Oh, that’s right. I forgot that this week is the Fourth of July. Bummer. Once again I will miss a classic American holiday. I guess Elder R. and I will have to do a little partying of our own. I wonder if they sell fireworks here.
This week we were all set to baptize a woman named C., who was a referral from a member family who lives close to her. She went to church last week, and we taught her everything. The only difficulty she has is with smoking. She only smokes one or two cigarettes a day, which is very little. She didn’t smoke Friday, passed the interview and was set to be baptized. We went back Saturday morning to make sure everything was cool, which it seemed like it was. We then returned at 6:00 that night just to check up on her. When we got there, she said she didn’t think that she should be baptized on Sunday, but she never told us why.
For an hour and a half we read scriptures, bore testimony and used the techniques of our Xeque Mate program, but it didn’t work. Finally she told us that she had smoked a cigarette 10 minutes before we had gotten there, and that is why she didn’t want to be baptized. One stinking cigarette. So that left Elder R. and me very frustrated. We spent an hour and a half in her house just for her to tell us that she had smoked. So our baptism fell through. Major bummer, mate.
But on a happier note, Friday night I did an interview with a young man named L. in another area. He was all set to be baptized and everything went well, but then Saturday morning the missionaries (Elder A., who was with me in Canela) from that area called me and said that L. didn’t want to be baptized anymore and that they wanted me to “dar um jeito” (make it happen) with him. So I headed back to Mathias Velho to do an emergency interview. I invited L. to the chapel and I sat down with him in front of the full baptismal font, and we talked.
He told me about how he didn’t think he was ready to be baptized because he didn’t think he would be able to keep all of the commandments (not because he has a problem with anything but he thought that he had to be perfect). I didn’t really know how to explain to him about the difference between perfection and striving to do your best in a way that he would understand, so I said a prayer and just started to talk. As I was talking, words that I hadn’t planned on using started to come out of my mouth. I just kept talking, not knowing what I would say next but knowing that I was being guided by the Spirit. In the end, L. looked at me, smiled and said, “All right, let me see the baptismal clothes. I’ll go change. I want to be baptized.” So, even though we weren’t able to baptize in Rio Branco, God helped me help the Elders in Mathias Velho to baptize.
As for the two guys we baptized last week, they were confirmed on Sunday, so that was good. To answer your question, I now have 21 weeks of excellence. That means I just need 3 more to meet my goal. Almost there.
I dig the pics from the Venture trip. They brought back memories. I can’t believe that Sam is now at that age where I was. (We did our trip before I graduated, to answer your question). Crazy how time passes.
Well, I’m honestly going to have to run. I’ll send pics and video here in a bit. The time on the Internet passed really fast today. But I love you all, and as Michelle informed me today, I now have less than 100 days to go. Que bênção.
Love to all!
Elder Morris
No comments:
Post a Comment