"Fear Departs When Faith Endures"

Week #92

It's hard to believe that four weeks have already passed in Ivoti. Time really does fly when you're working. This week almost feels like it didn't happen.

This week I didn't get to spend a lot of time working in my own area. We spent most of Tuesday planning for the week and in a service project. We only had enough time at the end of the day to talk to a few people before returning home. Thursday we had a conference in Porto Alegre and used a large part of the afternoon coming back to our area. (the story includes getting the wrong bus, train schedules, stopping to eat ice cream, and a few other difficulties.) Friday and Saturday I spent in the Zone Leaders' area on a companionship exchange during which Elder Andrade and the other Zone Leader met a lot of people and visited almost all of our contacts from the previous week. I came back Saturday night with only Sunday to finish up the week and visit a few more people.

I also spoke in Church on Sunday. It was one of those great moments when you didn't even have a day to do a good personal study session and prepare, so you just pull something you already had prepared (it really is important to "always be prepared") and, when what you had prepared doesn't fill up the time, you just keep talking about what you think needs to be said. I received many compliments afterwards, so I guess it must have gone well. I don't know. I don't remember very well.

It was an unusual experience. When I was still in Canoas, I prepared a talk about members in missionary work. I was only able to give about half of it. (This is the talk where the Bishop kicked me). I wondered why I had felt that I should prepare the other half if I wasn't even going to be able to say it. The funny thing is that what I had written in Canoas was exactly what I was assigned in Ivoti and I had a lot more time to speak.

The story gets better. The closing hymn was #128 "When Faith Endures." It's a hymn I had never heard before, but the lyrics combined perfectly with everything I had spoken about not 30 seconds before we started singing. The lyrics are strikingly similar in Portuguese and English. Very few hymns translate so well. I said many of the same words that were in the hymn. The Spirit really does inspire speakers, music directors and bishops that prepare, in the spirit of prayer, church meetings.

Just a thought that I had during the Priesthood meeting. It sounds a little better in Portuguese, so I'll write in both languages.

"Fazer o que é certo faz muito mais que falar o que está errado."

"Doing what is right does much more than saying what is wrong."

Elder Dickson