Last night we were walking home through a ´´favela´´ (which would be a ghetto neighborhood) and I wanted to just sit down and cry. Haha it was weird, but I just wanted to cry. I was overcome with emotions. We had just finished teaching two families that I love to death and I didn't have a desire to return home and plan. I just wanted to teach and invite more and more and more families to come unto Christ.
It´s strange. I feel like I still have an eternity to be a full-time missionary, but at the same time I feel like I´ll be home tomorrow. It´s like time doesn't exist anymore - it´s so close yet so far from the end. Definitely the strangest feelings I´ve ever had in my life.
Anyway, on to the week. My companion had misplaced the keys to the church in the parking lot this past week. We were without the keys for more than 3 days. Saturday came and we had marked a lesson earlier in the week to be taught in the church. We got there 25 minutes early in order to look for the keys for the 50th time, haha. After 5 minutes had passed I had the thought just to pray. I looked at my companion and perceived that he was hating life - haha he was so frustrated with his error. I went over to him, put my arm around him, and said, ´´Let´s say a prayer. I know God will show us where these keys are.´´ Not kidding, 45 seconds later IN FRONT OF THE DOOR next to a plant, lied the beloved keys. Haha I was so happy. Before opening the church door, we said a prayer of gratitude. I know that He hears our prayers.
Yesterday we got to church and saw that one of fathers of a recent convert (our investigator) wasn´t at church. We waited the first hour (here, sacrament meeting is the 3rd hour) for him to show up. Nope. ´´Let´s get him Elder!´´ I told my companion. We left church to hunt him down. We finally got to the house when he opened the door. He then started with all of the excuses that I´ve heard a million times on the mission:
´´Ohh but I need to make lunch for my daughter... And I went to bed late last night... And I´m not feeling too great today... Let´s mark it for next Sunday... And.... etc´´
I cut him off on the fifth excuse and said, ´´Oziel, here´s your ride. Let´s go!´´
I put my head down and made my way to the car without his response... I heard the door shut. ´´Oh no,´´ I thought. ´´That wasn´t the best idea I´ve ever had...´´
I looked behind me and he was buttoning up his shirt! Haha he came! And not only did he go to church, but he cried furiously in the Sacrament Meeting. I looked at him towards the end of the meeting and thought, ´´Yes! The Spirit got him.´´
Haha I feel like I´ve developed various techniques on the mission of ´´How to Avoid the Hated Excuses Missionaries Always Get.´´
Well, sorry for the letter. I don´t know what to write. I´m completely immersed in this work. I´m giving everything I got to Him that I love. I´m exhausted, unlike any time every before, but happy, unlike any moment in my life before.
With love and a GRANDE ABRAAAAAAÇÇÇO,
Elder Welch
-Thank you for your prayers and faith. I´ll report back on next Monday about Afonso. The baptism should happen Saturdaymorning. IT WILL BE MY LAST LETTER HOME AS A MISSIONARY...
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