week 56- God is Good - All the Time

12/5/16

For all of the FIFA Brazil videogame fans, I got a picture of Arena Pernambuco from my area this week but forgot the camera at home, I´ll send the picture next week! thought the Van Leeuwen´s would appreciate.

This week had some highs and lows. We had some amazing interviews with President & Sister Bigelow and I felt inspired to change even more-even though it´s never easy.

An ENORMOUS plus was that Marcello was able to make it to church this week and seemed to quite like it. Made the comment ´bem organizada´´ It was interesting, we walked into the chapel together and I began to play, and Marcello was all, wow, you can read sheet music? I wanted to learn, etc.

Then during the testimony meeting I really wanted to bear my testimony and then I thought-does he think that missionaries can´t bear testimonies, then Marcello leaned over and said ´Voces nao podem prestar testemunhos nao, eh?` Me ´posso` Marcello ´Quero ver`, so then I went up and bore my testimony about the Christmas challenge with The Book of Mormon and The New Testament, to truly ´conhecer´our Savior, and that even during difficult times we can take comfort in the Atonement, that he suffered individually for us, and that Éle nos ama e nos conhece´ I went back down and Marcello leaned over and said ´Foi bom´ He focused a lot about statements of be of good cheer, even when it´s difficult, overcoming the darkness, becoming light, etc.

We also had a very special moment with an investigator this week when she, Kezia, asked us Ìf God loves us and is good, why does he let bad things happen-and if he didn´t know bad things would happen, he isn´t omniscient`We read 2 Nephi 2 with her, she replied that we were the first people that were ever able to respond her questiona and she loved the message of The Restoration, unfortunately her family did not. However, she said in the future she wants to receive us at a member-friend´s house. 

We also had another experience with Michelle, who initially told us that she wasn´t necessarily looking for a church but for a spiritual answer. The second time we taught her she said, You know how I said that I was looking for a spiritual answer? I realized that that desire for an answer was the desire to be baptized-you can imagine a missionaries reaction to this comment. We have some great investigators that are progressing like crazy. Hopefully this Christmas season will soften their hearts and they will make the steps necessary to follow the savior and overcome the world. 

Also had a hilarious moment when a girl in a part-member family came up to me with a black doll and said, Her name is Julia, Julia Talentino. =D hahahahha

Also had a super receptive investigator Celia, who accepted the baptismal invitation and works near the temple but never entered in the gardens. She said we pass by that huge green gate, and wonder if we can go in-we were all, yeah, of course you can! It´s beautiful, incredible! etc.

Love the God is Good picture, I think I´m going to frame it and put it in my room or future house.

I live near Cosme and Damiao on the map =)