Working hard

Hey everyone!

This past week has been pretty interesting.  We had divisions with the zone leaders this week and it was different because I was out of my area for 2 days.  I was worrying about our investigators and wondering how they were doing.  I was trying my best to help Elder Florentino (my Zone Leader) but it was hard to focus on his area when I had my own teaching group back in Camargo Novo to worry about. 

(View of the new area)

I got a great email from my Mission President this past P-day (the 22nd) and it was wonderful to feel the spirit of that great man.  I know he is following the spirit of our Heavenly Father and leading our mission in success.

(Working through his socks rather quickly with all the walking)

So President emailed me and I was told that we need to raise the level of missionary work in this area.  The challenge went out to the full time missionaries, the ward missionaries, and the members in general (specifically in this area because the past results have not demonstrated the success that the rest of the mission is experiencing).  That is why I was transferred here and he expects me to help the area to have more success. I received the email from O Presidente and it struck my heart to the very core.  I have prayed, fasted and studied as the email outlined as well as work with the members, missionaries and less active members.  We have really been working hard and it feels great at the end of the day when you are so tired and yet very excited about the folks that you are teaching.

(A cheeseburger from McDonald's...he was pretty excited about this)

And the Lord works in mysterious ways.  We receive references through emails from the Mission office from time to time and we got one from "Rita".  We went to check it out and see what level of interest she really had.  We went to her home and it turns out to be two sisters that are interested in learning more, Rita and Heloiza.  A mother and her daughter.  The mom, Rita, is a little eccentric, but they are great and I love them.  We taught them the Restoration and during the First Vision they said that they had felt something that they had never felt before and we asked them to describe it to us and they said that they couldn't because it was so good!  We explained that the feeling they were having was the spirit of our Heavenly Father through the Holy Ghost testifying of the truthfulness of the things we were teaching them.  How awesome is that!  The way that she found the Church is a miracle in itself!  She was talking to a member through Facebook or something, and he told her about the Church and told her to check out Mormon.org.  She did and submitted her info online.  We received the reference from the Mission office and now they are marked for baptism this next Sunday!  How fantastic is that! 

(Elder McKeon with his companion Elder Haskell)

We also had Nelson in Church. He is the son of a member here and we have been passing by him for awhile.  He has never been able to go to Church because something always comes up at the last minute.  This past week, while he was getting ready for Church, a friend of his offered him to go out and do some activity (I don't know what) and he turned it down because he said, "I need to go to Church, these guys have been telling me to go and I need to go".  He told me that and I about started to cry.  I gave him a big hug and he said that he had a great time there with his mother and he is also set up for next week for his baptism as well!

Then the best of all.  We were in the Quorúm dos Elderes and we see this super tall man walk in and introduce himself as Zilto.  We talk to him after the aula and his FAMILY was there too!  A family of 4 that had been invited to come to Church by their neighbor and they actually came!  They said they loved it too!  We were going to pass by there on Sunday but they went to his Aunt's home.  So we are going to pass by there tomorrow and answer all of the questions that they had about church!

This was a great Sunday that we had!  I am thankful for all of the prayers and blessings that I receive from you, the ward, my friends and our Mission President and from the members in the temples all over the world.  My Mission President made promises in his email to me and they are coming to fruition!  I am so grateful to be here in Brazil and I love the gospel!

Love,

Elder McKeon