MINHA FAMILIA E MEUS AMIGOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So
this week... was crazy hard and stressful, but we had some pretty
amazing miracles too. Let me start off by saying that we had two
baptisms yesterday!!! YAY! Satan definitely played his part too... Here
is the story:
Last week at church we saw this new family. (Usually investigators have
to come to church two sundays in a row before they can be baptized.) But
we talked to the branch president, who told us that this family is
spiritually ready and can get baptized before that. So we went to their
house this week to teach them... well they already knew some doctrine,
but we taught the restoration SUPER fast (because we had to catch the
bus...) Anyways, we asked the mother to kneel down and pray for us and
ask if the restoration is true. She did. It was the shortest prayer
ever, but afterwards, we asked her how she felt, and she said soo good.
She even showed us that she had goosebumps!
Well here is where we start having problems. This family is poor.
Absolutely poor. They actually were living on the streets for a while,
and now their house is not even a house- more like a corner... and there
is no way that the mother and father are married (because it is
expensive to get married here in Brazil.) so she couldn´t get married,
but her two children could, so we invited them to get baptized on Sunday, and they said yes!
So on Saturday
we had the interviews scheduled. Well, our district leader had some
other serious commitment , so we had to figure out a way for the zone
leader to come to our city. He made it work out, and was able to come.
Well, our plan was to pick up the kids via unibus and meet the elders at
the church. Well, we left our lunch appointment but somehow couldn´t
find the unibus or something, so we ended up asking a recent convert,
Marilio, (and his mother who lives with him) to drive us. So Marilio
drove us, picked up the kids, and took us to the church where the kids
ended up having their interviews.
SO Sunday-
Batism day. The family never showed up for church!!!!!! WE called the
member who was going to give them a ride, but she said that for some
reason she didn´t have her car, so she was taking the unibus to church.
But this family with the kids getting baptized is so poor, they couldn´t
afford the unibus. So, we scrambled around trying to find a memeber
with a car who could pick up this family. We finally found a brother,
but there would be no way he and his wife and us and the family could
fit- and he didn~t know where the family lived. WE had a serious
problem. BUT guess who showed up a couple minutes late for church and
walked right into us? Marilio! So, the member and Marilio went to pick
up the family, and Sister Finlinson and I went to turn on the font.
BUTTTTT the faucet was broken and we couldn´t get the water to come out.
So we found a different brother who knew some mechanical stuff, and
after about 15 minutes, we finally got the water, and 10 minutes later,
the family showed up. And the rest was good.
SO- I have defintietly learned a lot about hard work
and the need for faith. I have streteched my faith this week, but I
have also grown. Heavenly Father´s plan will always prevail. It was
such a blessing to see those batisms yesterday!
Other news: Mom- It´s funny you would assume that my
apartment is better than Tyler´s (Porto Alegre North mission.) Ummmm I
dont know. The sink doesn´t have a pipe, so we use a bucket. Obviously
we don´t have hot water. And oh get this- we have to keep the windows
closed at night (SOO HOT) or else bats will come in. YEAH.... but hey,
it functions, and I sleep well every night. :)
I love you all. I love this work- it is so hard
sometimes, but I am learning so much too. THis church is true, the book
is blue, and God is a Mormon! (hehe something people say here!)
Sister Eliason
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