Olá!
I usually base my emails off of what I write in my journal during the week, but it seems that I slacked off in the journal department this time...haha. Lots of good things happened this week though, so I will do my best to remember them all!
This last friday, we had a branch activity! Our mission presidente wants every ward or branch in the mission to have a specific activity planned by the missionaries each month. This month´s theme was the Plan of Salvation. With the help of the Roques, we were able to plan a pretty good activity! We had each room of the chapel represent a stage of our eternal life ( Pré Existance, Our life here on Earth, and Life after death), with food, videos, and short explanations.
However, the end was the best part, because we surprised Elder Roque with a birthday cake (it was his birthday the next day)! He had specifically told us that he hates to be surprised, and didn´t want anyone to know it was almost his birthday. Well, Sister Roque didn´t listen to that, haha. We sung happy birthday (the portuguese version), and celebrated his birthday there with most of our members. I´m sad that I didnt take any pictures, but it was still fun.
Manuel and Susana--I am so excited for their baptisms this Saturday! Everything seems to be falling into place for this to happen this time! They came to two sessions of General Conference this weekend, and seemed to enjoy it. In fact they came to one of the sessions where none of our members showed up, haha.
In one of the lessons we taught to them last week, we brought one of our members, and I am so grateful we did. The member we brought with us was able to get to know Manuel and Susana a lot better, and was able to become friends with them. She didn´t help much with the teaching (in fact she said a few things that made us cringe, haha), but what matters most is that Manuel and Susana were able to feel welcomed by her.
We are trying to do everything possible to help Manuel and Susana this time. All of my prayers have included them. We will have contact with them everyday. We have fasted for them two times already. One of those fasts, we did as an entire zone of missionaries for all of those people who have a baptism date. Our zone leaders sent out a message with the names of those we should fast for, and when I saw the names of Manuel and Susana, I felt so touched and so grateful for everything.
When I think of them, all I can feel is pure love, and I know that that is the love that Christ has for them. I know that if we continue to work and have faith, everything will go well this weekend. I just ask that you guys pray for them as well!
This weekend we had General Conference (where the prophet and apostles and other leaders speak to all the members of the Church around the world). To watch the sessions live, we watch them at 5pm and 9pm on Saturday and Sunday. The 5pm sessions we watched in the chapel with the members, and the 9pm session we watched half of in the chapel by ourselves.
I always love General Conference and the guidance we receive from Heavenly Father through our leaders. I always try to take notes, because if I don´t, I will forget everything, haha.
I think I got the most out of the 9pm Sunday session, because I decided not to listen to help myself, but to try to find ways to help others through what I learned. I felt so much more guidance this way, and I felt the Spirit so strongly.
I love you all, and I hope you all can follow the counsel that we find in General Conference to live joyfully, follow the Savior, and to have an optimistic view of the future!
Com Amor,
Elder Barker
P.S The picture that I´m sending is of me and Celso Mendes, the cousin of Jesualdo, Rosa, and Claudia. He is leaving today to live in Guiné-Bissau again for a year. We will all miss him!
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