OI gente,
This has really been one of those weeks. Here´s part of the letter I sent Presidente Araújo, for all of you to translate: (good luck)
Tem sido uma outra semana interessante, e cheio de opportunidades de crescer e mostrar nosso desejo de trabalhar. É muito bom ser companheiro de Elder Sousa, porque além de não tendo muitas coisas que nós dois gostamos, nosso foco no trabalho é a mesma coisa. Estamos sendo testados e é um pouco difícil as vezes, mas não podemos nem vamos parar. Vamos ajudar esta ala a ficar muito animado! Realizaremos um noite de Integração no Sábado (Noite dos Doces) e estamos propagandando a gincana muito. Nosso plano é a batizar 5 pessoas, que são Paulo a Daiane, Vanessa, Ziza, e Jônaton.
Quero compartilhar uma experiência breve mas poderoso que tive ontem. Estávamos orando e pensando muito sobre o que podíamos ensinar para Paulo e Daiane (Paulo tem problemas parando de fumar e se casarão semana que vem; ele não sentiu pronto ainda), e realmente não sabíamos o que fazer. Decidimos a assistir Encontrar a Fé em Cristo e desafiar a parar de fumar e ser batizado no dia 30. O dia passou, e foi muito difícil a encontrar pessoas a ensinar. Só conseguimos 2 lições com todo de nossa esforça, e depois de fomos com um irmão da Igreja à casa deles, que é bem longe de nossa casa. Quando chegamos ali, estavam fazendo a nenê dormir e não podíamos assistir a DVD. Fiz uma oração a saber o que fazer, e 20 minutos depois de ensinando e conversando sbore problemas dele, ele me deu cigarros dele. Eles também foram à serão O Cristo Vivo e realmente sentiram o Espírito muito forte. Sei que o Espírito tem poder a mudar as corações das pessoas, inclusive a gente.
google translation:
It's been another interesting week, and full of growth and opportunity of showing our desire to work. It's great to be companion Elder Sousa, as well as not having many things we both like our focus at work is the same thing. We are being tested and is a little rough sometimes, but we can not even stop. Let's help this side to get too excited! We will perform a night of Integration on Saturday (Night of Sweets), and we are very propaganda contest. Our plan is to baptize five people, who are Paul Daiane, Vanessa, Ziza, and Jônaton.
Let me share a brief but powerful experience I had yesterday. We were praying and thinking a lot about what we could teach Paul and Daiane (Paul has trouble stopping smoking and will marry next week, he did not feel ready yet), and do not really know what to do. We decided to watch Finding Faith in Christ and challenge to stop smoking and be baptized on the 30th. The day passed and it was very difficult to find people to teach. Only got two lessons from all of our endeavors, and after we went with a brother of the church to their house, which is far from our house. When we got there, were doing the baby to sleep and could not watch the DVD. I prayed to know what to do, and after 20 minutes of teaching and talking sbore his problems, he gave me his cigarettes. They were also to be The Living Christ and really felt the Spirit so strong. I know that the Spirit has the power to change the hearts of people, including us.
I hope this shows a little how much I have been able to learn as far as the language. I can consider myself confidently fluent in the language now - hearing, speaking, reading, writing. It is AMAZING to think about how much the mission blesses our lives and those around us!
For those who couldn´t understand the scriblled letters above, let me explain: we have two investigators - Paulo and Daiane - who are by far our most excited and most elect. THey only have a few problems: they have to get married (they will next Friday!) and Paulo smokes. It stinks because he has a lot of desire to quit, but he works with two other guys at a construction yard and they both smoke and give him a hard time if he doesn´t (I would love to go have a quick word with those two retards). Our mission has a goal of 200 baptisms this month and it´s totally possible! It´s been only once before in the history of the mission, and Presidente Araújo wants to go out with a huge bang. We were praying a lot to be able to teach them a good lesson and to help him with desire to change, and we did just that. Although the rest of the day really stank and we only taught 2 lessons, it ended up being an amazing experience and he gave me his cigarrettes. I invited the Spirit to be with us and bore my testimony; then I asked what his feelings were (peace, love, tranquility) and where he thought they came from (God) and if he would like to feel like that forever (Yes). He then explained that he has a strong testimony of the church and loves us as missionaries. It has been very interesting here and their house; normally, I don´t like to create a deep loving relationship with the investigator - just enough for them to trust me and to believe in what we say. In this case, I couldn´t help but thinking all the time about them and what they needed, and because of it they have really begun to show that each lesson and each little thing we have taught is hitting them hard and in the right way. They recognize that we love them, that God loves them, and that baptism is the best thing they can do with their lives. I humbly testify that through prayer, obedience to the commandments, hard work, and love, we can accomplish anything and everything that our Heavenly Father has in store for us. He loves us SO much! He´s ready to bless us and give us all we need and want - we just have to allign our will with His and do HIs work. I´d like to share my new favorite scripture with all of you:
15 For what I seal on earth, shall be brought against you at the ajudgment bar; for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must bobey. Amen.
This, I think, is perfect faith, trust, and obedience. If we emulate these things in our lives - daily, minutely, secondly - we will be given power to conquer whatever power confronts us.
I love you all. I know that this church is real. I know that Jesus is the Christ - He lives. He lives! The Holy Ghost is His messenger and helps us with all things.
Good week for everyone!
Elder Brown
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