What a busy week we had! The Lord really blessed us for our hard work here in the Jardim Sao Paulo area. At the beginning of the week we had a division with one of the assistants, Elder Alvis! It was super fun and we found a lot of elect people as well as a new area of focus: Jardim Tatiana! I know you're probably bored at pizza pictures and wondering how I'm not obese by now but here's the classic division pizza pic! :)
Last week I told you about Reginaldo who we took to church. We went to his house with Bishop Geronimo and had a wonderful lesson about the Plan of Salvation. His family is living in a different state of Brazil and he had already bought plane tickets to visit them this week. I hope that the work we began can continue there and he will be baptised in the true church.
This week we did a street contact with a young man called Udson. He was very talkative and receptive and accepted to be baptised in the church right there and then IF he knew the church had truly been restored. We went back the next day and taught the powerful message of the restoration. We invited him to pray right there and then to know if it was true. Then we left the commitment to read and ask God.
The next day we went back and asked how it went. He said: "I had a dream last night after I prayed! A Book came down from the sky. I went to look at it and everything started getting brighter and brighter and a great light came out of the Book. Then my alarm rang." Before we could suggest to him that was an answer from God he said hmself: "I already received my answer!" We were filled with joy as he said that, it isn't that often that an investigator gets an answer that fast and that direct. This Sunday he and his younger brother went to church and LOVED it! Their baptism will be on the 29th of January. Very excited! :D
I did a division with a young men in the ward called Lamoni this week. He is 14 and is super shy and tiny! It was good to give him a missionary experience and help him teach and bear his testimony. He was great! To all the youth, go out with the missionaries!
Today I cut my hair at a less-active's house. Speaking to him I was able to reflect on the love and care that these lost sheep need from us active members. His testimony is still strong but sadly he feels like no one has reached out or cared for him, rather shunned him for the wrong decisions he has made. Please increase your love to those who have taken a wrong path and made wrong choices, they need our love more than ever. That's how the Saviour acted in His earthly ministry and how we should seek to act today in His church.
We read in Luke 15:4-7:
3. And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4. What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5. And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Love you all family!
Have a great week!
Elder Torres
