September 28, 2015
Como vai? I can’t believe
you guys are going to be here in 2 weeks! I still have trouble imagining how
life must be for people who aren’t missionaries. My last companion will be
Elder Ribeiro, I forgot where he’s from but I think it’s São Paulo. He has about 10 months on the mission or something like that and he’ll be a new zone leader,
so we’re pretty excited. We´ll
be working in a three-some until Elder Freeman goes home later this week.
I liked the photos you sent of the BYU football fireside. Sounds like the game was
rough, but I liked the picture of the Slippery Rock score they showed at the game haha.
So this week didn’t exactly go as
planned, but I learned a lot. This week we were teaching 2 families (7 people
in all) who had all accepted to be baptized on the 4th of October, and they had
said every day of the week that they were going to go to church Sunday. I had
prayed so much for these 2 families, especially Saturday night. After pondering
on some scriptures that say if we don’t doubt, God will bless us according to
what we ask, (Mormon 9:21, Mark 9:23) https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/morm/9.21 and https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/meme-bible-mark-believe-possible-1342064?lang=eng I was certain that God was going to bless
us so that these 2 families would be able to go to church and be baptized
next week.
However, when we went to knock on the
one family’s door Sunday morning they said that the 2 year old was super sick
and the grandma had to take care of her and the mom had
been called to work (she was unemployed and the first day they called her was
this Sunday). When we went to get the other family they had reasons equally
convincing and upsetting. I was convinced that they were going to be baptized
on the 4th. We had taught them so diligently about the commandments and
obedience.
As I walked to church with Elder
Freeman and quietly pondered, Why didn’t this work out? Did I not follow what
the scripture says, ask, doubting nothing, and you shall receive. Doesn’t God
have power over sickness? So then why did the girl get sick Saturday night
right before church if God knew that would stop them from going to church. Then
I thought that anything can happen, but what’s more important is that I follow
Nephi’s example never murmuring and never doubting.
As we walked into the church with our
heads down, after only 30 seconds someone from the other ward came over to us
and said, Are you the Elders from Tancredo Neves? There’s a boy here who is 17
and I’m trying to figure out how he can get baptized. He’s been coming for 3 months and he
goes to seminary every week day. She then called him and we talked a little and
scheduled his interview for today and baptism for Tuesday before Elder Freeman
leaves the area. So maybe I won’t end up baptizing 2 families this week, but I
learned a lot about how if we ask, doubting nothing, God blesses us according
to our will, but His will as well. But this is my last week to find people to
be baptized during my mission, so I’ll be praying and working a lot to find a family this week.
I hope everyone’s doing well at home,
sounds like all is well. I hope you guys have a good week, don’t forget to
study the Book of Mormon every day personally and as a family. Have a great
week! Love you guys
-Elder Udy
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