Serra - Week Sixteen

To answer questions first, transfers will be next week. Our mission will get 20 new missionaries, which is a ton! We have been getting a few more sisters, but not much. From everything that I've heard, its okay to come still, but I think that might be something to talk to the secretary about.

I had an experience this week that changed my mission and the way I see things in the gospel. Me and my comp have talked a lot about some things and I have felt that I have really grown.

To start, what helped me learn was our zone leader talking about how our purpose is only baptize and saying a lot of things that I didn't agree with such as there is no point in teaching lessons and getting new investigators if they don't accept the baptismal invite on the first go, or if they are having trouble quitting smoking or any other change, just stop visiting them and try to find the "elects." I got really frustrated because it's not the Lord's way. We are representatives of Jesus Christ. Our purpose is so much more than baptize. If I can help someone come closer to Christ, helping them have more faith, helping them believe more, helping them feel the Spirit, helping them change, even if they didn't get baptized,  I fulfilled my purpose. My purpose is to invite othesr to come unto Christ, helping them have faith in Jesus Christ and in his Atonement, repent of their sins, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. If I can help someone in any of these steps, I succeeded. A reactivation, a renewal of a covenant is just as good as one made.

Numbers, are not what's important. What is important are the things you can’t measure. Love, charity, faith, kindness, service, obedience, diligence, the Christlike attributes.  That is Christ's way. I thought a lot about Elder Holland's talk from conference about the first and greatest commandment. Lovest thou me? Feed my sheep. We are to emulate the Good Shepherd. We do this by caring for the flock individually, being sensitive to the needs of others and focusing on helping them. Our numbers will be reflective of our diligence, but only in a way. I don't need to teach 10 lessons in a day to have an awesome day, but if I helped just one person feel the spirit and come closer to Christ, my day was a success. Our job as missionaries is to establish the Church, and one way to do that is through reactivating. The church here in Brazil only has a 20% activity rate. I feel like that is because missionaries here focus so much on the number of baptisms, and not the quality of conversion.  That is what I have learned this week. Our work in the church shouldn't be so much, How many? but Who? Christ, the Good Shepherd knows his sheep, each one, and loves them. As servants of Christ in his church, we should do the same. Know those you work with, their needs, and focus on helping others reach salvation, and not just the number of people present, or not.

We have decided after studying Preach My Gospel that we won’t teach lessons without members. We will focus on only teaching lessons with members present, and working much more with less actives and part member family to work with reactivation, and to get more references.

I feel like the things I have learned this week will stay with me for the rest of my life, and I have also seen things that are almost the same in my patriarchal blessing, which helps me know that this was a lesson that I needed to learn. =)

We have a few investigators close to baptism, and a few we are starting to teach that have a lot of potential. We are still working with Daniela. We're trying to get her to read and pray about the Book of Mormon everyday. Because we know that if she does, she will get her witness.

Sometimes we just need to stand up for what we know is right.

The First sign of Love has always been Loyalty.  Loving Christ means being loyal to him and his gospel. It means helping others as he did. It means doing what Christ would do.

Everyday I think about that primary song, "If the Savior stood beside me, would I do the things I do? Would I follow his example and try harder to be true? Would I think of his commandments? Would I live more righteously, if I could see the Savior standing by watching over me?" This song has become something that I can't forget. It helps me look for opportunities to serve, to do good works.

I know that this church is true, even though we have faults. I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to be truly happy in this life. I love the mission, even with all of its difficulties, disappointments, and hardships. I love it because never have I felt so much joy, happiness, or Christ-like love towards others. Never at one time have I  grown so much. I know that this is where I am supposed to be, and that the mission is supposed to change me, more that it should change others. I really love Elder Holland's last talk. Especially after learning this lesson.

I love you all. Keep up the good work. =)