Tuesday, May 20, 2014

May 19, 2014

Queridinhos,

Thank you so much for the emails this week!  They really helped me a lot.  It´s been a hard lesson in trusting the Lord this week, but I know everything will be fine, in fact, miracles are already happening.  Satan has been working really hard to try and make me feel like a failure because my recent converts are all struggling, but I know everything is in the Lord hands.  I have such a testimony of fasting that I never had before the mission.  A fast is just showing the Lord your faith, and it really does work miracles.  This week we fasted for José and that whole family to all be at church and for him to be baptized, and also for Antonio, a recent convert, and his wife Joselia, and finally we fasted to get some really solid new investigators.

Finding new investigators was hard this week, but the Lord led us to a whole bunch of less-active members who have potential to come back to full-activity with a little help.  One we found on a list, one was a reference from the RS Pres, one was a reference from an old investigator, and one we just found on the road who lives next door to another family we´re going to teach this week.  Our goal is to start really baptizing the new leaders and strong families, and the promise of our mission that Elder Costa of the Seventy made is that for every reactivation we´ll have a baptism.  

So in different ways the Lord answered all of our prayers, but not in the way we expected, and in a way that is teaching patience.  Patience is a part of meekness, the Christlike attribute I want to focus on this transfer.  The Savior was the perfect example of meekness (Matthew 11:28-30) especially as He was mocked and crucified.  He patiently completed His mission, with a continual love for the very people scorning Him, asking the Lord to forgive them.  I read this week ´´Continue in Patience´´ by Pres. Uchtdorf this week, which says that patience isn´t just waiting but ´´without patience we cannot please God; we cannot become perfect.  Indeed, patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace´´

I know I´m here for a reason.  In ward counsel last night it was very clear that as the missionary with the most time in this area, there are a lot of situations only I know about and know how to help.  Sister Johnson and I are a great team.  It´s definitely not the same, but she knows how to have fun and how to work really hard.  She´s from Washington, goes to BYU and waited for her visa in the Rochester mission.  She just never gets stressed and is super diligent.  I´ll see Sister Sciamm on Wednesday at a leadership meeting and I´ll probably cry.  All of my companions have been really special and I´ve gotten to know them so well, so I know the same will happen with Sister Johnson.

OH YEAH.  Gotta tell you about Jo, who´s getting baptized on Sunday!!!  Haha she is so elect.  She lives on that same road as the family I did skype with on Mother´s day.  Where do I even begin... she lives alone but knows literally EVERYONE and their dog.  She´s been through a lot in her life but immediately recognized us as messengers from God and just wants to be baptized.  She stopped drinking coffee without us even asking.  I think she could be the next Jaqueline.  Pray for her this week!!  José and Joselia are still possibles for this week.  

It´s gonna be a great transfer, I´m gonna make it.  The church is true.  I love you guys so much!!  Have a great trip this week!

Beijo,

Sister Moore

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