Monday, March 26, 2012

So, I got here and we didn't have hardly any investigators because they had either stopped cut or baptized them all before I got here, so we have been doing lots of finding. We were able to get many new investigators this week. A new investigator is someone whom we taught a lesson, and they agreed
for a specific return appointment to follow up (Preach My Gospel).  Normally in other missions (USA, Europe) a good week is about 7-10 new investigators. In our mission in Rio, the president wants us getting about 15 per week. This week E. Mimary and I got 20. We have been contacting and talking to people on the street like crazy trying to get people to teach and this week paid off. In one day alone we got 8 new investigators. At the start of the week we were not having too much success with getting lessons, and people we were talking with on the street and setting up appointments were falling through. We realized about thursday-ish that when we were working for the day we weren't following our plan we had made the night before. Our mission president said that when we plan at night at the right time, it is when we receive the most revelation for the following day. Basically we were receiving revelation for the day and not following it, just kind of going where we thought we should go or who was closer. Saturday we really put this principle in effect and followed our plan, and that's when we got 8 new investigators, including two families. We will return to one family this week and see how their reading of the Book of Mormon was, but really it was a huge spiritual experience seeing how following our plan we had made almost everything fell into place perfectly.
   Among these investigators is a history teacher (man) who seemed really interested in our religion. He is well versed in religious matters because he invites missionaries of every type to hear their views on religion. He told us that he does not agree with very many religions because of pastors receiving ridiculous amounts of money, or not believing in Christ and these kinds of things. He agreed with us on everything we taught him though, and we showed him the BofM as proof that what we teach is truth. He loved the Book of Mormon, because it presented the history of the ancient people of the Americas, people who had lived here in Brazil. We invited him to be baptized once he received an answer that the Book is true, and he said yes. We are very excited to be able to work with him and see how he will progress this week.
  I actually will finish the book of Mormon for the second time here on the mission today. Reading is slow because the only time I really have to read is during personal study, and 30 minutes I use up
to do PRP, and I still have to study PMG. Our mission president wants us to study PMG every day here on the mission, so some days I only get through a chapter or two during personal study. But, I have begun reading the BofM more during down time like before sleeping or before personal study, and it has accelerated a bit.
  The 900 members I mentioned last week are not all in Cabo Frio but in other cities as well, very long from the chapel. Eventually, to reactivate them we will need wards in every city because it's just too
far. But with groups and branches and wards, they will eventually be reactivated.  
Have a good week!
Lots of Love,
Elder Baldwin