Week 76: February 1, 2019 - Selfless Service

Hey guys!!!
All is well here in the office and the work is still moving forward at top speed!

It is very different here in the office, I've already said that, I know, but it really is. Elder Hawkins and I got to go out a few times to teach people, but its mostly been work in the office. We got to Teach a guy named Miguel with two other brethren from our ward. He is so awesome! The lesson went well. We invited him to be baptized and he accepted. One of the members asked Miguel to make sure he understood the invite almost as if he couldn't believe what had just happened! Pretty funny. Miguel later talked to us about his family. The rest of his family, wife and 3 kids, live in Angola. He is here working trying to provide for his family long distance. It is very hard for him. He talked to his wife and his wife wanted to talk to us. He put his wife on the phone and she asked a few questions. I will not take any credit, Elder Hawkins was a super star!!! He answered all of her questions and explained super well our message and worked out a solution with her. I just bore my testimony at the end. She was super humble and said she would probably be baptized with Miguel if she were there, but she wasn't and she wanted to make that decision with Miguel and her family together, which is super neat. She accepted having the missionaries over at her house in Angola. Pretty exciting. Miguel is acting like he wants to wait and do this with his family.

 
We went to the bishops house to eat this Sunday. They were super nice and prepared a huge meal for us!!! I said the prayer to bless the food and the bishop's son right after said he couldn't understand a single thing and asked if I was speaking English. Ouch, that hurt a bit, hahahaha! But, oh well. We also had a dinner with some recent converts of Elder Hawkins in Lisbon which was super fun! She made an American themed meal and tons of it!!!! We were super blessed with food this week!!!

It was a super busy day yesterday here in the office, probably the busiest I've seen it in the time I've been here. I'm so lucky to have the companions I have! The office elders are so awesome here and so willing to work. I'm learning a lot from them. It's neat to see how things work so much better and people are so much happier when people act selflessly. I feel like God is really trying to teach me to forget myself right now and just serve. The more I think about others, the more happy I get. I studied about tithing and fast offerings this week and saw tons of blessings we get from giving what we have to others. When I see the blessings we can receive, it seems mandatory to serve and give so that we can prosper. Heavenly Father always fulfills the biggest parts of our promises.

I love you all soo much!!!!
Elder Barton