I belong

I have often dreamed
Of a far-off place
Where a hero's welcome
Will be waiting for me
Where the crowds will cheer
When they see my face
And a voice keeps saying
This is where I'm meant to be

I'll be there someday
I can go the distance
I will find my way
If I can be strong
I know ev'ry mile
Will be worth my while

I would do most anything
to be where I belong...


It was our first week in this area and really is was our second day working on our own. We had nothing. We didn't have anytype list to go from the resorce book hadn't been kept up for that last few months and we were tired and didn't know what to do. Sister Przybyla was a bit discouraged and we just sat on a stomp for a moment. I was still new enough that it didn't get me down. I just said "well maybe that is just God's way of making us do something different so we can find someone that wouldn't otherwise be found..."
"yeah, maybe." She said. We got up and just pressed on. it was 5pm and we had been going all day. I did not (and still don't) understand what anyone had been saying to us but at the moment I wasn't really listening either. We had gone to a member's home earlier and had asked if they had any references. They gave a normal responce. "oh, no. No one likes it when we talk about our church, no one wants to know about it, we don't know anyone that would listen..."

"Well, do you know anyone who is not active that lives around here?" "...Oh! yes!" They didn't remember the house number so they offered to drive us over and show us. --Oh Wonderful!!!--

They showed us a few homes and we went to talk to the people. The first was suprisingly rude for a brazilian and the second wasn't home at first. We talked to a friendly but slightly excentric woman who lived below. She wasn't interested. then an older japonese man came out from the upstairs appartment and he seemed pretty closed as well but said that we could come back after 6. We left and as we left we talked to the son of the lady he was 27 and looked kind of interested so we invited him to come to English class and made a mentle note.

We came back and met the family. They all had been baptised about 16 years ago and the parents stopped going to church about 2 years ago. The son was 28 and very friendly. He was a returned missionary but hadn't been active for the past 5 years. He had just 3 weeks before started to come back to church. We stayed and got to know them better.

As missionaries, we are authorized representatives of Jesus Christ and through the virtue of our calling, each one of us has the oppurtunity to leave a blessing on homes. We know that the power of prayer is real. We asked them, "If Jesus Christ were here, What would you ask him to bless you with." It was interesting because they whole day I didn't know what anybody was saying but for a moment everything made sense. The son, Clayton, totally opened up and told us about his life. His challenges and how he felt very lost in his life. We prayed and left a blessing with them. After, I looked them in the eyes and in the most simple portugues, I said that God wanted them all to come back to Church. The father that had been very quiet the whole time just smiled as if to say, "I knew that was going to happen." They gave us a ride home and we set a time to come back.

The next time we came back and taught a short lesson. The son decided to come to the lesson with us. We walked up to Sissoro's home and everybody cheered, "HEEEYYYY" (Brazil always acts as though there is a party going on) We taught Sissoro about the restoration of the Priesthood and after Clayton gave a powerful testimony about how he had been away from the church for a while and now had returned. He said that he knew that the Priesthood of God had been restored to the Earth and that we would never leave again. He belonged here.

The next time we saw him we also saw the man who lived below him. We invited them both to go to institute or Religion class at the church that night and after we were able to teach his friend, Paublo. Paublo felt at home and now has the desire to be baptized. The next day was church and we saw Sissoro come walking up to the church carrying his bike. He said it had broken on the way, but he was there and we were thrilled. After church Sissoro also said "I know were I need to be. I'm staying here. This church has the word of God"

In the end, we know that even though we may not have any idea why we are doing what we are doing, if we are following God's path for us, we will be right were we belong"

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