Pray With Real Intent

This week was crazy! We had a conference with the mission that was super great and received the new mission rules and hours and goals. Will be having a bit of an adjustment time but so far it's going great. These new rules are just showing that the Lord is hastening the work here. Everyday we will be working just a little bit more to accomplish our new goals and rules. It will be an adventure but Sister Aranha and I are up for the task!

Some of the highlights. I sending someone on a mission! Emerson, Recent convert, was already planning on going on a mission. But he is super close to turning 25. Which means he won't be able to. He's been waiting because of his work. They need to release his payment and his work card but they haven't done this yet. Well. I told him just trust in the Lord and send your papers, Rapaz! (with the Spirit of course.) Nephi 17:3 

He's filling out his papers and will be headed to the temple for the first time to do baptisms! I promised him that there he would feel the spirit testifying for him that this is the Lord's work. That and a servant of the Lord would be praying and picking the mission in which he would serve!

ALSO,

We are teaching an amazing family. Edivaldo(Father), Thales(18), and Diennifer(13). I love this family. It has been an experience and adventure teaching them. To be honest, at first we didn't know why we had to keep returning to their house. They weren't reading or praying or showing interest. And then. These weeks ago they moved for the same street as the church. They live in the last house that is right in front of one of our secret pathways/shortcuts to another part of our area! So they are also looking out for a gente. 

Thales has many doubts, but when we passed by his house this week we had prepared a message for him to answer these questions. We had had an activity in the church with the youth earlier and it had rained, stopping the fun! We were still soaked when we arrived at his house later. Literally, it flooded everywhere! 

We were freezing cold (because the temperature is dropping during the night and the only problem was that he was alone and his dad and sister were sleeping. We were just going to come back the next day when he asked, "Can you just offer a prayer for me here (on the front porch) before you go?" He grabbed a couple of chairs, in the process waking up Diennifer (on her birthday. Woohoo 13! we had all celebrating during the activity until the floods came). 

Us four sat down and started our message. It was amazing. 

 Afterwards he expressed his sincere desire to change. And then asked if he could give the last prayer. 

To explain, he normally prayers like a robot. Something he has memorized. Without the spirit. We had just finished explaining for him the importance of a sincere prayer. And so we bowed our heads and before he started to pray he whispered, "But this time I'm going to pray a little different, ok?" 

And it was the most sincere prayer I have heard during my whole mission. He really had the true intent and prayed to know that what we were teaching was true. It was amazing. 

I invite all of you this week to pray with real intent. Think about every. single. word. Remember that you are talking to a person. Someone real. You are really, truly talking with your Father. Don't forget this. Don't repeat anything. Don't pray for the same thing over and over. Think about how annoying it would be if you used the same words every single day to talk to your best friend! Use different words. because today is different from yesterday. and tomorrow you will face something different from today. So, prepare. Pray. And have Patience. The Lord thy God is with thee. He hears you.

With Love

Sister Hemmert