Well, it rained here this week. Quite a bit. But the good news is that
the mountains are covered in snow around us, making it look like we
are in Utah or something. Elder Tobias and I had a good time
contacting every human soul that breathed in the streets (with little
success, but most of Vic now has their very own Jesus Christ pass-along
card and the address of the church!). People are mean sometimes though
haha. My favorite thing to do is if I see they're not interested, I
asks if they’ve read the Book of Mormon (in my hand). They usually say
yes (especially if they're from Ghana or Nigeria), and then I follow
that up with asking them if they know the book’s true. When they say
yes, we invite them to be baptized (they're left stunned, confused and
surprised at the question), and surprisingly a few accept! The most
prepared people we find are the ones who are the least prepared for
the contact. So you make the most of it.
Well, Geraldo’s family will probably be baptized in a little bit, we're
planning to give them a lesson if they keep going to their pastor
with questions. We've taught them all get the lessons, but the pastor’s
been giving them lots of doubts and because of it it’s been hard to keep
the spirit in the lessons when Geraldo shares random scriptures from
his pastor meant to prove us wrong (even though they just confuse his
family even more). We have faith that they'll pull though, but we'll
have to give them space if they pastor makes them any more confused.
In other aspects of missionary work, we've been working hard. Even the
rain couldn't stop us from us having the most amazing miracle! So a
few weeks back during an intercambio, Elder Tobias heard some lady
speaking Portugese on the train to Vic. After talking to her we got
their address, but she wasn’t too interested to hear anymore. That is,
until Saturday when we decided to pass by again, and we met her niece,
Linara who's 27. Even after just meeting her, she wanted to come to
church since she's heard of us before in Brazil. And she did! She
loved the meetings even if she can't understand Spanish very well, she
had great questions, and she's coming to a family home evening
tomorrow evening with us! I love passby miracles!
One day up in the mountain town of Ripoll, two missionaries, a gringo
and a Brazilian, were walking down a skinny European street. While the
Brazilian was on the phone, the gringo had the impression to try
opening this random door. It opened, to his and their surprise, so
they went to the top floor and knocked on the door. A Spanish woman
opened up (named Carmen), and to their surprise she had been praying
for help, since she was sick, alone and knew the Catholic Church
wasn't true. With mouths wide open, they wrote down her number, gave
her a pamphlet, prayed, and left. Both were left surprised, and
feeling blessed to have been in that little town of Ripoll that night
to be instruments in the hands of the Lord. Tomorrow we're hoping to
have a good lesson with her!
So yea, good, but hard week, and with the worldwide missionary
broadcast this week, interviews, and maybe snow on the way, this
should be an amazing week.
My spiritual thought is a quote from a quote from a talk by Dallin H
Oaks in Oct. 2000. "All that I have I desire to give you--not only my
wealth, but also my position and standing among men. That which I have
I can easily give you, but that which I am you must obtain for
yourself. You will qualify for your inheritance by learning what I
have learned and by living as I have lived. I will give you the laws
and principles by which I have acquired my wisdom and stature. Follow
my example, mastering as I have mastered, and you will become as I am,
and all that I have will be yours.”
"From such teachings we conclude that the Final Judgment is not just
an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts--what we have done.
It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and
thoughts--what we have become."
I love and miss you all!
Adieu!
🇪🇸🌴Elder Taylor Moulton🌲🇪🇸
District Meeting
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