Little Blessings; Mission Week 10; Area: 31 de Março, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brasil

This week was not one of the more exciting weeks, however, I've witnessed the hand of the Lord in the lives of the people here through many small blessings.

We walk at least 10-15k everyday, in doing so we pass by and talk with quite a few people. Taking care of two wards (congregations) is not easy, but also not the most difficult. We have learned to balance it out as much as we can and it's been great so far.

The first blessing came at the beginning of the week from Irmão Pedro Porn (yes that's his actual name). He has a 15 year old daughter named Thalyta who has been going to church for the past 4 years. She has had two baptism dates planned, but her mom never allowed her to get baptized. I was told by Elder Blackburn that he heard from the members, and even his previous companion, that all the missionaries have tried so hard to help her get baptized but it never seemed to work out. It became a surprise to us when Irmão Pedro Porn told us that he asked her and that she accepted being baptized that this past Saturday. It was a nice surprise and we were very grateful for the opportunity. As it so happened, they and other members were all at the temple in Curitiba, about 2 hours away from here, the morning of the baptism and they left to return to Ponta Grossa at 4pm. Well, the bus broke down two times. They had to have another bus pick them up and bring them back to the church. So when they didn't show up at 6pm we went back to work in the area waiting on them. They didn't get back until a little before 9pm; we finally had her baptism and it ended up being a great and wonderful day for her and her father.

The second blessing happened earlier in the week. We were walking down past the bairro of 31 de Março to the train tracks to head over into the Invasão. As we turned the corner of the road we saw a young lady and her younger brother chasing after a pit bull and another furry dog (I don't know my breeds). We watched as the boy grabbed the furry dog and the lady grabbed the pitbull. In my mind I felt/knew that they needed help, so I began walking over. I'm glad I did because when the lady picked up the pitbull he kicked her face and landed on her foot as she fell to the ground. I sprinted to the lady as I yelled for Blackburn to chase after the dog. The young lady was lucky that the only thing she had was a twisted ankle and a bruised foot from where the dog landed. She was crying in pain and I did my best to comfort her because there was nothing that truly needed to be treated. I watched as Elder Blackburn picked up the pitbull and latched him closed in his arms. The dog managed to escape once, but not again. He carried the dog and I held the lady's arm as we helped get them back to their home. It turns out they were both members of the church and related to the family that we had lunch with that day. That was when I first realized how much of a blessing it was for them that we so happened to be at the right place at the right time to help them because that dog was not light to carry. 

The third blessing came in a funny way. Yesterday, after a great and wonderful lunch with Irmão e Irmã Botini who knows Sister Mumford, we were walking and we both needed to use the bathroom to go #2.  We had been holding it in because we were in the Invasão and didn't want to stop at a members house and bother them. So we decided at 7pm that we would go to the church and use the bathrooms there since neither of us wanted to go after the other in in our apartment😬. Off to the church we went and to our surprise we actually needed to be there. When we arrived the first councilor of the Stake Presidency was there and didn't have the keys to the chapel. He asked if we could lock up the chapel for him. It was a win-win because he got blessed that we showed up with the keys to lock up the church, and we got blessed with bathrooms and afterwards with a free ride to referências house. So a great blessing.

Also, Sunday during 31 de Março Ward's church meeting a random man walked into the church and was attempting to sell stuff to people. It was actually funny because he walked in with two bags from SuperSpin (a mercado 3 minutes away from the chapel where we shop every Monday). Elder Blackburn walked over and talked to him about not selling stuff in church. After he left, Bispo Jonatas texted us and told us that we should've brought up the scripture about Jesus and the people selling stuff in the temple in Mark 11: 15-19.  That was a great idea and something that we will keep in mind if that every happens again.

Mark 11

15 ¶ And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might ^adestroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

Lastly, I bought a Futsal ball for the church here since they didn't have one. Also, I learned how to make and made my first pizza today. We learned how to make Venezuelan Arrepas which are absolutely amazing😋. That's pretty much it for this week though.

1. New Bomba for my chimarrão cup which I like. Also found out that ginger with orange peals mixed in with the powder is amazing)

2. Our Arrepas cooking for the first time

3. A member gave us bananas and Elder Blackburns was a lot bigger and thicker, it was funny.

4/5. As we were walking along a dirt/trash road near the bairro of 31 de Março, which is very well populated, I found that coin; it's from 1924.

6. The Futsal ball 

7. The baptism of Thalyta

Elder Hyatt