Week 99: A Teary One

 

Monday- I am grateful for a clean house, cereal, fruit, and working out!

Tuesday- I am grateful for weather, growing up in the church, and music. 

Wednesday- I am grateful for windy weather, fearlessness, and the street.

Thursday- I am grateful for temples, recommends, efforts, BEAUTIFUL nights, productivity, happiness, and final testimonies.

Friday- I am grateful for A personal Savior, adventure, and fancy bread.

Saturday- I am grateful for prayers and miracles.

Sunday- I am grateful for conviction, my ukulele, macaroni, and My Savior.

I have to thank Elder Brown for teaching me about sweet potatoes and how to cook them. Thanks

Last zone conference for me this week! The opening hymn was, "I'll go where you want me to go". That put me in tears. Then right after I gave my final testimony, also in tears. Not quite sure on all that I said but you can bet that The Book of Mormon was in there!! It was as if all the emotions from the last 2 years were wrapped into that crying... 

I am working on knowing my Savior and not just knowing about Him.

I've become very straight forward (even more than usual)(oops) and fearless in my last transfer. I'm sorry people of Itatiba, I just want to save your souls.

 I'm not sure what's happened to me but I go to bear my testimony and I'm just crying and filled with conviction.

 

I had good experiences this week where I was taught to pray always! When I did so I was immediately blessed! Obey the commandments! Jesus Christ will immediately bless you!

Another week. I'm not sure if it's all the walking we get to do now, or the emotional trials of a finishing missionary, or if I'm just feeling all my 23 months., but I'm real tired.

Onto the last 2 weeks

Last Zone Conference

Week 98: He done did it again

 

Monday- I am grateful for my family, Gospel discussions, and aggressive angels.

Tuesday- I am grateful for The Sacrament, listening to the Spirit, açaí, and doctor visits.

Wednesday- I am grateful for music, diligence, and caldo de cana.

Thursday- I am grateful for Elder Gonçalves, success, and surprises.

Friday- I am grateful for my guitar and The Book of Mormon. 

Saturday- I am grateful for K.I.L.L., member meals, and the peace of the Holy Ghost.

Sunday- I am grateful for good conversations, 2hr church, and watermelon.

Elder Gonçalves had a doctor's appointment and so that left me alone in the waiting room for what turned into 2 hours. But they were some of the greatest 2 hours because I spent my time studying The Sacrament!! I love those opportunities that God gives me to strengthen my testimony.

We had exchanges with the ZL's - really nothing significant there.

We had President interviews which are always enjoyable. 

There we were, Elder Gonçalves and I having just one of the best days of the transfer and bam out of nowhere a random call saying that Elder Gonçalves was getting transferred.

We went out one evening to contact on the street and had the goal to give out one BOM. We did a whole circuit and then in front of the church decided to knock one last door. We then found Rosinei, a man very ready for The Gospel. He opened his house right up and we shared The Restoration and gave him the Book of Mormon, it was powerful. 

My new comp is Elder Christofferson! we've already been comps once! Well for a day because it was a exchange, but anyways should be a good 3 weeks with him.  

Oh and he's also a musical genius and brought a violin so that means that the nightly jams have just gotten THAT much better, good stuff.

We had an excellent youth activity and taught them all how to play KILL which they enjoyed quite thoroughly.

We also had our first lunch back in a member's home and man was it good. Pork, rice, beans, salad, & mashed potatoes. Then ice cream at the end. To top it off for reals though we shared a great message on D&C 105:37 that inspired a very spiritually led convo. Love that.

The Spirit has continually guided me and comforted me this week. Whether it be in questions of what do I say to this person or what do I need to invite them to do or simply feeling peace in the storms of life.

Trying to bless a screaming child with a blessing of comfort, is very difficult. In the end, peace was felt by all.

Another week in the Lord's work. 

Never forget folks that ALL your tribulations are for your good! 

Love y'all

Week 97: Highway Huggin'

 

Monday- I am grateful for renovating, cleanliness, The Book of Mormon, and peace.

Tuesday- I am grateful for missions, a loving God, humility, and a loss for words.

Wednesday- I am grateful for clouds, funny conversations, and puppies.

Thursday- I am grateful for rain, participation, and the color white.

Friday- I am grateful for strength, life, and English.

Saturday- I am grateful for trust, tie-less-ness, and productivity.

Sunday- I am grateful for free rides, emotion, spiritual promptings, Vani and her family, and LIFE.

A truly miraculous week out here in Bragança.

We spent our whole pday here cleaning the mess of a dump that this house was, gosh darn, Elders are terrible.

I'm talking graffiti, dog poop in the back, clogged drains, trash never taken out, dust as thick as a milkshake, weird signs/writings all over the place, and more. I'm done with irresponsible young adults.

Although the house after our cleaning was a whole other place.

 

I also feel the need to mention that a couple of weeks ago I had a nightmare that I was failing math class, hadn't done ANY of the work, didn't ever go to class, had no idea how to do the math, and my teacher was PISSED at me. It was not a comfortable night of sleep.

I hope Mrs. Boucher, my last math teacher, reads this email. Also, I may or may not be anxious about college in a couple of months.

We are terribly effective now because we have technology AND old missionary ways. Hallelujah.

Side note: I hid my *possibly* BEST weekly email under a random title so that only the real ones get to appreciate it.

But if I had would retitle it, it would simple be that GOD KNOWS ALL THINGS.

I tried crab this week, good stuff.

So much symbolism in the color white.

There are times, moments, and nights that are just simply impossible to describe out here on the mission. Tuesday night was that for me. What I saw, felt, experienced, learned, shared, realized, and became because of that night cannot ever be completely expressed. I could write a book on that one night. 

I was humbled and felt the ministry of angels to say the least.

There is just so much that happened this week.

Follow your spiritual promptings. 

We spent the week in Bragança with the sole purpose/plan/goal to baptize a sweet sweet lady. Her name is Vani. 

We met her on Tuesday and invited her to be baptized then taught the Restoration.

Wednesday we taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ and some commandments.

Thursday we taught the Plan of Salvation and some commandments.

Friday we taught the commandments/laws and baptismal questions.

Saturday we read 3 Nephi 11 with her and she had her interview.

Sunday I had the privilege to baptize her.

Vani lives an hour walk from us one way so we had 2+ hours of walking each day-a pure joy.

Somethings that happened while on the daily walk to teach Vani.

(The way included a good 15 minute stretch of what I named 'highway huggin')

-a guy on a bike, out of nowhere, flip over his handle bars and smacked the ground hard- exploding something in the bag he had- in the middle of the road.

-2 guys on horses pass us.

-lots of rain.

-highway spray making my white shirt not so white anymore.

-many thoughts.

-hymns sung.

-a whole litter of puppies show up.

Vani's baptism was simple, sweet, and so emotional. She really said it best.

"I feel like I'm on another world"

It's people like her that make it a blessing to serve and a heartbreak to leave.

What. A. Week.

Back in Itatiba.

31 days and channeling my love for Brazil.

Week 96: Adventure Time

 

My sweat mark on the wall from doing wall sits everyday.

Monday- I am grateful for change and an eventful life.

Tuesday- I am grateful for surprises, canyons, tereré, and motivation.

Wednesday- I am grateful for diligence and vibes.

Thursday- I am grateful for The Book of Mormon, families, soaking in the sun, health, an active lifestyle, and the Lord's support.

Friday- I am grateful for The 1st Vision, my ukulele, and SIMPLE testimonies.

Saturday- I am grateful for angels, The Book of Mormon, and unity

Sunday- I am grateful for quiet, stillness, and the Sacrament.

My new comp Elder Gonçalves.

Well, well, here we are.

The drive to my new area was gorgeous!! We went through a valley! It's been a very long time since that's happened to me. But the mountains/hills on the sides of us were very different than the ones I'm used too. These were filled with random rocks, palm trees, other trees, bamboo, and cactus! Really weird.

Our very large area.

I'm now in Itatiba with Elder Gonçalves! He's 23, 8 months out, and was baptized when he was 17! He's also the only one in his family to serve a mission!

We made a goal to read The Book of Mormon all the way through this transfer because he hasn't ever read it all the way through yet. It's going really well and every time we read I see/understand something new. For anyone out there who wants to know... it's 15 pages a day to read the BOM in one transfer.

We also cover the Bragança area which is an hour car ride from us, in total we cover about 1/3 of the mission... it's intense.

We live on the top of a VERY steep hill but it's alright because we have a house and it is HUGE and pretty nice, we even have our own showers. Blessings.

We spend just about all day every day at the church and the first time we went there I had a flashback because this was the church that all the Americans met at to hear President Marsh's departure message/counsel before we got shipped out. Weird weird flashback.

Our steep hill.

Weird sorta week.

Missions are all about adjustment and change.

I rediscovered my love for the uke.

I also finished The Book of Mormon again! Good book right there my friends.

We are actually in the Bragança area this week because we have a friend who wants to get baptized! It's exciting and cool to travel so much!

We got the go head to street contact, knock doors, eat with members, and have 2 hours of church! FINALLY! I've made it full circle with 5 weeks left!

Love y'all!!

It is beautiful here.

Keep climbing those hills.

I like the hills. Keeps me in shape.

Book of Mormon is true.