This month was what we call “Pesado”
Opposition In All Things
As with all good things, this week started out butt booty buns. The work was very slow and it was difficult to find people to teach or to get the ball rolling. As we started the week it seemed as if every person we have taught and were teaching had an incredible burden they were facing in their life. Going from house to house it was incredibly demoralizing as we heard account after account of abuse, victims of homicides, and more. In almost every lesson tears were shed. I felt as Jonas from the book The Giver, overloaded with all the burdens of humanity.
Mission Conference
Once every year we have the opportunity to meet as a Mission together, every single missionary. It’s an opportunity to meet new friends, reconnect with old companions. I would consider it a big family reunion. I had the opportunity to play a special music number with some other Elders. We had some barbecue and watched the chosen.
Concert
At no point in time did I think I’d end up in a giant dome watching a concert in Brasil as part of my missionary service, but as Paul states (Rom 8:28) “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”. So here I was at a Christian concert funded by the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints thanks to the grace of our amazing mission president. 10/10 would recommend.
Rain Stops For No Man
With such a tropical climate even in the dead of winter we pass through 90° weather and of course rain, and more rain, and more. The sewer system can’t handle the water and it all just ends up in the streets. The best is it likes to suprise you. This sunday as we were getting ready for church visiting people to walk with them, the rain started out of nowhere and drenched us, my comp and I said a quick prayer that the rain would soak our friends and it worked it stopped the second we got to one of their houses and the second we left them at another house to pick up more people it started again soaking us and when we got everyone its stopped again. Just had to get us soaked I guess, next time I’ll be more specific em my prayers.
Art Of The Month
What Is Faith?
We often have the conversation based on the question, “What is faith?” Every time I understand better. Faith is like a car it, it can get us to crazy destinations, but it can also sit in a garage and get us nowhere. We have to actively use our car or else it’s just a waste of space, that has no purpose. What are you doing with your faith? Is it taking you to destinations and experiences, or are you leaving it to walk to seemingly “easier, or closer” destinations that don’t fulfill? As James mentions when talking to a pagan audience, faith without works is dead, we can believe that Jesus is our savior all we want but if we don’t listen to the things He said were necessary we get nowhere.
Love Ya’ll
Elder Gist