June 23, 2014
Eeentao. This week I have been with my new companhera, Sister Cox!
She's from Montanha and we are getting along simply famously, I am so, SO
grateful, I'll tell you what, she's like a breath of fresh air, and Heavenly
Father is so aware of each of us, He knew what I needed:) I think it's
interesting that for my first 3 weeks on top of adjusting to everything I also
had a kind of difficult companion. . . The Lord works in mysterious ways:) But
Mom, like we decided, the refiner's fire, we can't be molded into what Heavenly
Father wants if we aren't. . . . molded. . . ok:)
Tuesday: Brazil had a jogue so we got to stay in our house for 5
ours. . . I say got because it was actually really nice and emotionally needed.
Last p-day was stressful because of the switch so Tuesday was like our real
p-day. Sister Cox and I spent a significant amount of time cleaning a wall in
our study room that was black because it was covered in mold.
Everything here is covered in mold, even my clothes sometimes, it's impossible!
Anyway, then we did language study, and some other study and then ordered a
"biggy" pizza for the four of us. Oh, minha nossa, it was fantastic,
Brazillin pizzas are the best! They have dulce pizzas too, and we got a peantu
butter chocolate one. . . oh man:)
Wednesday: Sis Cox and I had a great day getting to know each other
better and teaching all of our great investigators. I still really love Sis
Dias, she's a character, but it's great just living in the same house:)
Thursday: The weather here is loco. . . Seriously, in the mornings
it's soooo cold, so I wear, a scarf, tights, a coat etc. But, during the day,
it gets soooo hot and I am dying with my black tights, but then again in the
night it's so cold and the air is full of water. . . it's impossible to plan
for! Being with another American is reealy great but definitley changes the way
that people see us. We get a lot more creepiness, for example: The other day,
there was this cowboy dude walking down the street, us and him. . . "oi,
bom dia etc etc" He all of a sudden stopped in the middle of the street
and started remarking about how beautiful we were and to come back and
talk with him, etc etc for like 3 minutes. We were dying laughing as we kept
walking briskly away, loco. People receive us in one of two ways.. . they're
honored to have us in their house because we're 2 americans, and they want to
feed us and talk with us but not really listen to our message, or they treat us
like salesman and feed us all sorts of balogne excuses because we're americans.
. . . so yeah. We're trying to figure out how to work with this fact because it
is a fact my friends, we are indeed 2 Americans:)
Friday: There is no better feeling than truly being an instrument in
the Lord's hands:) It was my turn to give the thought for almoço right? During
my personal study i had the thought to read helaman 5:12 and the Watch
"Graças a Ele" ( becauseo of him.) It turned out to be a really neat
moment ( I LOVE that video! Fam, do this for^for fhe!:) and Sister Cox was
crying and told me later that she really needed that message, she woke up
really bummed, hadn't told anyone but Heavenly Father knew:) There were other
times this week during lessons where we both felt prompted to promise very
specific blessings if investigators would do something, it was cool:) Yesterday
we walked at least 7 miles in the stinkin' heat to make sure this lady, Suele
would receive the Holy Ghost. She had been throwing up, she didn't know anyone,
etc. etc. We promised her that if she would come to church and receive a
blessing and the Holy Ghost she wouldn't throw up anymore. She came ( gah!) And
when the Bishop gave her a blessing it was the most beautiful thing. She was
all stressed and telling him evrerything and he just said" Do you have
faith that Jesus Christ can heal you from this infirmity?"
Seule, "Tenho. . ." Boom, the spirit hit me like a wall and I
was crying the whole time, I have no idea what the blessing said but the Spirit
and the reality of the Priesthood was so real. It was a beautiful moment and I
am so grateful for it because. . .
Saturday: We literally did everthing we could followed every
prompting, talked, taught, invited and had no one to come to church ( which
means probobaly no one to baptize next week. . . ) and I was feeling pretty
discouraged, "Heavenly Father, I am doing everything that I can! Why
aren't you using me to help these people?" Yes, I was a little frustrated
with Him, hahah silly me!:) I know that God's timing is perfect, I know it!
So we'll keep working!
As usual people, I didn't tell half of what I wanted but here's a
great story for the wrap-up:
So there's one lady in the ward who can play the piano right?
So it's her calling right? But she doesn't like to ( Brazillians are really a
lovely people but also really lazy. . . haha) so last week I did right?
Yesterday literally 2 minutes before sacrament meeting I was informed that I
would play again. Fine, awesome, seriously happy to help! Umm all they hymns
are fine except the first, I had no idea what it was, and unfortunately neither
did anyone else but. . . here we go! I started playing and it was pretty rough
but was getting progressively worse. . . "hmm Brazillians have a horrilbe
sense of pitch,( which is also really true) Then the chorister stops us and
says, "The sister doesn't know this hymn we'll just start over with out
the piano" Ouch! After about 30 seconds I realized I hadn't seend
the repeat sign. .. . .I stil have no idea what that hymn was. . hahahahah Oh
my life. This isn't even all just because of the life of a missionary, no, this
is just me:) hahah Dad, I thought of you and how much you would appreciate it.
Anyway, I love you guys like crazy and miss you so much! I love the
Book of Mormon too! Man, Heavenly Father is so ready to forgive us every time
we repent, He did it over and over and over! The people begin to prosper right
away and then get prideful! Don't get prideful peeps! It's so easy, we are so
blessed but everything we have is graças a Ele! Everything! Speaking of which,
my language is no longer my biggest stress factor.:) It's so cool and amazing
to be able to measure myself- having almocos with members that we ate with my
first or second week here, I can really see the difference! Man, I want to keep
improving and improving. I know that my language ability is helped so so much:)
I love my Savior, I know that the Book of Mormon is true with all of
my heart! I'm coming to know my Savior and Heavenly Father better every day!!
Love you guys!!
No comments:
Post a Comment