Sunday, July 27, 2014

14 July 2014

So Big news of the week: Bruno got Baptized!!! So I don´t know how many of you have watched The Best Two Years, but our experience with Bruno this week reminded me of a quote that the new elder (Calhoun?) says before he talks to the investigator guy the first time. He asks his trainer about a bunch of stuff and then asks, "but what if he gets so excited...he just want´s to be baptized!?" The trainer tells him then to take down his number and his measurements and tell him we will call. That´s what we did with Bruno. He just got so excited during the lesson and said that he didn´t want to wait to be baptized. We told him the earliest it could be was after church on Sunday. So bishop found him a baptismal suit and we got everything set up and ready. He has been studying at home loves the Book of Mormon and before his baptismal interview he said he has already set aside his tithing!

Bruno is an evidence that the Lord is truly going before our face and preparing the hearts of His children to receive the word. He was truly someone who was “kept from the truth [only] because they know not where to find it”(D&C 123:12). I have never met anyone so truly willing to act and to change. Mateus, a young man from our ward, helped us to teach him and took him to Institute on Saturday and church on Sunday. Mateus leaves for his mission in Boston today! and was so happy to be able to have played a part in helping Bruno get baptized. Bruno got rid of the coffee in his apartment right after we taught about the Word of Wisdom and we are going with him this week to the Center of Autosufficiency (is that what it is called?) of the church to help him find a job where he doesn´t have to work Sundays.We feel so blessed to have the opportunity to teach Bruno. The Lord truly placed Him in our path. Bruno thought it was funny that we were so shocked that he wanted to get baptized so soon. I think pleasantly surprised was a better word.
The baptism was lovely and President Castro was there with his family and confirmed him with a beautiful blessing, with great promises and encouragement for him to stay strong in the church for the rest of his life. This is the first time President Castro and Sister Castro have actually come to the ward (they live in this ward) since March when I came (they travel and visit other wards basically every Sunday) so that was a special treat. I love that family. Nina, their daughter, is so wonderful and she helped us teach a few lessons this week, with Dirceu and another with Glessi, a lady that was so pleased to have us in her home because she said that no pastor, cleric, etc has ever actually visited her even after asking. 

Nara came to church again and stayed for the Baptism. She found it all very interesting and lovely and even though she says she is still having difficulty feeling faith, she is keeping all her committments and is opening up to the idea of her very own baptism! It was funny because last week we had given her a talk and when we asked her what she learned she was like "It fit just like a glove! You did that on purpose!" And we were like yes, Nara, yes we did. And in the middle of the lesson we assigned her to read Alma 32 (without mentioning the contents), and then we talked a bit more and after discussing a bit about why there is suffering on earth and answering her question about how will God be able to fit so many resurrected people here on earth (he has prepared three kingdoms of glory). We asked her about her faith and she said it was still small, but she feels like a little seed has been planted, and then we said, great! That is exactly what the chapter we assigned talks about, in those very words! And she was a little taken aback and again said "How did you know! You did that on purpose!" Yes, yes we did. But only with the help of the Spirit. It is fun to teach her because she has great questions and somehow the questions she asks lead exactly to the next point in the lesson!
Dirceu came to church again. He gave us and Nara a ride and on the way there, he said he didn´t know if he would be able to stay until the end because he had to hang his clothes out to dry. We told him that the clothes will still be there when he gets back. He stayed. He is funny because he always talks like he is not going to do anything, but he always does. And, true to form, he gave us oranges and bergamotas (clementines I think?).
And! With the help of the Relief Society, we furnished some clothes for Yasmim´s dad, Sandro, and he finally came to church. He said he won´t promise anything about baptism, but he wan´t to be more active in supporting Yasmim. Yay for families!!!!!
The Lord truly works miracles. None of the blessings of this week could have happened without him.
Love you guys!

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