Put your shoulder to the wheel

October 28

Dear wonderful family,

This month in our ward we have the theme hymn of Nossa lei é trabalhar or in other words "Put your shoulder to the wheel". It is actually very different in Portuguese but the message is the same that we need to work hard and give it our all. I like this.

This week started a little rough because I was a little bit sick but now I am all good. I was able to get a blessing after our district meeting Tuesday that helped a lot. It was only a bit strange that it was two Elders that gave it to me and not dad. I´m pretty sure that was the first that I received not from dad. Oh by the way:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! 

For all the sickness, this week was very interesting. It was full of promising investigators and disappointments. I still can´t really understand when people want the gospel. They want to follow Christ. They want eternal families. They feel the spirit, yet they don't want to act. Or they deliberately turn away. It is hard because you want people to have all the happiness possible but you can´t make people act. We can only invite. We invite with love because we know that joy and peace that the gospel can bring to peoples' lives. 

Then there is the complete joy when you invite some one to change. To come unto Christ. And they accept. And they begin to pray and feel of the Holy Ghost and they feel good. 

We had a week full of these two types of experiences. Great joy and sadness when someone turns away but what is important is that we try. With that effort that we put in, we can stil find joy and comfort internally through Christ. When we give it our all in what ever situation in life we will gain more satistfaction and personal peace.

I love you all and I hope things are going well!

Sister Martin