One of my favorite hymns in the mission has been “Se a Vida e Penosa” (“If the Way Be Full of Trial, Worry Not”). When someone dumps us or doesn’t show up, I often sing this song because it’s funny, and also true — in Portuguese it says “Don’t get tired of fighting, God listens to our voice, He will send rest.´” It’s true! This week we had several opportunities to sing this hymn.
“If the Way be Full of Trial, Weary Not”
If the way be full of trial, weary not;
If it’s one of sore denial, weary not;
If it now be one of weeping,
There will come a joyous greeting,
When the harvest we are reaping, weary not.
If the way be one of sorrow, weary not;
Happier will be the morrow, weary not.
Here we suffer tribulation;
Here we must endure temptation;
But there’ll come a great salvation. Weary not.
If misfortunes overtake us, weary not;
Jesus never will forsake us, weary not.
He will leave us never, never;
From his love there’s naught can sever;
Glory to the Lamb forever, weary not.
*Chorus:*
Do not weary by the way,
Whatever be thy lot;
There awaits a brighter day,
To all, to all who weary not.
One of our amazing investigators told us on Monday that she no longer wanted to be baptized and had misinterpreted all of her past answers to prayer. She thought that God had told her to be baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints but in fact she had been mistaken. Unfortunately, when she went to a ward Relief Society activity she was shocked to hear “American” rather than strictly evangelical songs. She told us this is against the Bible’s teachings (she cited the scripture in John about not being of the world).
Later we called her to follow up. She said that she had prayed about it. But she felt she had received the answer that she should stay where she is. It was sad. When we were on our way to visit her, she cancelled on us. However, we ended up doing a contact instead and the contact turned out to be super great. I have high hopes for the new contact!
Another sad things was a recent convert that we’ve spent lots of time with has decided to leave and be part of another church instead. I worry that he hasn’t had the visits from ward members that he needs. We have been trying to use the tips from the mission newsletter about helping recent converts. We are still hoping to be able to keep working with him.
My testimony in the restoration has been strengthened this week. I had been thinking about why people who seem like sincere, earnest seekers of truth don’t get answers or get answers that led them away from the truth. But this week I realized that sometimes I don’t need to worry about that too much. It is illogical to believe in the Book of Mormon and totally ignore that because you dreamed that a different church is true.
Sister Barros has a great talk called by Elder Tad R. Callister, “What is the Blueprint of Christ’s Church?” which talks about the elements of the primitive church and how our church has those same elements. Obviously, you can’t have a testimony just based on Bible verses (I imagine different interpretations are possible), but the restoration is incredible!
Two scriptures I like:
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Galatians 6:9
Also,
And behold, I, the Lord, declare unto you, and my words are sure and shall not fail, that they shall obtain it.
32 But all things must come to pass in their time.
33 Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.
D&C 64:31-33
Sometimes the results don’t come soon but they come in His time!
Headed to Recife 