I am serving a two year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Brazil, Porto Alegre North Mission. I post on this blog every week, so check it out to hear about my life as a missionary!

Monday, April 11, 2016

Week 84

This week we knocked on the door of Andreia and her family. She has recently moved from another city and is living with her 3 children, Janderson, Jaidson, Natieli, and brother, Jair. As she doesn't read very well we asked her son Jaidson to read to them from the Book of Mormon as a family. Without much hope we returned the next day and followed up with them. Turns out they'd done just as we'd asked and afterwards had each said an individual prayer asking to know if the book is true. Andreia's answer was the strongest. As she described it, she felt her heart burn and accelerate. She told us that she can't speak for her family but she's "firm," in regards to her baptism. Her 11 year old daughter then asked us if she could be baptized in 2 days (last Sunday)!

Ginésio was a difficult case this week. He knows everything to be true and wants to enter into the true church with revelation, priesthood authority, prophet and apostles, ect. However, he has been in the Catholic church for 4 years and is having a very hard time thinking about giving it up. He knows that there are many things wrong with the church and that it doesn't have authority whatsoever yet can't bear to change. We think it must have something to do with friends and influences he has currently. His wife Solange even said to us, "I know that if I pick up the Book of Mormon I'll know it's true just like Ginésio does and that I'll feel the Holy Spirit." Throughout the week we saw a difference in Ginésio's countenance. He appeared a lot happier, laughs more, is very eager to read the Book of Mormon with us and by himself, and there is a light in his eyes that wasn't there before. He's tasting the happiness possible through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His daughter Suellen told him one night, "if you won't be baptized, your son Eduardo, Solange, and I will!" We made a visit with a member to his house and Ginésio made many comments envisioning himself as a member. We were as shocked as Suellen when she told us that he'd skipped church for the first time in 4 years on Thursday. Sunday morning they all woke up late (30 minutes until church started) yet Ginésio encouraged them to get dressed quickly because they were going to see what a normal church meeting was like. They loved it. All the members spoke with them and it seemed like all the testimonies and lessons were prepared with him in mind. He's made so much progress yet is still obstinate in sticking with his church. He's incurring lots of prayer and fasting from us.

Speaking of Suellen, she read the Book of Mormon as we'd invited her to, and told us how 3 nights in a row she'd dreamt that she was in the church building, even though she'd never entered before. She dreamed that she was in a very beautiful building, with a podium in the front and a pulpit where the prophets spoke to them. She described how she felt peace and everyone there made her feel very welcome.

Lucas continues to make leaps and bounds in his progress. He's been coming with us to visit investigators almost daily. With our help he prepared a few names from his own family to take to the temple. This Saturday the entire district went to the temple by bus and Georgia and Lucas were there as well! Georgia told us how she was able to take 7 names and their temple work was done there.

Lucas
Georgia
It was pretty foggy this week:


This made us pretty happy, it's right in front of our apartment!

Subway's coming to Canela!

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