Bom Dia Querida Família e Queridos Amigos,
Que Semana! I am really lost on what I have told you all already. The days and weeks are really blending together and flying by.
This week we worked a lot with a family. Simone, Rodrigo and their three boys Felipe, Tiago and Matheus. They are a very special family. Simone and Rodrigo are both trying to stop smoking. We have tried lots of techniques and nothing seemed to work and so we received inspiration one day. It was really neat. They had decided to give up and we taught them more in depth about the atonement of Jesus Christ and about Repentance. Then I asked for their cigarettes...
They gave them to me thinking I would cut them or take them with me. Instead I took out some pamphlets and cut out a few pictures of Christ and slipped it behind the plastic on the front if the box of cigarettes. I wrote on the front, "Você consegue porque eu te amo." Which means, You can do it, because I love you. Then I gave them back their packs o cigarettes, still full, and I spoke softly and said, "Everytime you go to smoke, look at this and remember all that Christ suffered and sacrificed for you. He loves you, you CAN do this, because you are doing it for yourself, your family and for Him."
They kept quiet for awhile and finally accepted our invitation to repent. The next day we went to follow up and Simone who normally smoke 20 cigarettes a day hadn't smoked any. Miracles are real! She has made soooo much progress. Her husband also reduced a ton!
I truly know that everything is possible through Jesus Christ, when we truly understand what he did for each of us individually and understand what our part is to thank and honor that sacrifice. Our part is REPENTANCE and CHANGE. I love being a missionary and being able to see people comprehend and apply these truths.
A real miracle is a change of heart.
A real miracle is a change of heart.
Faith without works is dead, and those works are daily, sincere repentance.
It is through our faith that miracles happen. It is through Faith in JESUS CHRIST, our SAVIOR. He has this title, Savior, for a reason. I know that he is our Savior and that he loves us and that we can change because of him.
I have faith is Jesus Christ. I know He lives and I KNOW this is His gospel restored to the earth. I know that He guides and directs this church. I know that He is coming and we MUST prepare. What a blessing to know these simple yet essential truths.
We used this same tatic with our other investigator Cristano. He has also been able to reduced smoking significantly.
We used this same tatic with our other investigator Cristano. He has also been able to reduced smoking significantly.
This week we met a young man who was not interested in our message. He was standing in the front of his friends house. We asked him if he knew anyone who would be interested. Jokingly he gave us his friends address. Saturday we went there to see if the friend was anything like his sacrastic friend. When we got there his little sister called him. We stood in the front of his house talking for more than an hour. He has been searching for the truth. We taught him the restoration and about apostacy and about priesthood. He understood perfectly! We invited him to be baptized. He accepted. He is 20. He is looking for something to do in his life. (My goal is to send him on a mission). haha He went to church with us and loved it. It was really incredible the way the Lord led us to him.
Many other awesome things happened this week too. We lost all power in our house and had to use candlelight... (My Mom and Dad used candlelight regularly on their mission in the Philippines).
We were also dumped on with a rain storm. My companion and I have really bad blisters again, and are going to the foot doctor tomorrow. This mission is worth every step!
We are going to be starting our English class this week. We met an incredible family! Mom, Dad and 5 boys ages 14-21. The 14 yr old and 21 are baptized and wanting to help their family. They are really wonderful!
I am very excited to be working here in Vivi Xavier! I love Londrina. Cool Fact: Londrina means 'Little London' in Portuguese and was built to be a small copy of London in Europe! cool huh?
Love you all! Have a great week! You are all in my prayers!
Love you all! Have a great week! You are all in my prayers!
Love Sister Edwards
My address:
Sister Rachel Edwards
Rua Hélio Cortez #279
Jardim São Paulo
Londrina, Paraná
86083-320
Sister Rachel Edwards
Rua Hélio Cortez #279
Jardim São Paulo
Londrina, Paraná
86083-320
Brasil
No comments:
Post a Comment