This week we got to start working with a family that recently got here
from brasil. We went over to get to know them for the first time this
week and we got to hear a pretty crazy story. The dad of the family
was assaulted in brasil and was shot twice in the chest leaving
shrapnel in his lungs and completely ruining his intestines. He had
tons of surgeries, and still needs more. he had to lay down
motionless for over 40 days without being able to drink any water,
which left him begging for water in tears but all the more that they
could do was to dampen his lips with a sponge. he has bald patches on
the back of his head from laying there for so long and basically he
really just got messed up and is a walking miracle. He has a young
wife and a little daughter who are really amazing. This man is just
so grateful for his life and for all that God has done to allow him to
be here on earth with his family still. He has a desire to find a
good church and begin going there all the time. This accident was in
November of 2014 if I remember right so he is still recovering and he
has not yet found a good church for his family. Basically they are
just amazingly prepared and it is super amazing to get to hear their
life stories. We are just starting with them, but we are really
excited to see where this family will go. The Lord really had
prepared them for us, that much is for sure, they are amazing and we
are hoping and praying that the Lord can guide us in how to work with
them so that they will be able to see for themselves that this is the
true church, that it is the one that they should join and will bring
them more blessings and happiness then anything else in the world.
We are teaching another young man that is really cool. his name is
junior. he was really anxious to get to hear about the book of Mormon
and what it is after going to Church for the first time during a fast
and testimony meeting where just about all of the testimonies were
about the Book of Mórmon form a bunch of humble young members. It was
cool to see how anxious he was to hear what we had to say and he
accepted the message really well. He is really tough to get time with
though because he studies and works almost everyday and he has to
travel a bunch to do both of those things. With people super special
like him though we know it is worth it and we
Quick update on some of my comps and good friends out here on them
mission this week...
Elder Empey got a package from his dad this week full of BYU football
team gear and a letter that was really hard on trying to get him to
change over to going to BYU to play football. (Elder Empey's dad was
an offensive lineman at BYU and is now the new offensive line coach,
so now he is trying to recruit his son since he will be coaching him
now. It is definitely difficult for us to not get distracted talking
about football since Elder Easton also played but ended with breaking
his back.) It is pretty funny to see him have to struggle with that
decision and not let it distract him too much while he is out here.
So this week one of the Elders in our house was sent home because of
depression. His condition was getting really serious. We have been
trying to help him in every way that we could over the last two months
that I have been here in Odivelas with him. He has been having a
really rough time. He was not able to get out of bed before about
10h30 every day. So he was really just sleeping about 4 extra hours
every day and was having a really hard time begin positive and started
rebelling against everything about the mission. It has been really
hard to see, especially for Elder Empey and for Elder Easton who were
with him in the MTC where he was apparently a completely different
person. He was a soccer player, student body president, skier, and
absolutely all around awesome dude that everyone just loved.
Unfortunately he got really sick with this depression and his hormones
got way out of wack and he is just completely different now because of
this sickness. Saturday night he was sent home being that he is just
no longer physically fit to be a missionary and he needs to get the
help and medical attention that he can only get from his family and it
the United States. He was not happy that he was getting sent home, he
wanted to stay out and has a strong desire to serve his full mission,
but it just wasn't going to be what was best. It was really hard to
work with and really confusing because I do not understand how
depression works. I have never really understood much about
depression and mental illnesses, I always just thought that people
just needed to snap out of it and choose to be happy and mentally
healthy, but out on the mission with this experience and many more I
realize that there is a lot more to it than just that. It was a bit
of a trial of patience but we did learn a lot of compassion and
understanding. I will never look at a missionary that came home early
because of anxiety or stress or depression in the same way ever again.
A mission is really not an easy thing. It is a challenge everyday and
we are constantly pushing ourselves to get the best out of every
minute and drop of energy and capacity, mentally, physically, and
spiritually that we have. That is what makes it such a rewarding
experience and how it can change the lives of missionaries, but
success and change and blessings come at a cost. thankfully I have
been blessed to be strengthened by the Lord enough to get through this
much. And I thank him every day for that and ask for the ability to
keep on going. A lot of the time I am not sure how we keep going, but
it sure is amazing to have the lord's help. I really hope that he
will get better quickly and prayers would be appreciated for Elder Lee
Holmes.
Ohh and the new elder in our house that took Elder Holmes spot is
Elder Oliveira or better known as Leonardo one of the young men that I
worked with almost every day when I was serving in Alverca. Should be
fun
Amo-vos a todos. segue sempre em frente
Elder Hobson
Alma 60:36
Atos 4:29
Mateus 21:21-21
Apocalipse 21:4
Éter 4:19
Alma 34:41
Mosias 29:20
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