Revelation through the Book of Mormon (Week 26)

What a great week!

So me and Elder Cardoso have gotten along very well! When he first arrived the teaching group we had was quite small and we weren't having many fruits. We began praying more, studying together and talking to more people. Soon, we had found a lot of people who were willing to listen and fulfill their commitments.

We had a great experience as we were trying to find new people. We were knocking doors in a very narrow and steep alley and began feeling discouraged as no one wanted to receive us. As we got nearer and nearer to the end of the alley we began knocking almost expecting not to receive a positive response. We then knocked on the last door. A girl came out, her name is Thalia (18 years old). We talked to her briefly, invited her to church on Sunday and extended the baptismal invite like we do to most people we contact. To our surprise, she accepted both invites very easily. We planned that night to go back the next day and teach her more to see if she truly wanted to commit to following Jesus Christ and His teachings. We prayed that the Lord would protect her and help her keep her desire to be baptised.

When we went back the next day, we taught the Restoration to her and her mother. They paid attention to every word. When we got to the Book of Mormon her eyes lit up as she loves reading. We taught her the importance of this book of scripture and read with her the promise made in the introduction:

"Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah."

We challenged her to read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it is true. The next day we went back and asked her how the reading went. She said she had prayed and received her answer that it's true through the feelings she felt, like it says in Galatians 5:22. When she prayed at the end of the prayer she thanked the Lord for that small testimony she received.

It was a testimony builder of the powerfulness of the Book of Mormon in the conversion of people. Pray that she will go to church this Sunday and be prepared to be baptised soon!

I also had a cool experience this week! I had to take Elder Petrosky, an american missionary, to the American Embassy in São Paulo. The embassy is in super fancy neighbourhood called Morumbi. Look at the buildings! It was the first time I saw people in the street dressed better than the missionaries here in Brasil! :'D Haha.

Anyway, we went to the embassy and because I didn't have any reason to go in I had to stay outside. All by myself. I called a few missionaries while I waited, it was weird to be alone. :P Haha, anyway it went well and he got the documents he needed!

We found a lot of new people and marked a lot of baptisms for next week! I'm super duper excited! We are definitely seeing the Lord's hand in the work.

Love you all family!!

Elder Torres