Hello everyone?
How are you! Thanks for the letters this week, I know you are all busy, and so I definitely appreciate it. This last week was really great, we're having the opportunity to work with some really good people and to see a lot of miracles as a companionship. I've been learning a lot, and the Lord has placed some very special people with great knowledge of missionary work and the Gospel in order to teach me what I need to know. It's been a blessed week, so I'd like to share a little bit of what's been going on.
We started the week out with a surprisingly nice p-day - although we didn't get everything done that needed to be done, it was still a really nice day to just be out. We ended up going to an Italian food buffet, but somehow I'm still losing weight - I think it's the irregular eating that gets me more than anything.
I worked with the APs on Tuesday and we had a couple of really good lessons; including a really good find. We taught one of their Chinese investigators and it was a really good lesson, where we committed her to baptism - she picked the date all by herself! It was really wonderful. As we planned for her lesson, we weren't sure of what to teach her, but as we sought for inspiration, I remembered a recent article in the March Liahona of "Not Burning the Midnight Oil". It was funny because as we read it with her, it was as if the article had been written about her! It was really Spiritual and the Lord guided us to know what we should teach.
Then as me and Elder Smith went to the next lesson, we decided to knock on a few doors, seeing that we still had some time. We knocked on a 3 doors before a little grandma inquired through the door about who we were. As we told her, she came out and we had the chance to talk to her about. As we talked, the conversation turned to the the topic of miracles - what is a miracle?, she asked. The only thing I could think to say was that maybe someone who has cancer is cured by some unseen power. Well, as we talked she told us that she was sick. She lifted up her little cap, and we saw that she had no hair - she had cancer and was receiving weekly chemotherapy treatment. I was shocked because I had no idea. We talked about how the Book of Mormon helps us overcome our challenges and increase our faith, and she gladly took it. We set an appointment for the coming Sunday. Sadly, as we went to go visit her again she wasn't there, but left the Book of Mormon with a note: "This book is hard to understand. The characters are to small; I got a headache. It wasn't written in easy to understand language; it was bad. Sorry." I was puzzled at that. I mean, it's not anything that I did, she tried to read it. But I've been thinking about it and that's kind of the special power of the Book of Mormon - the people that are prepared to receive it will read it and enjoy it. Those who aren't, will reject and throw away the rich goodness of the power of the Book. It was quite a learning experience - and I felt blessed to be an instrument so that she would at least want to try it. Oh well...
On tuesday and wednesday I worked with the Zone leaders and learned quite a bit about teaching and finding. I had a really special experience with their investigators, Mr. Fujita. He's about 70 and he has a disease that doesn't allow him to eat very much, and sometimes it's hard for him to breathe. This causes a severe depletion of his energy and binds him to a wheel-chair (a jazzy scooter if you will :) ). We taught him once and the next morning he needed our help to go to the Hospital. I ended up being the one who carried him up and down the stairs of his apartment, to his wheel chair, and then again at the doctor's office. It was actually quite a comical site if you think about it: a 1.95m foreigner carrying a barely 1.50m tall little japanese man, who can speak both english and japanese, but you can't hear either of them! It was a wonderful service experience, and you could just see the gratitude in his smile. He wants to be baptized and as missionaries we realized that the Gospel will bring him more comfort than he realizes.
We were also able to meet with several brazilian families this week. 2 of which we have appointments to go back and teach. The Izumi family is a mom, and really funny cute daughters: 12, 6, 4. They are fluent in both languages and they seem to really like the missionaries, and we have an appointment to go back and teach them (and we're also hoping that the mom's boyfriend will also be there). Then we also taught Van (Evandro), a father of 2 (keep in mind, he's only 21). He's great and really seems to like what we taught (we've taught him a couple of times now). He was a little drunk last time, but we gave him a pamphlet and the Book of Mormon so that he can read when he's not drunk. It kind of defeated the purpose of meeting him in the first place, but at least we can go back this week.
We taught the Peruvian family, the Kiwakis, lesson 1 again (in Spanish), and it was amazing! The mom really wanted to come to Church, but slept in. However, the daughter came and really seemed to have enjoyed it, making new friends. It was a wonderful experience, and we see a lot of potential in these families.
On saturday we taught a couple of Japanese investigators, Mrs Doi, and Mr Funai. Doi's lesson was amazing - she really needs the Gospel right now, and we feel she is ready to accept it. Funai was good, but the member doing the joint-lesson kind of talked a lot and it didn't end up as effective as we hoped. But it was good. Japanese are really hard to make appointments, everyone is always busy and kind of hard to meet.
It was a really great week, and we're feeling the miracles coming! It's so amazing. But now that we're seeing success, I know I'm gonna get transferred, haha. It seems to have happened that way the last 2 areas, so we'll see if 3rd time is a charm, hehe. I don't want to transfer, but I will do what needs to be done.
I love all of you and pray for your happiness and success. Just remember that Heavenly Father does too, and that He works for every one of you Individually so that you can have peace and happiness and return to Him. I know He loves us. I know He wishes to help us, and will encircle us about the arms of His love, if we come to Him. This work is amazing - it's too fast! I know God cares about each of His children and that's why we're here. I'm thankful everyday for this opportunity. I wish you could all experience this, if you haven't yet. It's truly a marvelous work and a wonder. Christ lives and is our Savior. I bear witness of this in His name, 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."
Thanks for reading Victor's blog!
Mission pictures
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