Hallooo meus amigos!! (hallooo is not Portuguese, just fyi)

Hope everyone is doing well, as it is spring there and still mid-summer here. (It never ends help me) 

But aside from the sweltering heat, (ok it wasn´t super hot, it rained most of the time. I’m just being dramatic) this week was great!! STORY TIME: We were teaching this family of six boys and a mom, but 2 of the 6 don´t live there, as one is off doing his own life, and the other is a drunk who lives on the street here. One day, we were walking past this park plaza thing and my companion felt the spirit super strong with the name Wellington. We walked over to a group of drunks and asked if they knew a Wellington. One answered and said that was his name, and we asked his mom´s name, and it WAS ONE OF THE KIDS FROM THE FAMILY. Turns out he and his family don´t talk to each other, and he is always drunk and smoking all the things under the sun. We talked to him for a bit, asked him if he wanted to change his life, and he said yes, but as he was drunk, we couldn´t teach him, because he wouldn´t remember anything, and it´s hard for the spirit to be there when there is alcohol involved. Anyway, after talking to him, another drunk dude called us over to talk to him 2 other drunk dudes. The first guy was so completely wasted to the point where his eyes were pure red where it´s supposed to be white, and staggering around and not making sense while speaking. The other two was a guy from Peru, and an older man. We invited them all to church on Sunday, got the addresses of the other 2 guys, and marked days to visit. We said a prayer with them, and left. When we went to visit the Peruan, Juan Pablo, he wasn´t home during the time we planned. So we went to visit the older man, Benedito. Our appointment was marked for 3 hours later, but we went early. Turned out, he gave us the wrong house number, so we knocked a couple of doors randomly, and came to this one house that looked locked from the outside, and a neighbor yelled to us that no one lived there. We were about to leave, when Benedito came out all smiley. GUYS. This man was prepared to receive the gospel at this time. We taught him, and the spirit was so strong. 

We went back to wellington a couple more times to teach him, but every time he said, “no I’m not in a good way right now. Maybe later.´´ but he said he would go to church. Guess who went to church? Benedito, not wellington. We were impressed with the name of wellington that day because we already were familiar with the name, as we were teaching his family. But we really were drawn there because of Benedito. After the first time we met Benedito, he didn´t drink again. When we went to pick him up on Sunday, he was all ready to go to church super fancy and everything. Awww. He is progressing so fast!! His baptism is marked for next Sunday the 19th. 

He is incredible. He separated from his wife, who lives in a neighboring city with their 7 year-old daughter. And his wife turned out to be a less active member!! I am so excited I want to cry oh my goodness. We’re going to baptize Benedito, and he and his wife and daughter will reunite and will be sealed in the temple for all eternity!!! I am so excited. After church he said that it seemed like he wrote down all the things he was passing through and gave it to the teacher of the class, because it seemed directed at him. He is so excited to have found the truth, he understands everything, and believes everything and prays and reads the scriptures and wow wow wow. I’ve never had an investigator like him. The lord works in mysterious ways. That´s all I can say. 

Anyway, amo vocês!! Boa semana!!!

Sister Evans