Sunday, October 2, 2011

The End Is Near. . .


September 28, 2011


Oh my goodness. I´ve just come back from a wonderful day at the temple. Truly what a wonderful experience. We were all waiting and then we saw a familiar van drive up....it was our dear President and Sister Tanner. Mom and dad, love the two of you, but I think I was more anxious to see them...you guys are alright, Pres. wasn´t. Oh, my goodness, what a sweet and wonderful feeling. They arrived yesterday and came and did a session with us. Oh, how I love the temple.

So, it´s hard to believe this is coming to an end. It hasn´t sunk in yet. I am tired, and my feet are broken and bloody, but other than that...wow, I love my life. This work is amazing, Carioba rocks, and I am helping people and I am helping myself be a better person. Yesterday in district meeting, my elders and sisters sang ``God be with you`` and I didn´t cry, I just thought it was lovely. And then today, when we did a session, Poast and I just hugged and hugged and we did it. We did this work. I love S. Barbosa and I love Brazil. The people here are so wonderful.

What more can I say? This is the Lord´s church, it is His work. The last year and a half has flown by. There are people here who changed my life, who´s names are written on my heart. S. Monterio, Carvalho, Poast, Forsyth, Costa, Cleise, Barbosa...it continues. Through every trial and problem, I have succeeded. For all of my problems, pride and stubbornness, the Lord has molded me. I truly know that this is the work of God, that it is when we follow Him that we can truly have peace and happiness. When we do the small things, the big things don´t seem so hard. I love this gospel, and I will work my hardest so that I can be with my family for the rest of eternity. There is no greater gift than that. The Book of Mormon was written for us, it contains the answers to all of our questions.

I would not trade this experience for anything. Mom--I am so thankful for you. Dad thank you for your quiet example, for scripture study and the love that is in our home. Eric, Erynn, Megan, Brynn and Callen, thank you guys. I never had to really worry about you guys and I know that I must have done something right in the pre-earth life to be blessed to be a part of this family.

Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ, and he was a prophet. Thomas S. Monson leads God´s church today and he called me to serve here. For every problem there has been a lesson. I am different now. I hope that I am more kind, more patient, more faithful and more humble. I came on this mission to learn how to work and it happened. I learned how to work. I love this work and I know that it is work.

I love you all.


September 21, 2011

So we´re working, working and working more. I had the most trunky meeting of my life yesterday. The President was all like: plan, work study marriage...urg. I know that I should write more but I’ll see you in two weeks. Pres. Tanner is coming home Tuesday. I´m going to the temple Wed...and yeah, praying for you all.
I got to give a lesson in Spanish today. There are many people from Peru and Chile. We "talked" to them (it was a mix of Porto-Spanish) and one asked us to come to her home. We borrowed a preach my gospel in Spanish from one of the Elders and worked really hard to learn the lesson. Sister Barbosa was able to do the first vision in Spanish. The spirit was so strong. It doesn't matter the language, the Book of Mormon is always true, and God talks through all languages. 


September 14, 2011
We have this amazing young woman named Myara from one of the other wards who is preparing to serve a mission and is going out and visiting with us. It rocks. She´s from Forteleza and will be going on the mission in March (fingers crossed). She is absolutely amazing and I adore her.

We had a wedding this week of a less active and her ``husfriend`` finally got married. They now live in the other ward, sad, but the elders are getting two baptisms out of this so all is well. Everyone looked beautiful, and I thought it was lovely. But don´t worry, I was not trunky...did not think of my wedding (which S. Barbosa says will happen in three or four months, fat chance) while this was happening. Aren´t you proud?

I was also sent to hell this week. We´re teaching a less active family and their brother and grandparents are of a church were you can´t use pants, cut hair, eyebrows, no makeup, nada. This guy went totally wild, and told me that if I did not go to his church and follow the New Testament, I would go to hell. He talked for about 10 mins. Yeah, think I´d prefer hell to being in heaven with those people. S. Barbosa said a prayer and the spirit became strong again.

Valdimiro is progressing well. He went to church in Sao Paulo and will be getting baptized soon. When we taught him last, he was having some doubts. When we asked how he got these doubts he pulled out his bible that was a bible with footnotes about other religions. It said that we believed that the Holy Ghost was some sort of liquid creature and that we don´t believe in God, and that we were a cult. We worked through these doubts and he gave us this bible so that he didn´t have to read this trash. YES!!!
Yesterday in District meeting, we talked about why we were out here. I said that I was here because my mom was baptized when she was a teenager, and now her life and the lives of our family are totally different, and that we are happy and we will be a family forever. I´m out here so that other people can have that chance as well. I talked about how I always knew that I would serve, but seeing these people change, seeing me change is truly a miracle that I never thought that I could feel this happy, that in the service of my God. How I am so happy for you all, how grateful I am for our Heavenly Father and the promise that if we do all that we can, we will be together forever. That is why I´m here. That is why, for all of my problems and faults and weaknesses, God still loves me and he still trusts me. I am doing my part, and no regrets, but repentance. Like Pres. Eyring´s father, I know now why God needs strong Sons and daughters.




September 7, 2011
So, my head hurts. The last week has been busy with work and then more work. We've been thrown out of some houses, met some new people, and are just doing the work that the Lord has ordered. I am doing well, getting tired, but forcing myself to keep working. I am learning so much about humility and patience, and I need to keep believing in miracles.
We had training with the new president. It was like being in a business class in college. He is extremely intelligent. His son is living in Redmond, working at Microsoft (small world), and we learned about making goals and planning and how to be successful in life. His wife wants us to be healthy and we are getting new diet rules (no soda, less chocolate, eat healthy) and it´s interesting.
Think that´s it, love you all.