Sunday, November 2, 2014

November 2, 2014 - We All Must Do Our Part

Hello Family and Friends!!!

My week was pretty normal. We always have some crazy stuff happen during the week that no one is expecting and then we are all stressed out here in the office.  

We received a new American elder also from Colorado.  That moves the number of Elders from Colorado to 8 now!!! Yep, that's right. 3 from Northern Colorado, Windsor, Loveland, and the blessed Fort Collins!!  Represent!! hahah  He went with President Cabral for the day. He got to go to different areas and be President's companion because Sister Cabral wasn't feeling so well.  When he got back, it was about 10 o'clock at night and President was dropping him off at our house.  This was the first problem, our house was picked up, cleaned our house was not.  The last time President came to check if our house was clean, we almost were killed.  When president called us saying that he was in the front,
all of our hearts dropped.  We all got together and  said a prayer that the Lord would be merciful with us and that President would be tired and wouldn't want to check our house at that moment.  Thankfully, he was tired and didn't check.  After President, left Elder Stokes and I dropped on our knees in the front of our house hahah. We were so happy, but that also gave us a big heads up that we needed to clean the house, so we cleaned it the next day and it's all good now for when President wants to come with Sister Cabral!

We also had a presentation of our Mission choir to some of the Stake Presidents and Bishops where we are going to sing at that if I don't say so myself was pretty freaking good!  We had it this morning!  It was really cool because we had everyone in tears, the spirit was so strong there!  

I had a super cool experience this week in the federal police station.  First, to start off the story with some background. Our zone was just finishing up a fast together that we can have more success in our areas and be more enthusiastic about the work.  I was with Elder Maynerich because of his identification that he didnt have and it was really hectic the whole day.  Last week, I called them and they explained to me that I would have more time to do everything and when I decided to just check at the station in person they told me the complete opposite and that Elder maynerich needed to come today or he was going to be illegal in the country.  Well, that wasn't really what I wanted to hear, so I called Elder Maynerich and explained the situation and told him we need to be there after lunch so we can get all of his stuff for him.  When we got there, it was full
of people.  I was thinking, oh, great, here goes a long afternoon!  but there was a man sitting in one of the rows and he had a two chairs open next to him and he slid over and let us sit next to him.  I said Obrigado!  and he said, "you guys mormons?" hahah  Oh, how my heart jumped for joy. Not only did he start the contact for me, but he was speaking in english!!!!!  Over the next hour and a half we talked in English and a little Portuguese about life and the church and how he knew the church a little bit.  It turns out that his wife is a Brazilian from São Vicente and she went to school in the states 20 years ago, but about  a year before she left, she was baptized in São vicente. 
 

So when they got married, she wanted him to get baptized, too, but at the church they were at in New York, he wasn't received very well by the ward and judged and he decided it wasn't the right time. It sounded like they looked for a church back in the states, but not very diligently.  He has already read the Book of Mormon and researched the Church quite a bit!  He asked if there are a lot of churches here in Santos and I figured that he probably lives by Jabaquara so I told him where it's at.  He replied that's a little far, would you happen to have one closer to Gonzaga? My eyes got really big when he said that and with a big old smile I told him that there is one in Orquidario and that that is where I work trying to teach people about Christ.  Discovering that he lived in Gonzaga, I asked where and he said Ana Costa (the mission offices are located on Ana Costa in Gonzaga).  It just didn't seem like it could get any better, but it did.
He said they just recently moved from the states about 2 months ago and that the things they have experienced in the past year have been really difficult on them, but it only showed him more and more that there is a God and that he is watching over him and his wife!  He said that meeting us here wasn't an accident at all and that this is probably the moment that he needed it and God had sent us to help him in this last step!!  After a day that was super hectic, we found this golden investigator, got his number because he didn't know his address, hah and to put a cherry on top the stake president was also there and he bought us pastels and water and gave us a ride home.  It really was an amazing experience that strengthened my testimony not only of the power of the fast, but also that God is aware of all of us and He needs us to do our part so that He can have his children return to Him.

I know that this is the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ and that it has been restored onto the Earth for us to share it with other people!  I know that God loves me and that He loves each and every one of you.

Eu sei que essa é a igreja de Cristo, que Ela foi restaurada novamente na terra, para que possamos compartilhar-la com outras pessoas!  Eu sei que Deus me ama e que Ele ama cada um de vocês.

Love,

Elder Thurgood

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