Tuesday September 12th: MISSION COUNCIL. It was really good. Good teachings and good food. We learned a lot about how to teach the Plan of Salvation better. President also addressed some goals that the stakes throughout the mission are making concerning priesthood ordinations. After council we helped everyone grab their materials and go the the bus station to catch their late buses. We didn´t get to bed before midnight either, and we had zone conference at 7:00 am the next morning.
Wednesday September 13th: ZONE CONFERENCE. At 7:00 am we had leadership meeting then the normal conference. It was all held at the Amaralina chapel. I will share more about what i learned later in this email. Afterwards Diana went with us to teach Clara and Cailane the Plan of Salvation. We also taught the Plan of Salvation with Diana to Romilda and her twin kids Lucas and Luana. Then we stopped by Isaias´s house and marked a family night to bring our investigators to for the next Monday. Then we called Eddy (best taxi man alive), dropped Diana off at home, and drove straight to the bus station to buy Elder Lima´s bus pass to travel to vitoria da conquista. After he caught his bus my companion bought us McDonald´s to celebrate the day. We didn´t get home until super late again.
Thursday September 14th: WEEKLY PLANNING. We had an awesome weekly planning session. It actually felt productive and organized. We got a better vision for our investigators. Then lunch at Antonia´s house, office work, and proselyte! We decided to do contacts on the street that we live on; Rua Macaúbas. We knocked on almost every door and talked with 7 different people in 7 different houses and marked appointment with them. To finish off the day we knocked on every door in our own apartment complex. Afterwards i cut my own hair and went to bed because I was so exhausted from the last 2 weeks of little sleep. I learned that when i do more contacts i feel more like a missionary. I just need to lose my timidness and open my mouth.
Friday September 15th: I started planning for the missionaries that will be going home at the end of this transfer. I looked into plane flights and all that fun stuff. We ate lunch at the bishop´s son´s house. We had a HUGE, i mean GINORMOUS lasagna. Around 7:00 pm we had a family night with Romilda´s family with 3 members that we invited (Mike, Mateus, and Joelma). We got there and Romilda had prepared a freakin´ feast! She made bread, a cuscuz dish, boiled bananas, mango juice, cevada, and a NUTELLA CAKE!! We actually brought the cevada to switch out their coffee, and they like it. What a miracle!
Saturday September 16th: P-DAY ! We had an appointment marked with Eduardo for 9:00 am. He is one of guys we contacted on Thursday that lives on our road. We knocked, but his mom said he was sleeping, so we went on the the office. Lunch was at the bishop´s and his wife prepared a feast!
That night we taught Eduardo for our first time and then Úanderson. Úanderson has known the missionaries for a long time and was almost baptized, but he moved houses and his work picked up pace. We went a long time without teaching him until we found his new house. We taught him and he admitted he just needs to get married to his ´´wife´´ and stop smoking, then he can be baptized. We plan on helping him through these things so he can be baptized.
Sunday September 17th: STAKE CONFERENCE. We took a taxi to pick up our investigors and take them to conference. Romilda, Lucas, and Luana came and they really liked it. They said our church is like no other church they have ever been to and that they felt good there. (that´s because it´s Christ´s church!) . During the conference, Diego showed up with his family and Hosana, a recent convert that I baptized, also showed up towards the end. She was super happy to see me, and she told me that she is now the 2nd councilor in the relief society! Look at the fruits of missionary work! I was happy that she was happy and still firm in the gospel.
I am so grateful for my family. As I see and get to know other missionaries and people I realize that not everyone comes from the same family situations. I feel so blessed to have the family I have. I am grateful for my hardworking parents. They truly know the principle of hard work. Everything that I have and that i´ve come to be is a result of my parent´s hard work. Sometimes I feel concerned about my dad because he works so hard and has lots of responsibilities, but not too much that it distracts me in my missionary work.
I know that we are all blessed by hard work. How do you feel about work? What does God think about work?
President Bangerter tells us work, work, work brings joy, joy, joy! God loves the worker. He revealed to a prophet: "Sweet is the sleep of the laborer, whether he eats little or much; (Eccl. 5:12). I love being a missionary. That is really all I can say. i have yet to experience a better feeling than coming in at night starving and exhausted but just so beyond happy. Then I sleep well knowing that I worked hard that day and am prepared for the next day.
The principle of work is eternal - and fundamental in the kingdom of God. God isn´t an idle God. To me each transfer is a time to reflect on my own work - and plan to work in the future. Our president shared this quote by President Benson with us.
´´95 percent of all problems in the mission field ( and normal life too :) can be solved with work. Work, work, work is the key to success. "
This is true in everything. Work is a principle of happiness, health, talent, trust, and success. The opposite of work is idleness and idleness does nothing good for us. D&C 42:42 ´´Thou shalt not be idle; for he that is idle shall not eat the bread nor wear the garments of the laborer.´´ President Bangerter explained to us that wearing the robes of the worker is an honor. The missionary tag is a worker's tag. I feel honor wearing my missionary tag and I feel more like a worker! I want to wear the workers robes worthily. I can´t reap the fruits of work I didn´t do! So work is critical to the joy and happiness and success of my mission! My dad once shared with me that idleness is the playground of the devil. The quote my mission president shared with us relates to this perfectly. ´´idleness is a pit of iniquity´´. If we are busy working, studying, or reading the scriptures, we won´t be as easily tempted by the ´´fiery darts of the adversary´´. I have seen this in my own life, before my mission and during my service. God has given us everything we need to avoid the enemy´s snares. We have the Bible, the Book of Mormon, other church standard works, the PROPHET, his apostles, our local church leaders, the MISSIONARIES :) , the temples, the sacrament, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and so many other things always warning us and guarding us from the enemy´s traps. I´m so thankful for these blessings. I´m grateful to have a living prophet in today´s world. I didn´t realize the importance of this until I grew up more and realized how hard life could be in today´s world without having a man called by God to receive revelation to lead us in the right direction.
With work comes The Holy Ghost - AND POWER! Workers do not get tired - fatigue is the fruit of idleness. We have the promise that for those who magnify their callings and work with faith that their bodies (and minds) are renewed and refreshed. These next transfers my companion and I are going to show the bishop, the ward, ourselves and God that we are workers. We have our duties, and we know we can reach higher targets. We can have even more progressing investigators and more baptisms! I have great faith that with hard work, miracles will follow.
I have a burning testimony of this.
I am feeling more fire in our area as we are beginning to talk with more people and set more dates. I am very satisfied with the baptismal dates we have, and I know that this number will only grow. I love having this ´´higher vision´´ when i first meet a person and invite them to listen to us even if it´s only for 5 minutes. I know that Christ´s teachings and his Gospel can open people´s eyes and hearts. A lot of times people are interested even when they don´t completely show it.
Elder Costa e Silva is still the same good guy as when I met him. I like his enthusiasm to work. Work work work brings joy joy joy. Yes we do get tired, and sometimes feel worn out, but we keep each other up and going, always encouraging each other to work harder. When we get home at the end of the day, I feel happier knowing that we worked hard and have helped other people come closer to Christ. I know that this is the Church of Jesus Christ established on the Earth in preparation for His second coming and that it is an active working church. Thomas S. Monson is the current prophet. This is God´s work. It will continue until it fills the world and sounds in every ear. I´m grateful to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. My calling is to declare repentance to His people that they might follow the true gospel and have everlasting life. To me, this last year and 3 months has been a great privilege to represent Jesus Christ. Every week is a good week when you are serving God. I love you family!
-Elder Hilton
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