The week of 5 Baptisms! (Week #43)

Hello World! 

This Last week was insane!

I told Elder Medina that it would be a rough week, as it was, but we definitly saw the results from it.

I went on 3 Splits last week, one Tuesday, Wednesday, and the last on Thursday. While some in the district murmured thinking it was not necesary, it definitly was, and it helped a lot! I would like to share with you all one of the many miracles that happened because of our hard work!

There is a man here named Tarciso. He has a brother who is a member of the bishopric in a city closer to Fortaleza, and in the Past he fought a lot with his brother about the church because he didnt beleive. Fast forward a few years and a good friend of his,Jonatas, encountered the missionaries and started taking the discussions. Tarciso was not a good example. I remember going on a split with Elder Lima 3 weeks ago and teaching Jonatas and Tarciso arrived trying to convince him to go out partying and drinking that night (not an influence missionaries are excited about in the lives of their investigators). But that same sunday 3 weeks ago, Jonatas went to expirament a church meeting, and by some miracle Tarciso decided to go too! This, also by some miracle, happened to be the one and only day that his Brother who is in the Bishopric visited, and they were in church together without coordinating beforehand! After that first day in church Tarciso started to read the book of mormon, but he had a lot of change to do in his life before he was ready to be baptised. And that brings us to last Thursday. 

I was on a split with Elder Lima in his area and we went to Visit Tarciso. We taught him about the Gospel of Christ and the power it can have in our lives. At the end of the lesson Elder Lima invited him to be baptised. Tarciso said he would think about it and let us know on Friday. But then elder Lima pulled out a Baptism Certificate and said ´´now elder Ferrell is going to explain what this is´´

I pulled out my Book of Mormon and we read Moroni 6 together that talkes about baptisimal forms and preparing to be baptised. Im not sure when, but at some point during reading that chapter, something clicked. Once I finished reading he looked at us and said ´´You can save that paper there because I´m going to be baptised this Sunday!´´

After he showed us a bottle of Whiskey he had been saving in his Bedroom for a long time. Im not an expert with alcohol thank goodness, but after showing the video to some other missionaries who are recent converts, they recognised it in a second! Aparently its REALLY expensive. But Tarciso took that bottle of whiskey, walked to the bathroom, and dumped the entire bottle down the toilete.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of baptising him. Miracles happen people! And I wanted to share this story with you to show to you all the power this gospel can have in our lives, and the power of the book of mormon. I cannot explain the feeling of seeing him dump that bottle of whiskey in the toilet, or the feeling while talking to his brother on the Phone, and having his brother thank Elder Lima and I, almost through tears, for helping his brother, and I cannot explain the feeling I had seeing him come back out of the water yesterday afternoon. 

God is real and he searches for his lost sheep.

I love you all!
Elder Ferrell

(my flash drive isnt working so ill send pics next week!)