This past week we worked really hard to strengthen our current investigators and to find lots more. The week before we had gotten 7 new addresses in one day with set appointments to go back and visit. This week we went and visited all those people. Not all of them were too interested, but on Saturday we visited one and to be honest, I had little faith after how all the other appointments had gone. We had talked to Sonia a week before and marked but it was far and I just thought, she probably forgot. When we got there, she just said I thought you guys weren´t coming. It was probably one of the best lessons we have tught. She accepted baptism and was really anxious to learn. It was so cool!! She didn´t attend church, but I feel like she is reallya wanting to know more. There was also a day when all our appointments fell through. All of them. We were walking and I jjust kept praying for us to find someone. All of sudden, we start talking to a lady and we got to teach her that day!! The whole week was just full of finding elect people. Another one was a contact we did with these 2 17 years olds. When we went back to teach them, it turns out that one was baptized last week but only went to church twice so she could be baptized but then didn´t return because she dind´t understand anything. But now, she wants to come back and her cousin accepted baptism too! WAHOO!!!!
This week though was also full of good studies. I love studying. It is such a precious time because we learn so so so much. More often than not we also study exactly what the Lord would have us learn. I love the conference talks, they are the best. It is the best knowing we have real alive prophets who are divinely inspired by Heavenly Father to lead and guide us. I think every single talk I read this week spoke of enduring to the end and small and simple things. Simplicity is wonderful. If we pray and study our scriptures earnestly, Heavenly Father WILL answer. He will hear, and He will help us in exactly the way we need. The best was reading Alma 58. The Nephites were having kind of a rough time during the war, and it seemed like it wasn´t ending. They didn´t quite know why, but in the end they poured out their whole souls to the Lord. They didn´t know how exactly that they would overcome their difficulties but they decided to go forth with all their might because the Lord would bless them. I really want to apply this to my life and even though I don´t quite see the whole picture, just go forth with all my might and do the Lord´s work. I love this work, and I know that the Lord is blessing His work, because it is HIS work and not mine.
Yesterday was the crowing jewel of the whole week. This Sunday was by far one of the most miraculous spiritual Sundays I have had on the mission. All of the lessons at church focused on Christ and the Spirit was so strong and so sweet the entire meeting. We had 9 people go to church on Sunday. 9!!!! It was so crazy. Although none of the people we taught went, we had a family of 4 show up. Four!!! One of Marilia´s friends also showed up and is super interested. A recent convert´s son came and is wanting to be baptized so we are teaching him this week!!!! MIRACLES LIKE WHOA. After , We had Miguel Bernardo´s baptism. Marilia is a recent convert and his mom and she is really wanting an eternal family. We are teaching her husband, and since her son just turned 8 it was his baptism!! When she bore her testimony to her son at thebaptism....holy cow. Everyone who was there was in tears. I think it will really make the difference for her husband. She gave by far one of the most powerful testimonies ever. Holy cow. After we had lunch at a member´s home and she put on the Book of Morom Testaments film. I just cried and cried at the end. I know my Savior lives!!!! Just thinking of His love, and His sacrifice makes my heart full. I love our Savior. I am so glad I get to serve Him for 18 months, and learn to be a little more like Him. And now for the last miracle of SUnday. Sundays in VP are usually super dead. There is no one on the streets. We were walking and saw these three people sitting by a payphone. I was like hey sister, let´s go do a contact with em. They spoke NO Portuguese. Only Spanish. So I totally got to use my Spanish and teach them a little. It was such a cool feeling. To top it all off though, I happened to have a Restoartion pamphlet in SPANISH by chance in my bag. It wasn´t by chance though, becuase Heavenly Father knew I would find those Bolivians!!!! It was so so so cool. We are going back to visit them this Saturday. I think the mission is really my favorite thing ever.
Love love love,
SIster Carvalho
Great Gems From this week:
Sister Falcão may have picked up some of my habits... like saying oh my gosh. Now whenever something awkward or amazing happens she just starts chanting ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh or awkwardawkwardawkward. It is so funny. Also, we always always always say nao agentou. which kind of means I can´t handle it.
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