Mission week 24 (03/18/24)
Boa semana, miracles and tons of other great things moving into play!
But all this started out with a good Pday last week. I had Popeyes and it was freaking good!
then to finish the Pday we found a crazy homeless guy trying to sleep at the chapel again so we had to kick him out.
This week most of the time i actually felt pretty good! my mind has been clearer, and my mood has been up! the sun has definitely been up too cuz it was HOT.
One day we woke up to a fun little surprise. Water! all over the floor! our apartment had flooded overnight! I thought the washing machine had broke or something! but at least my clothes were clean lol. but no my comp had just left his clothes in the drain sink and so it didn't drain, and it overflowed.
The homeless guy showed up again during a youth activity and seminary which was a problem. First he disturbed some of the ladies and they ran for the bishop to help, meanwhile we were sitting with our investigators in seminary. the Bishopric told the guy to leave, and then the guy started throwing tons of false accusations at one of them targeting him, calling him a sexual harasser, rapist, Gay, Abuser, Liar, and kept going on and on. he said that the devil will bless him. he said he was gonna kill him too! they came over and grabbed me, and I was ready to boot this guy out again. but the guy ran and jumped back over the fence, and we caught a video of him jumping it. Then he stayed at the gate throwing more accusations. He kept saying he needed to shower or bathe. The thing is... is that there is not a shower at the church. but there has been a little water in the Baptismal font, so we are pretty sure that he has been using that to bathe. crazy. but we called the cops to take care of the guy, because we cant have him coming back and disrupting Church meetings. they came and we don't know exactly what they did but the guy has not been back since then...
We got this cool guy named Wilson on Baptism date. He has a really interesting cool story. He used to be a very successful businessman and have a wife, and lots of money! but... his wife tried to POISON him and KILL him! She successfully poisoned him and he rushed to the hospital. He stayed there for over a year in the hospital. Meanwhile she stole all of his money, all of his two businesses, both security and the gym companies that he owned. and he was trying to heal. The poison destroyed his intestines. and everything in his belly pretty much. just burned through it. He used to be a really big strong jacked dude but after a year in the hospital laying down he got really fat. not he has sacks in his stomach to replace all the other parts of his intestines that got destroyed and I think he has to switch them out every once and a while. so it's a really tough life for him now but he is making it through, even with no money! it is a miracle that he is still alive! and even more so that he forgave his ex wife. and everything he is just grateful for his life and grateful for us and not mad about the problems he had. super cool story.
i don't want to sound like a complainer but this week my comp kept getting really tired as we were walking around everywhere, which makes sense, we don't have cars or bikes or anything so we just walk all day everyday. but he kept stopping for breaks, a lot. I think he was struggling a little bit but I'm trying to help him push through. I just don't like stopping all the time. gotta go work babyyyy, gotta save some souls!! but i was kinda dragging his butt around a lot this week. but it's ok! cuz we still got work done!
Poulo, a miracle Facebook reference. I received his reference one day and messaged him in the morning. He responded immediately and we set up a time that same day right after lunch to visit! we came by and the guy was awesome! he loved us! and he loved the message. He also said his dog doesn't usually like lots of people and is a good judge of character but the dog loved us too. so we passed the test. The guy had baked a cake for us too! it was awesome! and we drank Guarana out of Glasses labeled for beer so it looked real lol.
We were teaching a family who had rejected our first baptism invite. Marcello and his family are amazing and love us but don't want to get baptized again. so we invited the AP's for a quick visit haha. they came in and did exactly what i hoped. The AP magic. But before all of that, their son Christopher, before we had even said a thing, said: "I want to be baptized and I want to serve a mission like you guys!" We were super happy to hear this! Apparently after our last visit with the failed invite it had impacted him! He had actually taken one of the Book of Mormons up to his room and had been personally studying it on his own! This was a Miracle!
His little Brother said the same thing too haha, but he is still too young. He has a very bright future though!
The family did not accept a date yet but the AP's grilled them and basically told them i know that someday in the future you will be in the water too. like your son.
I think the son is key. He will be able to enter the temple. and the temple truly will be the tipping piece. they will want to be sealed forever I hope and then they will understand that they need to be baptized in Christ's Church.
but meanwhile i tried to soak up everything the AP's did so i can learn to be better at the work.
My comp has a very different view on a lot of things. He doesn't like how the AP's work, and what they did. but the AP's were called there for a reason... because they are good at what they do, and technically speaking that calling is from God, not just the President.
but he didn't like how they pushed baptism. or pushed for anything. I tried to explain that we are here to help push people towards baptism, by first faith and repentance, and that this is literally our purpose but he was still getting worked up about it.
He is a bit nervous about pushing for anything baptism ways. I also told him that baptism is not just about numbers. It is part of the process of creating disciples of Christ and this is the major part we help with. He ended up saying he agreed with me but he was holding back more.
That's ok. I said we don't have to agree on everything. We only have to agree on one thing. our mission purpose and work together with that.
but it's all good, we are cool haha.
Me and my comp do get along haha and we joke around too so don't worry bout us. Just a few little things
This next week is set up to be awesome!!!!! We have set up tons of activities and noite familiars with people and investigators and we have 3 baptisms all different families hopefully set up for this next weekend! AND! temple with our recent converts!!! LETS GOOOOOOO!!! i am hyped
i have soo many things in my head that could stress me out cuz of all the things we have to do this week but i just felt soo full of joy! Because of all these people we are able to help this week! what could have been stress was transformed into joy! truly my joy is full, when i am helping these people. When I am bringing souls back to God and helping them, this is my Joy!
The random things of the week:
-We helped 2 different families move houses! was awesome to finally get to do some service or minni service project!
-our friends who give us dinner or pizza to our door every thursday night finally returned! so we had an awesome dinner at their house again.
-We had a dope Noite Familiar with the bishop and a few investigators and recent converts. It was awesome!
-And ya, Basketball is always litt. We started it as an activity to invite investigators and members. now it has become a legit ward activity and they got permission and keys from the bishop and some guy in charge running it haha. so it's legit now.
- hoping for a change, i love my people here and my area and ward, but i feel like i am getting too comfortable and i like change because it keeps me on my toes. And i want to get see other areas of the mission too. Its hard cuz i love my people here, but i also want to go. Im still in my very first area. But i will stay or go wherever God needs me.
- i have started consistently taking only cold showers. Results are that you feel better clearer mind and good energy. It is the closest thing i have to and ice bath which i miss too lol. But i do have the option of a steaming hot shower, i am choosing the cold cuz it makes me grow and be better. And technically battling the natural man cuz normaly you want a hot shower lol.
- We have given Book of Mormons in 3 language this week. Portugeus, Espanhol, and French.
Marcio chose me to give him the preisthood! It was super special and cool and unexcpected haha. But it was a cool experience first time to give the preisthood to him and for him to receive it.
Then immediately after we gave my comp a blessing of health and he got to watch. It was cool becuase immediately after my comp felt better completely! A cool miracle.
God is Good yall! God is Great!!!
Until next week, Tchau
-Elder Martin
Check the pics below
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