One of them occurred on Sunday, March 22, at our primary in T-3.
This has been very discouraging to work with the branch on some days.
I am to train the primary so they will know how to do PRIMARY, sharing time and a lesson time and nursery if needed, before we leave in May.
We are having the hardest time getting the President to call the people to the callings so I can train them.
Each week we have about 25 kids come. There is no teacher and so the missionaries come and teach the first hour a lesson and then we hope Selina will come for sharing time.
This past week Elder Ramecka was teaching a lesson and trying his hardest to keep the kids learning. But the range of 25 children from 1 to 12 is hard. We didn't have enough help to take anyone to have a nursery . So finally after the first 45 minutes I said Elders lets send them for their break time and regroup.
So They left and we talked about teaching them from the song "If the savior stood beside you ' Since no one to teach showed up.Lets just really get that taught to them this last hour
Well when the kids came in the Elders began and they were teaching the words and the music. But it was so chaotic in our solid brick classroom that echos like a tunnel.The sharing time counselor finally walked in but was not intending to teach. It was so discouraging.
Then I felt impressed to say to Elder Ramecka, 'Elder, ask them the questions!'
I then , out of the blue, stood up and in Portuguese said 'Aqui, Aqui esta O
Salvador Jesus Cristo!' and I opened the door as if the savior was walking in the door and all the kids turned and looked. Just as I opened the door this over whelming feeling of the Holy Ghost came rushing into the room and it was silent, for a minute or two. We just all stood there for a minute. I thought it was just me.
Then I acted as I was looking at him and walked over with him and acted as he sat down right next to one of the children and said it again really quiet. 'Here is the Savior Jesus Christ' and then asked 'what would you do?'
And then the missionaries started getting their answers and asking more questions and more answers came.
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| Selina and Ercilia teach the song. |
The rest of the singing and everything went better from that moment.
We were able to teach them the first line of the song. They were all participating.
It was just Primary! Finally!
Why ? Because finally We invited the Savior in ! Into the room where his sweet precious Mozambican children were wanting him to be.They were waiting for us to bring him into them. He loves them and they love him.
I thought maybe I just noticed the feeling of the rush of this strong spirit but later on the way back to their apartment the Elders mentioned the feeling that came when we brought in the savior and how then the children were actually learning something.
Well this past week in Primary the counselor came to teach and she in her lesson mentioned the feeling of having the savior come in the door the week before.
Oh how long we wait before we invite him in to help us, to be with us to comfort us.
I learned a much bigger lesson than anyone that day.
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| This is how many Elders (Elder Hall here) spend there free time in the mission. |
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| Choir Practice in our T-3 branch. They sound good. |
The second thought came when on Monday Vanessa and I went to the bank to learn to do deposits.
On the way home she wanted to go visit a sister who , a member, is inactive right now. She moved away and has returned to the area. She is alone and has been for quite some time . She has a very severely disabled son who is 12 years old.
She has an apartment that she somehow owns but rents out to make money and then was living in the neighborhoods where she could afford to live. recently she moved back to her apartment and in her apartment there is a table and an old love seat style couch in one room , in another room she has a bed, where her son lays and moves on, in another room a cook stove on the floor and no counters. This is her kitchen, in another room a table and sewing machine, this is how she makes a living, and in the bathroom, buckets, a toilet and a faucet. I can not describe to you how conditions are here.
Her home was very very clean for these poor of conditions. She cares for her son so well. I was so amazed..It was so very clean. He was so happy and well taken care of . And mainly he was loved. You could see and feel it.
Well she did not know we were coming. We had to be let in the building by a neighbor as she wasn't answering her phone. When she saw Vanessa she hugged her as she was so glad to see her. When Vanessa told her who I was she commented that she had seen Elder and I walking on the streets of Maputo and in the bread store.(our favorite place).
Coming in her home there was the most peaceful feeling. She was playing church music on her little stereo. When she took us back in to see her son there was the strongest feeling of peace and love in that room. I felt like the savior was right there.I knew there had to be angels watching over this boy. You know the feeling. Like being by Sara Ann Mather.
Well Sister Lizzy and I talked for a long while and she was the sweetest lady to visit with. She had many feelings to discuss but 2 things stood out in my mind. She wanted to know if the Lord was happy with the things she was doing and if she was being a good mother. Boy did I have a lot to tell her about what great a job she was doing. She is alone with this boy every day in the poorest conditions. trying to make a living and caring for him. Alone. No visitors. No family around.
This boy was well taken care of and clean and in a very clean environment.
The next thing she told me was that she used to pray that God would give her things or money . she said 'I used to pray that he would give me this or that or the church would bring me this or that. Then one day I was watching my son. He will lay on his space and play and is happy all the day long.' She said 'When he is hungry and i walk by the room he looks at me and his brings his head way up to see what I have in my hands. He wonders if I have anything for him to eat. Many times I have nothing for him and he just looks at me and smiles at me and goes back to playing and being happy.' She said 'I finally realized I need to be like my son. So thankful and happy all the time. Even when I don't get what I really want I still have what I need to be happy. She said 'The Lord always gives me what I need'.
These experiences with Lizzy and the experience in the Primary taught me so much those last two weeks of March.
I just wanted to share them.
And now on to April
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| Not Lizzy but another great mother at our last wheel chair distribution in March. |
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| One Very Happy Girl. Thanks Mom! |
