Brasilian Brasa (Week 56) — Called to Serve in Cuiaba

What's up galaxy riders this week was another one for the books out here on the Brasilian Brasa. I have no clue how to say Brasa in English but like down here in Brasil everyone just eats a tank load of meat every week, and after they take the meat out of the grill thing they have these metal hot plates they cut the meat up and leave it on the Brasa so it doesn't get cold haha. This week it was hotter than Scarlett Johansson here every single day, like 100 degrees at the least, so yes, we were here chillin on the Brasa.

This whole week was a tiny bit tough on the little West and I. We just got our butts kicked again hahah like we just have no luck finding people. All of our lessons fall through with everyone. One day we were teaching this dude who we found from the area book and we were teaching him about the Plan of Salvation and we read 1 Corinthians 15:41 that said "there is one glory of the sun, and another the glory of the moon” and he stoped me after I read that about the moon he just goes wait a second... do you guys believe the moon shines: like everyone I talk to tells me no the moon just reflect the sun's light and I think they're just crazy. I was just boggled and explained to him about how the sun shines and why it shines and why the moon literally has moon cycles and sometimes it looks I don't know maybe like a crescent because who knows maybe the suns light is being blocked by the earth so... we finish explaining that and he just goes yea I have the Holy Spirit so I can understand things that normal people cannot. I was just like dude where can I get some of this Holy Spirit you're taking hahahaha sounds rad.

A couple of weeks ago we were trying to contact this lady who lives next door to this dude named Bene. We were clapping in the front of her house freaking loud as like thunder or something loud like that hahah and out of nowhere this dude Bene leaves his house just like what the nuts are these two white kids doing makin a ruckus outside my house. We went over and started talking to him and I felt like I should give him a Book of Mormon and just bear my testimony about how this book really makes me happy. He thanked us so much and was like listen I'm not super well these days. My dog is sick and my cat ran away and I really am not in an emotional state to receive a visit, so we got his number and he told us to call him another day. On Saturday we were sitting on the curb because another lesson fell through hahah nuts, and I was looking through the contacts in our planners we'd made on the street with people and I remembered Bene. We called him up and he was like what's up man, yea I'm actually way bummed because my dog died on Monday. Like I'm feelin like a bag of bricks bro. We asked him when we could go over and we marked a visit on Tuesday! He said he's reading the Book of Mormon and it's for some reason helping him feel happiness. When we were walking home Sunday night we walked passed him and his wife walking their other dog and we talked to them a little more and they just kept asking us to please pray for them. I could see the real need in the eyes of these 2 people. When I got home I was just sitting in a chair and I started praying for these two people. I was like please Heavenly Father help them, be with them, let them know it will be okay. I had a super special thought come into my head in this moment that went like this... “I want them to know that everything will be okay Porter, and that's why I'm sending you. I trust you to do what you should.” It really made me feel so relaxed. I know that every single time a lesson fell through Heavenly Father was just prepping us to encounter someone else close by who is needing to feel happier. I'm so glad I have this opportunity out here to care for those who are in need. To truly act as Jesus would.

I know that He lives, and that He simply loves you. You're never out of His reach.

Love, Elder Porter

District Sisters in Zion (Porter’s trainer KEVIN [back row, blue tie] is the Zone Leader - they are so happy to be serving near each other again!)

Someone let me name this cat Porter hahah