I got to sit with President and Sister Amorim, we had some strange and stilted conversations sometimes in English and sometimes in Portuguese. He was baffled at the fact we say 'half 9' for '9:30' he also really likes my Portuguese! We are getting a new phone and there will be a new rule wherein we don't give out our phone number, but the mission number and they will start checking people to give to us as references. Sounds like a nice lot of work for the office elders! Then President took us out for lunch at McDonalds. He really loves McDonalds here because it is a cleaner place than the ones in America. It was like having parents again that can't quite work the touch screen ordering machines and just care so much about you. I am telling you, this experience has made me love our Mission President so much. His wife said she was awake all last night praying for us (nothing gets between me and sleep by the way). We are now self confessed 'Amorites' and have a new sense of loyalty to him and the rules.
I realised during sacrament this week that this is how the atonement works. We still have to go through the trials, but when we share the burden with someone and they suffer with us is just makes it lighter. I also realised I had full trust in our Mission President to sort out the situation - a trust I need to have more fully in Heavenly Father and his plan for me.
We had Manuel and Paula at Church again this week after one visit. It seems that just a small bit of steady unpressurised contact does the best.
We also had the Relief Society party with all of both wards. We were waiting for someone who never showed up, I went on a quick division, so that I could play the piano when needed. After the spiritual bit 3 of the women played in a band with guitar, drums and harmony - It was great! Manuel, an old practising Catholic who vowed never to come to church and just liked to talk to us, even turned up for a couple of seconds to show us he was there, so as not to disappoint us. Well... it's a small miraculous step!
We taught A and M the plan of salvation. We need to try and pitch it a bit more to her now as she doesn't see the need to come to church. I think she just likes us because we talk about God and her son really likes us. Hopefully, we will get it right with them because I feel that they are very special.
We had divisions and I went to Manguald (over an hour bus ride away) with sister Fernandes to visit their ward's bishop and knock 100 doors. One lady came straight out of a lift and kissed us both, even though we had never seen her before. Shame she didn't want the church!
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I realised during sacrament this week that this is how the atonement works. We still have to go through the trials, but when we share the burden with someone and they suffer with us is just makes it lighter. I also realised I had full trust in our Mission President to sort out the situation - a trust I need to have more fully in Heavenly Father and his plan for me.
We had Manuel and Paula at Church again this week after one visit. It seems that just a small bit of steady unpressurised contact does the best.
We also had the Relief Society party with all of both wards. We were waiting for someone who never showed up, I went on a quick division, so that I could play the piano when needed. After the spiritual bit 3 of the women played in a band with guitar, drums and harmony - It was great! Manuel, an old practising Catholic who vowed never to come to church and just liked to talk to us, even turned up for a couple of seconds to show us he was there, so as not to disappoint us. Well... it's a small miraculous step!
We taught A and M the plan of salvation. We need to try and pitch it a bit more to her now as she doesn't see the need to come to church. I think she just likes us because we talk about God and her son really likes us. Hopefully, we will get it right with them because I feel that they are very special.
We had divisions and I went to Manguald (over an hour bus ride away) with sister Fernandes to visit their ward's bishop and knock 100 doors. One lady came straight out of a lift and kissed us both, even though we had never seen her before. Shame she didn't want the church!
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