We had a great week! Full of ups and downs, just you know. Normal life on the mission. The world cup ended, we took fourth place, which is a bummer but Brasil took a real hit when Neymer destroyed his back and the star goalie was yellowcarded out!
Anyways, Sebastiana's daughter returned from prison, and we got to teach her along with Sebastiana's neighbor friend Almerinda. Sebastiana is already a missionary and she isnt even baptized yet! Almerinda is awesome, and accepted when we first taught her, she read the Book of Mormon, and really wants to be baptized. However she drinks and smokes, frequently, so onward to addiction help.
Sebastiana's daughter Adeleide is 19. She has two daughters who are 5 and 2, she was in prison for a year for drugs and is waiting for her husband-well boyfriend of 8 years to return as well. She listened when we would teach but had her phone out and didnt seem very interested. She told us that her "husband"(they arent legally married) is coming back home soon and he will move in with her and so we were hesitant to mark a baptismal date, with the knowledge that she has high potencial to break the law of chastity soon, with her husband coming back to live with her. It was a strange situation. She also didnt read. However she came to church Sunday with Sebastiana and Almerinda and we had a really great lesson with her last night. We talked about the word of wisdom and how drugs really arent worth the temporary fun, and the law of chastity and how it blesses families and would bless her daughters. While teaching she began to cry and show more of her real self, she said she doesnt know if she even wants to be with her boyfriend anymore because he isnt the best guy, and when I asked what she wants most to change in her life she said she just wants to be a better person.
Good thing we are specialists in that! We told here we are here to help and be there every step of the way, when most importantly she has God's help to actually change and how baptism is an amazing opportunity to start anew and be purified and refreshed. Sister Miller and I felt simultaneously prompted to mark a date for baptism with her next week and she accepted.
Miracles are happening here in Ipatinga!
Friday, Elder Do Carmo called us saying he felt prompted to promise us to visit an incomplete family(a family where not all are members) and if we did we would have a baptism next saturday. So we tried, we even found a less active on the street by chance(well by the spirit) we have been searching for for weeks named Elias, but when we went Saturday he wasnt home. But at church a member of the bishopbric pulled us aside and gave us a name to visit, a less active man, who happens to have a daughter who has been to church various times and is interested in being baptized! The promise was fulfilled and the church is true.
Our convert Jorge blessed the sacrament and other convert Marcos passed it this Sunday, which is something really neat to witness.
Here is our fabulous zone! Have a fabulous week!
Sister Holmes
Anyways, Sebastiana's daughter returned from prison, and we got to teach her along with Sebastiana's neighbor friend Almerinda. Sebastiana is already a missionary and she isnt even baptized yet! Almerinda is awesome, and accepted when we first taught her, she read the Book of Mormon, and really wants to be baptized. However she drinks and smokes, frequently, so onward to addiction help.
Sebastiana's daughter Adeleide is 19. She has two daughters who are 5 and 2, she was in prison for a year for drugs and is waiting for her husband-well boyfriend of 8 years to return as well. She listened when we would teach but had her phone out and didnt seem very interested. She told us that her "husband"(they arent legally married) is coming back home soon and he will move in with her and so we were hesitant to mark a baptismal date, with the knowledge that she has high potencial to break the law of chastity soon, with her husband coming back to live with her. It was a strange situation. She also didnt read. However she came to church Sunday with Sebastiana and Almerinda and we had a really great lesson with her last night. We talked about the word of wisdom and how drugs really arent worth the temporary fun, and the law of chastity and how it blesses families and would bless her daughters. While teaching she began to cry and show more of her real self, she said she doesnt know if she even wants to be with her boyfriend anymore because he isnt the best guy, and when I asked what she wants most to change in her life she said she just wants to be a better person.
Good thing we are specialists in that! We told here we are here to help and be there every step of the way, when most importantly she has God's help to actually change and how baptism is an amazing opportunity to start anew and be purified and refreshed. Sister Miller and I felt simultaneously prompted to mark a date for baptism with her next week and she accepted.
Miracles are happening here in Ipatinga!
Friday, Elder Do Carmo called us saying he felt prompted to promise us to visit an incomplete family(a family where not all are members) and if we did we would have a baptism next saturday. So we tried, we even found a less active on the street by chance(well by the spirit) we have been searching for for weeks named Elias, but when we went Saturday he wasnt home. But at church a member of the bishopbric pulled us aside and gave us a name to visit, a less active man, who happens to have a daughter who has been to church various times and is interested in being baptized! The promise was fulfilled and the church is true.
Our convert Jorge blessed the sacrament and other convert Marcos passed it this Sunday, which is something really neat to witness.
Here is our fabulous zone! Have a fabulous week!
Sister Holmes