Como que bzot sta?
It has been a super nice week here in Santa Maria. This place is not like any other part of Cape Verde. There are hundreds of tourists and Europeans from all sorts of countries here it’s super weird ha-ha. I really hope that I finish my mission here, there is just so much work to do and I’m really starting to like it. I am loving my time here with Elder Welch, he is an awesome Elder, we are getting along super well.
The enemy (the devil) tried really hard this week to impede the work of the Lord. Obviously it didn’t work. On Sunday night, our investigator Jezidel had a dream (more of a nightmare), where the Devil appeared and told her that she shouldn’t follow this church and shouldn’t be baptized. It was like a threat. The only purpose of the Devil is to do everything to impede the work of the Lord, to take people away from the truth, so that they become as miserable as he. We told Jezidel that this dream was literally a proof that this is the true church. If this wasn’t the true church, the Devil wouldn’t try to take her away from it. She understood that, but she just felt super paranoid after the dream, especially when she was alone. She was worried that the devil would continue to make her feel like this after her baptism. As long as we are obedient, reading in the scriptures, and praying every day, the Holy Ghost will be our constant companion to counsel and comfort us and to give us peace. We promised that if she continues to keep the commandments, she would be safe.
Jezidel and Judith were baptized this Saturday. What a beautiful sight. We got to go to the beach and baptize them there. They were both overwhelmingly happy as they came out of the water, they couldn’t stop smiling. I felt by the power of the Holy Ghost that those ordinances were in fact performed by the power and authority of God. They both received the Holy Ghost yesterday, they are great. We are in a young branch of the church so we are going to do everything to train them to be leaders. They need to become saints.
We have encountered a fairly big problem. There are quite a few youth members here in the branch. I’m not exactly sure what the past Elders taught them, but many of them are not very converted to the gospel. They just show up to church to mess around, and they never participate. Unfortunately, these distractions and irreverence they make is taking an effect on the rest of the branch, on our recent converts and investigators. We are going house to house, member by member to strengthen their testimony of the restoration, and teach them specifically about reverence, so that they show a more profound respect for sacred things.
Also another fairly large obstacle we have encountered is our branch president. He was less active only a year ago and was called as the group leader, then the branch president. He is still a very young leader. He doesn’t really know what’s going on. His wife as well is not doing too well in the gospel. As the leader he has the keys over the spiritual and temporal well-being of the ward, the branch president must be a great example. Just as Captain Moroni who sought to prepare his people for the battle by preparing them spiritually. The leader must be a spiritual giant that can inspire, elevate and bless the members. His family must be the first priority to show the others how the gospel should be lived within the home. A leader must be full of faith and nothing doubting to lead his troops courageously to the battle. If we ever want to create something great here in Santa Maria, we must start with the Branch President. We have decided that we are going to teach his whole family all of the missionary lessons again to strengthen their testimony and live the gospel in the home.
On the bright side, we are having a lot of success with the less actives we are teaching. We had 3 less active members come back to church and another 3 that are progressing, that will surely be at church this next week.
We have a great vision for the branch of Santa Maria, to create strong leadership, to create saints and help the branch become self-sufficient. We are going to find, teach and baptize more Melchizedek Priesthood men. We are going to meet the church together frequently in meetings to create union. It won’t be easy, but with the strength of the Lord nothing is impossible.
Love,
Elder Rice