Anyways, BOM DIA. como vai você? I had to throw a little Portugués in their to mix it up for yall haha. This week was pretty dang good, lots of work and success as well. We managed to find 5 new people to teach, and that is one of my favorite parts as a missionary, finally being able to sit down and testify and teach of the truth. We ran into Nico while waiting for a bus, and when we went by his house that evening, we met his dad and uncle and they had a rabbit hole of questions and doubts that were great to respond to, which made them more interested to learn from us. They have had bad experiences with other churches, so we are trying to help them gain confidence in coming to church and feeling the difference the Spirit makes.
We also contacted Jorge and Nélida, and they are really cool. They cooked us an ASADO FINALLLYYYYY and we taught them about the Plan of Salvation. Nélida becasue of her diet is already living the word of wisdom, and she also has a lot of interest in our family history center, which lets her create her family tree free! A lot of people down here have European ancestry (Jorge has last name from Denmark) and I have been trying to teach and find using family history, so I am glad we can help them with their family tree while also teaching them about the restored gospel and eternal families!
I also contacted Araceli, who I helped get married and baptized in my last area, and she has 3 little brothers who live in my area in 5 Esquinas that have been going to church with her and have an interest in learning about the gospel! Carlos, Dylan, and Matias...I met them at the weding and they are fun kids, so I am trying to get in contact with them to meet them and talk with their dad about teaching them (and him). I really I hope I can help Araceli and her family all come unto Christ!
This week we had Zone Conference, and we learned what the Book of Mormon and a Potato have in common. They both nourish, come from the ground, planted in faith, harvested to be enjoyed by millions, and are low in fat (the last one is a joke haha). We actually received a potato, check the pic below. If you havent looked up the history of the Dutch potato project, I encourage you to do. The dutch latter-day saints had to give their potatoes to the german latter-day saints who were starving after WWII. It was tough for them to do so, since the germans were their enemies not too long before. But doing so help the germans avoid starvation, as well as nourish the faith of all involved. Sometimes we are given tasks or comandments that are hard to follow, or difficult to keep. Imagine Peter when Christ told him that he would deny him 3 times before the rooster crowed. Peter ferevntly denied he would do such a thing, but his negation made it posible for the atonement to occur and for the Church to be established. A tough comandment to follow, but doing so made his faith grow stronger, allowing him to be "the rock" Christ told him to become. At times we will be tried and tested, but if we can stay true to our covenants, no matter how dificult they may be to keep, we will be blessed with more faith, love, and eternal knowledge from our Heavenly Father.
Les banco un montón!
Elder Englebright
