Friday, March 11, 2016

WEEKLY UPDATE 3/7/2016

Alllllrightttt everyone... this week was super super awesome!!!

Started off awesome with a good ol' Multi Zone Conference where I was able to learn a ton!!! Every time we have these conferences I am able to realize how inspired of a man President Del Guerso is!! I learn so much with him and Sister Del Guerso and I am so grateful! He gave the whole mission a challenge for the month of march "MARÇO CINCO" which will be DOPEEE! haha he challenged each companionship to baptize 5 people in the month of march. Haha its super awesome, hes finishing up his mission and going out with a BLAZE!!!! I know that we will be able to do this. Because it was a revelation from the Lord and I am gonna work as hard as I can to achieve this! We also refocused a lot about the basics like planning effectively, effective companionship study and some other things which will help out alot! It was an awesome CONFERENCE!

Then elder bartling and I had some super awesome experiences this week that made us realize truly MARÇO CINCO was inspired from Heavenly Father. We had received a call last week from our bishop saying that he received a referral from a man who is a temple worker on Thursdays in the São Paulo temple and wanted us to visit his Friend who lives in our area. His name is Luis Carlos, and is personal driver for this man who works in the temple, He has known them for a very long time and knows a little bit about the church. We talked with him last week and told us to pass by on Wednesday of this week at 7;30. We went over and met him and his family. He is married legally to a woman named Alexandra and they have for kids. 18, 17, 10 and 5 years old. They also live with a woman named Rosa who is an older lady and helps them take care of the kids and house. We taught them about the Plan of Salvation and was an incredible experience. They loved the message. We figured out that they have some problems in their marriage, and a few difficulties getting along. We promised them that through our message, everything would become better. We challenged them to say a prayer in family that night and also for Luis Carlos and Laexandra to pray together alone before sleeping, Asking  Heavenly Father if our message was true and to help them stop fighting. We left and marked to back on Saturday, already seeing a difference in the family and the parents relationship. On Saturday, we received a text from Alexandra saying that it wouldn't work out for us to visit them on Saturday but that they would for sure go to church on Sunday. Being a little bummed but not discouraged, we said OK and waited for them at church. Waited, and waited, called, no answer, called again, no answer, waited more, and never got there. Feeling now discouraged and super bummed I began to think "why did this happen? they loved the message and PROMISED that they would come! why aren't they here?" Elder Bartling and I were fasting especially for them and that they could stop fighting and have a happy and united family, but to have that, they needed to come to church!!!! We finally talked to them after church was almost over and said they had slept in. We marked to pass by at 5;30 to go and teach them and to see what happened. I began to get frustrated and have the selfish thoughts that Heavenly Father didn't hear our prayers or recognize our fast. Super said and not understanding why. 

We ended our fast, ate lunch and visited a few other people and then went to their house. We went with a member Paulo, and when we got their we could tell that they were feeling a little guilty because they didn't go. We started talking again about the message we left last time and asked if they prayed. They said they did, and that it helped them alot. We started to teach them again, and all the sudden Alexandra started BAWLING out of nowhere.... We didn't understand what was happening. We waited a little bit, everyone even her family confused looking at her and at each other... After she calmed down a little bit we asked her what happened and she looked at us and said "I know that if I go to your church, I will stay there!" She explained that she had a dream on Sunday morning 3 times of seeing us at the chapel waiting in front for her and it woke her up 3 times and felt that she needed to go to church but couldn't get up. She told us how bad she felt that she didn't go, and that she knows we were sent from God. The spirit overtook the room completely and I just heard immediately my own voice saying "why did this happen?" "did Heavenly Father recognize the fast that we did?" and I felt so grateful to know that Heavenly Father hears and recognizes our fasts. Everything happens in HIS time and according to HIS will. He did answer our prayers, and pleadings. But people have their agency. He woke her up three times, and heard each and everyone of our prayers. The whole family apologized  and said that they will be there next Sunday for sure. We testified that this was Heavenly Father, and that his church is here on the earth once more.We invited each and every one of them to be baptized on the 27th of march and they accepted. This was one of the most powerful moments I have ever been on on my mission. I felt the spirit so strong and am so grateful to know that Heavenly Father loves me so much. I am so happy to represent his Son and his church her on the earth.

When we left, Luis offered the prayer and we all said it on our knees. He thanked Heavenly Father for sending two angels into his life. I cant describe how this felt. I am so happy to know that the spirit is the teacher in all things. I want to do everything I can to be worthy of that spirit so that he can teach these incredible people whom we meet. I love this gospel and love my Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ, I testify that He lives and loves each and every one of us! 

I hope you all have an awesome week,
Love you guys soo much!

Elder Barton                                                  
                                                        My companion, Elder Barling and Sister Guerso




Elder Bartling's one year mark




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