A chuba ja bem (August 11, 2014)

It´s raining.  A chuba já bem.  That is creole for it´s started raining.

The rain is fantastic.  I stood out in it for like 5 mins this morning.

So,

This week was an interesting week full of stress trying to help 3 people get baptised.  In the end, only Santinho got baptised.  José has some word of wisdom repentance process still to walk, and Nilson too, but mostly we are going to try to get his women coming to church and marry them and then baptise them both.  The probablility of a couple getting married and then baptized and then staying active in the church is much much greater than if theyt are baptised alone.

We had zone conference this week on Friday.  It was a good meeting and the food was incredible too!  It wasn´t the best zone conference that I have ever been to, but for being the second that President Mathews has ever run, it was really good. (the first he ever did was on thursday).  He made a 6 month plan until the end of the year, and this month we are working on chapters 1 and 2 of preach my gospel, teaching the doctrine of the Gospel of Christ, and the importance of the first vision and the book of mormon in the conversion of people.  It is making my teaching more and more powerful which is great.  The best thing in the world is to be used by the Lord.

So recently we had been reminded that we have to have a responsible man in every lesson with us, instead of teaching women or training female members in open spaces or outside.  Most people were a bit unhappy with that reminder, especially my comp, but we started doing better, and we saw the blessings in finding and teaching new men this week!  It was great to be blessed more by obedience.  There are so many blessings of obedience, but you have to look for the blessings instead of the restrictions.

We also had some blessings this week finding a family that is prepared to recieve the gospel, in between José´s baptisimal interview, and when we found out about his problem with the word of wisdom this week.  They have already decieded that they want to be baptised and married in the church.  Good choice.  

So, I think that was pretty much the week.  Elder Pires goes to brazil on wednesday, so I don´t know what will happen to me.  Transfers are on Sunday.  Yay!

So this week´s spiritual thought is about the Prayer of Faith.  D&C 42 14 says 

 14 And the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith; and if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not

 teach.

The Prayer of faith is key in our lives.  There are examples of the prayer of faith scattered throughout the scriptures.  Joseph Smith, Enos, Alma in Alma 31.  When we have no fear, and only faith, and pray to the Lord willing to do anything he says without delay, even if it is the most difficult thing that we have ever done, and have the faith to know that it will be for our good, then we recieve the spirit and our entrusted with power.  The greatest blessings come in life when we we use pure and full desires to motivate us.  Then we recieve answers to our prayers, and are recieve the spirit to help others.  

The Church is true!!!

Love,

Elder Sampson