Gabriel is the name! (Week 9)

Hey everyone! :D

After a very difficult week last week, these past few days have been truly blessed! On Wednesday we had our interviews with President Farnes and it was just what I was needing. We had a good conversation and he answered a few of the questions and worries I had and gave me the boost I needed. He said I could be doing much more so me and my companion from that day worked extra hard to show him what we are capable of. President Farnes is an amazing person, he really loves and cares for each one of his missionary. The São Paulo North Mission is blessed to have such a powerful leader, his missionaries are in safe and capable hands here! :)

An advice that President gave to me was, as it says in D&C 33, "open your mouths and they shall be filled". The first evidence of that promise being fulfilled was when I did a division with Elder Nascimento who is in my zone and we went teaching. Because I know the area and the people, I led most of the lessons and my mouth was filled with the words I should say and we taught powerful and spiritual lessons that day. We took some old investigator names from the Area Book and went knocking to find new people. We came to a certain house and found a man who came out to greet us. We introduced ourselves and when he heard my name he was like: "I'm Torres too! Fernado Torres!" I was super excited when he said his whole family was at home and we went it and met them all. There were 5 children and the mum. We taught them the Restoration and even the children understood our words. In the end we invited them for baptism and they accepted. Although they weren't super firm we want to go back and teach them more, how cool would it be to baptise a Família Torres? :D Let's pray they soften their hearts and visit the church next week. :)

So let me explain why "Gabriel is the name". :) This week we taught two Gabriel's, one 8-year-old and one 20. Let's start with the 8 year old. This kid is the nephew of a strong family in the Cidade Nova ward and every week he goes with his cousin to church. We thought: "Hey, why hasn't this boy been baptised yet?" So we went to his house and talked to his mum and dad who are both not members of the church. It was a really spiritual lesson which began with an amazing prayer from little Gabriel in which he prayed for his family to get a new house, his dad to get a new car but most especially for him to be baptised. The spirit filled that room and Ijust smiled for the rest of the prayer. Despite our best efforts, only the mum allowed him to be baptised and the dad stayed firm in his decision to not allow him. When his dad said no, Gabriel started crying and I felt super sad for the child. It's sad when parents stop their children from receiving the blessings God is waiting to give them because they don't understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ... In the end I asked the father to pray and talk with Gabriel and his wife about it. That's how the situation was left. A few days later in church our hopes were lifted! Gabriel's auntie told us that his dad had said to her that he was going to let him be baptised. I almost started cheering in the middle of the Gospel Principles lesson. We talked to Gabriel's mum later that day and she too said that her husband's heart was being softened. :) This week we will be working hard with that family and I hope to send you pictures of little Gabriel's baptism. :)

The biggest miracle of the week happened with the 20-year-old Gabriel. I can't remember if I've told you about him before but he was an investigator me and Elder Zenteno had. He was really progressing towards baptism but he had began working on Sundays and all during the week so we lost contact with him. We found him this week by chance, he was unloading boxes from a truck at a market. We marked a date to visit him and we went there that day. Before all this happened, all that was stopping him from being baptised was his girlfriend who didn't want to live all the commandments that we had taught to Gabriel. When we visited him this week he said, without the slightest hint of remorse, that they broke up. So once again we invited him for baptism and he gladly accepted. That same day the Zone Leaders interviewed him and would you believe it, he was baptised the next day! Unfortunately I lost this week's pictures but I'll try to get some pics from members. It was a truly amazing baptism and yet again one of the Lord's tender mercies.

I love you all and I'll speak to you next week!

Love,

Elder Torres