Well, we started off this week with a service project. We cleaned up the back yard of one of our investigator's house. It was full of broken tiles, trash, and rocks, but I accepted the challenge. I took all of the big rocks that we scattered around the back yard and made a little wall with them. The yard had a huge slope at the back half and just looked normal, but now there is a little walkway with a rock wall... yeah I don't know if you can picture it but it turned out well and I was pretty proud of myself, haha. While we were working on the project I noticed that the shower water from the house was flooding the whole back yard and turned it into a mud pit. So I decided to make a French drain where the water left the house, which is basically a big hole filled with rocks that lets the water go down without clogging or putting in pipes. We dug a huge hole and filled it with the tiles and rocks that were scattered throughout the yard and it worked great! Thanks Dad for everything you taught me. :) The service project was a success to say the least, and that's not to mention the extreme sunburns, sore muscles, blisters and blessings that we received because of it. The woman and her two kids that live in the house of the service project were baptized this week! YES!
This week I can tell you my patience was really tested, I don't know why but I felt like I was on a short fuse the whole week. Be it my companion, investigators, people on the street, members, everyone. It really felt like everyone was against me. But it was just my attitude and how I was reacting to life and what was happening. Sometimes things don't go how you plan or how you want them to be. I really need to work on my patience. I think that's one of the blessings of serving a mission, you realize your weaknesses and what you need to work on. I am so thankful for this wonderful opportunity to work on my weaknesses. I know that with humility and faith all my weaknesses will turn into strengths. And my dearest companion is really helping me with this. At times I say or do something small that isn't the best or isn't correct and he puts me in my place. When he does this I always have that first impression to explain myself, or make excuses for my behavior or something that I'm doing but a scripture always come to mind, the "wicked take the truth to be hard" because it strikes them to the very heart, something like that. Thinking of that scripture, the anger or frustration leaves and the desire to be better takes its place and I demand better of myself. I want to be better, I want to be a spiritual giant, I want to be..... And I feel like I'm getting there, slowly but surely.
Two of our investigators fell through this week which was really sad and frustrating. They were progressing SO much! Stopped drinking coffee. It's sad when a person feels and knows that something is true but isn't willing to go after it or do what it takes to receive all of the blessings that the gospel has to offer. At times I just want to show people my life, my family, or other families that have been super blessed from the gospel or teach everything that the church has to offer but I can't...they have to use their faith. Just want to give them a secret code to get more faith but I can't. I can only bring the spirit to them and teach them how it works, but they have to get up on their own feet and use their faith. I love this gospel So much.
This past week we taught a group of Catholic boys who just wanted to argue about religion. But we didn't argue we just taught. We didn't answer their questions that would lead to arguing, just taught about prophets and the Book of Mormon. It was really good, and strengthened my testimony.
I am so happy to be on my mission, that I have this time to learn and grow.
I love you all so much and thank you so much for your love and support.
ELDER RALPH
Maceio Brazil Mission Assignment
Serving in God's Army
