My most powerful weapon in teaching is testimony

So this week was probably the funnest week ever! And the fastest week ever! It felt like about two days.

   The language is getting better and better.  It's a slow process but it'll happen. I'm just glad I'm not Colton learning Cambodian. Whenever I am frustrated with the language I just think "It's not Cambodian. I can do this." Oh and I pray too! It's not just that. 

 

 

   Teaching went super well this week. So Tuesday, Elder Rangel had a meeting in Piracicaba, so I was in a trio from Monday night to Wednesday morning. I went on splits with Lucas for the night to teach ______ and ______. After we went and knocked doors. We normally don't knock doors after dark because people don't like to open the gate for strangers at night. But we didn't have any other visits to make, so knocking we went. Made two appointments for later in the week, then we got an unexpected surprise. We were just making appointments because it was late and I didn't have my real companion. Then one guy (he's not more that 20-21 and lives alone) says that he's really busy with work so he doesn't know when we can come back, so we could come in and teach then! We taught the first lesson and it went super well! He was super receptive and said he is looking for answers in life through church. He wasn't lying when he said he's busy. It's been hard to meet with him again but we'll get there.

 

 

   We taught __________ and ________ every night this week and on Friday we met with their parents. She said she has noticed how ______ (the older brother) has changed and she is fine with them being baptized if it will help them!!!!!! So I had my first baptism yesterday and now all the kids except for the baby are baptized in that family. The parents are super nice and love the Elders.

 

    On Thursday night the Bishop showed us a family he is friends with for us to teach we got to know them and just talked a little bit about how the gospel blesses families and our purpose in serving a mission then set an appointment for the next day. When we returned, the mom had her sister's family over, so it was the aunt and her two kids as well. We taught the restoration and as I was bearing testimony about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith at the end, I looked over and both the moms and the oldest daughter where crying!! It was an amazing lesson and I can't wait to teach them more!

 

   Then _______ is an investigator of many sets of missionaries. His wife is a member and he comes to church every week. We visit him often and share messages. On Saturday we decided to teach him the Gospel of Christ lesson and ask him whats keeping him from baptism. For the second day in a row as I was bearing testimony at the end of how the steps we make through the gospel make the last step of enduring to the end possible, he started crying too. But... he said he is not ready for baptism yet and he just needs to wait for the right time. Then the next day as we were preparing for the girls' baptism, we walked in and the bishop was talking with _______and his wife. With the bishop, and his wife, and the spirit as backup, he said he wants to be baptised Saturday!! So we will have another this week!

 

   So what I learned this week is that  my most powerful weapon in teaching is testimony. After those couple of experiences, I remembered a line in my patriarchal blessing that said I would bless lives through my testimony. I also read a letter that Ashley wrote me that said testimony is the most important part of teaching. It is the cue for the spirit to come and testify of my testimony and nobody can dispute pure testimony. So in these first few months as I may not have all the words to teach with the power and grace I would like, I do have a testimony that doesn't need grace or beauty. It's my testimony of the things I teach and the spirit gives it all the power I need. 

Love you more than calda de cana,

Elder Cam Little

 

PS.  Calda de cana is like drinking tears from an angel! Changed my life!! This lady has a volkswagon hippie van with a sugar cane crusher machine thingy. For 2 real we get a pitcher of sugar cane juice with lime. SOOOOOOOOO good. 

Then there's this other fruit that is equally scrumptious, but in solid form. I can't even compare it to anything we have in the US, but its incredible. It's kinda tart and has theses pearly brown seeds inside. They don't stick to the fruit at all. Ease of eating adds to the wow factor.