An Incredible Boy and an Inspiring Mother (Week 51)

Hi everyone! :) First things first, this week I celebrated ONE YEAR on the best mission in the world and the things I have learned are too many to list right now (especially as I have only 20 minutes left on email time). Next week I will send pictures of my celebration and experiences.

This week began with our interviews with President Farnes. He is an incredibly inspired man and taught me to lose myself in the service of the missionaries and the investigators who God has entrusted me and my companion. That's how I will become the missionary the Lord knows I can become and how I will know I am a successful elder.

This week me and my companion learned valuable life lesson through Leo's family. All week we taught little Leo and his family the gospel principles, all of which he understood and accepted without hesitation. He received a Book of Mormon from the Primary President and has been reading it every day. We asked him what he had learned and he said: "Well, I was going to skip the introduction but then I saw it was important so I read it and the testimony of the witnesses at the beginning". A few days later he told of how he was now in 1 Nephi and him a his brothers had gone back to Jerusalem to retrieve the brass plates and Laban's servant was with them. We were stunned at his level of interest and understanding. It increased my testimony of how close children are to the Lord's spirit.

Everything was in order for the whole family to go to Leo's baptism on Sunday but when we arrived there on Saturday night we heard very sad news. The father of 3 of Arlita's children had died and she had to leave Leo and his younger siblings to go to the burial. We were shocked and were unsure of how to help. On Sunday, Leo was ready with his towel and continued saying he was excited for his baptism. We and the Primary President asked him if he would prefer postponing the baptism so his mother could be present but he said: "No, I would prefer to be baptised today." His faith and strength was incredible on Sunday. Here in Brasil it was Father's Day and although his father is no longer with him and his stepfather had died the previous day, he knew that seeking the things of the Lord was of more importance. The baptism was a simple but incredibly powerful experience and the smile he came out of the water with was priceless. :)

We went there at night and talked to his mother who had by then returned. her humility and acceptance of God's will and inspiring. She asked if she could pray and in the prayer she thanked God for everything which had happened that weekend, for Leo's baptism and for everything they were learning as a family. Afterwards we invited her and her other children to be baptised and she accepted whole heartedly. She went on to serve us of the little food she had and did everything to make us comfortable and happy. If I had more time I would write more but I have been learning so much with this family and this incredible mother.

I have a lot more to say about the week but sadly our time is up!!

Love you all,

Elder Torres