Pray for the Pastor

Dear family,

This week has been very eventful! We have had our fair share of ups and downs in these seven days and the excitement and anxiety that I am coming home is getting to me a little bit. For the first time in my mission a baptism fell through but, I still have hope that Tabata will be baptized. We also found a very special family!

Well, this week everything was going just perfect with Tabata. She is very special! She was excited for the baptism and we taught her the commandments and everything was just fine. She doesn't even drink coffee, which is something very rare here in Brazil. We marked her interview on Saturday and passed by her house to take her to the interview and her brother said that she had left some time before. Hmmm. We got there a little bit late so we thought that maybe she had already gone. Now, we have no clue where she went, if it was an emergency or if she was hiding so, we could really use your prayers!

We do know two things that might have gotten in the way; the first is her mom, the second, she had a birthday party to go to that night. Well, her mom loves me! The whole family really likes me and are getting really sad that I am going home. But, varies events have happened with other people that she stopped listening to the messages. She believes in saints and also has had one of the sisters enter into every part of her house without asking permission. Crazy Sister! Also that night that we taught about the commandments she had a birthday party to go to that night and here in Brazil everyone has parties as an excuse to drink and party. Well, she said that she doesn't have a problem with alcohol but we failed to ask her if she drinks. Hmmm. So, we will go back there and I have faith that she will still be baptized. Pray for her!

We also started teaching a pastor's family. He is very open to the gospel and I have a lot of faith that he will make some progress! He said that he has a testimony of the Book of Mormon because he learned that to be baptized, it needs to be from someone that has authority. The problem is he went to a preacher that we very correct and said that he was baptized again :))) Hmmm. But, he was busy yesterday but gave his kids permission to go to church. The younger kids went out of town but his oldest daughter, 19 years old, went to church with us yesterday and absolutely loved it! She will go next week and with a little more work with this family and they will all be going! Pray for them.

Other than that I'm doing just fine. A little trunky but that's normal. Pray for me!

I love you all so much and am so grateful that you write me every week!

Love,

Elder Zimbelman