So this week has been a week full of blessings.  We did have a few people fall through to be baptized, but it seems like the Lord started throwing people at us to take in and teach.  We ended up meeting a woman on the street while we were lost looking for an adress in a part of the area we've never walked.  She helped us out, and told us that she has a nephew on a mission in Sao Paulo, but doesn't really know much about the church.  We returned there a different day and told us that there seems to be something missing in her family.  She goes to church every once in a while, but feels there is this gap in her heart that dulls the sensations of happiness she wants to have.  We were able explain to her about the Restoration of the Gospel, and how through it you can find peace.  She seemed a bit relieved, and then offered one of the most sincere prayers I have ever heard to end the lesson, thanking Heavenly Father for sending this message to her and asking for it to really be true.

Right after we had cut one of our softy pesquisadores, we were a bit sad.  Walking away from their house, we were heading to the next person to teach.  We heard someone calling from behind "ELDERS!!  ELDERS!!"  There was this girl running up behind us.  "Vamos marcar um dia para voces ir em minha casa?" (Let's make a date for you guys to go in my house?) Not gonna lie, the way she asked us weirded me out, but we went there another day.  Turns out she almost got baptized a few years back, but her mom didn't let her.  She already has a testimony!  She pretty much told us the first lesson, and then when we asked her why she needs to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it she said, "So God can tell me again that it is true, and that this is His church."  She's gold!  

We've had a lot of experiences like this this past week.  The field really is white, already to harvest.  

Our Recent Convert, Pamela surprised us early this week.  She has a good heart but always seemed a bit rebellious.  She came up to us one day, handed us her Book of Mormon and said, "terminado."  I was thinking "What the heck?  you just got baptized, and you don't want the church anymore?"  I asked her what she meant.  She told us "Ja lei tudo."  (I already read it all.)  Turns out every bit of spare time she had for the past two weeks she has been reading the Book of Mormon and she had just finished it!  Better yet, she is going to read it again.  The changes in her life are clear and evident.

So, just a few funny things we saw/did this week:

It was labor day here so there was this giant carnival thing with tons of great food right in the part of the area we were working.  I got myself a giant fried hot dog the size of a small baseball bat served on a stick.  Heck yah.

Also, we had a zone pday where we had churrasco and played some volleyball/soccer.

And my personal favorite, we got to see some good old brasillian enginuity.  We were walking down the street and we saw a big van moving pretty slowly.  I got curious to know why. (normally van drivers here are insane)  I looked toward the back, and I saw this brasillian guy on a motorcycle behind it, with his leg stuck out straight, with a painful grimace on his face as he pushed that cargo van down the street with his foot. hahaha  I wish I had the chance to take a photo.

Anyways, that is pretty much my week.  I hope everyone has a great Mother's Day and rest of the week.

Love,

Elder Stinnett