WOW, this week was so
so so good! I like my new comp, Elder Richards, a lot and we work really hard
together and want our zone to have success!! We have been thinking how to help
our investigator Rodrigo receive an answer to his prayers. After a lot of thinking and praying we
thought we had the perfect idea. We decided that we would read the story of
Enos from the Book of Mormon to him and show him how Enos received an answer.
We called President Tavares to see what he thought, he said it was inspired and
would help him a lot! He told us how to study it and the way to teach it to
him. We taught him that lesson and the Spirit was so strong! We could see that
his testimony really is growing. He wants
to find out the truth so badly. Everyone has their own time table and he is
going to keep trying!
On Tuesday after the
lesson we were walking and we got a call from the office Elders. They said to me, "Elder Herrmann, how
close are you to the airport?" I replied, "A couple of miles."
They then said without hesitation, "Run over there as fast as you can and
get on the first plane to Lisbon.” (They forgot that they needed to book a
flight for us for the mission council meeting for the zone leaders.) So next
thing I know I was just running my guts out, thinking it was close but in
reality it was super far. We went on a dead out sprint for about 30 minutes to
the airport. We got there and saw that there was one flight. I called the
office and they said to do everything we could to get on the flight (in a panicked
voice)! I felt like I was in a James Bond movie trying to get on this flight
speaking a different language and trying to convince the airport workers. We ended
up NOT getting on and leaving for Lisbon that night. I think it was good
because we didn’t have anything packed or prepared. President and Sister Tavares
called us and said that they were sorry for the mistake and that could
participate in the council through skype and that they love us. They also said
that they wanted me to share an experience I had last transfer. It’ll be hard doing that over skype.
The next morning we
watched the conference and I called in to tell my experience. The conference
was great and we learned about creating a vision for our zone, how we can reach
our goals and how we can be better leaders. I loved it. I think in a way it was
a good thing we didn’t go to Lisbon because that day we had 3 lessons and 2 new
investigators. That night we taught Rodrigo again and taught about the plan of
salvation. He loved it and in the end he opened up to us about some of the
things that have happened in his life. He got bullied really really bad and hasn’t
found a lot of happiness in his life. I
was really sad when he was telling me all of the things people have done to
him, but yet I am hopeful because I know that the gospel can help him find true
happiness.
Man our zone is great! We have a bunch of missionaries who are
really excited to teach and spread the gospel.
We are working on setting and reaching goals that we can control or are
up to us through our effort. If we are
doing all that we can do the Lord will bless us with people who are ready to
hear our message! We have a goal of 7 baptisms!
Every night we call the district leaders and get so excited and pumped
so that on both ends we are screaming, “VAMOS BATIZAR!!!!” I love it, reminds
me of football haha!
We got a call from the
AP´s saying, "We are really close to our goal for the month as a mission and
need a couple more baptisms. Call your
zone and see who is ready and has been to church 2 times already and baptize
them tomorrow!!" We called all of our missionaries and saw that the
Sisters in one area might have someone but it was a long shot. The sisters went and taught their
investigator and she said she would be baptized that day!! What a miracle!! We
are 1/7th of the way there!!
My Mom always asks
what I am learning spiritually and temporally.
What I have learned temporally—I think it would have to be that if I
clean things up as I mess them up, a little every day, it is way better than
putting it off until we have a big day to clean everything! Even if it is inconvenient or we don’t feel
like it--it is so much better--instead of waiting until one day to clean it all
up. And if I just took a few minutes
every day the house would always be clean.
Spiritually, Elder
Richards and I want to be “consecrated” this transfer. We are doing something called a 40 day
fast. Basically we started off with a
fast asking God to let us know all of the things we are doing that hurt the work
and how we can fix them. Then when the fast ends we write down a list of all
the things we should and shouldn’t do. For example one of the things I
shouldn’t do is think about football while I am working. We have a long list of
them and are trying to do or avoid them for 40 days, hoping that in 40 days we
will have developed a habit and be more consecrated. I have already seen how my
work and having the Spirit with me has improved because of this challenge. We
also wrote down all of our dreams, desires, and wants for our lives after the
mission and put them in a box and locked them up. We can’t be thinking about
those things during our time as a missionary! We are on the Lord’s time!! No
distractions!! It’s been hard to do but it really will make a difference. I
know it sounds a little cheesy but it has helped us. I don’t want to just give
all of my stuff up to the Lord but I want to give him ME and my whole heart! I want
to be his servant and not think about my wants and desires only what he wants
me to do!
I know that this Church
is true. I love it so much and testify that it really brings happiness into our
lives! Eu espero que voces tenham uma boa semana!!
-Elder Herrmann
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