Oh man!! You dont even know how crazy this week has been.
Weve had an outpouring of this Spirit here in Matsuyama. We just got another investigator committed to baptism - on the 12th!! My companion and I were both flabbergasted after the lesson. We hadnt even thought about inviting him to be baptized, much less so soon. Hes a sweet little grandpa, father and husband of 2 sisters here in the branch. He had a stroke about 3 years ago and since then he hasnt been able to read characters anymore - however, weve talked with President Isa, and although his mentality is still super young, he understands enough to be baptized. And plus, since he led a normal life before the stroke, it will help to cleanse him, and hopefully speed up the recovery. Nothing is too much for Heavenly Father.
Hes been coming to Church every Sunday for a while now, and this last time he was all smiles, greeting everyone, getting the congratulations, shaking hands - he was the super star! haha Then in the middle of sacrament meeting he and his daughter were leaving the chapel and he shook our hands and laughed on the way out. He just kind of laughed there for a moment and then his daughter told him "O-tou-san, ikanai to moreru yo!" - which means "if you dont go youre going to start leaking!" Hes a champ.
So that makes it 2 convert baptisms in 2 weeks, and the 3 consecutive weeks of baptisms in the branch (the 19th being the baptismal service of twin 8 year-olds). Theyre calling it "happy-june" - yes, in English.
But there is a little bit of a worry about brother Cho - it is harvesting time for wheat and they will soon be planting rice, which makes it the busiest month of the year. He wasnt able to come to Church this last Sunday, and theyre having him slave work until 9 PM or so everyday for the past few days....we havent even been able to get a hold of him on the phone. BUT, we believe and trust in Heavenly Father preparing the way for Cho to get baptized this saturday (hes already passed the interview too). So were looking for a white-june!!
Heavenly Father has truly been blessing and guiding us here in Matsuyama. Weve been seeing some great miracles in finding too, getting a brand new investigator while housing last week. Wed like to be able to work with the members more but were gonna be a tight schedule this week having to go to Okayama for the last ZOne COnference of the Japan HIroshima Mission.
My companion is doing good, it kind of got a little rough yesterday and its been having a weird effect today, but Im just gonna try to love him as much as I can. Hes brazilian, so he hates admitting that hes wrong and doesnt like to be told what he needs to do. Well, my DL told me to try to humble him, but Im not sure thats the Lords way of doing things. At any rate, we only got 3 weeks left together anyway, and it wont hurt to be the best companion I can be... or something like that.
Speaking of which, I might have to start packing soon - not like I unpacked in the first place, my bags are still sitting in the room pretty much how I left them there when I transferred in. Im just gonna have to throw out all the unnecessaries to I dont go over the weight limit - for right now thats my biggest fear about coming home. But I just said it was the biggest, not the only one. Dou shou ka naa....
As always Id like to leave a little Spiritual food for thought. Today, I was reading Alma 56, talking about the people of Ammon, and because of the war of 66BC they were watching as their Nephite brethren were in deep distress fighting in their behalf. As they saw this desperate situation, they were about to take up arms to help their brethren, only to be compelled by Healaman not to break the convenant which they had made. I thought aboout this concept and how much we are like the people of Ammon. We have a big change of heart then, when the enemy seems too frightening, we too put our covenants on the line because we think that doing it ourselves would be better. But in doing so, we would forfeit rich and abundant blessings from the hand of our Father in Heaven. We would lose the special protection because of our short-sightedness, and eventually fall into a situation where we could be spiritually destroyed without His help. We need to be like Helaman - who put trusted that the Lord would provide a way to save them and their brethren the Lamanites. Instead of taking up arms when all seems bleak, we could hold on to the strength found in our baptismal and temple convenants and trust that the Lord will do HIs part. Believe me when I say that the Lord wont let us down; He wont let us be destroyed and He will come to our aid and send the 2000 stripling warriors to fight our battles.
So when were about to break the covenants weve made because it "doesnt make sense that the Lord would have us keep this commandment at this time", or when we feel that we must rely on our own selves, short-sightedly trusting in the weak "arm of flesh". Let us remember and keep the covenants which we made, for when it is the hardest to do so, that the biggest miracles and building of character will occur towards our final eternal destination. In those time when we feel we are at the end of the rope, when we can go on no more let us remember the voice of of the Great Jehovah saying:"Ye cannot bear all things; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours." (D&C 78:18) For our afflictions " worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (2 Cor 4:17)
I love this Gospel. It is a gospel of hope, peace, understanding, love, and pure undiminished faith in the Savior Jesus Christ. He overcame all things and made all things possible through His atoning sacrifice. When dont have to do it ourselves because He has already paid the price. I love Him with all my heart, mind and strength, and I wish I could be so much better, for He gave His best for me - and to all of us. But because we need the improvement, He gave us HIs best - we just need to do our best to follow HIm, and He will change us so we can become like Him, full of hope, faith, charity, and good works. Im eternally grateful for this Gospel, and the Restoration through the boy prophet Joseph Smith. It is true. And I am so grateful to be here to spread the word. I love all of you and I hope that we may all come closer to the Savior this week: this is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Love
Elder Mourao
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Called to serve the Lord as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hiroshima, Japan
Map of Japan (for a complete map of where he's been, look at the bottom of this page)
Elder Victor M.S. Mourao
Called to serve the Lord as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hiroshima, Japan
Hiroshima, Japan
Map of Japan (for a complete map of where he's been, look at the bottom of this page)
Our Elder's address:
Elder Victor Mourao
Japan Hiroshima Mission
Tottori-ken Yonago-shi
Nishifukubara 3-6-27
Mezon Pineru 201
683-0805
JAPAN
Japan Hiroshima Mission
Tottori-ken Yonago-shi
Nishifukubara 3-6-27
Mezon Pineru 201
683-0805
JAPAN
You can write him an email at
Victor's time
Hiroshima |
Elder Mourao's favorite scripture: Alma 32:42
"And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst."
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Where Victor's been!
Dramatic Growth
"Under the inspiration of the Lord and the courageous action of Joseph Smith, the first Latter-day Saint missionaries ever to serve beyond North America brought the restored gospel to the British Isles in 1837. Heading that first group of elders was Heber C. Kimball, who set a great example for all newly called missionaries. Humbled by the responsibility and fully aware of his limitations, he poured out his heart in prayer."
'O, Lord,' he cried, 'I am a man of stammering tongue, and altogether unfit for such a work; how can I go to preach in that land, which is so famed throughout Christendom for learning, knowledge and piety; the nursery of religion; and to a people whose intelligence is proverbial!'
"But rising from his knees and accepting his duty, he said, 'The moment I understood the will of my Heavenly Father, I felt a determination to go at all hazards, believing that He would support me by His almighty power, and endow me with every qualification that I needed' (Life of Heber C. Kimball, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1945, p. 104). Surely God responded to the faith of that young elder, because Brother Kimball and his companions were endowed, 'with every qualification' they needed."
-Jeffrey R. Holland
'O, Lord,' he cried, 'I am a man of stammering tongue, and altogether unfit for such a work; how can I go to preach in that land, which is so famed throughout Christendom for learning, knowledge and piety; the nursery of religion; and to a people whose intelligence is proverbial!'
"But rising from his knees and accepting his duty, he said, 'The moment I understood the will of my Heavenly Father, I felt a determination to go at all hazards, believing that He would support me by His almighty power, and endow me with every qualification that I needed' (Life of Heber C. Kimball, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1945, p. 104). Surely God responded to the faith of that young elder, because Brother Kimball and his companions were endowed, 'with every qualification' they needed."
-Jeffrey R. Holland