Peed On By A Cockroach || Week 43

What's up everyone! I hope everyone here had an amazing week! I'm already back at it again with another week in the life of a American Brazilian. This week was full of ups and down, highs and lows, and some down right crazy things! Only in Brazil!

Let's set the mood with a spiritual thought.

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT

Something that I have tried to develope a ton on my mission thus far is my patience. Everyday, you meet a lot of crazy people, who do a lot of crazy things, and talk for ever. This week, I took it upon myself to study the gift of patience, and this is what I found. 

Alma 34: 40-41:

40 And now my beloved brethren, I would exhort you to have patience, and that ye bear with all manner of afflictions; that ye do not revile against those who do cst you out because of your exceeding poverty, lest ye become sinners like unto them;

41 But that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions. 

We know that common saying that through God nothing is impossible. Well at times, things seem really really impossible. This is because of the lack of faith and patience. If you bear everything with faith and patience, everything will work out in your favor. 

In this world, everything is perfectly balanced and just, even if it means that you have to wait for heaven for things to be resolved. 

Patience is a Christ-like attribute. Meaning that as we are developing our attribute of patience, we are become more like our Savior Jesus Christ. At times, God will give us problems and obstacles not to make us any stronger here on Earth, but to develope our attribute of patience and prepare us for Heaven where we will continue to grow and become more like Christ. 

I encourage you all to study the life of Jesus Christ. Look at how he treated people, spoke to people, and bore his aflictions. I promise you that as you study and impliment these principles into your lifes, you will begin to develope and grow your patience and faith in Jesus Christ, and these "impossible" things will begin to seem possible. 

HIGHLIGHTS

- Spritual moment: This week, I was able to participate in the baptismal interview of my life. This short questionaire, quickly turned into a two hour long conversation about... well, everything. 30 minutes of life stories, an hour of me teaching her every single lesson and gospel principle, and 30 more minutes of answering doubts and questions. It was honestly some of the most spiritual two hours of my life. Some of the questions that she was throwing at me, I have never heard of in my life. But somehow the words just came to me. We ended the interview, getting on our knees and praying together, which ending in tears. She doesn't feel ready to be baptized yet, but I'm positive that the gospel will bless her life so much in the near future!

- Miracle: We met João and Antonio this week! So it was 9pm and we were on the way to our house. But here on the mission, our goal is to hand out six Book of Mormons a day. Problem: we still had to left. As we were walking, my comp stops and starts talking to these two man. In my head I was thinking, "out of anyone, why did he have to choose these people". Antonio's calling for his church is he is the person who walks around and picks people up for church. And Joao was the man who he was picking up. They were literally on the way to church with Bibles in hand. But we made a quick contact, handed out the Book of Mormons and were off to our house. The next day, with doubts in our minds, we decide to return. We first talking to Antonio, who read the Book of Mormon, and his first question was, "How can I get baptized again?" We talked about baptism, marked him for baptism, and he stands up marks his calandar and is super excited! We then talked to Joao, and extended the same invitation, he accepted! Then came church. We again had doubts, so we woke up extra early on Sunday to knock on their doors and bring them to church. They weren't home. Defeated, we start walking to pick up other friends. Then, we see Antonio and Joao on the bus on the way to church. It was 8am, and chruch doesn't start until 10am. Well they watched our ward and the ward before our's and absolutely loved it! The were telling everyone that they were getting baptized and how much more peaceful our church was then their's.

- Cockroach Pee: The other night, I found a giant flying cockroach in my bed, screamed, and my companion had to come and kill it. I promise I'm still brave. Then the next morning, I woke up with them alien-egg looking things on my arm. They were disgusting. I talked to the locals and they said it looks like a cockroach peed on me. It all makes sense now. 

- We got invited to the birthday party of one of the friends that we are teaching. It was micky mouse themed! We spent an hour blowing up balloons and decorating the house. I honestly wanted to pass out, but I guess you can count it as service. 

This is long so I'm going to stop. But I hope you all have the best week! Bye. Love you.

Elder Ware