So I'm here in Valparaíso and from what I've been hearing from Dad and from Elder Mace, Valparaíso is a place of miracles in the USA and in Chile too. Whelp, here in Brazil it's a miracle too. Let me tell you a quick background about Valparaíso here in Brazil. It's was named after Valparaíso in Chile. There was a monk (I'm pretty sure it's this way) that came here from Valparaíso, Chile and settled... Valparaíso Brazil. So anyway from that cool stuff it definitely is a miracle.
But just to make all of you sit on the edge of your seats... I'm doing a detour.
On the mission I have really learned the strategy of problem solving. I wrote down all the problems of our area this morning and then found a solution that could probably cover all our problems. Our solution is Contacts. We really need to do a lot more. Open our mouths and just talk with people. I'm happier when I do it. So it must be a good thing because nothing good will go against Christ (Moroni 10:6)
I'm also learning how not to be stressed out. But that will also be spoken about... later.
Detouring still.
I'm learning more and more how to work with the members and get them involved more and more with missionary work. It's a wonderful thing that happens. I love it. The members here in Valparaíso are just amazing. They love to help. The only thing we need to do is invite them to help and keep inviting them and they'll do amazing things. They literally do everything that we can't, which is another thing that will be spoken about later.
Elder Evans is wonderful. Our relationship is amazing. We are working really well together and have so many inside jokes and funny stories of things that have happened to us. The best part is that Elder Evans lives in California... so when he gets back... it looks like a road trip!!!
Sad new. Tania, that really good investigator, still wants to get baptized but she is placing a lot of things before God. This week she said she couldn't go to church because of the equivalent of the USA "Drivers ED". So that's going to have to wait for a while longer unfortunately. But you know we can't force them, just love them.
Anyway, after the road tripping detours... We have arrived at the point where you can let go of your seats.
We have seen a lot of miracles this week, I mean a lot. Let’s just say Baptism, Spirit, Members and Dates.
There is a girl named Mônica who is going to get married to an inactive member from another ward. She actually wanted to get to know the church a while back and she asked her inactive boyfriend to take her. So he did. She lives in our area. She came to church here one week, one week somewhere else and went back a forth going to church every week. Well, last Sunday she told some members that she wanted to get baptized so the member found us and we talked with her. We went to her house (which is in the farthest neighborhood in our area.. of course.) Taught her everything in 2 visits and yesterday she was baptized and loved it. That was a miracle. The spirit was so strong and she cried. I included a picture of it.
Another miracle. There is a wife of a member that was part of another church. After 3 years she has decided to get baptized and we marked a date for the 24th of September. Another miracle and amazing thing is we had a member in the lesson with us. When they (the non-member wife and the member husband) didn't really accept the baptism date the member jumped in and basically marked the date for us. We are really glad that member was there because this lady didn’t understand our Portuguese. (I don't know why but she basically didn't understand a word, maybe she will get used to it. Or maybe I need to work on my Portuguese a lot more... I think the second choice is better.) So now she's going to get baptized in two weeks.
Another miracle happened this week. We marked a date with a lady for this weekend. She's excited about the church and really is amazing. It's Fatima that I already told you about. She has a date now and will most likely get baptized. We are way excited. She is really strong and is going to all the activities that the women are doing here.
Well that's it for my amazing week.
Pictures are of the baptism.
A downed power line we found as we were walking through the city.
The district I'm in. (The really funny missionary that's really close to the camera is my companion.)
I love you all
Endure to the End
Signing Out
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