MONDAY - November 26, 2012

The Miracle of Carlos Take Two

Dear blog readers,

Do you remember Carlos? he was an incredible man that was baptized in september, he changed my life and if you cant remember him, look for a blog post beginning of september to hear his story. 

{CLICK HERE TO SEE 1st  CARLOS BLOG POST)

Today I have more to add to the story of Carlos. just like any story, Carlos´ has ups and downs and this story starts with downs. 

To begin with, i left some details out of the first episode of carlos´ story because welp, i didnt have enough time on the computer. so i will start by saying when i met carlos, he was a very lonely man. carlos has three children and a wife whom had left for the boondocks about two years previously. something had gone down between him and his wife, she was DONE with living in the favela, and he didnt want to leave. so she did what many women here in brasil do, she took her things, her children and his heart and left to a descreet and small city in minas. they called back and forth, he still loved her, she still loved him....but the two are very stubborn and weeks turned to months which turned to years. 

the carlos i met in july was a very lonely man. it had been two years since seeing his family and they had begun thinking about divorcing. Of course, Carlos accepted the gospel in his life and he began changing. Carlos had a lot to change, and over the past 4 months i can honestly tell you that i can put ``marriage counselor`` on my resume. every night we would tell him carlos, call your wife and just tell her what you read today in the bible and the book of mormon. and tell her you love her. 

he did. and it was a very, very long process. i even got to speak with her on the phone many times. she lived so far into the boondocks, we have yet to send missionaries out there. we encouraged her to move back. she wasnt interested. that was beginning of september. 

Remember when carlos was baptized? it was an incredible day. And then, it ended. Unfortunately Carlos was paid an unpleasant visit by the devil himself the monday after he was baptized. And the friend brought a whole package FULL of anti-mormon literature. and unforutnately, he believed it. we visited afterwards, and after a full week of recovery, carlos was ready to be confirmed. however, he went into emergency surgury (for his foot) and was stuck at home for another month. talk about disappointment in my life.

It was november 11 when he was confirmed. we promised him his life would change for the better the minute he became a member of the church. and it totally did. 

sunday night he recieved a call from claudia, his wife. She had moved back to live with her sister....who lived just an hour away. And she wanted to talk things through...immediately. He drove a stick shift in the pouring rain with a cast on his right foot all the way to her sister´s house, where he picked up Claudia, and his 12 year old son deonata. 

But its been two years right? and they are totally different now, and she left him in the first place anyways! Can i be the first to tell you that this gospel changes lives. and marriages. and people for the better. He told her about the book of mormon. about the two american girls that speak bad portuguese, about being baptized. about the anti mormon stuff. And then, then they began reading the book of mormon together.

I recieved a call Tuesday morning after she had returned. Sister pereira picked up the phone, and almost immediately handed it to me. I first heard carlos, and that he had a really big surprise for me. and then i heard her voice. 

``Sister, when can i meet you? i want to be baptized.``

We met her Wednesday morning. She cried the whole way through the lesson. I cried the whole lesson. Carlos cried. Deonata made fun of my portugues.  Carlos called us Thursday morning angry and told us Claudia had been reading without him and had questions he didnt understand. Deonata read with them, and within two weeks they were just any other mormon family. 

I have it on good word Claudia and deonata were baptized this past sunday. Deonata has a bottle can full of change he is saving up for their trip to São Paulo this next year, you know when they will be going to the temple together. 

If 18 months out of my life and the stresses that come with it, and the having to learn portugues and the horrible skirts and the bugs and the sunburns and all that comes with mission work was all for just meeting this family, it was worth it. and i would do it again and again and again. 

love you all, 

sister mad.

p.s. I have been transferred! I got the call thursday night, and totally cried. I missed the baptism by TWO DAYS. I now am in Lagoa, a little town about 45 minutes out of BH with another AMERICAN sister! Her name is sister kelsey anderson, i totally love her and we are going to do a whole whole lot in this area. pray for us okay? we are expecting miracles before 2013.