This week felt so long. Don't know why.
We had another baptismal interview with an old lady we have been teaching. She's probably the first old person I've met out here who has been even remotely receptive to the gospel. Like most of the adult women in Brazil, I'm a little terrified of her, but she's nice enough. We had the interview with her on Saturday, and almost everything went wrong. We were going to watch The Restoration with her and her family before the interview to get them all really excited and to help them feel the influence of the Spirit, but their DVD player doesn't work. So we went without. My companion and I brought the zone leaders from the bus station to conduct the interview. The one doing the interview was talking with our investigator in private for 45 minutes. When they came out, they explained that even though she knows, understands, and believes everything we have taught her so far, she doesn't think she's ready to be baptized. She said she thinks she needs to become more familiar with the Bible first. Blargh.
We've been teaching a guy named Roberto since I got here, and we were hoping he could be interviewed for baptism on that same Saturday, but he flaked on us. We watched The Restoration with him on Friday. We bore testimony of the things we have been teaching him. The Spirit was strong. But he's still kind of indifferent or wishy-washy or something (I have forgotten how to speak English, obviously) about baptism. He has been going to church for longer than I have been in this city.
Anyway, we didn't have a baptism this week. We could have (should have?) had three, or at least two.
I'm just getting tired of teaching these same people all the time. We have been working with the same few people for weeks, and they just don't seem to be that excited about baptism or the Church or anything. I don't know what we should do with them.
The members here are awesome, but there is a little bit of aportasy going on in the church down here. Yesterday during elders quorum, the quorum president was teaching a lesson about the sacrament. Although there was some good discussion about the importance of the ordinance and all that, the way they talk about worthiness makes it sound like you have to be perfect in order to take the sacrament. Oh, and the irmão teaching said that it was a huge sin to leave the deacons' bench or the sacrament table after you administer the sacrament. He said that if you do, you are no longer worthy to pass or bless or even take the sacrament. Oh, and he also said that the branch president is, begging your pardon, "the Christ of the branch." Oh my gosh. I really don't know what to do about stuff like this. I feel so helpless. My companion and I are kind of at a loss for what to do with the branch here.
Other than the disappointment and false doctrine going around this week, I'm doing just fine. I received the photo album and letters from Mom and Dad at interviews this week (thank you soooooooooooooooo much!!). Still waiting on my Christmas package. It's just sitting at a post office in Ribeirão Preto, waiting for the secretaries to go pick it up. I hope the postal workers don't send it back home!
Really though, I'm doing well. My companion is awesome and we're working hard. I am learning more about the gospel and about myself every day. The Church is true! The mission is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, but I know that it's good. And it's right. And it's true.
Eu amo vocês! Tchau!
Um grande abraço,
o boooooooooooga
