Return For Those Left Behind

5 months! Say what? Say what!

Can hardly believe it! I almost have 6 months! which means that i'll have one third of my missão! I feel like I left home yesterday! 

This week was crazy! 

Let me tell you. In Pelotas, two hours away, we had a prisonbreak a couple days ago. We were working as normal when we got a call for Irma Dina and she told us that 40 men had escaped the prison and that we should head to her house because if these men wanted to hide anywhere it would be in a border city with only two police officers mais ou menos. #arroiogrande 

Turns out it was only 6 men who are still on the run to the best of my knowledge! But in Jaguarão, a little bit more south of us, where the other elders in our district our serving, they heard it was 50 men! 

Anyways, this week was super long! Tiring, but in the best sort of way. And this morning I was reading my patriarchal blessing and something really cool happened. I translated it line for line in my head. Read it as though it was in Português! Truly o dom do linguas é real. Eu não tenho nenhuma duvida. 

And agora I want to talk about a letter Dad sent me about the 50 miler. I was tearing up reading it.

He wrote: "This last week was my 50 miler with the scouts, and we had a wonderful but very grueling hike. I had a couple days where my body was a little bit sore, particularly Friday. It was a little emotional for me with two very tender moments as we asked the young men, Britton and Caleb, to go back down the mountain and rescue a few that had fallen behind. Somewhat like Brigham Young and Ephraims Rescue during the handcart. With no complaints they scurried down the mountain returning carrying the hikers backpacks. The next day a similar experience with Carson and Colby going back to help the others who had fallen behind. Each day we divided up the gear of a struggling hiker and passed it around for the other young men to carry. Never once was there a complaint.  Friday was the hardest day for me, as we hiked 16 miles through some very rough and unmaintained trails with lots of downed trees that we had to climb over. By the end of the day I could barely take another step,  at which point I heard Britton calling my name as he was coming down the mountain to carry my pack. When we reached the point where he had set his pack aside he threw both packs on his body and continued to walk up the hill. Shortly after, Colby came running down the mountain and carried my pack to relieve Britton. My heart will always be full, and I will treasure that moment forever.  My knee did well but my feet are on fire and will take several days to heal.

I want you to know how much I love you and how proud I am of your service. And I know that you are a blessing in your mission to those you serve. I love you and I can't wait to read your letter this week.

Always in my prayers, my dear sweet daughter. 

Love dad."

This experience is, for all of us, our mission. Now and forever. To lift the burdens of those around us. To carry them to the end. Enduring. Fighting an uphill battle. Returning for those left behind. Sometimes we have to leave the 90 and 9 in search of the 1. And sometimes, when our burden becomes too heavy, when our feet cannot go on, we can know, with certainty, that beside us, holding us up or carrying us upon His shoulders is Christ. Graças a Ele

Alma 7:10-12

Matthews 11:30 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYCOUydR4Gc

This video is in portugues but it is really simple and really powerful. Maybe they have it in ingles. Its called Graças a Ele

 Eu sei que ele sofreu para mim, para ti, e para todos nos. Para que pudesse socorrer Seu povo. E Eu sei que ele vive e por causa isto, eu vou continuar. Eu vou lutar e tentar cada dia mais. Talvez hoje, eu não vou falar perfeito e eu sei que eu não sou perfeita, mas ele foi e é perfeito. Ele é meu exemplo, e Ele me deu as palavras eu preciso e as palavras o povo Dele precisarão.

Com amor,

Sister Hemmert

XOXO