Week 14

Week 14

March 26, 2018

Hey everyone! Another week down for ya boi! It was an awesome week! Joel got baptized and Elder Hernandez had his birthday!

March 20th - Woke up and then we went and finalized all the stuff we needed to for Joel's baptism! We knocked doors for like 4hrs... always fun stuff.

March 21st - We met and got ice cream with Joel, we'll see him again tomorrow to get his baptism clothes ready. I balled with Karthiyegan for a bit which was so awesome because there's a really great ball court right outside my apartment.

March 22nd - We got Joel fitted in his clothes for the baptism, and then we contacted and knocked doors for a long time.

March 23rd - We got a text message from our President challenging us to not go home and sleep until we found a new investigater. (Investigater only counts if they listen to one of the lessons) We accepted the challenge. We didn't have to wait too long though because at lunch time we found a guy who had been taught all the lessons and had a baptism date before. He said to meet us at his appartment at 4:00. We met him and he told us that he still wants to be baptized and that he knows Joseph Smith was a true Prophet and that the Book of Mormon is true. His name is Vanne. Let me tell you a little bit about where he lived cause this is awesome. I'll make this clear, I'm not being racist, I just need to explain it. We walk up to this appartment building and these black kids are playing some rap songs on their speaker. And we were just waiting outside they had a song come on in English - by one of my favourite rappers ªXxxtentacionª and without thinking I started rapping the song to myself but they were impressed and kept looking at me. Probably not the most missionary thing but I can't help myself with stuff like that. But when we entered the house it was full of darker skinned people! It was so awesome, I was 100% the whitest person to ever walk in there, but they all gave me bro hugs and were awesome people! That was a sick experience. When I left after the disscusion with Vanne, the guys who had the speaker came and bro hugged me aha!

Março 24th - Great great day! Woke up and it was Hernandez's bday! We studied and then went to a member's house for a birthday lunch which was super great! Then following that we went to Joel's baptism! That was amazing, I got to see him from day 1 and saw how he changed his life because of his pure faith in the gospel. That's how it should be done. He is truly converted. That was one of my best moments on my mission so far! Then we went for some quick food with Joel! Following that we had a birthday dinner with some other members for Hernandez! That was an awesome day!

Março 25th - Church, then Lunch with Lages, then a bunch of time working, contacting, and knocking doors! That was basically the days.

Something cool from this week is that I found out a guy in the Bishopric here in Braga came 2nd in "Portugal's Got Talent". He's a magician and his name is Nuno Rodriguez. Look him up on youtube, I was shown a video of his magic and it blew my mind. It will probably be in Portuguese, but it's still understandable I'm sure.

I was reflecting back and two days before I met Joel I fasted that we could find someone to teach and baptize. I didn't even realize it until last night, because Hernandez and I were looking back in our journals and he pointed that out! I have a testimony of fasting, and I know and see it has real and lasting effects with true faith and desire!

I challenge everyone this week to spend time with their fams, and just have a good time with the family because those are the best times.

It's been a good week. Tchao! ("Bye" in Portuguese)
Elder out
Mamba out

Elder Hernandez, Joel and Parks on Joel's Baptism Day
March 24, 2018

Parks and Felipe... "My chain is my tie because I gave Felipe my tie."

Parks, Elder Hernandez and the Sister missionaries on Elder Hernandez's birthday.


 Parks and Lages (in grey) who looks like Bilbo (and has the missionaries for lunch on Sunday) and Lages' son who looks like Jose Bautista.

Downtown Braga
Email:
parks.layton@myldsmail.net
Mail:
Elder Parks Stewart Layton
Portugal Porto Mission
Rua de Amália de Luazes, No 23, Sala 1
4200-052 Porto
Portugal 

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