Semana 44-#DaGraças
Olá família amada!!!
Another incredibly hot, dry, and
blessed week here in Sousa has passed - I really can´t believe that I´ve hit 10
months on the mission and that in just a few weeks I´ll get to see your faces
for NATAL!!!!
So the highlight of this week was a
very special baptism -
Our ward mission leader is a recently
returned missionary and only member of his family. Their story is similar to
Maria and Aldberto, in that they forbid the missionaries from visiting them and
had zero interest in the church. The two years that their son was serving a
mission were agonizing - they didn´t have an eternal perspective of what he was
doing, and whom he represented. This transfer, we managed to enter their house,
and their lives. Almost the entire family has come to church with us for the
past month, are present at all of the activities, and receive us with excitement
in their home. Sunday, we baptized our ward mission leader´s brother,
Francisco. It was the most beautiful baptism, seeing people make changes in
their lives. The magic never gets old.
Serving in Sousa has proven to be my
hardest area so far - extremely hard physically, mentally, and emotionally. The
adversary has really found how to put barriers in my path and shake my
testimony. The work is difficult here. I´ve never felt more tried and stretched
thin, my motivation stripped. I spent a lot of time the first few weeks of the
transfer with a less-than-excited attitude, really questioning why I was
transferred and why I couldn´t seem to get a grip on the work and create a good
relationship with the members and my investigators. I sort of felt a giant hole
in my soul that I couldn´t figure out. But one thing that helped was a
scripture that I came across in my personal study this week (it always seems to
be that way).
Mosiah 29:20 But behold,
he did deliver them because they did humble themselves before him; and because
they cried mightily unto him he did deliver them out of bondage; and thus doth
the Lord work with his power in all cases among the children of men, extending
the arm of mercy towards them that put their trust in him.
The key words that stick out to me in
this scripture are HUMBLE and TRUST. The nephites were in captivty and bondage
because of their sins, in order to humble themselves before the Lord and put
their trust in Him. When they cried mightily and repented of their sins, the
Lord answered their cries and extended His arm. The Lord loves us, and gives us
challenges to learn and grow and be humbled. I think that the Lord knew that I
needed to be humbled, experience one of the toughest areas of the mission, and
still mantain the capacity to love and serve and be His hands.
I decided to show my gratitude
better. To thank the Lord for what I do have, rather than ask "why".
Sometimes we need to slow things down, reevaluate our circumstances, and stop
to thank our Heavenly Father. It´s a sure solution to at least a portion of our
problems. I know the Thanksgiving season is here (and oh how I will truly miss
Thanksgiving dinner this week) but we truly can feel the Savior´s love in our
lives when we are humble and grateful.
I love you all, and want to thank you
for your continual love and support. I have the greatest family in the
world.
com meu amor,
Sister Brown
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