Week 44 (Week 27 in Michigan)

 

My keyboard that I'll have to leave behind!

"Elder Lightheart, how would you feel about returning to your original assignment on Febuary 11th-12th?". "President Heap, that sounds great to me!". This conversation happened two days ago over the phone with my mission president. Looks like I'm going to be returning to my original assignment of the São Paulo Leste, Brazil mission in about 3 weeks!! It was honestly really sudden, and way sooner than I expected, but I am super excited to be heading back. However, I will miss this mission very much and all the people I have met. 

This week in South Haven, we certainly saw some miracles! Maybe not the crazy kind of miracles you hear about, someone being super prepared to receive the gospel, or instantly desirous to be baptized, but miracles to us. For one, Elder Kofford and I had 58 new "contacts" or conversations with people on Facebook this week. That number may mean nothing to you, but to us, that's pretty dang good for one week. Out of those 58 we found 2 new friends that we had some genuine lessons with, and a few others who are potentially interested in learning more about the gospel. Since we have been opening a new area, things have been pretty slow so far, but the work is really starting to pick up here!

We also have been struggling food-wise since we had no food to begin with here and a small budget to work off of, but thankfully 2 families brought us dinner this week, and another is planning to bring us some tonight. Though it stinks that we can't have meals in person with our members just yet, it was a huge blessing this week to receive some meals, and some delicious meals at that. Thank you to the Toney and Clark families for feeding us!

An amazing dinner a family in our branch brought us.

We also had the chance to film a couple of videos with some other missionaries in our area for a little zone competition we had. I was only in one of them for about 5 seconds, but they were fun to film nonetheless. Our district is actually really cool, full of some awesome elders and sisters, so it was a very fun day. The elders in Allegan also brought a ton of week-old cookies that they gave us, and when I say a ton, I mean a TON. We certainly won't be able to eat them all before they go stale, but it makes for a nice snack!

A pic from a video we made this week!

Overall it wasn't a super eventful week, but it was super exciting to receive the news that I will be returning to Brazil! This mission has been such a great blessing to me though. I've made some wonderful friends here, missionaries, members, and even non-members. It's going to be sad to say goodbye to all these people, but I know it's not goodbye forever. Plus saying goodbye is something you get very used to as a missionary. Especially a COVID missionary like me who has gone home early once, and will be moved from mission to mission for the 4th time. But all in all, this mission experience has been amazing, and completely worth it. Although, I definitely will have some interesting stories to tell in the future about my mission, haha.

But I want you all to know that I have such a testimony of the enabling power of the atonement of Jesus Christ, which can give us strength beyond our own to grow and turn our weaknesses into strengths. On my mission I have certainly seen how Christ the carpenter, has shaped me, an ordinary piece of tree into something greater, an instrument in his hands. I testify that all that come unto Christ can be shaped into something beautiful, and refined into a spiritually strong disciple. 

Have a wonderful week everybody!