This week went along pretty well. We had a pretty funny street contact with a youth, Mateus, and when we asked him if he knew where the church was and we explained where it is, he exclaimed Áquilo la e a Igrea dos Mormons? serio? Eu achava que aquilo era uma igreja evangelica o catolica, ou cést la´ or in other words, really that is the church of the Mormons? Serious? I thought that was a Catholic or an Evangelical church, or something like that. haha
I taught about diligence this week in our District meeting, which I felt was a much for the missionaries in our district as it was for me. It actually went over quite well, but there was a part where Elder Barbella, the AP, got irritated when no one answered my question in the beginning and he got all serious and exclaimed Voces ouviram a pergunta Elder Tal-en-chino fez!!! Nenguem sabe responder?!!!/ Did you hear the question Elder Talentino asked!! No one knows how to reply?!! Me a little caught of guard, continuing to teach, I was all, going to pretend that nothing happened. Then Elder Tiago began to respond, and in my mind, Muito obrigado Elder Tiago, love you forever. haha
It was nice afterwards though because Elder Barbella and our district leader complimented that it really was one of the best lessons on diligence they had seen in the mission. I was praying the whole time in my heart that Heavenly Father would help me with it so it would go well, and my testimony really did increase that when we prepare and do our part, God helps us through with each step.
We have an incredible investigator with us, a youth named Andreza. She has already searched in various religions and heard a lot of bad things about various religions, but said she is curious and open to learning. She said when she began to study with us one of her relatives said, Do you know how the Mormon church started? Two brothers got in a pillow fight, hit the other one, the pillow flew, and the one brother said it was God, and there began the Mormon church. You can imagine our reaction when we heard this story. We were all..we have heard a lot of stories, but whaaat? Andreza, Eu nao accreditei, or yeah, I didn´t believe her, laughing.
She then said she was buscando algo mais, alem, or searching for something, more, or something beyond. When we gave her the Book of Mormon she got super excited-Ganhei O Livro dos Mormons! then she asked-how do I get a spiritual response from God? Should I be direct or more specific? How much of The Book of Mormon do I have to read? The other day she said she prayed, and said she really wanted this path, but not her will, but God´s will be done. We also passed that phenomenal film about The Restoration, and the Spirit was so strong that at one point she actually shed a tear. We´re hoping that she will continue to progress, it seems that she has already received part of the witness of the truth.
One of our best investigators, Alex, is moving to the interiorzao of our Pernambuco, Petrolina, and will therefore be a referral for other missionaries in another mission. But we feel quite happy to have planted a seed with one of God´s elect-he´s already in Mosiah!
A great highlight from this week was at church at Sunday when I looked up and saw Irma Fuoco in the window! I didn´t know she was traveling to Recife, and I was a bit overwhelmed-in a good way-when I saw her. My hands started to shake a little, and I was a bit nervous. She began to talk to me and said, Oi Elder, voce ainda esta tendo difficuldades com Portugues? =) Then me, like an idiot, said, oh voce vai embora hoje? or um, um, are you going back home today? She replied, Si eu tenho poco tempo/Yes, I don´t have much time. Eu amo seu distrito, fica no meu coracao! I love your CTM district, it stays in my heart. Mita was there and I said, oh, this was my CTM instructor, and Mita Óh que menino?, not really understanding my speech haha Then I said, oh, Elder Davis is here, she commented, Cade ele? We walked over, Elder Davis looked at me, then at her, then at me, and put it together, and a wave of shock and surprise came over his face. Needless to say we got a picture together haha. Then afterwards she asked all of us who our teachers were, me, still a little emotional, um, ah, um, um m-monte, monte de gente. =) I felt God´s love in that moment, and it was a nice reminder to keep going and that God will always be next to us when we do our part.
Elder Talentino
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