This week was a good one! We worked really well until my companion got food poisoning and could hardly even walk. But he's all good now and other than that the week went really well. We are working with this family that is friends of a family in our ward. The lady in this family asked why the member family seemed so happy and how they managed to be happy even while facing many difficulties. The lady of the member family responded... "We're members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints"... And from that day forward this family has been hooked. The only thing that is holding them back is that the parents are not married and the husband wants nothing to do with the church, marriage, doesn't want to stop drinking and just really doesn't want anything with his life. That's rather frustrating but what can we do. The woman on the other hand is extremely sure on being baptized and having all her kids be baptized as well, along with a couple neighbors, haha. She is so set that she is going to kick him out of the house for good so she can be baptized. Go woman! Woman Power. It's kind of a weird story because she really likes a cousin of the member family and he is crazy for her and no one in the family likes her current husband. It's a strange story but the beautiful part is that she is 100% set on being baptized. She has already stopped drinking coffee and has told her boss that she can't work on Sundays. She loves the teachings at the church especially the part about families being eternal. We're really excited for her! And this week we are planning a service project at her house, we're gunna clean up her back porch.
We are teaching another young woman who is 19 and lives with her brother. She lives next to some recent converts who are fireballs and love to talk about the church about their baptism and just talk in general. They are bringing her to church and she too stopped drinking coffee. The only hard part about her is that she works all day and then studies at night. But she works right in the middle of the city so many times during the day we pass by her work and she greets us with a big smile and talks about more people that we can visit and teach a message to. This week we will teach her the law of chastity... so that will make or break her baptism. I love it when people are excited to learn more about the gospel, are willing to read and pray and visit the church. Basically I love it when people exercise faith, cause when they do miracles always happen, the seed starts to Grow!
We had a baptism planned for this week but it fell through because the girl that could be baptized went out of town with her mother for the weekend. But when she told us that she couldn't be baptized this week she promised us that she will be baptized and that she really wants to. She is fourteen years old and has the maturity of a twenty year old. She has gone through so much in her life with her family, its rather sad. But she doesn't want any of it. She wants to move forward and start over and have the Holy Ghost as her guide. She's great.
I love being here in Lagarto, Brasil. I'm learning so much and I'm feeling the spirit so strongly every day! I'm so happy that the spirit is with me because it makes all the difference! Thank you so much for you love and support. The church is SO TRUE!
ELDER RALPH
PS - Just finding people who are really, really special, that are progressing in the gospel and going to church and being baptized... so yeah we're having a bunch of miracles, haha.
Just hearing that Sarah is okay is a miracle to me.. yeah I've been having a lot of spiritual experiences lately. It's been great! I just want more, haha. Love you MOM!
Your son Elder Ralph
