This week really was great. I saw various blessings and even some miracles! Branch Federação is going really well. We had a baptism on Saturday and on Sunday we held a ward council meeting with President Leão and the leaders of the Branch. We planned some really good things that will help our Branch grow and be strengthened. We reviewed our goals and got everyone´s spirits up to accomplish them. I am feeling really good about the work going on here. The members of the council really complimented our work as missionaries and dont want us to be transferred. I feel the trust that the members have in us is steadily growing as we are working with them and encouraging them to help us in our missionary work. We have another baptism of a 31 year old woman marked for the 11th. Her sister and family (who are members) are really happy and i am grateful for their help. We also have 4 families that we are teaching. At times it seems to be complicated because no one is officially married, so they can´t be baptized as soon as we would like, but we are strengthening them by holding family nights, teaching about marriage and the commandments of God. I am happy with their progress. One family came to church for their first time and we were very happy to see them.
Elder Washington and I are getting along really well. We have high goals and we are praying and doing special fasts together to be able to realize them. We really want to baptize weekly this next transfer. We are striving to do all we can to accomplish this and strengthen our branch. I was really surprised when i found out the frequency of our Branch was higher than the two wards (Centenario & Engenho Velho). In our branch council on Sunday we planned a ´´O Domingo que Ninguem Faltou´´(the sunday that no one missed) and we are expecting the frequency that week to be a minimum of 100. Elder Washington and I are really wanting to work with the members even more to see more results. We really are gaining the love, support and trust of the members of our Branch as they are seeing the fruits of our work. They are happy to see baptisms, higher frequency at church, and our willingness to work with them. Great things are happening in Branch Federação!
Through the work and dedication that has been involved in my companionship with Elder Washington this transfer, I have felt more spirit in our lessons and i have been learning a lot. There is still a lot that Elder Washington has to teach me and help me with and for that reason i would like to stay another transfer in Branch Federação with him. We also have investigators that i am confident will be baptized within this coming transfer and i would like to stay to assist in the work and process of their conversions. I know i still have LOTS to learn and i feel like i am developing my abilities and skills as a missionary with Elder Washington.
To summarize my week i will give some highlights: Hosana was interviewed on Friday and was found to be super prepared for her baptism. She cried during the interview out of happiness, gratitude. and love for us Elders and the Gospel.She truly found a new life that is changing her for the good. I baptized her on Saturday and all went well. It was my first entering the waters of baptism for an investigator that i taught from the beginning. It was a special moment for Hosana and me as well. She cried a bit and was holding back tears practically during the whole reunion. Then she was confirmed on Sunday and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. What was even better was when she got up and bore her testimony during fast and testimony meeting. She gave a rockin´ testimony, and it was obvious that she was CONVERTED to Christ, NOT just CONVINCED. I don't have any doubts that she will stay strong in the church throughout her life. She totally gave a positive shoutout to us missionaries and supported us completely and told everyone in the branch to feed us more. haha
This week we visited Raimundo (72 yr old dude) a few times. In our first visit this week we asked ´´So how is your reading of the Book of Mormon going?´´ He responded casually and totally relaxed,´´the book? ahh, i already finished it...´´ we were like ´´WHAT?!, SERIOUSLY?!?´´ then he said, ´´yep, i just read it all the way through once and now I'm going to read it again, but STUDY it and compare it with the Bible, etc´´ We were super surprised and happy! he read the whole BOM in only 3 days! He has already accepted to be baptized and all, but he can´t because he lives with his "wife" and they aren´t married. His wife is a member of Condumblê and doesn't even want to talk to us and won't even shake our hands......soooo its a little complicated, but one day Raimundo will get baptized.
Some other good news is that Débora will be baptized this coming Saturday (the 11th). She is totally ready. Her sister is a member and is helping her a lot. Even Débora´s son is a member so she will fit right in. We really hit it hard (spiritually) on the Word of Wisdom with her and gave her cards with daily reading assignments of scriptures and words of advice. She is finally committed to being baptized on Saturday and hasn't drank coffee for almost a week now! WOOHOO!
For next Saturday after the 11th we are planning to baptize Joana ( a 59 yrs old woman). the only thing inhibiting her baptism is her addiction to Smoking and coffee. Sunday night we had a spiritually powerful lesson with her and she told us that she really will use her forces to stop. We will be accompanying her a lot that week so her baptism will be realized :)
And every hour in between we are teaching and helping other people develop their testimonies in Christ.
For P-day we went as a district to Parque de Pituaçu and biked a 15 kilometer trail, saw some beautiful beaches, drank coconut water, and ate at a little restaurant. It was nothing less than perfect (and a good workout) 😌
In the end, I am loving Salvador; all the ups and downs and twists and turns. I really don't want to be transferred to the interior. I want to stay here in Salvador! I love the work and I love the Lord. All that I have and all the good that I do is thanks to Him. I will never be able to pay Him back. the least I can do is give 2 years of my life in His service.
Have a great week everyone!
With love,
-Elder Hilton
p.s. here is a funny story Mckay shared with us. hahaha
"OH!! yesterday night i whacked a Gecko off the wall in our house and when i whacked him, his tail ripped off and he was painfully trying to run away. i just kept sweeping him out of the house. the crazy thing was that the tail ( completely separate) was wiggliing and squirming the whole time! it was as if it were alive! it didn't stop for a while!"
No comments:
Post a Comment