July 20, 2015
So this week was great. We had lots of things that happened and I don’t even know what all to write in this email because there’s not much time. So I’ll start with the baptisms that we had this week, We baptized a mom and daughter. Next week is going to be the baptism of her other daughter that is 14 years old, but I’m being transferred to Zona Aldeota, and I’ll be Zone leader of the secretaries and the sisters, haha. It’s the down town super chique zone, so I’m pretty excited. My companion will be Élder Vasquez who was my zone leader the transfer before I came to Beira Rio. I’m really excited because he’s my good friend. So this week I saw a lot of progress in the woman we baptized as she progressed for baptism. She said that in the past she had never had much desire to go to church because the churches all teach things that contend against the others. She said that one time she said a prayer on her knees in her house asking God to show her which was the church that she should go to, but since that day, it’s been a long time, and she had pretty much given up. When we started to teach her we established her baptismal date and told her that God would prepare her for the 19th of July. We then told her that she needed to ask God if the church was true and if Joseph Smith was a true prophet. She asked just as we had invited her, but she hadn’t received an immediate answer. We continued promising her that God would prepare her to be baptized on the 19th and that she would know that the church is true. After she went to church for the first time last week, she said she liked it a lot and that she would continue going. She continued to say that she had never had the desire or feeling to go to church before, until she went to the Church of Jesus Christ. We shared Ether 4:11 with her and told her that she had received her answer. In the lessons with her, she accepted everything we taught her... She has a lot of faith. She was able to leave behind her addictions in that same moment to be able to be baptized and enter into God’s kingdom, and to help her daughters do the same.
Also, this week was my birthday and I have never eaten so much cake in my life. You know how it is here with the people when it comes to eating, they always want you to eat more, haha. "M" (recent convert of 3 weeks) made me a 2 layer cake that I sent you in a picture, it was with that kind of frosting that you like, Mom. Then everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to me. They tried to make it a surprise but I already knew because none of them are very good at hiding anything haha. They are a great family.
Also we went to "E" (another recent convert from January) and she had bought me a cake as well and they sang “Happy Birthday” to me Brazilian style and they had a candle in the cake that was impossible to blow out. I sent a picture of the cake.
Things here are going great. I’m really excited to get to know more people in what will probably be my last area. Élder Vasquez goes home after this transfer so I’ll be his last companion! Again! haha but he’s a great missionary and I’m sure he’s got lots of energy still. So anyways, I don’t have much time because the emails on transfer days are always busyyy, but I hope you guys continue having a great vacation. Have a good week! and enjoy vacation! Tell Grandma and Grandpa (Bitter and Udy) I said hi and I love them. Hope Cole enjoys working on the good ol ranch haha. Have a good week!!! Até depois!
-Élder Udy
No comments:
Post a Comment