Happy Halloween, folks! Hard to believe that November is
rolling around already. Time flies. Have I ever said that before? I don't think
so. In any case it's worth saying again. The office has been good this week,
I've had a few great experiences that really only happen in an area like this.
Which has been swell.
1)Trust- The coolest part of the week by
far happened on Wednesday. Well, I was approached by the mission president on
Tuesday night, when we'd returned from working in the area. These last few weeks
have been zone conferences. We attended the first couple and haven't been going
to the further away ones, just the assistants go in order to give a majority of
the conference. But President talked to me and said that on Wednesday he wanted
me to go to the conference with him. Just me. And President and Sister
Fortunato. I gave the training of the secretaries and was President's point man
throughout the day. It was kind of crazy and it was great to spend time with
the president and see that he really trusts and respects me. He's an amazing
and powerful leader and I know the mission is going to go far this next year.
We got to talk a lot on the two hour car trip there and back, and he gave me a
bunch of good insight on how to be a better missionary.
2) Halloween- Brazil doesn't do
much for Halloween...I saw one kid with a costume and he also had a USA shirt
on. We got really excited when we saw that. Other then that, life was pretty
chill. We did celebrate that night in typical American fashion--eating a
mountain of candy and wanting to throw up. We did the most possible as
missionaries to dress up that night, switching name tags and messing up our
ties. So it was pretty crazy.
The elder we helped out last week stayed with us another
week, and is returning to the field tomorrow. I'll be sorry to see him head
out, he's an awesome guy who has become one of my best friends on the mission.
Though we're just glad he's staying!
3) Clean Slate- So after a number of
events and investigators moving, etc, we have been left in an interesting
situation. A clean slate. A new beginning. Starting from nothing. Well, that's
kind of an overstatement. But not really. We're leaving the office every night
now and working like crazy to find people to teach, using the bare-bones that
we have--a list of members, a map of our area, and the members themselves. We
don't have an area book, have three hours to work per day, and are working in
an area that is literally just apartment buildings. Wish us luck, right?
Wrong! Luck ain't got nothing to do with it. I'm actually
excited about this fresh start thing because I know it's going to teach me how
to be a smarter missionary. I talked about it to President on our car ride, and
he offered his help. That's no small thing. He took us in yesterday for a
private training on how to plan and improve in our area. So we are beginning to
visit less actives, asking the Bishop, Quorum Presidents, and Relief Society
President for names and families to help, and offering our service. We're doing
a ton more contacts and talking to everyone we come into contact with. And
miracles are going to happen! Are happening, actually. And I'm excited to see
what's going to happen this next week. I'll make sure to let you all know
afterwards all the amazingness that happened.
The first miracle happened yesterday, as we headed to the
area after our meeting with President. As we walked down the street to contact
someone the Elder's Quorum President gave us, we heard a call from behind us.
Looking back, we saw a young man nearly running after us. He asked us if we
were from the church in the Savassi. We said we were. He said he'd been there
before and wanted to go back/learn more, was looking for a church in his life.
Yes, that's right, someone made a full contact with us on the street.
That does not happen. We got his info and he promised to come to church on
Sunday. So that was cool.
So that's about that. Next week is going to have some
awesome stories of miracles and extreme missionary work, so stay tuned! I'm
super excited about life and absolutely love being a missionary. This is where
I need to be right now.
This gospel is remarkable. The blessings it offers to the
world, to the broken-hearted, to the weary, to the family, are unfathomable.
They defy the imagination. They surpass our comprehension. They are for
everyone. Be it knowledge, understanding, and strength that help us overcome
difficult times or the sheer joy that accompanies a testimony, these things are
universally promised to those who follow the Lord's path with all their heart,
might, mind and strength.
And we need to share it!
This church is true. This work is vital. I love it. I love
you all. Stay strong.
Much Love,
Elder Burt
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