This week was quite productive. We worked closely with the members and gained their trust and now we recieve a lot of help from them in the work. Last Monday we were walking to a far away appointement at night and we had an interesting experience. A bus passing by us stopped and an older lady got off. As we passed her I noticed that right after she got off she stood there staring at us while the bus drove away. I thought nothing of it and we continued on our way. 10 minutes later we heard some weird noises behind us and saw someone walking 500 feet away. The person called out to us and we stopped to let him or her catch up to us. When the figure reached us we recognized her as the woman who had stared at us after getting off the bus. She told us how she was trying to visit her daughter but had never been to this part of the city (it´s a big city) and due to the darkness had become lost. She had followed us because she felt like we had something that she needed. She knew that we were Mormons (she had had contact with missionaries before) and knew that she would be safe with us.
Unfortunately she didn´t know her daughter´s address and so we weren´t able to help her locate the house. We helped her call her daughter and arranged for her to come with us to our visit to a less active´s house and wait there until her daughter could come pick her up. At the house she was welcomed warmly and they became quick friends. During our conversation we talked to her a little more about the church and she showed interest. She told us she is a strong Espírito (another church here) but that she never denies the mormon missionaries. She was familiar with the Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, and Book of Mormon already. She had also read the Liahona once and asked if she could have the most current one. We gave her the May Liahona and the family paid for a year´s subscription. Before her daughter came to pick her up she felt at home in that house and we were able to write down her address to visit her in the future. After the day my companion and I talked about the many different ways that the Lord places people in our path.
The following day we attended a Noite Familiar for the São Leopoldo Stake. President Wright was there as his farewell to the Stake and missionaries serving in it. There Sister Wright played 2 amazing songs with her violin, one with the President accompanying on the piano. All the missionaries of the Zone sang Be Still My Soul in Portuguese, a hymn that isn´t part of the Portuguese hymnbook. At the end they made 50 pizzas for everyone. While there a member that does many splits with us and helps us out brought one of his non-member friends. We taught her the Restoration and the Spirit was very strong among all the members.
On Wednesday we went to the hospital because Élder Moreira was feeling pretty sick. We ended up waiting there for 3.5 hours for the nurse to eat lunch and then tell him that he was sick. He spent 30 seconds in the room to be prescribed 5 different medications. Thursday was a really productive day, beginning with District Meeting in which I gave part of the training, and ending with us almost being assaulted on the way home. On Sunday Nicole was confirmed a member! After 2 weeks I´ve become accustomed to the area and am loving it.
Nicole´s baptism!
Élder Joseph Andrew
Missão Porto Alegre Norte
Caixa Postal 13008
CEP: 91010-971
Porto Alegre - RS
BRASIL
Read my blog at elderandrewinbrazil.blogspot.com
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