7 Aug 2011 - Jardim Castelão Area (Dad)

[Day 36 in a row over 100 degrees and still counting. Looks like we'll beat the all-time record this week. Not a record I want to experience beating.] Whatever, that would be a worthy record to experience. You live in an air conditioned house and everything so it doesn't really matter how hot it gets outside. How hot is it at night there? 

The people here are great, especially in this area. For some reason I have loved them a lot faster than any other area. Well I have gotten close to them I should say faster than other areas. I was a little shy, but I guess I'm opening up more. It's good to have a nice companion and great members. It makes even a hard area nice to work in. We got a baptism yesterday so the blessings are starting to come already. 

[I asked him about his school plans.] I could get Michael's job with my mop handling skills. I show off to the Brazilians with my broom balancing skills that I learned at college....yep a place of higher learning for sure. [I asked if the robber from last week was wielding a gun.] Yeah he was armed. He was throwing his .38 caliber revolver in my face but I made it out alive :) He didn't believe that I didn't have pockets either so he gave me the search. I surprised myself because I wasn't scared and I was talking to the kid with a little bit of sarcasm and joking around a bit....that's just me I guess. I thought it was a member, since they like to joke around like that. I even saw the gun but it didn't register. I just looked and smiled at the other duplo of elders waiting for them to talk to their friend...but they didn't.

[... As the prophets have mentioned, the only thing we can give God that isn't already His is our will, and ultimately that's all He's really asking for....] I watched a video on lds.org that was talking about that. There was rich guy that always wanted more money and stuff. The missionaries talked to him and told him that God didn't want his money or anything else he had. All He wanted was him! It's so true. People try to please God in other ways, but He just wants us to follow His commandments. It's the way we show faith and our love for Him. Pres. Batt or someone said that good missionaries say that they are serving to help themselves or help share the gospel, to share the joy that they have etc. But the great missionaries will serve because they love God. Of course, they will do the other things, but first and foremost they will do it for their love of God. We need to follow Christ not for blessings nor fear etc but because we love Him. That is true obedience!