Monday, February 27, 2012

27 Feb 2012 - Palmeiras Area (Mom)

[I had heard that the Fortaleza Mission was one of the baptizing-est missions in the Church.] Fortaleza is one the most baptizing-est missions in the the church, and sometimes the most. I have been in the most baptizing zone in the world. ;) I baptize, just don't tell you every week when I baptize. It's my little secret. :) It is definitely a lot easier here than many other missions. I haven't knocked doors for months on end. Here success comes from members and stuff like that. You don't have to knock doors to scrape for people. Missionaries do it, but they "waste" time that they could be using to do more productive things. Some of the best missionaries here have never knocked doors.They just know perfectly how to use the members and stuff. I don't know what I would do if I had to knock doors and stuff like they do in America. I spent the early part of my mission doing that.

Be grateful of your Elders Quorum and home teachers. :) Home teaching is non-existent here in Ceará. Sometimes they don't even have duplos set up. If they do, nobody does it. I guess it's because everyone thinks that is my job. The mission changes you a lot. I am kind of excited to go home and do home teaching :) It will bring back the good old days.

I learned a lot about teaching and helping people when Elder Bednar came. People just don't get home teaching, temple attendance etc. We can't just teach them what is important. We have to teach them to go and act and use faith. Nothing we will teach them will stick. If we teach them to go and try it out, go and pray, go and do their part then they will receive from God and that will stick forever. It is a more difficult way of teaching since you don't just throw information at them. He also said we cripple people, parents cripple their children by giving them all the answers. He talked to us about learning by faith aka by acting and doing.

I have learned a lot. Maybe too much for my little brain. But, for once in my life, I desire to study, to pray, to go to church, to get better etc. I don't just know, but I actually love it and I want to do it. I knew before the mission, but it was just a knowledge. I love you mom, I love the gospel, I am so very thankful for the gift of repentance and the chance to change.

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