Wash, Rinse, Repeat

Hey everybody!
Business: I love my Brookstone travel alarm clock that I got at Washington Square for $25 that has the popup button for the alarm.

Man. This felt like one of those weeks that people use in their talks because they were just so crazy.
Word of the week: Desfubequizar. V. to defubecify. Origin: Elder Lobo
So last Thursday, we went looking in for service opportunities at the local city government building (each one a Junta da Freguesia… A freguesia is pretty much the equivalent of a really small county, and a city is comprised of a bunch of freguesias) Anyway, they didn’t have anything and they looked at us like we were crazy. “You want to do service???”
That afternoon, we had planned to go to Alfragide and pass people we talked to the week before. But, we didn’t have enough time to do that, and that was also our backup plan. I wasn’t really having a fantastic day myself, so I informed Elder Colby that we wouldn’t have enough time and that we needed to think of something else. So I got up on my bed (we have tile floors) and kneeled down and explained what was going on to Heavenly Father. I explained my confusion and frustration with the situation, and how even after 15 minutes of thinking of an idea he still didn’t say anything. I told Him how I knew I shouldn’t have to be doing this, but I didn’t really know what to do. But if I had to do it, I would need help. I saw all the things I had been fubeca on and just laid them all out to Him. I woke up 15 minutes late, I hadn’t been doing good exercises, my studies had lost focus, etc. Basically, I had gotten to the point where I just wanted to make it through each day, and whether it was good or not stopped being my focus. So, two and a half hours later, our time for dinner had passed, I whipped out my Missionary Handbook to try to find something to help. I read, “Successful missionary work and appropriate missionary conduct starts in the companionship led by the senior companion.” It felt like that was it. It was like I had been digging and digging up fubecaness inside of myself and doing everything I could to fix myself without extending that beyond to the dupla. So I decided I would finally lay it all out in companionship inventory and stop trying to pass evading the problem as being tactful and considerate.
That night was incredible. We had two lessons in two hours, a new investigator, and a member accompanied us for Domingas, who is having trouble progressing (she’s not really understanding). I taught the advanced English Class with Jardel, again, and it turned out to be a really good day.
Friday: Weekly planning. Big day.
So we do companionship inventory (Step 13 of the weekly planning in Chapter 8 of PMG) before we start weekly planning. Basically, I told him that if the Lord wanted me to be senior companion, he would have called me to be senior companion. He doesn’t call us to something we can’t do, so there’s no reason to be “reserved” in magnifying your calling. Elder Colby told me that Elder Perry had more or less already given him faca and advice a week before in their division, but he hadn’t done anything with it. Elder Perry told him that he has to be “the initiator,” which was basically what I had been hinting like crazy at him with a lot of the musings I had been sharing from my Moleskine. Basically, when both people have a duty, the first person to pick it up is the leader. I told him that I am no longer going to get in the way of him reaching his potential and am no longer going to get in the way of “successful missionary work and appropriate missionary conduct.” I couldn’t be the initiator anymore. After I did this, I felt this enormous weight lifted off my shoulders.
So he had to lead the planning session, which took four hours and was spent mostly in silence, but I couldn’t pick it up and do it for him. I do my part, and I do my best, but I have to let him lead. After the planning session, we had plans to pass former investigators and pass some other contacts, but it ended up being Elder Colby reading the Area Book until 9:30 PM. I nearly died. But I wasn’t going to just pick it up or push him along – that’s still taking the initiative. It felt like it was a necessary step for him to realize that, yes, he actually was going to have to do something, and that I wouldn’t pick it up and do it if it sits there waiting to be done. (If I didn’t do it, it DIDN’T HAPPEN. Not even kidding. Estão a ver??)
Saturday. That morning after really, really quiet studies, we went for a walk. We just kind of roamed around Reboleira, avoiding areas where everybody was, but I at least got in a contact. I was somewhat concerned that the rest of the transfer would be spent going on walks, to say the least, but I decided to be patient and try to make the best of it. We had lunch, and then went to talk to an old member lady to help an old lady investigator (Dona Rosa, more on her later) get to church. We went and taught Rosa with a member, reading 3 Ne 17 to try to help her feel the Spirit and realize we’re not there to keep her company.
That night, we went knocking to find a reference from a member without a name, address, or phone number, and the third or fourth door we knocked let us in and we taught the Restoration. It wasn’t the reference, but CRAZY. That’s only happened two or three times for me. People rarely just let you in.
Anyway, I’m running out of time.
Sunday was awesome. They announced the unification of the Amadora and Queluz wards, with half of Queluz going to Cacém. We taught Ana about faith and repentance with a huge emphasis on USING what you know and not being casual with salvation.
That night, we found an less active member in the street and got chased away by a crazy drunk by wielding a bamboo stick – we call him Bam Bam.
Monday, Elder Perry (district leader) came for a division. We spent the afternoon doing contacts, and spent the evening with Paulo trying to track down people (nobody is home in Portugal until after 8 PM or so, and tons of people are on vacation). We ended up teaching Jojo, and both of our planned lessons fell through. We went everywhere though, and I love talking to Paulo and working with him.
Yesterday, we had a lesson with Vanda, the economics teacher. She is INCREDIBLE. We taught about the Plan of Salvation, and she really was wondering how we can overcome the fall. THERE ARE TWO CRITICAL THINGS EVERYBODY HAS TO UNDERSTAND: THE NEED FOR THE RESTORATION AND THE NEED FOR THE ATONEMENT. She feels both!!! I hope I can stick around next transfer to help her.
By the way, transfers are on July 24, and there is, once again, a high probability that I will be transferred.
Moral of this whole email, though: When you do things the Lord’s way and stay in a constant cycle of repentance (desfubequizando), the Lord REALLY DOES give blessings. I feel so much lighter and I actually have DESIRE to do good, and make every day a good day. I don’t know how it happened, except to give due credit to the Atonement. The Atonement has incredible enabling power that helps that “mighty change” happen in our hearts. I’m not perfect and I still have TONS to work on (I don’t know a good metric measurement yet), but still. We have to maintain our good habits and not think that we’re perfect in some parts. There is ALWAYS something we can improve on, we don’t have the ability to perfect everything all at the same time, but the Atonement steps in and makes our efforts really take an effect. It’s incredible.
Rock on, we’re going to the zoo today.
Elder Lobo