Letter #15

Dear Family,

We have decided that the Relief Society here is very strong and much better at integrating new members and so we have decided to baptize all senhoras aged 60 and up. Either that, or Elder Parker claims that my style is just old fashioned. We can only baptize those who empathize. Either way this week ended with a bang.

All week, we contacted the many references we had acquired from our activity, selecting a few as more promising as others, and taught these families. We had beautiful weather, too, I might add. We had an older couple who were our hopes for baptism this week. She grew exponentially with her testimony, and went from "The word of God is good" to "So, what do I need to do to be baptized?" I love watching this transition of faith take place. Her husband however, holds a position of no importance in a local, fairly anti-Mormon church that, while she was feeding her faith, was feeding his pride. Now, after our last two visits, he will not look at us, and barely lets us in his house. How sad it is that he is not ready to let go of something fine, for something eternal. His wife, after her baptism, also seemed to realize the gulf of salvation now existing between them and began to weep during Gospel Principles class, stuttering in her low, choked Portuguese that, "Who knows, right? Someday, who knows, he´ll come someday."

A principally large hurdle presented in Brazil is the decision to baptize quickly or give in to the incessant cries of almost every person we teach that, "I'm not prepared yet. Let´s wait, etc." At first I agreed, thinking, they barely know what the church is, the scope and depth of it all. They can´t possibly have any grasp of the doctrine.  But now I realize most profoundly the change that occurs at baptism once a person has been touched by the spirit of God. You simply can´t wait too long. In almost every case, a person ready to be baptized is ready in a week or two. If not, then they are not keeping the commitments that you have given them and thus, are not ready at this time.

Our baptismal service was interesting again, due the fact that she was leaving the city after church to visit her brother. This meant that the baptism had to be performed in the morning, 8 o´clock. Which meant that in order to have warm water in the font, actually water at all, we left for the church at 4:00 in the morning. I do not recommend this method of saving souls, but you do what you have to do: ) 

It was a quasi out of body experience, reading the conference Ensign and sleeping on the chapel chairs in the kitchen, listening to the font fill up. Oh yeah, and to help heat up quicker, (it takes a while) we boiled massive pots of water on the stove. Imagine my surprise when I stepped into the font, now 8 o´clock, and found that all efforts were in vain, the water heater apparently having stopped working. The water was very cold and she was a trooper. 

The president announced last week a mission Olympics, with points for each zone based on baptisms, confirmations, lessons with members, investigators at church and new investigators. And we.... are in first! The so called hardest zone in the mission, the hardest district. . . Never say never. We work in Tupã: ) The prize, when we hold our lead for the next week, is a p-day with the president, so I´m not saying that you should pray specifically for that every night this week. . . but it wouldn't hurt; )

Q&A: Yes, Schenewark is just as hard for Brazilians. I use sunscreen hourly. Every mom that has ever warned her child about skin cancer would be proud at my application. I have lived with: Elders Chambers, Abreu, and now, Anderson and Sander, two Brazilians.

Short letter this week, but its chock-full of LOVE. Remember the words of the prophets, to read them often. I Love you all, more than emails and letters show.

Your valiant defender of the truth,

Tanner

p.s.- I made a cake for district meeting this week; ) 

And can you find the lizard on the wall?