Miracle...FOOD

This week we had a lot of fun. Found a lot of cool people. Saw some cool stuff. It was great. This week we had a miracle on Wednesday. We had been working hard and had made a lot of appointments with the members. Basically what happened was that all of them thought that we made the appointment with them to eat food. So we ended up having 3 meals that were not made by missionaries, Lunch, Dinner and a post Dinner snack. It was really good. I now know what it's like to serve in Utah... I'm kidding. That was a joke. But it was really a great blessing.

 

This week was not the easiest one.

Fun stuff happened this week.

Spiritual thought: In D+C 121 it says «Meu filho, paz seja com tua alma, sua adversidade e tuas aflições não durarão mais que um momento; e então se suportares bem, Deus te exaltará no alto» verses 7 and 8. Here I won't go over the background about what was happening with Joseph Smith when he received this counsel, I'll just use these words he gave to one servant at one time as the same counsel he gave to other servants in another time. This week was not the easiest one. We worked real hard, did our best and not much came about. But as God told his servant Joseph, paz seja com tua alma, we also need to see that the trial of our faith won't be forever, it will end. This week we ended our trial with our own action. We said basically «well this week sucked, but next week can be better if we make it better». Instead of looking back and gnashing our teeth at the past, we looked forward. We started making a lot of appointments with members and things started to roll from there to the point where yesterday 3 people told us they wanted to be baptized.  We hadn't even said anything. Paz seja com tua alma... se surportares bem, Deus exaltará no alto. 

Funny experience: There's this huge catholic party going on in the middle of our city. (background the Catholics during the summer just throw a lot of parties in all their cities until the end of summer. It's interesting, but any hoo)  Yesterday, they started it off with a grand processional of this statue going through the city. Our plans took us straight through the festival. It was crazy. I'll send pictures of what they had set up for this thing but as we were walking through just trying to get to the other side, we ran into 1. an investigator that was walking in the parade, and 2. a less active member. At that moment on I thought, well we need to teach the restoration little bit better. 

Élder Fogg

well at least I had shoes....

Tania and Diolinda made it to church

Inspired Continente run: There is a grocery store called Continente, it's like target or Safeway. Well because it was transfer week, we had to buy food during the week because Elder Barton didn't get here until Wednesday. Well, we decided to go to Continente during the morning right before lunch. As walked in, we ran into a member called Paulo Tavares who was there with his family. We talked with them for a while. Then, as we were in the produce aisle, we ran into Carlos who was actually there with Paulo. They were all buying groceries at the same time! Then, we went to the meat section. As we passed by there, we ran into a less active Mariano. Elder Barton has the opportunity to meet all of them at the same time! while buying food! What efficiency! I felt like that part from the Best Two Year «How'd you know to come here? Indigestion. It was inspiration ain't it? Humility, humility is the key to inspiration.  Can I write that down?»

Tania Raposo: She's crazy! But really cool. We have been working with her since I arrived. Before I arrived, the members had little faith in the less actives coming back to church. I don't know why or how aside from the Lord's timing (because it definitely didn't come from me).   She made it to church for the first time in a long time. We had talked with her on Saturday and said we would call. Elder Noad called her in the morning but she didn't answer. I was standing outside waiting for people to come. I had the phone with me when I received a call. IT was from Tania.  She told me «elder I'm on my way!». And she came. The attitudes of the members changed a little.  They thought «well if Tania can come back, any one can come back». Maria de Paz, a member that is very active, started calling her and others and this week for the first time in year Diolinda came to church. We didn't even plan that. Tania showed up late and when she walked in Diolinda walked in too! It was crazy! I was so happy! I felt like jumping up and down celebrating! (but we were in the middle of the sacrament so I decided not to). Now Tania has the goal of going to the Temple this next year! Last week in gospel principles we had a lesson on missionary work.  We talked about how we need to be the examples sometimes keeping the commandments to help others make and keep covenants. She said she had never paid tithing.  We invited her pay tithing. Start now. This week, I saw her with her tithing slip! Inviting people to changes and seeing them make changes in their lives is incredible! It's great seeing the happiness that she has now. I know that when we follow Jesus Christ we are happy.

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Miracle

This week was really rushed. We were helping the other areas this week because it was the last week of the transfer. We did an exchange with the Elders in Ponta Delgada after the District Counsel. It was good helping them. We also had to an interview for the Sisters there as well. The couple missionaries picked us up in their car and took us there. It was great, one of the people didn't show up to be interviewed but the other one passed. They gave us Lazanha afterwards, best interview ever!

Transfers are happening. Elder Noad is leaving and I am receiving Elder Barton. He's a great guy! He started his mission when I was in Amadora, so I did a couple of exchanges with him. Since then he's grown a lot. He's served with Elder Davis (from my MTC group) and he's trained. It's going to be great. He had to wait for his visa and when he was waiting he served in Boise. Now we'll serve together! It's going to be great!

 

Miracle:  We have been working with a less active member called Tania. She has come to church a couple times while I was here. Usually we have to call her until she picks up or a member does. This time no one called her and she showed up on her own. It's incredible seeing the progress people make in the Gospel.

Élder Fogg

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