Ha, yet another emergency transfer happened this week... I got the call last pday at about 2 o clock that President needed some help cuz some stuff happened with another companionship and some changes needed to happen, so I got re-transfered on Thursday and am now back here in my old area of Sete Lagoas, with Elder Da Rosa again :D
So, being back in 7 lagoas with the same companion has been really interesting. Elder Da Rosa as well as me myself have both grown a TON in just these last 4 weeks of being with different comps. This week we've been a lot more focused, a lot better at teaching,and above everything, better at following the Spirit. It's been kinda fun going back and visiting Gisele and Caios and seeing how they're doing. Gisele especially seems to be basically a new person. The only though thing I've seen though is that ever since those first days of finding these people, up until the baptism, and then even up until now, not even one of these converts has had a visit from the members :( I'm not bashing on the members or anything cuz I wasn't at all a member missionary before the mission, but I'm learning in kinda a harsh way how important fellowshipping as well as home teaching is, and will be for me after the mission. These people that start out their new lives in the church are so new and so... well, basically like children. Their testimonies aren't all the strong, and they need the help of developed members so much. It's also been really interesting cuz when we went there to give a message or something, both of us were at such a loss of words of what to share or do to help them. It was a big testemony to me that we, as missionaries, have done our part, which is helping them start their journey. And now, it's out of our hands to help them out. It was a really interesting thing the way the Spirit testified of this. It's amazing how varied the things I've learned and am learning are on the mission.
The work is going really really well this week. We've had a few lessons these last few days where the Spirit was SO strong during the 1st vision and the baptismal invite... Seriously the whole room felt warm and the feelings that all of us had in our hearts were overwhelming. We've been focusing on helping these members help their own friends learn more about the gospel, and in just 2 days we found 3 friends of members that have accepted the invite to be baptized! They already have this friendship with members so I'm so excited to see how they progress. We also had an awesome experience yesterday that showed SO vividly how the Lord controls everything in our lives. About 3 weeks ago in Veneza, me and Elder Gaertner had done some contacts and ran into a girl named Ingride. She said she was at her dad's house and that she lived in Sete Lagoas. We took down her info and I laughed cuz I realized it was in my old area in 7 Lakes. Anyways, 3 days ago I was talking with Elder Gaertner and he passed me the info of Ingride who I'd totally forgotten. Yesterday we went there to her house, she remembered me, and we ended up marking a baptismal date for the 28th!! It's absolutely amazing to me how every single thing that happens has a purpose. Even the problem that happened here in Sete Lagoas and having me be sent back here :) Also, Marta in my last area didn't get baptized this last week cuz of a family emergency, but she's dying of excitement to be baptized this next sunday.
Well, amazingly enough I hit 11 months on monday... So crazy how all this works. It's beginning to sink in a little bit with my finally how with time passing the way it does, there's no going back. Even though another 13 months seems like it's a lot of time, I'm realizing that regardless of if I'm impatient with time, love my time in Brazil, or what ever other attitude I have, above all else is the fact that I only have 2 years to do this work, and a lot of that 2 years is already passed and will never come back. I'm realzing that it's the same way with life as well. Regardless of if we enjoy, struggle, or love life, the time that passes doesn't come back. Kinda intense to think about, but I'm just glad to have the gospel so I can at least progress and grow the way the Lord wants me to. I love this work, thanks everyone for your prayers. I've really needed them this week and have really felt the power from family and friends' support. This is the only true church on the face of the earth, and what a blessing it is for us to be a part of it :) Hurrah for Israel!!! I hope the Lord is blessing you all as much as He's blessing me here.
-Elder Ballard
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