09/22/2008 Letter
Meu familia!! Este semhana foi mutio ótimo de mais.
We finally made it to Custodio, a town about 80 kilometers away from Arcoverde. We spent the night at a member’s home but it was a lot of good work and fun. I didn’t make it on the trips though without falling asleep it is sort of difficult for me to stay awake now on the busses here. We taught 10 new people and are now trying to organize a group to come with us on Sunday to do a sacrament meeting if we can do this and they stay firm in their commitments we could possibly open up a branch out there which could possibly be a means in the future of forming an actual district in the mission. This is only a goal that I’ve thought over. But I hope we or whoever replaces me in the future can do this because it will make this area grow so much. We arrived there Friday and left Saturday, it was so much fun. I loved the spirit that I felt there, it was so strong.
On Thursday we had interviews and that of course was stressful. It always seems there is something that happens in the work that needs to be discussed right before interviews. Our president is really understanding and kind to the missionaries and despite the difficulties he always seems to put more happiness in every situation. I felt a few feet taller when I left that meeting.
On Tuesday we went to Recife and went to the temple. Can you believe that I forgot my temple recommend and didn’t remember it until I was at the foot of the temple? Luckily though the president of the temple called Presidente Emerik and got it worked out for me to enter. Unfortunately we couldn’t do a session because we arrived too late for our group but we did something else instead. After wards we went and sat in the celestial room and felt the spirit there. My worries seemed to sort of disappear as soon as I entered the room. And it was good to just sit and ponder and feel the spirit there. I had to take 40 reis out of my card to return just to let you know but the mission reimbursed me for it.
This Sunday the 1rst counselor Edjayi came to me and asked if I could give an emergency talk in Sunday school. I sort of volunteered for it also!! I had originally chosen to speak on temples. I grabbed Grandpa Allred’s journal to use a story he had about temples the one about computer viruses and such, the funny thing is when the time came to give my talk I didn’t feel I should give a talk on temples at all but instead gave a talk on journals and the importance of them. I used the first page of Nephi to help me and of course used Grandpa’s journal as an example of how it can help the future generations in the family. It went really well and Edijayi said he wanted to begin a journal. I think what helped was the prayer that I said also. The members said they understood every word I said and I spoke correctly the only thing that was funny was my accent. Amazing to me how the spirit can prompt someone to do something for a motive they have and then help them use that action for a different purpose. I have been reading the scriptures well this week it has been tough though with all the trips we have made and then we are half dead the next day because of the trip the day before but I have learned a few things about the work here on the mission. I have learned that it is important to work with the members for 2 reasons they know the area and the people better and can enable people to listen to us and also the converts who bear their testimony to us the missionaries give us a motive to find and baptize people like them. I heard a testimony of a man who has been baptized for only 2 years. I know if that missionary saw him to day as our ward mission leader he would be proud of him. This has given me a desire to find and help anyone to be like that someday. Just something I learned. I love you all this week has been really good. I will pray for you all and your travels this week. Love you
Elder Allred
Elderallred's Weblog 