Monday, May 30, 2011

É Franca!!!

Well it´s been another great week here in the area....sort of. I actually was not able to work in our area for three of the days. Last wednesday we had a training with the mission president and the assistents. Friday we travelled to a city called São Joaquim da Barra. Elder Hepworth had to do baptismal interviews for the Elders there. And we didn´t back to our area until Saturday afternoon only to find out we needed to travel to another area in our city so he could do more interviews for another companionship. So we lost alot of time in our are but it was still a great week.

The training that the Assistants gave was a review of the basics in Preach My Gospel. It was a really powerful training. What I always find interesting about trainings like this is that it is never new material. It´s just going back to the basics. We sometimes just need to remember that all we need to do is already written down and explained for us. It reminds me of Elder Uchtdorf´s talk from a couple sessions ago talking about going back to the basics of the Gospel. We just need to hold on to the basics and it will all work out great.

I spent the day on Friday in splits with a new American Elder Stott (obnoxiously similar to Scott). I kept getting confused thinking people were calling me when they said Stott. But it was really fun to work with him. I am coming to realize that one of my roles on the mission is to use my language learning talents to help others. He only has two months here in Brazil and still struggles quite a bit with Portuguese. it was fun to help him and work with a young excited missionary, (I talk as if I´m old and experienced on the mission when I´m really not). But it was a really fun day with him.

Saturday was a great day as well. There is a companionship here in Franca that is just having loads of success. It goes to show the importance of the work that members do to assist the ward´s progress. The best way I can describe my ward I´m in is stagnant. It´s full of long-time members that don´t really participate in the missionary work. They just look at us full-time missionaries and ask ``where are the investigators?´´ It seems they have forgotten that the best way for missionaries to have success is when the members find the investigators and give them to the missionaries as referrals. This other ward is on fire and baptizing like crazy because the members are giving referrals left and right. The Elders there said they get called on a daily basis by members asking how they can help in the work. So what did I learn....Every member a missionary. All of you reading this letter, rededicate yourselves now to help the Lord´s Kingdom grow here on the Earth. Do all possible to help. You have nothing to lose, only blessing to receive.

We also had an extremely powerful lesson with one of our investigators Rafael. I have never felt the influence of the Spirit so strongly in a lesson. There is nothing better than kneeling next to an investigator that is earnestly pleading to know the truth and know the Lord´s will for them. Rafael explained to us that his personalityis that of indecision. He says it´s hard to make any decision and he has had trouble deciding if he should be baptised. I know he received an answer. He would have been baptised this sunday but his Uncle passed away Saturday night and he had to travel out of town. It was a marvelous experience that if nothing else kindled my own testimony again of the power the Spirit has to influence us and respond to our prayers. My body was so full of the Spirit in that lesson. It was absolutely undeniable.

Well I hope you all have a great week. Each of you, no matter how long you have been a member, no matter how strong testimony, ask again  for a spiritual witness that this is the true Church of Jesus Christ. This renewal of our testimonies is priceless. And remember, every member a missionary!

Love,
Elder McLelland


Biscuits and Gravy!

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