Monday, December 19, 2011

He handed me his cigarettes

So week two has already passed in Camaquã, but strangely enough, today I am walking the same familiar streets of pelotas and sending email from an internet café I have already used a bunch.
We are going to have our Missionary Christmas conference tomorrow and we are preparing some songs etc. as a zone today so Elder Almeida and I took a bus last night and we are going to be here in pelotas until probably Wednesday because the conference will end late and there won't be a bus leaving for Camaquã until then.  But as far as our week went, it was a lot better. I am starting to get a feel for things here and feel a little more comfortable. I think the worst part is that I don´t have anything constructive to think about, so my mind just starts to wander and I am having trouble focusing. We havn´t been able to follow up on almost anybody we are teaching yet, so I don´t know their needs and how to help them.
  We do have one.. well two people we are teaching though that I am really already growing to love and have I have a great desire to help them. A lady in the branch here has been less active for years at church. Before I got here the Elders managed to talk to her and her husband and he has been listening to us and reading The Book of Mormon! It was kind of funny, he works in construction and kinda has that really closed off expression always and seems like a pretty hard guy. I asked him about work and we started talking about construction. I am in NO WAY an expert and have the most minor experience working construction (thank you Dad) but for some reason I was just talking away with him and he pulled out old picture of construction projects and he opened up and it was just really neat how it all came together and miraculously I manged to have a conversation about construction... in portuguese. It was really important I felt to build that foundation of I guess friendship and establish some trust and common ground before we just started teaching a bunch of information about The Gospel. 
   We taught them about The Word of Wisdom that night, and promised him that by living this commandment he would be more receptive to The Spirit of The Lord in his life and to finding answers to questions he has, especially that our message really is true. We asked if there was anything we could to to help, or take with us that would help them, and he pulled out a packet of cigarettes from his pocket and handed me his cigarettes! What faith!
   Yesterday we shared a short message with them and we committed he and his wife to pray together every night before going to bed. To just kneel down as a couple and one of them can offer a simple prayer. I know that will help them SO much. They accepted the invite and when we go back to Camaquã this week we will check up on them. I am really excited to go back and see how it has been going.
  I thought about it a lot yesterday, about the habits we have in our family. Praying before meals, as a family in the morning and evening. Daily scripture study. Just these little things have been such a big difference in my life and our family. Granted I was asleep for the majority of our morning scripture study :P I remember that we HAD scripture study and I am grateful for the habit and the love for the word of The Lord in our home. I know those little and simple things will be such a blessing in the life of this family and of anybody who applies them.
  I also thought about the tradition with the candles for Christmas a few weeks to late! GAH! will for sure be doing that here next year! Kills me that I forgot. It is because it in NO WAY feels like Christmas here.
  Well, I am going to go. I love you all. I can´t to talk to you in a week! FELIZ NATAL!
Seu Filho, Irmão, e amigo
Elder David F. Morgan

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