The Book of Mormon and Bats

Monday night, my companion and I returned from teaching and began to make our plans for the next day.  The other two Sisters weren't feeling very well, so they were already asleep in the other room.  As Sister Oliveira and I were talking, I notices a furry little creature scurry across the hallway and into the bedroom where the other Sisters were sleeping.  I stopped Sister Oliveira in mid-sentence and said, 'I think I just saw a mouse run into the bedroom!'  Since the room was completely dark, we grabbed a flashlight, and cautiously crept into the other room.  We carefully passed the dim light of the flashlight across the floor, behind the door, and then near the bed of one of the Sisters.  It was hardly noticeable, but there at the end of the bed was a tiny, furry creature, clinging on to the sheet.  As I pointed it out to Sister Oliveira, the furry creature burst into flight.  As you can imagine, our reaction was not one of calmness and maturity.  We both screamed, Sister Oliviera dropped to the floor, and I leaped into the other room where we had been studying!  No one in our apartment (or the apartments next door), was sleeping at this point! hahaha  With an attentive audience, the other two Sisters, Sister Oliviera and I chased the bat around for about 5 or so minutes until we were finally able to catch it in a bucket and dump it out of the window!  That poor bat will probably need therapy after the trauma it suffered in our apartment! heehee

In an effort to continue using creative ideas to find more people to teach, we have begun to teach an English class.  This past week, the other Sisters brought two investigators, a 65 year old woman, and a 52 year old woman!  In one of the activities that we did, I asked our 'students' to think of a phrase that they would need to know how to say in English if they were in the US.  One of the women instantly replied, "Eu sou Brasileira e eu estou em apuros!!"  (I'm a Brazilian and I am in desperate need!!)  hahaha!  Yep, I guess that would be an important phrase to know if you were in the US for the first time and didn't know any other English!

During our most recent training with Pres. Hall, he emphasized the importance of using the Book of Mormon in every aspect of our work.  In order to put in practice this counsel, Pres Hall invited all of us to always walk with a Book of Mormon in our hand (not in our bags).  This past week, we were making a contact with a man and I showed him a picture of Jesus Christ in the Americas after his resurrection.  When I mentioned the word 'resurrection', the man became very interested.  At the beginning of our conversation, he had mentioned that his wife had passed away a year ago.  I felt prompted to ask him if he wondered where his wife was right now, and what happened after death.  At first, he denied that he had a curiosity about this topic, but then all of a sudden, he stopped, looked up at me, and asked, "but really, where is my wife right now?"  We then had a wonderful opportunity to use the Book of Mormon to teach this man about the spirit world and the resurrection.  

Another investigator, was struggling to overcome various difficulties, and my companion and I felt that we needed to help him understand the importance of reading the Book of Mormon every day.  After our lesson with him, he began to read.  Two days later, when we passed by again, his mother told us that she has never seen her son so happy.  Our investigator also told us that he had never felt so good before in his life!  Time and time again, the power of the Book of Mormon is manifested to me!  I don't know how it works, but I know that it does!  If you have a question, if you are struggling with a weakness, if you need counsel, if you are depressed, the Book of Mormon will help!  Within its pages, you will find the answers to the questions of your soul, the strength to overcome your weaknesses, the counsel to guide your life, and the happiness to raise your spirits.  I know without a shadow of a doubt, that the Book of Mormon is true!  Read it everyday!  Pray and ponder about its teachings!  It has the power to change your life!