Week 82 168 Bucks

NOOOOO!!! This week was a bit of a struggle but it did have its amazing moments!! There is this road that we live on and it goes from 70 ks to 50 ks really quick!! It was late at night around 8:59 and we were on our way back to the flat!! I guess I was going 58kph and the hidden speeding camera got me!! I went almost my whole mission without a speeding ticket and now right at the end it got me!! Australia has hundreds everywhere. They are so frustrating. So now I have to pay 168 bucks for this darn ticket! Haha at least we were back by 9. haha

The sad news does not stop there. This is not a pity party for me but just the struggles of the everyday missionary! We had so many lessons set up with really good potentials, investigators, dinners... this week I don’t think any set lessons we had went through!!

We got so use to the texts starting out with "SORRY Elder..." oh far out do you know how frustrating that is!! Man you said it was going to work and we made our whole scheduled around it and now we have nothing!! We got to knock so many doors this week... It was not all in vain, we did find some that we think are really good people to teach and got their phone numbers so we are praying we don’t get that same text from them...

I am really struggling for things to think of to write about! I just looked through my planner and yup every day this week everything fell through. It was a tough week!! It did not end how we thought it would!!

About a week ago I got a call from a man named John. He said he was a member and would be coming to church this week!! He requested a Portuguese Book of Mormon. On Sunday we found out why. His partner is from Brazil and wants to read the Book of Mormon. Sadly they left church really quickly before we could set up a lesson. We also were unable to get a book from our mission office. They ordered one but it was going to be awhile. Out of desperation we asked everyone in our zone if they had one.

Luckily some elders had one. So we got it from them and called John and asked if we could bring it over. He told us to come at 5:00. We were a bit early so we knocked the houses around his street. Double miracle!! Two people on the street accepted a Book of Mormon and a return visit! Just at the door we taught a really good lesson on the restoration and got their phone numbers!! I think they could be really good!!

At 5:00 we came to the lesson and they were ready for us!! (Thank you Heavenly Father) John served a mission and still reads the Book of Mormon every day!! He is going though a divorce so he can’t marry Karol right now. So they are not living the gospel but are working towards it. Any way... we got to know Karol. She has been over here for 2 years and has been looking for a church. She said she never feels anything when she goes to everyone else but when John brought her on Sunday she said, “I felt something and want to learn about it!!” We jumped right into the restoration and I really got into it!! She reminded me of Alessandra Barbarossa from Gold Coast!! As we kept teaching the lesson I felt really prompted to just talk about the Spirit. I think we had just talked about apostles and prophets before Jesus Christ. As I started to speak about the Holy Ghost she said, “I feel something.” I said, “That is the Holy Ghost.” As I spoke of it, I don’t even know what I said but I know how I felt. It was the strongest Spirit I have ever felt in a lesson! It testified right from my heart that the church was true and I know that Karol felt it!! She was in tears as she listened!! The whole lesson was full of the strongest spirit I have ever felt.

For everyone that does not know, PMG is set up so we can teach people and not lessons. We still taught about the restoration but the way we did yesterday brought a whole new meaning on how to teach people!! John got right into it also!! He was like a little kid in a candy shop explaining about the principle and doctrines!! If you are struggling with your testimony at the moment or are wanted to feel a stronger spirit in your life, share your testimony with a non member!! Do missionary work!! So many people don’t have solid testimony because they don’t share the gospel!! I testify that the more you share the Gospel the stronger your testimony will be!! I have seen it my whole mission and I witnessed it with John!! He is so excited to start living the commandments and get married!!

Karol does smoke and they are working on marriage. I know though that as soon as we share with her those lessons she will follow it. I know that John is going to do all he can too!!

Right after she started crying I knew she was ready for baptism. There was no doubt that she would say no. She already has a spiritual witness that it is true!! She is the next Alessandra and Bia!! Boy do I love the Brazilian people!! They are so in tune with the spirit and are ready to hear it!! Dad you must have loved you mission!! They are an amazing people!!

So despite such a hard week in the beginning I know it was God preparing and testing me. He was helping me grow. Sometimes we have to go through hard things so we really appreciate the good things when they happen!!

The other thing I want to talk about is how amazing the Richins are. They are my new Grandma and Grandpa for right now!! Elder Richins invited us over for breakfast this morning!! Haha they just want us over all the time. We had a feast of waffles and fruit!! We had such a fun morning with them and a great conversation. I really love working with them. We found out that Sister Richins drove a race car back home. She told me, “Hey sometimes it is worth it to pay the 168 dollar ticket.” We both just started laughing so hard!! It though she was going to give me a hard time for speeding. I guess I’ll leave that one up to you Dad. haha just kidding.

I really love my mission so much right now!! Even though there are hard days and even weeks there are tender mercies all over the place if we are willing to look for them!! I so testify that this is true and that the Gospel is true!! It is not just a church, it is Jesus Christ Standard for us for our happiness!! I love this gospel so much. It is hard to live because it is worth it!!

I love you all and hope you have a great week with set appointments!! Oh I found out that it was Alessandra birthday on April 2. How cool is that!!

Love,

Elder Cahoon