Week 78 MOLD!

This Saturday we did a major service project that we spent quite some
time working on this week.  We have a family that was recently
baptized that had a really serious problem of mold in their house.  It
was absolutely horrible and when you would go into their house it was
absolutely suffocating.  So we called up a bunch of less actives that
we didn't know until we had a few guys that would go over and help us
get it all cleaned up.  It was a really interesting project and we
certainly went through a lot of bleach  probably about 6 or 7 liters
of bleach went up on the walls..  We did have masks and lab goggles,
but the shower that I took afterwards was tingly to say the least.  It
was a special opportunity as well because we got one of the less
actives to come back to church the next day with us. So it was a
double success on the project.   Honestly we still need to clean a
couple more of the rooms because they are horrible as well, but at
least we got it a little bit more under control for them now.

We have been working with this family in the ward that is from
Ecuador.  They have a couple other families that live with them that
are also from equador. They are super fun, humble, respectful and they
have a few people in there that still are not baptized so we are going
to get working with all of them  to try and complete that house.  We
have had some really special experiences with them working over there
in their house.  Especially working with one of the boys named
Jefferson who is really humble and interested in the gospel.  He just
gets it all and when he said a prayer with us for the first time he
left the entire room in tears (and their was about 18 people kneeling
down with us)  It has been really cool to see a loving family come
around one member of the family to help them feel comfortable with the
decisions that they are making right now.  We really want to baptize
him but it is a little complicated because his parents are in Equador
right now and will not be coming back until May and then he will be
going back to Equador.  Hopefully it will work out smoothly so that we
can get him permission and he can take the step of baptism here
shortly.

We had a ward baptism this week that we went to because we brought
some investigators to see what a baptism is like and I remembered that
a portuguese baptism is basically a huge party..  It is a positive
thing but to have 100 people at the baptism of 1 eight year old with
more food then they had at a Christmas party is a little ridiculous
and kind of will have a negative effect on the investigators when they
are baptized and their baptism is nothing like that at all.  But
whatever it is culture I guess that we have to get used to..

Last night we were trying to find some of the people on the ward list
that are long lost, and we came across one house that was abandoned
and Elder Reni started turning around giving up that that member was
long lost, but then I decided that we needed to look a little closer
and I noticed that on one side of the house there was a long tunnel
that led to behind the house and I suggested that we check it out
before giving up on that address.  (it was about 9 oclock at night in
a getto part of town)  so we went back there in the dark and found
basically what looked like a big shed, but was the house of a family
that was really excited to see us. (probably Because they do not get
people knocking on their door everyday)  and we are going to begin
teaching them now.  It was an interesting experience that I have had
many like that during the mission but the part that i really remember
was we were deciding if we needed to leave or if it was reasonably
safe enough to be able to knock on the door really quick and both of
us in this place that seemed really dangerous felt calm and at peace
comfortable with the situation.  It is a really cool thing that we can
know throught the spirit if we are in a good place or not, if we are
doing what we should or not.  I know that the spirit really can guide
our lives and make a big difference and protect us from many many bad
things.  I am so grateful for the spirit in my life.

We have a good group of elders here and I have enjoyed my time so far
with Elder Reni.  He is really good about always stopping in the
street and praying about everything, something that I will certainly
improve on a lot being with him.  But yeah it should be a good time
here in Lisboa 5.  The members that we have met so far seem to be
really cool and we are going to do our best to help them all to get
really involved in the missionary work here.   I am looking forward to
being here.  I have been super tired because of transfers and because
I dont have a wonderful bed anymore... but I will get used to it and
it will all just make me stronger.  hahaha

Love you all family!
Elder Hobson

PS this is a picture with Rogerio and his family when I last saw them
before leaving cacem. We had to run over and take the picture, hug
them goodbye and leave before the dad got home to freak out on us..
Worth it!

Also we found a hidden stash of copies of the book of mormon in the
ghetto and took them home. plus a bunch of muslims invited us to eat
dinner with us!  weird stuff.