The Seven Word Sermon

Elder Hunt overlooking Favela Guapira

Favella Guapira

To start off the week we did a division with the zone leaders of Zona Jaçana, which Elder Burt is zone leader, (so I stayed with him.) During the whole district meeting Burt didn't sit, and in the street he was walking a little strange. 

Guapira

At lunch Burt broke the news "Hunt, we've got a problem, my right testicle is swelling at a fast rate and we need to go to the hospital like now!" So we went! haha. 

Elders Blaylock, Hunt and Burt at the hospital

Burt with the nurses

It was actually the same hospital that I went to when I got dangue...brought back some good memories...haha...To realize Burt's worst nightmare, 4 women nurses attended him, lol. But also there was Elder Burt's comp, Elder Blaylock, from Maryland, I quite liked him, he is literally the Mormon version of Dylan Duke, like seriously. And there went our division, tests, ultrasounds, and lots of waiting. Poor Elder Burt :( Good thing he's an awesome zone leader and nothing gets him down! :) He'll have a big come back this week, I know it! :)

A Sick Protein Drink I found

A little acai is always good in Brasil ;)

On Thursday we had the mulit zone conference for the zones in the capital! President and Sister Farnes gave amazing trainings on our missionary vision and the Atonement of Christ. 

Elder Roberts, Elder Pereira, and Elder Hunt

We gave trainings and hosted a Q&A’s session with the zone leaders and all the missionaries. AND we also introduced our new baptismal goal of 360 baptisms in the month! It was a tiring day, but it was so spiritually recharging and edifying that the fatigue didn't even matter :)

Lucas, one of our recent converts

Elder Hunt with 

Nicole, Engrid, Carlos, Kaio, Eric, Pricilla and Gustavo on their baptism day

The remaining days we worked super hard in our area and in the end we had 7 baptisms! :) Carlos, Kaio, Eric, Pricilla and Gustavo were all baptized and they are all friends of Gabriel who was baptized last week! And Nicole, (Fabiana's daughter, Lucas' sister, who were baptized last week) was baptized this week! And also little Engrid was also baptized! It is so wonderful to see The Lord's hand in his work, blessing us so abundantly with these baptisms, incredible.

P-day pizza in the mission office collecting numbers

Some spiritual thoughts that were very impactful this week were a few things I came across about Grandpa Faust. Something very interesting was the difference between when he served in Brasil in 1939  “we didn’t accomplish much except for the changes in ourselves. I feel it was one of the most productive and valuable times in my life."

An Awesome Christmas Gift

Protein chips are the future!

In 1975 almost thirty-five years after his mission, Elder Faust (Grandpa) returned to Brazil as an Assistant to the Twelve to preside over the work in South America. From the standpoint of convert baptisms, this second mission was, of course, much more productive. “I’m grateful that the Lord gave me another opportunity to serve there,” he says. “It’s a great source of amazement and personal satisfaction to see how the Lord has smiled upon those peoples and countries where it was so difficult in the beginning.”

I see this very much as the hard work that was done by Grandpa and others in Brasil's early days platned the seeds and now it is The Lord's time for us to reap and redeem the promise in D&C 4:4.-"For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;" This is the time to thrust in the sickle and harvest! The Lord's work is accelerated and will not stop any time soon!

On Sunday, with recent converts, investigators, less actives, we brought 25 people to church!  Here are some of them, but I couldn't get them all.

Getting everyone to church

Grandpa’s Seven Word Sermon kept me thinking and pondering for some time this week,  "I’m just going to leave you with a seven-word sermon. But you’ll have to remember what I’ve said. The seven-word sermon is “Remember who you are and act accordingly.”’

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Hunt

Who knew there were grapes growing right next to a favella?!