...a few things learned...

So I feel a little more educated this week. Last Wednesday we had "Nova Força" or in other words a training for all the new missionaries and their trainers. It was a really quite humbling experience because I felt like I was learning everything all over again in the mission, and I think I came away from the experience feeling like I needed to improve more things than my companion. We did a lot of "practicing"- how to invite people to be baptized, how to make better contacts on the street, how to ask the right questions in lessons. It is always really good to practice these things because in the mission after so much time, we usually fall into the same routine and even the lessons we teach can get a little "memorized". It was a spark of energy and inspiration that I was needing in the mission!

On the way home we were going to catch a train back to our area, but it rained heaviliy that day and there was a flood on the railroad tracks. We were supposed to be at a Family Night at 7:30 and were supposed to pick up an investigator (Michelle) and her family. I called Michelle to tell her that we probably weren´t going to be able to pick her up, and that we would arrive really late at the Family Night, so that she should call her Aunt to take her (a member). Ironically at the train station we ran into the couple that were going to host the Family Night. They had been waiting for 45 minutes for the tracks to clear, with no hope. We all hopped back onto the subway, for another 40 minute journey to the nearest bus station, and another 30 minutes by bus to our area. During this whole process of transportation delays, my companion got extreme motion sickness and on the last leg of the journey hurled her guts into a plastic bag. Hold tight folks, because what I am going to write might make you nauseaus. We had eaten watermelon as part of our lunch in the mission home during the conference and her vomit has an amazingly powerful odor of watermelon and I couldn´t help but laugh over this fact, and later she had a good laugh too. When we got off the bus, she went to throw the bag away in a trash can on the street, but the bag didn´t quite make it and landed on the ground. We walked away very quickly. And no, we didn´t make it to Family Night.

Thursday we went to Michelle´s to ask for forgiveness and explain all of what happened. She accepted the apology and we started the lesson. She told us that she had read and prayed and that she felt really good inside. I asked her "What do you think these things you felt mean?" Her answer: "That I should be baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ". AHH! I smiled and said "Okay, let´s mark a date" Her reply "Can it be on Sunday?" YES!! We taught her all the commandments, but she said she already knew them and obeys them (she has gone to church on and off for the past 2 years with her cousins and aunt and uncle). She was interviewed on Friday, passed with flying colors, and was baptized on Sunday after Sacrament Meeting. All of the Young Women stayed for her baptism and they sang a song from the YW´s music book and a few of the girls bore their testimonies!! It was the greatest support I think I´ve ever seen at a baptism in all of my mission!! She will receive the Holy Ghost next Sunday in Sacrament Meeting. For now, we are still teaching her with the Young Women´s and her mom too. Her mom said that Michelle is "the seed" in her conversion process, but she knows she will take a little bit more time as she has to stop smoking and drinking first!!

I will send a picture next week as I left my cord at home on accident! We also received transfers on Sunday night.

My companion and I will be staying in the same area for the next 6 weeks, if not more time. We are excited to see more results in our work and to bring lots of souls unto Christ!! Keep us in your prayers!!

I was also studying Alma 26 today, in which Alma does nothing but THANK the Lord for all the blessings that they received in spite of all the hardships they had. I was inspired by a few versus:(3) Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work. (8)Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever.

Let us be instruments in God´s hands, bringing our bretheren unto him, feeding his sheep, and singing praises, for the Lord doth work righteousness forever!!

Have a wonderful week everyone!!
Sister Tittelfitz