this is the root of everything that we do. we need to show our love for our companions, the members, our pesquisadores, and wiht everyone!!! During the meeting, i reflected on my mission and how love is probably the thing that is hardest for me to show. I have been struggling with this so much. And still, after our conference, during the week i failed to apply it in our teaching. Love and patience are two things that i am trying to understand but little by little it grows.
Also, President talked about the importance of obedience. He talked about how with every commandment there is a blessing, and really the Lord just wants to bless us but we ahve to do our part in order to receive the blessings. THis week i thought a lot about how i have been so blessed to be part of the gospel my whole life. It is a thing that i have taked for granted so much!! Irmã Torgan talked about how we as missionaries need to open our hearts to have the holy ghost with us, and then we need to help our investigators open their hearts too so that they can be converted.
I have been studying a little about this - the power of the holy ghost in the conversion process. Really our purpose as missionaries is to invite others to feel the holy ghost. and as we teach truths, the spirit will be present. and they have the opportunity to accept or reject. I am just beginning to understand this process, but better late than never right :) I am so grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ that He suffered for me and that if i repent He will heal me. He understands the situation of every single person on the earth. He and the Father appeared to Joseph Smith, and through Joseph Smith, we have the fulness of the gospel on the earth again!! What a marvelous blessing!!!
I love you all!!
Have a great week!!
xoxo
Irmã Michael
PS mom thanks for the talk and the package!! It arrived today.
Also, i might buy new shoes today... these ones are about worn out... :) also Irmã Fontes doesn´t have any money... we´re gonna talk to President about money, but she might need new shoes too so i might just pay for hers too.
Irmã Perkins is from Utah but grew up in China and Taiwan and Hong Kong. Her dad was a mission president and now is part of the presidency of the 70 over the area of asia! SHe is super awesome and is teaching me about confidence in the Lord. it is really crazy being the senior comp today i had a little break down but it´s all good. Trust in the Lord and Go and Do!!
