It was another wonderful week!! Lots of miracles and missionary stuff.
The week started off with a great family home evening with our recent converts, Morgan, Veronica, Rogerio, and our investigator Livia. We talked about prophets, played some prophet memory, sang all 9 verses of Follow the prophet, and ended strong with Tapioca creepes.
Then, I had my english students write letters to their mothers in english!!
And, the Ganzarolli family... So, we had been trying and trying to get ahold of them without much success this past couple weeks. We even marked a few appointments with them but everything fell through. One night we made it to their house and recieved a phone call from Régia saying that she would not be able to meet with us after all. Did I mention that they live veryy far from where we were. A little frusterated, we made our way back to the area where we usually work to our plan B. Well, on the way I had a strange urge to buy some crackers at this wayy over priced bakery that we basically never enter. AND guess who we say there? Régia and her son João..
She explained that as she hung up she felt like she should call us back and remark, but she didn´t have the courage and was a bit tired. But, as she saw us she realized that she needed our visit. We talked for a bit, and actually it was wonderful because we could get more of an idea of what their family is needing without all the rest of the family there. She explained that her daughters no longer believe in God and that she wants so badly to come back but she doesn´t know how. My companion spent about 5 years out of the church and every sunday she got all ready, and ended up not going because she didn´t have the courage. Finally, her mom, who wasn´t even a member at the time waited as she get out of the shower and said ``Today you will be going. It doesn´t matter if we get there late. I´ll be waiting for you.´´ And with that, she never missed another sunday.
We set some goals, and guess what?! Sunday she was there with João and one of her daughters, Isabela. And Isa LOVED it!! So much so that they planned a shopping trip to buy some new skits and she will even participate in new beginnings this week. Now we just need to get Vitoria to church... Tonight we will have a Lehi´s dream type of lesson and I hope they are touched!!
Also, we went to the temple with Rosana to do baptisms!! It was super cool to be there with her. Only days earlier she confessed that she is tired.. of living. and wonders sometimes if it wouldn´t be better to die.. Needless to stay we were (and still are a little) afraid that she would do something drastic. So, I am so happy that she had a spiritual experience in the temple, and it was beautiful to see her and her sister together in white, doing the work for their parents.
Fabio is the investigator who should have been baptized Saturday, but due to a depression attack and then the death of his mother who has been battling cancer for some time, we have indefinitely postponed the baptism. We could not think of anything to say. With this kind of earth-shattering experience, there is not much to say to comfort someone. So we simply sang. And sang. Basically half of the primary songs, until our throats ran dry.
I can´t even imagine the hard, devastating lives that some have to live. I am learning, with every day that passes, just how blessed I really am.
Right by our chapel, we have a school for children needing special help. The other day as we were passing, we stopped by to see if they needed help. The woman explained the purpose of the school and told us that she is a volunteer just trying to help how she can. She told us that Saturday they would be having a Mothers´day event and, obviously, and asked if we could sing some sort of mothers day song. The children´s hymn book is perfect for that! But, just before we were about to start singing, the girl making the balloons made us balloon helments. And logically, we had to use them while we were singing. Who knows if anyone took us seriously, but it was fun regardless.
Well, it will be another wonderfull week!! The thought that I only have 18 days left to be a full-time representative of Christ scares me a bit, but I am trying my best to make good use of this precious time.
Love you all,
Sister Lauren
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