Hello All!
So apparently it's not como bai, it's como VAI! How is it going!
It's been a long week here. The missionaries say that each day is like an eternity, but each week goes by in the blink of an eye. How true this is.
Last week we watched an address by Elder Bednar about the Character of Christ - it dealt with turning away from yourself and focusing on others. As I've done this in this past week, I've begun to feel real concern for the well being of my companions and other missionaries that I associate with. I know that God will bless us as we seek to help others with concerns they have. If there's anything that I can do to help anyone reading this, let me know.
My companion keeps saying "You know you're a missionary when you send home scriptures in your emails and letters." What a wonderful confirmation that I am a missionary, as I have to share from 2 Nephi chapter 4: "My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me.." This week has been a wilderness. As a missionary and as a district of missionaries, we have truly learned to rely on the Lord for strength and help in our studies.
I feel like I've come so far in this week! I can teach a lesson in Portuguese! ...kind of. I've learned a lot of verbs and a lot of gospel terms, and I'm sure my grammar is horrible. I've also learned a lot about our purpose as missionaries, and how we can best adapt our teaching to help those that we meet with.
We have three districts in our zone. One district is leaving in three days - they all got reassigned to missions in the United States. Some are going to Atlanta, some to Virginia, some to Indianapolis... Anyway, I have been called to be a zone leader for our zone. Elder Carpenter and I will have charge of these missionaries. I'm having a hard time understanding how I should serve; the current zone leaders focus on listening to and talking with everybody on the zone, but as you can guess, I'd much rather study the language and scripture personally. I'll have to find a good balance between the two.
I'm going to audition to sing in a devotional here. I don't really want to too badly, but I feel like it's and instance in which I can share my talents with the world. ...share them with the MTC, at least. I'll audition with 4 verses of A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief, and Nick will (hopefully) accompany me. Wish me luck!
I wish I had some miraculous stories. My only good story is that we planned to teach a lesson on our Heavenly Father's Plan of Salvation for us, but we felt a prompting not to. We ended up just teaching about prayer and the importance of scripture and bearing testimony. God's spirit was strong. I'm grateful for this opportunity to learn to rely on the Redeemer more fully.
Talk to the missionaries if you see them! I'll be praying for all of you.
OH and our investigator last week has turned out to be one of our Portuguese teahcers! We knew him as Anderson as a pesquisador; now as a teacher he is Irmao VanWagoner. It's nice to have two teachers; they both have their own strengths. The MTC is so inspired.
Here is the district!
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