Ok
first of all, this weather is crazy. Every time we walk out in the
ridiculously hot sun, which likes to alternate with crazy lightning,
thunder and rainstorms, one or all of us has to ask "o que isso,
Brasil?!?" It's that or "nossa! Cada coisa!" Seriously, if there's one
thing I've learned on my mission (hey I hit 5 months this week!) it's 1)
trust in God, and 2) surprises never stop. Even expecting the
unexpected doesn't cover it! But anyways, I can't decide which is
better/worse. Been kind of a rough week on the streets, but lots of
little miracles.
Peterson and Clarysse both fall into this
category. We were filling time before an activity at the church Tuesday
night (more on that later) when we ran into Peterson. It's going to be
hard to find time to teach him, but just talking to him for the first
time was a really awesome experience. He was like "wait... all of this
is in the Bible? How come no one ever told me about it!" and when we
talked about the Great Apostasy and Restoration, he was like "so... you
talked about prophets.. Did God tell the prophets that all of this
would happen?" and we're all like, you know what, as a matter of fact He
did! Anyways, it's always awesome to find people who ask really good
questions, because it means they're actually listening and taking it in.
The
next day, we were on our way to the bank, walking down the same main
street we walk about a thousand times a week (cause that's how you get
to the church and back) when out of nowhere, Clarysse pops up and asks
us what it is we do. She didn't have time to talk, but invited us back
the next day. We found out from her mom that Clarysse is in need of some
direction in her life ("I already have a church, and I'm happy there,
and I'd love for her to come with me, but really, I just want her to get
help, from any [religious] source") and everytime we walked by, she
always pointed us out, and was going crazy to know who we were. We were
very happy to explain it to her :)
Lucileia is the friend of a
member who went to church last week. We managed to switch things around
so that she could give Almoço on Friday, and ended up spending half the
day there. We taught almost all of the lessons, ate an amazing lunch
and a fresh chocolate cake, and she even sent us home with lemon
meringue! ("Don't tell me it's too much. I know you live in a group of
4, and you spend all day walking around!") But the best part was just
getting to know her. She's a single, working mom (not by choice, of
course) since her husband died of cancer. She's worried about her son,
and was looking for a church with a better program for children, which
is how she ended up learning about the Primary, and then coming to visit
last Sunday. And she loved it! Was super curious about the Book of
Mormon, and really tried to make sure she was comprehending everything
we were teaching. She cried as she told us how lost she's been feeling,
and how she had been praying and praying for guidance. She really has
so much faith and is sooo prepared, and already keeping the
commandments, and is reading and praying for her own testimony to be
baptized on the 25th :) Can't wait to see her again tonight!
Oh,
and a side note. Working with Lucileia has been an awesome experience
all on it's own, but it also reminded me a lot about my experience
teaching Aliny. That was the first time I really felt equal, that I was
contributing in the lessons, and really doing my part in this amazing
work, and I'm so so so happy that my companion gets to have this same
experience! We really grew a lot as a companionship this week, and I'm
seeing her faith and her confidence, and as a result, her capacity,
growing more and more every day :)
Ok that brings me to Ivan
and Enilda. We were kind of surprised to see Enilda home when we went to
visit Monday night, but she was, and she was feeling so much better.
She went with us to the Relief Society chocolate-making activity on
Tuesday night, and absolutely LOVED it. Fell in love with the chapel,
the Irmãs, and especially the hymns. Wouldn't stop raving about it all
night. Unfortunately, Satan always follows, and the next day she was
absolutely distraught (again, about Ivan's drug problem). I really
didn't want to leave her, and we were really super duper late to Almoço
because of it, but we left her with a prayer and a challenge to read the
Book of Mormon, and she had an AMAZING experience! I'm out of time to
write it all, but she called me later that afternoon just going on and
on and on about how much she loves the BoM :) And this coming from
someone with a first or second grade reading level! Anyways, the biggest
excitement was that Ivan and Enilda finally came to church!!!!!!
Hallelujah!!!! I wasn't able to visit them afterward (get to that in a
min) but I heard that they loved it, and they're working hard on their
marriage plans.
Ok, that brings me to being sick, as well as a
couple of interesting answers to prayers. Saturday leaving Almoço I had
the worst headache of the week. I prayed and decided to sleep for half
an hour, and then get up and leave no matter how I felt afterwards. I
woke up feeling worse, if anything, but I got up and left, just like I
promised. Long story short, we spent the afternoon inside, away from the
sun, helping a very lonely Irmã make a hundred chocolates for Relief
Society on Sunday. God gives us a way to serve no matter how capable or
incapable we are! Sunday I ended
up going home to sleep after Almoço with sister Farias (she has an
awesomely bad cold so our comps did splits instead) and woke up with a
pretty nice fever. Slept off and on all day yesterday, and also slept in
this morning. Got up feeling much, much, better, but then I ate a whole
ton of food because I was starving, and now I'm thinking that might not
have been the best idea... But whatever. I really am feeling much
better, and I promise I'll take care of myself this week!
Love you love you love you all! Hugs for everyone! Have a great week!
-Sister Kirkham
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