Bom Dia Pessoal! I hope you are all well and loving life ’cause that’s what we are doing out here. This week was very, very different from what I’ve been doing every other week until now but, it was a blessed week nonetheless.
We had our references training on Wednesday which consisted of just 7 missionaries on a Zoom call, all trying to think of the best way to do this new calling. After about 30 mins we decided to just try and get started. Sometimes I feel like a receptionist scheduling doctor’s appointments but other times I realize I really am giving eternally saving opportunities for hundreds of people every day. I don’t like getting hung up on or receiving rude voice messages, but I love finding people who say they have been waiting for a chance to meet someone to help them know Jesus Christ.
As for the work in our area, it was also surprisingly awesome. With only 5 hours every day to work, we somehow got 7 people to church when we normally average 4 people on a good week. What is also great is that 2 of them have dates for baptism, 1 accepted and just needs a date, 3 just need to be invited, and 1 called us asking to schedule his baptism! Domingo de Milagres!!
Something I’ve noticed now that I’ve been out here a little longer is how powerful the Spirit is. When I started, I felt I was convincing people to be baptized, that I had to prepare an argumentative essay just to show why baptism was actually something they wanted and needed. This week, I’ve felt so much relief and peace in making baptismal invites because I’m not relying on myself. The doctrine, scriptures, and spirit, all speak for themselves, I’m just here to present them to God’s children and let the Light of Christ within them decide.
On Saturday, we explained fasting to a recent convert using this scripture in Helaman.
“Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.” – Helaman 3:35
I love this scripture because after explaining what fasting is I always ask, “How did they ‘wax stronger’ when they chose not to eat or nourish their bodies for a period?” The answers I get are varied but can be summed up in one line. “When we rely completely in our Savior, His strength works through us and makes us enough.”
Sometimes, we unintentionally prevent the Spirit from working fully because we rely on our own strength, words, teaching styles, and automatic responses. If we were to let ourselves go, and feel for just a moment more vulnerable, God will have the chance to make us more. Being made stronger in Christ is being made strong enough to do everything He asks of us.
That’s all folks, Tchau tchau for now!
Com amor,
Sister Alyssa Grace
Jaboatão Dos Guararapes, Brasil
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