Sweet is the work!
This last week has been absolutely full of awesome experiences. It really is weird to me that when you just go to work, not thinking of yoruself and of your own problems, everything seems to work out and you always have enough energy to keep pushing on. I also am comforted by the Spriit and by how much it blesses us here in the mission field - for those who have or haven´t experienced it, the greatest feeling in the world is that of being led by the Spirit and knowing that you´re worthy to have Him operate because of your good works.
Bullet points:
- choir is getting better every week! It´s really cool to see how the Élderes do their best and how much we can feel the Spirit. We put in a few special musical numbers for a small group and it´ll be amazing (Beautiful Savior and All Creatures of Our God and King!)
- there was this crazy guy with an awesome old-style corduroy hat, sitting in his outside garage on Sunday, with an electric keyboard plugged in. He was playing it and making Stevie Wonder-like faces. The best part: he didn´t know AT ALL how to play - he basically just hit the keyboard at different rythyms, making different faces as he went. Hilarious. He let me play the Maple Leaf Rag and after I was done, he muttered something under his breath that sounded like "...doesn´t even play nuthin´." Silly rabbit. Good times.
- We were walking down the street on the holiday ( I can´t remember which - they´ve got quite a few here) and there were these really, ahem, "gangsta"-looking guys on the other side of the street graffitiing (spelling? Oh well.). One of them, who had a riDANKulous afro, came over and talked to us as we admired their work. It was really cool. We didn´t ask to teach, we didn´t interrupt them, but just let them know that we liked their stuff. I´ll get a picture of it later.
- There was a drunk guy passed out on the street yesterday. Groaning and moaning. Beer= bad.
- we had a crazy emergency transfer for an unknown reason. Elder Askins (one of the other Elders that lived with us in our house, who was comps with my trainer, Elder Duarte) was transferred to another area to train some of the Corto Prazo (the elders that come before being called for a few months to learn the ropes) and Elder Miguel got transferred in to Capão da Imbuia. It was crazy, but that´s life.
- we ate Mexican food today. Ohhhh yeah.
There is really a big difference between working just to work and working because you love it. I have discovered the difference and it is becoming even more of a joy to work every day. It´s not just "one more day", but another opportunity to do my best and help others receive the blessings. I love my comp! Before we were companions we were great friends and now it´s a pleasure to work with him. People have a difficult time telling us that we can´t come into their houses! We win them over with our crazy American craziness and they love it, feel the Sprit, and yeah! It really is all true! This work isn´t just for fun, or just to suffer and say that you did. It´s because peope really need this. Every day when people say that they don´t want to hear or that they don´t need to, it´s becoming easier and easier to say that YES, you DO need this!! I love telling that Catholics that the Pope needs to be baptized in our church - it makes them crazy mad sometimes, but at least they know. I also love bearing my testimony. I love being able to study the scriptures and learn more about the things that I´ve "known" for a long time, but never really dug into. I can´t wait to be able to continue to learn and apply this stuff - now in the mission and later on in life. There was a time when I would count down the days until the end, but now that it´s starting to come up, I don´t want it to come! Go away!
God lives. THIS IS His church. He loves us so much. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for us and pave the way for our Salvation. EVERYONE needs this restored Gospel. EVERYONE must be baptized by the authority that we have been bestowed so graciously. I don´t always understand everything, but the things I understand are good enough for me, and enough to keep me going.
Love you all. Let´s keep it up!
Elder Brown
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