9 + 8 = 17

"Oi!

This has been an exciting week! We've worked hard and are doing very well. Let me remind you of the standard that we are trying to meet:

10 investigators in church
12 lessons with members
14 new investigators

This past week we reached:

3 investigators in church
13 lessons with members
17 new investigators

Along with another 18 lessons ourselves, that makes 31 lessons total. This sure isn't Germany, is it Dad?

Something amazing happened as well, which I'm still not quite believing. We found a family of seven, five of whom are 8 or older. We taught them the first lesson and less than half a second after we invited them to be baptized on October 25th, the eight year old son shouted "I will!" Then we went around the room and all five committed to be baptized. I'm still shocked by it all! They didn't go to church Sunday, so they'll have to be baptized on the 26th after church, and we haven't been able to talk with them all together again, but we've talked with a couple of the sons and the mom and each time they've said they're excited to be baptized. We're praying that this comes through. Their names are Damiro, Raimunda, Benicio, Pablinho, Fabrico, Milena, and Andre. Please put their names in the temple. I think that I'm so shocked that this has happened that we need a bunch more people to excercise their faith too!

We also have a baptism of an old investigator, Aparacido. He has been having a tough time overcoming smoking, alcohol, and coffee. He will be baptized on the 25th as well. Antonio, Roseli, and Jader are also marked for the 25th, but Roseli freaked out when she went to church. She thinks she's too poor and that everyone looks down on her and doesn't accept her. And now she won't give up coffee to save her life, but she know this is all true. She's just acting like a spoiled little child in response to their father. She'll come around, especially after Antonio and Jader get baptized.

So in total, October 25th, 2008 we plan to baptize nine people!!! The zone leaders also have eight people marked for that day. Can you imagine 17 people being baptized in one meeting! Nossa! I just really want this to happen. The ward has been really animated as they've heard about this.

We had interviews with Pres. Castro Deus on Monday and he is really happy with our work. One thing he always says in my interviews is, 'Elder Larsen, your companion really likes you.' That always makes me happy. And today in the leadership meeting he told Elder Clark that he really wants us to baptize, because 'they deserve it.' I'm super happy. This has been a good week.

I love you and am happy. I know this is the Lord's work.

Elder Christian