Happy Halloween!!! they don´t celebrate halloween here, but I bought myself stickers to commemorate... I might have an obsession.
also shoutout to Haley---HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Crazy that this is the 2nd birthday of yours that I´ve missed, but I hope it´s a good one!!!
Here in Sao Paulo, we´ve been hearing that on November 15th, we will run out of water. Our area president, President Claudio Costa, asked us to fast on the 16th. Yesterday at church, our bishop reminded us that many times in General Conference we were counselled to support our leaders--we have to do so now, especially supporting our local and general leaders of the church. That was a good lesson for me. I remembered the first presidency message like 2 months ago in the Ensign/Liahona was ``are you prepared?`` Here everyone is asking themselves that. How grateful we should be for a prophet, and how wise it would be to heed their counsel.
We have also been working with Wellington more--he is super solid. This week...
On Wednesday, we spent almost the entire day walking around--we were finding seriously no one home. We kept working and everything until we decided to try to visit a recent-convert. On our way to her house, guess who we found in the street...Wellington!(miracle that we found him--met up with him at that very second! it was a tender mercy. diligence brings blessings!) He felt sick that day and didn´t stay for school. He ended up just going home after work, which is super rare for him. He told us that he had read up to 1 Nephi 6 that day on the bus and really liked the Introduction and everything so far. He invited us over to his house and we had a quick follow-up and gave him the rest of the pamphlets. It´s also been perfect because at church the past 2 sundays the lessons have been the law of chastity and temple work--2 lessons that we NEEDED to teach him. Then on Sunday, as we walked to church that morning, Wellington told us that he has read a lot of 1 nephi and loves Lehi´s dream--he taught us more about opposition; that his family has been super burdened lately--especially since we started coming over. However, he talked a lot about his faith and how he believes that he will be blessed for doing eveything that he´s doing. It was amazing; he was teaching us. Then after church, we felt prompted to teach him again in the chapel with Evelin, a returned missionary. The lesson went so well. It started off with a prayer then Evelin said, ``Sisters, I think Wellington has something to tell you.`` Then he said, ``Saturday, I´m going to get baptized.`` YES!!!! We then had an incredible lesson with them and the spirit was so strong. Evelin was able to really encourage Wellington because she is the only member in her family and she served a mission. Now Wellington is talking about a mission and his biggest difficulty is that he wants so badly for his family to be a part of the church. I´m so grateful that Evelin could be there. It seems like EVERYTHING fell into place this week to prepare Wellington to be baptized--he has been taught all the lessons(even lesson 5) and yesterday night we did a review with him and gave him a pre-baptismal interview. I´m so grateful to be a part of teaching Wellington. This week I was reminded of a story in Acts about the apostles:
``Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space; And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. (Acts 5:34-39).``
Gamaliel didn´t have much faith in the apostles, but I love his logic--if this was my work( the work of men), there would have been no way for Wellington to be prepared for baptism.
Wellington is super excited to invite everyone to his baptism and he wants to visit the temple later that day. Tomorrow we, as missionaries, get to go to the temple--yay!!!
--Sister Sadie Bledsoe
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