Well this week has been crazy.
So Monday we set off and packed up to leave Braga. We traveled litterally all day to get to Lisbon. We left at noon and got there around 4:22. It is genearlly a 3.5 hour ride, but this time it took an extra hour . . . how fun!!! I was told I had a special calling as a missionary different from other missionaries, but wasn't told what. I was also elected to go and hang out with the sick elder . . . so for the first time in my mission, I got to go to bed an hour early!!!
Tuesday I actually woke up refreshed and was told by president that my calling in Foz de Douro was not to baptize but to clear up the problems in that ward. It is a ward of roughly 20 members. . . .it should be a branch. He said that is why the zone leaders were sent there. He also gave me his complete confidence and said that I would be supported by him and the stake presidency. He then said that Jaime Azevedo in the stake presidency now specifically requested that I be transfered to Foz to help with the problems When President Neiva (ex branch presidente in Viana do Castelo and current stake president) found out that I was in his stake, he seconded the motion. That night was a fun night. We traveled to Foz de Douro and had a meeting with the bishopric. The bishop is the ex patriarch and he was old and cool. The other people there were 60 year old men. So, We asked, what there vision was, they said that the ward grows and nothing else. When we asked how they responded that was the reason they were having the meeting. We then showed them some forms that need to be filled out for new members and less actives and asked if they were filled out and they responded that was the reason they were having the meeting. We then asked about home teaching they said it was going good but it could be better but they then said that was the reason they were having the meeting to reorganize duplas. We then found out that in the entire ward 9 members were visited in November and 2 of those 9 were done by the missionaries and are the less actives we work with. After realizing it would be one heck of a meeting, we left them in peace.
On wednesday we set out with Elder Grover in a tripla to learn the area. Elder Grover had been transfered to Porto 1, but he was training and his greenie wouldn't get there until thursday, so he was told to stay with us. We met a lot of people and marked a guy named Miguel for baptism. Our first night we marked!!! We were told that was impossible in Foz because there have only been 4 baptisms in the last year and 3 of the 4 were from a less active family from cabo verde that moved here and went looking for the church, there were just a couple of kids that weren't baptized.
On thursday we tried to find were everything was. After a weekly planning, we went to the church and realized that everything was locked and we don't have the key. We have the key to get in the front door, but not in the sacrament hall or the baptistry. or anything else. So all in all, we can walk the halls of the chappel, but we can't get into anything, except get into the gospel principles room that doesn't have a lock. We also found a church pamphlet at the entrance that said Somente para Rapazes which is a pamphlet about the birds and the bees sitting out for everyone to take one. When I asked bishop about it, he said that no one reads those things or takes them seriously. On that same table was a Liahona magazine from 1987 and all 7 lesson pamphlets from before preach my gospel.
On friday we went to ermesinde to have a zone meeting and then came back to mark another brasillian kid for baptism. We will see. we just have to work on his testimony.
Saturday we went back to ermesinde to interview a lady for baptism and then came back to finish trying to figure out where we are. White washes bring an opportunity to learn the area really quick.
Sunday we had a high frequency of 29 people in chruch. The second counselor of the bishopric was there the first 2 hours and then dissapeared, his wife said that he doesn't like sacrament meeting. we found out our elder's quorumn president is inactive and no one knows how to contact him and they keep everything locked durning church. they only open the rooms being used during that hour. or in other words, the sacrament room was locked during the first 2 hours of church and priesthood is a bunch of 60 year old men fighting about deep doctrine.
we then left to go to braga for an interview of Paulo, the guy I marked for baptism in Braga. All of my recent converts there made a special effort to participate in the baptism and in a very emotional meeting, I had the oportunity to baptize my buddy Paulo. Someone didn't fill up the font very well, so it went up to my knees. . . that was fun. Looking back this was the third week in a row that I baptized in braga. In 3 weeks, 4 people were baptized there and all of them participated in the meeting. I am greatful for that oportunity.
Elder hope
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