My last General Conference here in Brasil!

 

 

Hey everyone, so this has been hard week but I learned a lot! With General Conference this week I think Satan worked SUPER hard on the people here in our mission. It didn't help that everyone has to vote in Brasil and it is only held on Sunday. It was really hard to get anyone to church but this week will be better and we are going to strive even harder to get 3 people marked with a baptismal date this week. 

This week not a whole lot happened. We went and visited some of the less actives in the ward so that was good. We met with one sister whose name is Creuza. Creuza has a lot of problems in her life. She is struggling to just survive at times. But when we went over she accepted us with open arms! She was running but let us come in and share a message with her. We talked about the importance that we as baptized members have to go to church and partake of the sacrament to renew all of our covenants. She has been through the temple and has an amazing spirit. As we talked to her she said that she knows that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church on the face of the earth but she is going to a Baptist church which is much closer to her house. I promised her that if she would go to The Church of Jesus Christ again she would receive so many blessings but this last Saturday and Sunday she didn't go. This week we will go and talk to her again and try to get a member to bring her in a car.

One day I prayed very hard that I would be able to listen to the promptings of the spirit. As we walked and were working I had a feeling to knock on a house. We knocked and a man came to the door. He asked our names and what we wanted. As I told him we were missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ he nodded his head, and cut me off. "You have passed here before and I told you to never come here again. I will tell you one more time don't EVER make me get out of my chair to talk about 'Religion' again!!" As he said this there was sadness. Why do people reject their only Savior even Jesus Christ?? We left his house and I thought that I was listening to a wrong spirit but then I heard it again with a house whose door was open. I was determined to follow the spirit so I knocked. We then met Amaro and he let us in and we gave the message of the restoration. He is very Catholic but respectful. My companion started pulling the "Authority" card which helped him close personally. We went in and started from the beginning. During the lesson he seemed to lose a little interest and my companion was ready to go. We taught about Joseph Smith's first vision and my companion invited him to be baptized without talking about how we have the authority and without the Book of Mormon. After he ended I felt like we needed to go back and teach about authority and the Book of Mormon. As I did he changed. He accepted to read and to pray about the Book of Mormon and even accepted our invitation to be baptized if he received an answer. We then asked him to give the closing prayer. He said the Lord's Prayer and during it he started to cry. As he said "Amen" I asked him if he was alright. In his words he said "I have never felt something like this in my life". He felt the spirit! I know that if we would have just left without teaching the Book of Mormon he would not have had such an amazing experience. I think with the first man the Lord was just trying to see if I truly would follow His voice to see if he could trust me before we met someone who could be more prepared. We will go back to Amaro's house on Tuesday to teach him again and see his answer to his prayer.

I have seen so many amazing blessings from the lord though. Some HUGE and others small. Just to share my testimony with ANYONE who will let me into their house is a blessing. We have a message that we can share with everyone that allows all to Come unto Christ! As members and missionaries we need to this! IT IS ESSENTIAL!!! I love the time that I have here on the mission. I miss my family, I won't see my baby sister for 3 years, I miss sleeping;), driving a car, playing sports and going to the gym, but none of this matters at this point. I have a mission that is to bring souls unto Christ. I will have plenty of time to do those things after the 2 years of dedicated service. This is the time that I have to become a MAN and to learn how to listen to the spirit more in my life. The Lord lives, he has called prophets in these last days. President Thomas S Monson is his prophet today. I know these things to be true. If you have or haven't heard the missionary lessons, listen to them. They could change your life as they have changed mine. And if you already have heard them, hear them again and ASK GOD if these things are not true. I know they are and that is why I am in Brasil for 2 years. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I love you all and send you all a HUGE "X"-Sized hug!!

LOVE,

Elder Stilson