This week went by really fast because 90% of
the time we were on the road!! We had 2 workshops scheduled for everyday this
week! We started in the Algarve and made our way up to Lisbon one day at a
time. So after p-day we went to Milena and Sirlei’s house in Faro (members I
knew from serving there). We were both
super excited to see each other! They also invited Angleica and LetÃca, my
recent converts in that area. Our dinner consisted of laughs, jokes and games,
nothing changes! A large part of my heart belongs to the people there. Man Angelica
and Leticia are doing so well! They have such a passion for the gospel!!!
Angelica sent me a text this week saying, "I went to the temple in Spain
last Friday and was baptized for my great grandparents. I made the last session
of baptisms with a group from Faro.
Everything was SUPER WHITE and everyone was super nice and they helped
me understand a lot of things. When I was baptized for my great grandma I could
really feel a "thank you" from her, I could feel her feeling of
thankfulness. I never met her but I am so happy to help her enter this
path." WHATTTTT like wow!!! These two 22 year olds are the only members in
their families and with everyone they know in Brazil, how did I get so lucky to
meet and teach them the gospel? To see the progress of your recent converts is
the best feeling in the world. They will return to Brazil after college at the
end of this year. Letica and her mom live in Rio de Janeiro. Seeing them and seeing their progress was a
highlight this week!
We had workshops the next day, and I taught a workshop to Sister Madsen's area! She was a great friend growing up and lived just around the corner from me my whole life. And we were able to
talk in a different language! How cool is that! She is doing great--picking up
Portuguese fast and excited for the work! It was good to see her.
The rest of the week was just 2 workshops every
day. In one of the workshops I was talking to some Elders about one of their
investigators who was moving back to Cape Verde and was ready to be baptized.
The Elders had done a great job teaching her but lacked boldness to get her
baptized. So we talked and decided to go back to their area right after the
meeting and fill up the font with water. We met with her and the Spirit touched
her heart. We brought her to the church and had her baptism that very moment.
It just showed me that Christ is calling us to follow him NOW. Not tomorrow but
NOW! And if we give our faith and sense of urgency to follow Christ--he will
work miracles through us.
In our area as far as the work goes, nothing
really new happened. Tiago is running from us, but Jennifer and Nilton and
Paula’s family went to church. Their papers are in the last stage and require a
25 day wait. Then it’s marriage and
baptism time!
We had a stake conference and it went super
well. Elder Karl D. Hirst, General Authority Seventy from England, came and spoke. He was
really inspiring and talked about the sacrifice of Christ and how we can go
below his suffering. And the reassurance of knowing that our savior LIVES! He
lives today and is always helping us.
One line he said that I loved was, “We have not sinned tomorrow…tomorrow is
always a new day to improve and come unto Christ.”
The mission is great. Wouldn't trade it
for anything.
-Elder Herrmann
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