This week came with lots of changes and experiences, that I don´t know where to begin!
New companion, new responsibilities, new district,etc!
Lets start with my new companion: Elder Rodrigues.
Elder Rodrigues is from Cape Verde (the same island and stake as Elder Tavares), is 18-years-old, and has been on his mission for about 6 months. He has never served in a small branch before, but he is excited to get to know the members and help out the area of Castelo Branco! So far we are getting along great and are having fun as we serve hear. It is the first time that I am the senior companion, but we will work together as a companionship I know that this transfer will bring lots of blessings! I think Heavenly Father knew that I would need a companion that I could get along with quickly this transfer, so that I could transition more easily to being more of a leader.
This was my first week as being a district leader, and I must admit, some days I woke up with big knots in my stomach as I remembered this new responsibility. But so far things have gone well. I have had to solve a few problems, but everything works out in the end.
It also helps that I have some great missionaries in my district. Our district just has two companionships, so it´s nice that I don´t have to worry about too many people. We have Elder Dias, Elder Adams, Elder Rodrigues, and myself.
My goal is to really trust in the Lord this transfer to help me lead, to help me see and understand the needs of the missionaries in my district, and to help me feel more confident. Another goal is to really strive to have the spirit in our district meetings, because if the spirit is there, everything goes more smoothly!
This transfer I am really going to dedicate myself to opening my mouth! We have started contacting almost everyone that crosses our path in the street. We have met several nice people this way, and I have been able to testify of the truth of this gospel several times during the day to all types of people. I have a strong desire to find someone that is ready to be baptized this transfer, someone that will help this branch out of the small rut its in right now. I know that if I keep showing my desire (by contacting everyone, by planning the day well, by being humble), the Lord will bless this area.
We helped one of our members move a big piece of furniture this week ,and then we were able to talk to her a little bit afterwards. Irmã Lourdes is one of the "pioneers" in Castelo Branco. She has been a member for about 25(?) years, and is one of the most faithful members I have met. She told us about her conversion, and basically bore her testimony to us.
A story that she told us really stuck out to me. She has only missed church a few times in all her years of being a member, and she says that she prays everyday that the Lord will give her strength to keep going until the end of her days. She told us that one day she was on her way to church when she fell and badly scraped both of her knees. They were all bloody, and it was difficult to walk. She said to herself "I won´t let something like scraped knees keep me attending church, that is what Satan would want me to do." So she went to church that day, with bloody, painful, scraped knees and everything.
Irmã Lourdes is one of my favorite members in Castelo Branco, in part because the way she acts and talks reminds me so much of my mom!
One more experience of the week that I hope I never forget:
As we were planning for the day on Friday, I couldn´t shake the feeling that we should visit a potential investigator in the morning. The only thing was, he lived far away, and Friday mornings are designated for our weekly planning sessions. But I kept thinking that we should visit him. So we left the house earlier than usual so that we could have time to get there and still have time to do weekly planning in the morning. We walked all the way there, and no one was home. So we started walking back, contacting the few people that crossed our path (one was a couple who said we could visit them this next tuesday!).
About halfway back home, a man called to us.
He came up to us and asked us which church we belonged to. We told him we were missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He then asked if there was this church here in Castelo Branco. He asked us if we could meet him in the chapel later in the afternoon, because he had been contemplating taking his life that morning, and he needed to talk to someone. We quickly said that we could walk with him there right now if he had time.
So we went to the chapel with him, and learned that he had been living in France for several years, and arrived in Portugal two days before (a truck driver had given him a ride). He wanted desperately to return to his family in Lisbon, but had no way to get there. He had been on the street for two days, sleeping on a bench in the park. He had been to the police to ask for a ride to Lisbon or at least a bus ticket there. He had entered shops and restaurants, asking for a few hours of work so that he could earn enough for a bus to Lisbon. He had had no success. He told us he just wanted a new life, another chance, but he couldn´t see any way to get to Lisbon, and was tired of living on the street.
That morning he was on his way down the street to find a place to jump in front of a car to end his life, when he saw us.
While we were in the chapel talking to him, he didn´t ask us for any money or anything. He just told us his story and how he was so desperate to find his family in Lisbon. He said that if he had to live on the street for one more day, he wouldn´t be able to take it. We told him that he was a son of God, who loves him. We told him that our paths were lead together by God that morning (which I believe without a doubt).
As missionaries, we have a rule that we can´t give the money that the mission provides us to other people. But I felt strongly that I should use my own, personal money from home to buy this man a ticket to Lisbon. We wouldn´t give him the money, but we would go with him to the bus station to buy a ticket.
He started crying and said this is all he wanted, to go to lisbon and find his family. We said that we would do this, only if he promised that when he gets there, he would visit the church and meet with the missionaries. That this gospel could bring him the second chance that he wanted so desperately. We looked up on the computer with him the chapel that is closest to his house, wrote down the name and number of the bishop there, and the time that church would start. He said that he would do this without a doubt.
As we left him at the bus station, he was full of hope and gratitude, and I couldn´t help remembering the parable of the Prodigal´s Son (found in Luke 15:11-32).
I am so grateful that we were able to be the instruments of the Lord in literally saving this man´s life. That we were lead to his path that morning. I know that the Lord looks out for each of us, and cares about each of us individually. I know that through Him, I can do all things, and that this transfer will be one of stretching, but also one of growth!
I love and miss you all, and hope you have a great week!
Love,
Elder Barker
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