This week ran quite a bit differently than the last few weeks. With Elder Thompson, as you probably noticed we found a lot of new people recently. A few showed quite a bit of potential. However this week we learned an interesting lesson.
Elder Thompson is a really great missionary. I know, everyone will say that about almost any missionary, but truly, Elder Thompson is a really dedicated guy. He has served a really good mission. From what I´ve heard and from what he´s told me, he has found lots of success on his mission as well, and is very humble. These last few weeks we found around seven or eight new investigators each week, we taught a few lessons every day. This last week however we had a rough one. We went almost a week straight without teaching anyone. But we kept going and we didn´t slow down.
Through all this, Elder Thompson was always saying "man, this is great, everybody rejected us today" or "aw raw work like this is just the best". He then told me that he really found this to be a lesson. He had success all his mission and now the Lord is just showing him now that he´s not in control of when success comes. Elder Thompson and I didn´t change anything about our efforts nor our techniques, but the success just dropped. Elder Thompson and I both recognized a bit more just how much the Lord is in control of when, where, and how his people hear his gospel.
(I´m in the mission office right now and theres a lot of noise so I hope what I write makes sense)
So, I don´t have a huge update, unfortunately the people we found this transfer are falling through the cracks a bit. It´s really easy to lose contact with people unfortunately.
Last week I forgot to give an update about the people we have worked with. Diego, our brazilian friend has been doing okay. He´s had a lot of trouble in keeping the word of wisdom, but he´s reading the book of mormon and has come to church alone 3 times now. He has accepted everything we have taught him so far, awfully humble.
Basílio is doing well. We are visiting him still quite a bit to help him retain what he has learned. He has put in a great effort. He´s actually read a couple chapters in the book of mormon, he´s doing well.
This week we got a call from Danilson. Danilson is a member for 4 or 5 years now and is working with Ivanilson in a delivery company. They deliver tv´s fridges, everything to tall apartment buildings. They called us the other day asking for help, they had to deliver a 107kg fridge up 4 flights of stairs, so they took advantage of our help. It was good to visit with them.
We hauled the fridge to the top in a few minutes, it was kinda funny. Elder Thompson and I took advantage of the moment and we talked to the family that was receiving the fridge. The mother was a Cuban who left her country and married a portuguese man. In the end they didn´t want to accept a visit, but gladly kept our card. Danilson and Ivanilson called us with this missionary opportunity as a previously debated idea haha, they had a bit of pride in the opportunity they gave us.
Ivanilson was interveiwed and qualified for the melkezidek priesthood, but unfortunatley didn´t make it to church after a long week of work. I´m not to worried, Tiago and Gary and Ivanilson already all talked to him haha.
Other than that, I think that this is basically an update. It was a good week, really. I learned a lot and had a good time working these last days of Elder Thompson.
Yup! Elder Thompson flies home tomorrow morning. I´m in Lisbon now, I will pick up my new companion, Elder Harker from Idaho, tomorrow and then we will return to Faro and I will contine working there for the fourth transfer, I´m excited to continue there!
Take care everyone,
Elder Ward
Some photos from the Castle of Silves
Traffic arriving to Lisbon
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