IT'S OFFICIAL, I HAVE BEEN AWAY FROM HOME FOR ONE YEAR!! AND IT HAS BEEN THE BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE! I'm really just so grateful for this chance to serve as a missionary. Let's get down to it, shall we?
We had a slow week, working hard to find people to teach--you know, the same old thing but something great did happen. We baptized Inês this Sunday and it was so fun to see her dressed in white. She is only 10 years old and it was good.
We planned this baptism with extra care so our 3 investigators would feel the Spirit and be touched and more excited to be baptized. We prepared so well so that everything was perfect, we just needed our investigators to go to Church. We went by and taught Samira and Graca earlier in the week and they said they were going to go as well as the other Graca we were on cloud 9! On Saturday we were knocking doors in this area way up in the mountains, about 2 hours walking distance from the city when we got the call.... Graca and Samira said that they love us and know our message is true but they just don't want to have the "responsibility" to go to church every week and so therefore, did not want to meet with us and hear our message. We tried everything we could think of to help them with this but everyone has their agency. I'm not going to lie, it really hurt, we loved these two so much and just want the best for them. We sat down for a little bit and felt sad but then we remembered Moroni 9:6, "And now, my beloved son, not
We then got really pumped and said, "NO TIME TO BE SAD!! WE NEED TO FIND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE looking for the gospel!" So we started knocking doors and found Rafeala, who we taught.
The temporal thing I learned this week is to NOT take a shortcut if you don't know were it leads!! I know this sounds really simple but we were like 3 hours from the city and we took a "shortcut" that really just got us lost for the whole day... hahah, it was sure an unforgettable experience!
The spiritual thing is that we are in the refiner's fire right now...through these difficulties we will become the instruments in God 's hands that He wants us to be. Maybe this is preparation for someone in the future, ya never know!
It's going by too fast! I love you all so much!
-Elder herrmann
Another email came on Tuesday 8/1:
OI FAMÍLIA!!! At our meeting in Lisbon today we got some instruction from President Tavares asking us to let you know NOT to send any packages. Apparently there have been some problems. You guys can and SHOULD send me letters though:) We had zone conference today and man, I freaking love this gospel!!! There is nothing like being a missionary!! I never want take off this name tag. Also President Tavares is the best man I know. I am changing everyday and am trying to become more like my Savior. Everyone read section 76 of D & C if you want to get your mind blown! I love you guys so much and am loving my time here, but man it's going by way too fast!! Espero que vocês estejam bons!!! Tchau!!
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