This week was incredibly spiritual.  It made me remember just how powerful the influence of the Holy Ghost can be if you let it into your life.  We had talked to a pesquisador in the street that refuses to read O Livro de Mormon because it doesnt have logic.  I gave him a bit of logic about the Book of Mormon and then explained that knowing things about the Book of Mormon wont convert anyone to the gospel.  To use our limited minds to try to make sense of the things of God is impossible.  The only way we can know things is to leave behind our doubts, listen to the promptings of the Spirit, and trust God.  Out of my mouth came the exact words that I, personally, needed to here.  

Sometimes it is easy to push off a prompting of the Spirit because it doesnt make sense.  For intance, this Sunday we were knocking on the doors of our pesquisadores to walk with them for church.  We were about to go the last house, when I got the feeling that we should pass by the house of Furtunato.  His house is out of the way and he told us he didnt want more of the church, but we went anyways.  We knocked and knocked and noone answered.  I started to doubt it was a prompting of the Spirit. Then a family walked up to us and the husband told me-Hey I really like your religion. I want to mark a date for you to come by a teach me.-  It was a simple as that.  I knew in that moment that it was for that reason we were prompted to go to the house of Furtunato.  

In another instance this week, we were prompted to walk an abandoned road on the outskirts of our area.  I made a contact with an elderly lady and her son (about 75 and 45 yrs old)  They let us in and the Lady went to go get water for us.  While she was gone, the son was going berserk.  He was holding his head and  saying he is seeing fire and two saints in front of him (pointing towards us).  Then he told us that he is Christ and wishes to bless us and then started screaming.  When the Lady returned we asked her if he is always like this and she said yes and she didnt know what to do.  We sang the hymn Mais Perto Quero Estar and were able to give him a blessing of comfort.  After the blessing, he sat in the chair completely still.  After a minute he said in a voice completely different -Caraca!  Eu fui abençoado!-  He was completely different.  We left and we havent had the chance to return yet, but I know by what power this happened.  

Ok, heres a funny story.  We were walking home one day and we found our ward mission leader talking with one of the young men in the street.  We stopped for a few minutes to say hi.  I saw a group of 8-10 Brasillian girls about our age approaching.  We didnt want to see what would happen, so we said our goodbyes and started walking home.  What we didnt notice at first was that the group of girls increased their pace.  We increased ours too.  With the grace of my long legs, we were making space between us.  The girls kept calling out--Vem ca!  Pare!  Eu gosto de pastors!  Especialmente quando eles são Americano!  (Come here! Stop!  I love pastors, especially when they are American!)  It was really funny and creepy at the same time.  Elder Lima told me I have to watch out because they have really bad intentions....

Well, this has been part of my week.  Hope  yall are well, Eu amo voces.  E a igreja é verdadeira.

Abraço,

Elder Stinnett