This week Elder
Correia and I were on splits for the evening and Elder De Oliveira
stayed in the house with Elder Rodrigues so that we could visit some
people from my area!! We were on our way to the last visit of the night
and Elder Correia started walking for the short cut that goes through a
tiny forest close to an old college. I knew that it wasn´t a good idea to pass through this area after dark
but felt that since Elder Correia was the senior companion I would just
continue walking at his side and wait to say something once we got a
little closer or wait until he said something. We were about half way to
the shortcut through the woods when we passed the same bar that we pass
several times a week. I thought to myself, say hello to the people over
there drinking but then I let a second thought come in and say: Oh
they´re all probably just drunkards and so what´s the point. I then
decided that I better listen to my first thought and say HELLO! I did, I
said hello and we kept walking. About three seconds later a lady
emerged from one of the tables and said, hey wait---p.s. Portuguese
computers like seriously don´t have quotation marks and so this story
may be hard to understand, who´s talking when and so on. But,
continuing, the lady said: hey wait and told us that she wanted us to
come by and visit, we invited her to attend church and she told us her
life story. She was baptized at age 12 in Teresina--16 hours away and
hasn´t attended church or been involved in over 7 years. We told her
that we would stop by and visit and told her that she would be welcomed
at church and that she should just come. As soon as we left her side to
continue walking, like 5 seconds later, Elder Correia said, hey wait--we
should stay on the main road at this time of night and I said yes
you´re right. We returned, passed the bar and got back on the main road.
I´m glad that God allowed us to take that turn just to find her and I
hope that she will take the opportunity to listen to the healing message
of the gospel and return to the fold!
This week we are helping an awesome sister stop
smoking--I helped her make a list of goals and told her to take some
tape and smack it on the fridge. I also made a calendar on a picture of
the Savior and so every time she smokes or drinks coffee she has to mark
the picture--which she really doesn´t want to do because it makes her
think of how she is hurting her Savior. We also call her in the morning
sometimes at 6 am and tell her that we are going to pray for he and that
she CAN DO IT! We also instructed her to chuck her cigarettes
underneath her bed so that each time she goes to smoke she has to kneel
down and thus---PRAY. She has been doing this! She is totally gonna make
it and she´s going to abstain from that junk for two weeks STRAIGHT SO
THAT SHE CAN BE BAPTIZED!! We are fasting and praying for her often!
I love joking with Elder Correia--he likes to tell
me that Americans are lazy and so I always wash his dishes--to prove
that I aint lazy--HAH! Elder Correia is very good at joking with people
and is a very relaxed missionary. Every type of personality is needed in
the mission field and every person has an important role to touch,
effect and help certain others. Pray to know who YOU should be
helping!!! We ate this SUPER DELICIOUS CREAMY DESERT AT THE PRESIDENT OF
THE BRANCH´S HOME--his wife makes great food!!
Thanks for the awesome pictures of the family, Rishi, Amber, etc....I LOVE IT!
HAPPPY
BIIIIRTHDAYYY--RACHEL AND HAVE A GREAT BAPTISM LUKE---LOVE YOU ALL.
CONGRATS TIFFANY. I´M PRAYING FOR AUNT ANN. MY HOUR IS OVER- LOVE YOU ALLLLLL!!
--Gregg
--Elder Allen
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