Pequenininha!

Hello again! 

I know I say this every week, but man this week passed fast! WE had to get our bearings set opening a new area, but it is a very small two ward area... Maybe from G Way to the river, from Hanford to the Harvey´s. But there are a lot of people here and a lot of people to talk to!

So Monday night, we went to a family night in Ala 1, and there were maybe twenty people in attendance. We got to know a good number of people and there were even  few investigators as well.

Tuesday, we set out to work, going after a lot of references that were left for us. Most of the time, we had to mark another time, because we didn´t know what time they would be home. But we did get four lessons in, as well as getting to know some more members.

Wednesday, we headed off to our District Meeting, which is about an hour and a half away, in Bom Jardim. ZL training, and we learned a good technique to get members involved in the work without them knowing! It was something I already knew how to do, but I had just forgotten over time not really being able to use it. It is called giving the member a reference. Most of the time when we talk to somebody, they know a member, so we go to that member, ad give them a reference! it’s a neat thing to do that helps members get over that fear of sharing the gospel! WE got back home around 1 in the afternoon, and ate lunch and then we headed out doing the same thing! We taught a family that part are from the interior of the state, and had already known the church a little bit. We just talked a little bit about their experiences and we left a short message. Afterwards, we talked with the Bishop about a sister-in-law of his, that lives in front of him... more about her later. At night, we went to the church to participate in the Executive Council of Ala 2. We got to know some more members, and they passed some less-actives for us to visit. Of all the areas that I have visited, this was the most coordinated. They have a bunch of activities planned for the future, so we will have a lot of work to do.

Thursday, we continued our routine, and we contacted the sister-in-law of the Bishop, Jo. We talked with her a little bit first, and she mentioned that she noticed something different in the Bishops family. She said she didn´t know what it was, but they are happier, more united and they are just different from everyone else. From there, it was easy o offer her a family just like that trough the restored gospel. She seemed more interested in seeing how church was after our lesson. At night we went to the church again for the weekly soccer, which is always full of less-actives, and non members. We took a few names down, and then headed home.

Friday is when things started to get rough. The weekend before Carnival! It isn´t the normal Carnival here, because EVERYBODY LEAVES! We found about 1 in 10 people at home when we went to visit. But we did visit a brother who is passing through some difficulties, and we made some goals with his and his family to help strengthen him and his family. We visited a few other less actives with Niedson, a counselor in the Elders Quorum.

Saturday... nothing. Nobody was home, or nobody wanted to attend us. Literally nothing for walking AAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL day!

Sunday, church was pretty empty, but we got to bless the sacrament twice... something I haven´t done in a very long time. There were a few investigators, but most of them traveled. Afterward, we ate with a member of the Bishopric and we went after more people. WE talked with a long time investigator named Expedito. He likes the church, but doesn´t want to be baptised because he doesn´t want to commit himself and fall into old habits afterwards. We read with him about the iron rod, showing how he could stay firm. He still didn´t want to commit to a date... we asked a few more questions and discovered that he had not prayed about the message of the restoration. We talked with him about how prayer and testimony are necessary for us, and how when he has pared, he will have the confidence to be baptised.

Then today, we got up and cleaned! Yay!

This week, I started studying Chapter 5 in Preach my Gospel about the Book of Mormon. I learned that the Book of Mormon is what support all our claims as a church to have the fullness of the gospel. Without it, we really don´t have any proof of our claims to current day revelations. Not only this, but our testimony of the book of Mormon is what keeps us firm in our conversion. The comparison made is of the archstone... the more pressure we put on it, the stronger the arch becomes, but the less and less we stress it, or even take it away... our arch doesn´t stay on its feet. But this is why God gave us the book of Mormon, and we teach using it more! To more fully convince us that He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, he gave us the Book of Mormon, as well as to keep us firm in the gospel. As missionaries, we need to teach with a focus on the book of Mormon. We won’t convince anyone what we are saying is true, if we do not use the proof we have at all! Most people believe the Bible to be the word of God, so why would we need to convince them more? The Book of Mormon is true, and most people don´t know that!

That was my week! until next week!

Elder Cornwell