Hello Friends and Family,
Well... this week was tough. My comp. got strep throat and I ended up getting a cold so we lost two days of our work going to the doctors and trying to feel better. It´s so difficult just sitting in the apartment w/ no entertainment and nobody to talk to. We just put on church videos such as "The Testaments" and "Finding Faith in Christ". I still have a sore throat but I´m feeling much better.
We started the week off hot by finding a new investigator last monday night and we really got to know her. Her name is Sandra. She is really struggling w/ her problems in life right now. We taught her the Restoration and taught a little differently than normal. The spirit was SUPER STRONG. We both received promptings and impressions on what to say. Sandra told us she felt this burning feeling in her heart that was bringing peace to her. We testified that this was the Holy Ghost confirming that what we were saying was true. She told us that sometimes she goes and sits in her car on the beach crying and pouring her heart out to Heavenly Father asking him to send her a light so that she may know that he is there and if he loves her. She told us she feels in her heart that we were that light. What better thing can a person tell us than that? She accepted the Book of Mormon and the invitation to read and pray about it. She even told us she would read and pray that night for an answer because that´s how bad she needs help. Upon leaving the house, I told Foutz that I believe she was a Tender Mercy sent from the Lord. Elder Foutz told me that that was the most powerful 1st lesson him and his comp. had ever presented to anyone these past 19 months of his mission. We had also marked her for baptism the 6th of March. Unfortunately, we haven´t been able to get ahold of her since we first talked to her. It´s so hard because you find these people who are SO elect and prepared for the gospel in their lives and then Satan tries all he can to change their mind when it matters most.
Speaking of the Law of Opposition, as all of you know and have asked me, we had our investigatior Bruno marked for baptism this past saturday. We tried to meet w/ him throughout the week but it became difficult once we became sick. Eventually, I got ahold of him on the phone and we marked an appointment w/ him friday afternoon at 2pmto plan out his baptism. Well, long story short, he didn´t show up to the church at 2. We called and called and no answer like always. Since his baptism was the next day, we really needed to talk to him. We decided to trek up the mtn. up to his house to see if he was home. Turns out he was, and he was with a girl. When he opened the door he instantly started yelling at us asking why we showed up at his house and why we were calling him so much. He was like you know I have a life? This kinda made me mad. We told him we were just there to plan out his baptism, something he wanted for himself, for the following day. We told him since he had combined an appointment with us at 2 and didn´t show up and wouldnt answer, we thought maybe something had happened to him and that´s why we were there. He then said that we were pushing him too much and that he has a life to live. This was him yelling at us still. We were like okay, we will talk to you later then. I think he was mostly embarassed that we had knocked on his door and caught him with his jeans in his hands. So basically that was the end of that convo. He ended up all mad at us for no reason and we ended up really dissapointed in him. We tried calling and texting him the next day to tell him we wouldn´t be able to do the baptism but that we wanted to talk and clarify some things but he didnt answer. Foutz and I both decided that we didn´t believe he was coming to church for the right reasons either. So yeah. I was pretty sad walking back down to Praia after that convo with Bruno.
But then this week I was reading the Portuguese liahona from nov. 2015, the conf. talks, and I came across the talk by Henty B. Eyring titled," You are not alone in the work", from the Priesthood session. In this talk he says that he went to a stake conf. in which they called out more than 40 young men to be sustained to the office of Elder. He came to find almost all of these young men were less actives that were brought back to church by their Elder´s Quorum President. Elder Eyring spoke to this young man and asked him how he did this great work? Basically the yound man says, "I know all the less active guys in this city. Most of them have trucks, and so do I. We wash our trucks at the same car washes and, with time, we become friends. Then I wait for something bad to occur in their lives, which always does. They tell me about it and I listen and don´t accuse them of anything. Then, when they say,"There is something wrong w/ my life...there simply has to be something better than this." I tell them what is missing and where they can find it. Sometimes they believe in me, and when they do, I bring them with me."
I really like this story because it basically says we cannot force people to change their lives and be baptized and partake of the happiness this gospel brings, but they have to choose to change it themselves. We as missionaries are just here to present the gospel, and present the Holy Ghost so that the people can feel it is true. We cannot convince people it is true no matter how good of a missionary we are.
So basically, Foutz and I both decided that it simply wasn´t Bruno´s time yet. Something will eventually happen in his life in which he will realize he needs this gospel because it is the only soultion, but this time hasn´t happened yet. Although we didn´t baptize Bruno, I believe we were sucessful because we presented the Gospel w/ the spirit and planted a seed for Bruno´s future when he realizes he needs it.
What is important is that we grew and we learned from this experience and will apply it in our seek for true elects prepared by the Lord. Although times like this can be frustrating, I have faith in the Lord. He promises that with obedience we will find sucess and I know that because he always keeps his promises.
Im so grateful for all of your prayers and love and support and for all of those who write me while I am out here. You trult help me keep moving forward and I am glad to know I have so many people who love and support me.
Keep being strong and keep striving to be the best you can be and the Lord will mold you into the person you want to become.
Hope you all have a great week!
Love,
Elder Haroldsen
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Élder Brandon Michael Haroldsen
Missão Portugal Lisboa
Rua Jorge Barradas Nº 14C
1500-370 Benfica, Lisboa
Portugal
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