WOW 1/6/2014

So first off Happy New Years! Forgot to say that last email. I come home this year and that literally freaks me out so much. Wow this week was really cool. We were so blessed. The 31st and 1st here were DEAD. There was not one person on the streets. We even went to the busiest street in our area to try and do contacts and there was like 4 people there. However, we met the neatest people in these two dead days. Most everyone we met even agreed to have us return and teach them. The whole week went on this pattern and we met so many new people! It is a prayer that I have long prayed for and it was answered. I am so excited to meet with all of these people, they were truly placed there for us to meet by Heavenly Father. One of the sweetest people we met was Esmeralda. She has had so so so many hard trials in her life. Oh I forget to say, I have found out the trick to getting people to stop in contacts. You both have to be moving, and then you have to stop and then the other person will stop. It is great. So we did that with Esmeralda and she told us she had just moved into her house that very day. We didn´t even teach her anything we were just like can we go help you? We can clean, unpack boxes, whatever you´d like! She was just like really, you would do that? Yes, of course! She then said any sort of help would be welcome. We went there yesterday and chatted with her and helped clean her cupboards. It was interesting to see how each and every single human being has our own indivudal sturggles and trials. Even more amazing is how Heavenly Father helps each and every single one of us throughout these trials. Something I have gained a huge testimony of here on the mission is the scripture that hangs on my mission plaque back home. Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. I have realized that the more and more I lean on the Lord, the more blessed, happy, succesful, peaceful, anything that is good I am. He knows us better, and He knows what is best for us. I am so grateful for our Savior. As we trusted in the Lord this week, we were guided to all these new people. I had a small miracle happen with me. I think I am the queen of small miracles, because they happen often and they are all each so tender and precious to me. On Wednesday we were studying and I realized I dind´t know where my temple reccommend was.( We are going to the temple tomorrow!!!!!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED!) I always carry it with me, so I thought it was in one of my bags. As I looked through each bag, it was no where to be found. I started to panic a little so I said a prayer to find it. The thought that immeadiately came to my head was it´s in your bag. I was like hey, maybe I overlooked it so I went back and looked. Nothing. I looked through ALL of my suitcases and every letter I have. Nothing. I prayed again and felt it was in my bag. Still nothing, so I prayed again and was just like please, I preach that no problem is too big or too small, please help me to find it. This time I felt nothing. I sat glumly at my desk and just told Sister Falcão, :estou triste. I am sad. I don´t know why, but it was such a big deal to me. I wanted my temple reccommend! Sister Falcão just said is there a special place you put things? I said no, and suddenly the thought came, your scripture bag. I springed up and looked in my scripture bag pocket, and lo and behold, there was my temple reccommend. I just started crying because He had answered me the whole time. I have been learning to really really trust in the Lord. As we planned for Tereza this week I felt we should watch the video with the apostles testimonies of Christ and Sister Falcão felt we should watch President Monson´s. It spoke directly of the scriptures and PLan of Salvation which is what Tereza needs. As we planned for M, we felt it was important to address that other churches all have light and Christ in them too, and sure enough it came up in the lesson. It was such a spiritual lesson. MISSIONS ARE JUST SO COOL. I LOVEEEEEEEEEEE mine. It is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love my Savior, I love being guided by the Spirit. I love these Brazilians. I want to work with more fervor and mor diligence and serve with my whole heart. I want to try and become the best missionary I can be. I know as we strive to further the Lord´s work, we will be blessed with His joy. 

Love love love,

Sister Carvalho