Hello all!
This week wasn't as busy as the last but as always there were marking moments and remarkable people. I did a division with Elder Barbosa in Salto de Pirapora. I was able to interview a girl named Ketilyn who they have been teaching. Her mother went to jail when she was just 7 months old and her dad passed away when she was a little child. Her mother had passed away the week before I spoke with her and she is currently living with her grandparents. In the interview I was able to talk a lot about the plan God has created for us and how the baptisms we do in the temple will give her the chance to save her parents in the eternities. It was a very spiritual baptismal interview and despite her grandparents not being too supportive, she was baptised this Sunday and was firm in her decision!
This time there was no pizza picture (not saying there was no pizza) but I took a picture of the wildlife there! Nature is awesome. I also took a selfie with a wild Barbosa. ;)
Sadly Ramon lost interest for baptism during this week. He went to church but took a step back in his decision... We were left with a small teaching group as some people decided not to progress. We remembered Rosagela, who had gone to church with her two children, Maria Eduarda (10) and Davi (7). When we arrived at her house, it was clear that it was at exactly the right moment! The day before she had ended a 2 year relationship and she was very upset and sore from all that had happened. She recognised she was living in sin and did not find herself worthy of praying to God for 2 years. We taught about repentance to her and she found hope and joy in our words. It was strange calling someone to repentance but... as it says in Doctrine and Covenants 19:21: "And I command you that you preach naught but repentance". We were bold but not overbearing in our invitation for her to pray and repent.
Maria Eduarda had told her mum she really wanted to be baptised as she had gone to church in the past. We extended the invitation and she accepted! Sadly they didn't go to church on Sunday but please pray that they will receive us again and continue to progress.
On Sunday after church it's usually a bit hard to work! The sun is beating down, the lunch is weighing down the stomach and the thought of p-day the next day can distract a bit! Yesterday we decided to work very hard and knock a whole street. The third house we knocked we found a super cool family from Maranhão. We were teaching and as I kept asking questions, I realised that Valdelice (a 17 year-old girl) wasn't responding that much and was very shy. As we were almost finishing, her dad told us she had a hearing impairment. Elder Braga has a totally deaf brother who just returned from his mission so he learned sign language. They soon were talking sign language and the spirit was very sweet. In some way, God had given my companion the gift of tongues so we could preach and extend invitations. The whole family accepted to read the Book of Mormon and be baptised. It was awesome! :D
Me and Elder Braga will be staying together one more transfer! :D We are looking forward to working with these amazing people and the ward. The only way is up!
Love you all,
Elder Torres