Monday, January 13, 2014

Benfica 14-1-2014

Hello family! Exactly 6 months and one day until I get home! (whos trunky? not me!!! :P) But in all seriousness, I dont count down. It makes the wait take too long and draws out all the agony. :D

Dad, the Monroe family sent me a card with pictures of the family and I got a bit curious about one. It looks like their oldest daughter Allison is serving a mission. Which one is she serving in?
Also, I was wondering if you could get me a copy of my Line of Authority. In the same copy of the Liahona mentioned below is instructions on how to get it, or you could look on the internet. Could you send me a copy? Thanks!
Im sorry they released you from an enjoyable calling. :( I imagine here its a lot like Mexico where all the faithful men have huge callings, even the young whipper snappers. Our bishop is probably only 35 at most. I hope your next calling is something that you also enjoy doing!

Give Alex a big missionary hug for me please! I miss that guy so much. Could you tell him to email me too? We can email friends here, and it goes much faster than snail mail. Also, could you give him my Parabéns for serving as a missionary and tell him Welcome Home?

Okay, so we had interviews with President Souza, and it was really cool. I found out that I probably wont be a Zone Leader, (No, I didnt do anything wrong) and that is okay with me. My personality type is better for training and opening areas, which is exactly what Ive done. I thought a bit about it a week ago, and realized that ever since I became senior, Ive opened every single one of my four areas, and trained in 3. Its hard work, but if thats where the Lord needs me the most, I will do it.

On the bright side, I finally wrote down those recipes. They dont have exact measurements of stuff, so I guessed and will have to adjust when I get home. Im keeping a journal more closely of events and miracles that happen down here. Im starting to see more clearly where God acts in our lives, the importance of everything. Its amazing, and Im a bit sad that I didnt see all this earlier. But I still have 6 months to see and enjoy all the wonderful things.
Ive learned a lot here. Ive learned that there are two paths. One is easy, but without possibility to lead us where we need to go. The other is hard, very hard, and takes everything we have, but it is only by this one where it is possible, whereas the other is not.

Okay, a bit of Portuguese and a time saver from my letter to President Souza:
Temos duas datas esta semana, Isa e Vanize. Temos que ensinar bastante para elas ainda, mas com o Senhor tudo é possível. Ontem, eu perguntei se ela tem desejo de se batizar, e ela disse que sim. Depois eu perguntei por que, e ela disse a resposta maior que eu já ouvi na minha vida. Eu sinto que eu preciso ser batizada. Ela deixou café mais cedo aquele mesmo dia.

And now I have to tell you about an interview that I had. Dad, please dont get trunky. ;) It was a lady, 29 years old, and it took almost 2 hours to finish the interview, not counting waiting for the Sisters. It was marked for 2 in the afternoon, and we arrived at 2h10 (2:10 pm) and waited 40 minutes, left at 2h50 for the house in hopes of seeing a message as to what happened. We got there, and right as I opened the door, I saw the screen light of the cell phone go out. I missed a call by 30 seconds from one of the assistants. (Elder Bohman, I think I mentioned him in a few letters) I called back, and he asked if I knew about the interview today, I said I did, and he said that the Sisters are there waiting. We had just missed them.
We got there, and couldnt get the door to the chapel opened. We called a member to open it, and it was the other 16-pin key that opens the door. (the keyhole looks like a phillips head) I started the interview at about 3h15. She didnt have worthiness problems, just testimony. She had passed the interview already, and her husband is a recent convert, but she had a lot of doubts and didnt get baptized. After an hour and fourty minutes, I ended the interview after digging deep and finding a tiny nugget of faith that we have a profet. Eh, I mean Prophet. :D anyway, I walked out of there with a feeling that I hadnt done enough, thinking that she might back out of the baptism, and things I could have said to help, etc etc. Her baptism was scheduled that very day, and I could hear the font filling up. I hoped desperately that she would be baptized and well integrated.
When I called to check up on the Sisters that night, there was much rejoicing in their house. The lady did get baptized, and was very excited. Sister Miles informed me that she had been working with her for 4 months and had not been able to baptize her, and that it was the miracle of her mission. We really do have the Lords help when we are about His work. I thought I had failed in the interview, but the Lord showed me His tender mercies because I had done my best in that moment, that even though my strength is not sufficient, I havent used all of it until I use His.

I want to end my letter on a good note, so I will close now. Until next week!

~Elder Wille

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