Wednesday, August 22, 2012

What a week filled with tears.

Monday in the branch We had a family home evening/ say goodbye to Elder Noel where the branch President asked everyone to write a little note to me. It is these little things that really give us rewards. Those pieces of paper don~t have value to me. They are literally invaluable. I love these people so much.

There was one girl who lives in a family all alone. I believe she is the only sane person in her house. And the note she wrote about finding strength was so touching that it changed the way I looked at myself.

Tuesday I left in the morning and half the brach came to the bus station to say goodbye again and the sang a song. I cried and hugged everyone.

So tuesday I got here and Wednesday I met my companion. He is from São Paulo. He is cool and is well prepared and ready to work. We are going to do miracles here I know it. The Ward Mission Leader here is so good and the bishop is great. I have no doubt that the ward here is going to start to grow.

This week since we know nothing about the area or the members or the work we just started working. We talked to 202 people from wednesday to yesterday and were able to teach 2 lessons. But one of them was with an amazing man. His name is Fabio and he accepted our message because he is doing his doctorate in English and wanted to speak english. So I taught him in English. He is gay. He said that he wants to change but he doesn~t know how. He wants to have a family but he just doesn~t feel attracted to women. He asked why he was made so wrong why God would deny him that privelege here on earth. It was so eye opening to me. That this man saw homosexuality as a burden. We invited him to stake conference and he came. He liked it and he said he would start reading the book of mormon. He is amazing and I am so excited to help him change his life.


He asked me what sucess for me would be with him. If he started frequenting would that be sucess or if he was reading or what? It was such a deep question. What is sucess to me?  Where am I taking my investigators? Why am I working with them? It was pretty introspective.

This was a hard week for me. To show up in an area all alone in a small area divided in 2 smaller areas and just having to work. At having 4 missionaries and having less of a chance to impress members. I felt a little overwhelmed a little cramped and a little mad at President for doing this. I had some talks with my Heavenly Father about this. I got such a new perspective. I was actually kind of slapped in the face. I felt this `where is your faith, do you  think that President just put you there because he wanted to?`  I was a little taken aback. Then I just thought ok lets go. Started singing Gosple rock and reading my Book of Mormoin. I love that book. It helps so much.

I am going to start to try working in a different manner here. Not to please anyone but to work to find the right people. Not to make numbers but to find the people prepared to hear us. I dont want to waste anymore time with people who don~t want to listen. I am going to try and start working in a more celestial manner. It will be so hard to let go of that Pride factor of hey I teach lots of lesson and just have my work between me and my Heavenly Father.

I love you guys so much.


Wright