Week 30: March 12, 2018
Hey there family!!!
Heres to my final week in Linda-A-Velha!!!! Ill be transferred to another area called Almada and serving with a new companion, Elder Davis. Its sort of weird thinking I´ll be serving in another area, not Linda-A-Velha. I sort of got used to L-a-v after being here for a pretty good amount of time. It feels like home to me. I honestly think I could walk all the streets with my eyes closed! haha! This week, we really worked hard to reach our weekly goals and to get a baptism. Unfortunately, we didn't get to the baptism, but we excelled all of our weekly goals. We worked super hard! I'm noticing how I'm working almost the same amount as I started, just differently and we are seeing much better results!
We had an amazing experience this Friday with one of our investigators. We had an appointment set with her after our english class in the church. we had literally prepared the entire week for this lesson, praying, studying, calling her and sending her messages every day. She has been an investigator for the past 2 years. I've already written a bit about her. Anyway, she canceled the appointment. Elder Beltran and I were destroyed. We had gotten a letter from our president to the whole mission talking about faith. After reading that letter, man, I felt like i needed to do a lot more to strengthen my faith! Elder Beltran and I had alternative plans, but we decided to pray about it. We didn't want to just let it slide.
We had fasted during the week for her to have this lesson go well. We prayed for what was like 30 min, just praying and reading our scriptures to know where we should go and what we should do. We both talked and had both noticed that we felt something different about our investigator and that it was a confirmation to go to her. Right after that moment, we got our stuff together and started the long walk to her house. she said she had to study at home and that she couldn't leave. We didn't even know if she would open the door! We had called her and sent her messages, but she wasn't responding. As we walked, we practiced and went over our plans for the lesson we were going to teach her. We got to the door. We finished up some last thoughts and backups for doubts she might have had just at the front of the apartment building door. I put my finger on the doorbell and then super cheesy, I said, "juntos?" and then Elder Beltran put his finger on top of my finger and we rang the door bell. We waited for a little bit, then, the door buzzed and opened. we both looked at each other super excited and then walked right in the building to her door. She then opened the door. She said that we couldn't enter at the moment but that we could teach her at the door. We did. We went right along with the lesson. It was super fluent and Elder Beltran and I were both in sync, right there to back each other up at any moment. There were moments where the thought popped in my head that I couldn't do it, then I shut the door on that thought remembering the letter from my president and continuing in faith. I actually felt like I was exerting effort to have faith. It was actually super cool and the lesson went super well. But, we still ended up leaving with her rejecting for a reason she could not explain. It was super sad when she said she still wanted to wait.
As Elder Beltran started heading back to our apartment, we both felt good, like mission accomplished good, like we had done our part. I always love the end result after doing the LORD´s work. there is always so much joy and it is super unifying. We both talked about it and were both complementing each other on how well we did. We both had tons of faith during our lesson and felt super confident the whole way through. It was a super neat experience.
Afterwards too, I called one of our investigators while we were riding the bus back home. She was in the hospital with her mom who was not doing well. I told her how sorry I was. I then felt the prompting to teach her about our purpose in this life found in 2 Nephi 2:25 and Alma 34:32. She said that it helped her feel much better. It felt like a good missionary moment.
Anyway, just a few of the many miracles this week. Love you all sooo much!!!! You are the best family ever!!!! Love and pray for you all!!!!
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