Week 57

This weekend we had a cool experience to have a district conference
with Elder Morrena from the area of Europe presidency.  President
Tavares convinced him to go to both islands and do the entire
conference on one day on each island.  So we had a 70 in our chapel
with us and just about 60-70 people.  It was a pretty cool experience
even though we were pretty disappointed with the turnout that we had.
But it was pretty cool to get to spend 3 sessions with him and really
get a pretty personal training from a 70.  He came off a bit cocky but
we defiantly got a lot of good stuff and it was a powerful day.

We had a pretty crazy lesson this week.  I don't know  if I already
told you about Maria that was in church last week, But she is a really
cool lady that we didnt think that much of because we thought that she
was just really catholic.  But we had a lesson with her for the second
time after church and I just asked her if she had read the pamphlet
that we left with her and she said yes, then I asked if she had prayed
to know if it was true, and she just got teary and nodded her head.
So I being a little surprised just testified that it is true and that
was the holy ghost and then we hopped into the plan of salvation.  She
was getting it all and really accepting it all as is pretty normal for
most people but Manuel here drugged out step son was really not
getting any of it very well.  She was basically helping us teach the
lesson to him.  At one point we realized that it was ridiculous when
we got to life on earth, and she started getting on Manuel telling him
that they needed to get baptized in the Mormon church and up until
then we had not even talked about baptism that day.  So we were
getting pretty excited at that point. We kind of just kept going a bit
and as we were trying to explain the spirit world to Manuel, Maria
just told him that he just needs to quit worrying about the details
and all the stuff that is confusing him because all that matters is
that we are baptized in the Mormon church so that we can get to the
celestial kingdom because that is where we want to go.  He then
responded with the classic, but I have already been baptized response,
and she just told him it didn't matter, it doesn't count unless it is
is the Mormon church and taught him a little about the celestial
kingdom and how they needed to go there.  I was dumbfounded and to say
the least she has a baptism date planned for here shortly, and Manuel
now also wants to be baptized.  After the conference that they both
really enjoyed and after a fireside the next night, Manuel came up to
me and said, I know that my mom thinks that I need to take a little
bit more time to be prepared but whenever you will let me I will
accept being baptized.  It is really cool to have people just begging
you to be baptized. So hopefully we will be able to get him all
cleaned up and away from his drugs and tobacco so that he can be
baptized here shortly as well.  Wish us luck in teaching all of the
commandments. :)

Tivemos uma experiência maravilhosa esta semana.  Tivemos uma lição
com uma Senhora que já chegou na Igreja que quando fomos la para a
segunda visita ela disse no inicio que ela já tinha recebida uma
resposta sobre a restauração.  Depois quando nos estávamos a ensinar o
plano de salvação a eles (ela e a única filho que ainda mora na casa
dela) ela estava a ajudar nos ensinar a lição para o filho dela.  E
durante o mundo espiritual ela disse que ele tinha que preocupar menos
com as detalhas porque é importante que eles são baptizados na igreja
mórmon para que eles possam ir ao reino celestial.  Ele ainda tinha
duvidas porque já foi baptizado na igreja católica, mas ela só disse
que não interessa e que baptismo só conta se fosse na igreja mórmon.
E agora ela é marcado e também o filho quer ser baptizado só que ele
tem um pouco mais trabalho em frente dele para viver a palavra de
Sabedoria.  É tão doce quando encontramos aquele eleitos que são tão
preparados que eles ensinam se mesmos.  Continuaremos a procurar
diligentemente para estas pessoas sabendo que o Senhor vai colocar
lhes em nosso caminho deste que ele pode confiar em nos por causa de
nosso obediência.


I have been trying out a few new tactics to try and put a fire
underneath my comp and they have seemed to be working so far.  we are
getting good work done now and even though we are walking a lot slower
then I would like too (it almost hurts for me to slow down) but I have
been able to to a much better job this week with that.

We have been finding some really special people and that is just about
the most exciting thing that can happen to a missionary. one guy who
is a nature guide about six two.  gave us a fake number but later on
that day he texted us saying that he had read the pamphet and he
became interested and would like to know more and asked for the
meeting schedule that we have here.  so It really just goes to show
for me that the little things make a big difference for the people,
all we had to do was get him to read the pamphlet and the spirit did
the rest.  It really is an exciting game trying to figure out how to
best work with each and every person that we talk to and how the Lord
wants them to be taught.  I really is not easy but it feels great when
you see what you did was what you needed.

I love it out here and I am starting to get a little nervous because
the end of the transfer is in a couple weeks and I really do not want
to leave angra yet.
I am really growing some strong relationships with the members here
which is really special.

also some fun news on the portugese front.  they are coming out with
an official LDS version of the Bible so they will have the footnotes
and headings and all that wonderful stuff that we have had to suffer
without.  It is all good to go already on the app, but they are not
going to have them in print until march.  I guess it will just be
something that I will have to snag up after the mission.

I almost forgot I got to give Joel the priesthood this week which was
soo cool.  I was soo excited that he chose to have me give it too him
because he had already been taught about the line of authority and
wanted to join the old hobson branch of it.  Pretty amazing.

Com Amor Elder Hobson