THIS WEEK WAS A GOOD WEEK, AND I'M FEELING QUITE A BIT HAPPIER. YESTERDAY WAS ONE OF THE BEST DAYS AT CHURCH ON MY MISSION YET. ON THE BUS LAST WEEK WE MET A LADY NAMED LINDALVA AND SHE WAS VERY EXCITED TO TALK TO US AND TOLD US ABOUT HOW SHE HAD BEEN BAPTIZED A FEW YEARS AGO AND THANKS TO THE MISSIONARIES AND THE GOSPEL THEY SHARED, IT SAVED HER MARRIAGE, AND HER FAMILY HAD BEEN SO HAPPY IN THAT PERIOD. THEN FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS SHE MOVED AWAY AND HAS NOT BEEN GOING TO CHURCH, BUT SHE FOUND US ON THE BUS (IN A REMOTE AREA THAT WE ARE THE FIRST MISSIONARIES TO GO) AND FELT A VERY STRONG DESIRE TO RETURN TO THE CHURCH. SO WE WENT OVER THERE A FEW TIMES DURING THE WEEK AND TAUGHT HER, AS WELL AS SOME RELATIVES THAT LIVE WITH HER. ON SUNDAY SHE WAS AT CHURCH WITH HER NIECE, YOLANDA, 10 (WHOSE BAPTISM WE WILL TRY TO MARK TOMORROW), HER FRIEND, JOSILEINE, AND HER DAUGHTER MARCELA, WHO WE WILL HOPEFULLY START TEACHING SHORTLY. LINDALVA WAS VERY HAPPY AND SHARED THE STORY OF HER CONVERSION AND HOW SEEING US ON THE BUS WAS THE START OF A NEW BETTER PART OF HER LIFE NOW.
THE OTHER DUPLA [companionship] IN CAMARAGIBE ALSO FOUND AN AWESOME FAMILY IN ALMOST THE SAME SITUATION, AND THE 3 TEENAGE KIDS WILL BE BAPTIZED THIS SUNDAY.
BESIDES THEM, FLAVIO ALSO WENT TO CHURCH AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE BAPTIZED NEXT SUNDAY, HE HAS STOPPED SMOKING. THE BISHOP WASN'T SURE IF HE WAS TO GO TO PRIMARY OR YOUNG MEN, AND THEN FOUND OUT THAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN ELDERS QUORUM! AHAHA
A YOUNG WOMAN, ADRIANA, SHOWED UP IN CHURCH TOO FOR THE 2ND TIME, BUT THE LAST TIME THE MISSIONARIES DIDN'T TALK TO HER. SHE LOVED IT AND ALREADY DECIDED SHE WANTS TO BE PART OF THE CHURCH, SO WE ARE GONNA GO THERE AND TEACH HER THIS WEEK AND POSSIBLY BAPTIZE HER ON SUNDAY TOO!
AND TO TOP ALL THIS OFF I GOT TO BAPTIZE AND CONFIRM AN 8-YR-OLD GIRL, GREICE, ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. WE MET WITH HER FAMILY LAST TUESDAY AND HER DAD HADN'T LET HER GET BAPTIZED RIGHT WHEN SHE TURNED 8, BUT AFTER OUR MESSAGE HE DECIDED IT WOULD BE ALRIGHT, SO WE MARKED IT FOR SATURDAY AND EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTHLY. SHE GOES TO CHURCH EVERY WEEK AND HAS BEEN FOR 4 MONTHS, WITH HER AUNT (THE PRIMARY PRESIDENT). SO THAT WAS REALLY COOL, AND ALSO I LOVE THAT LITTLE GIRL. SHE PROBABLY WEIGHS LIKE 15 POUNDS.
Baptism of Greice, with brothers Ricardo and Eduardo
SO THE ONLY LET DOWN YESTERDAY WAS [ONE GUY] WHO DECIDED NOT TO GO TO CHURCH AND THAT HE DOESN'T WANNA GET BAPTIZED ANYMORE, BECAUSE HIS GRANDMA, A JW, TOLD HIM A BUNCH OF STUFF AGAINST THE CHURCH.
MY COMP IS STILL VERY ACTIVE. WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME JUST VISITING PEOPLE, BUT IT IS NICE BECAUSE WE ARE STILL BEING ABLE TO TEACH AND BAPTIZE (HOPEFULLY A FEW THIS WEEKEND). I'M GONNA ASK PRESIDENT TO STAY IN THIS AREA, ALTHOUGH THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE I WON'T BECAUSE HE ALREADY SAID ONLY ONE DUPLA WILL STAY.
[RIGHT NOW] WE'RE IN RECIFE VISITING A FAMILY THAT WAGNER LIKES, AND I HAVE A FEELING WE WILL BE TEACHING FEW LESSONS THIS WEEK. [Elder Wagner goes home in about a week.] BUT IT'S ALRIGHT. I'LL JUST ENJOY THE RELAXAMENTO.
WE ARE STARTING WEEKLY ACTIVITIES IN THE WARD HERE . THIS WEEK WE HAVE A CINEMA NA ALA ["movie in the ward". WE'LL WATCH A CHURCH MOVIE PROBABLY, AND EAT POPCORN. PRETTY EASY TO PLAN.
WELL I'M GONNA EAT LUNCH, MAYBE I'LL SEND MORE EMAIL AFTER LUNCH. TCHAU
Sounds like a great week! Wonderful Elder Hooke!
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