First off, sorry about not sending an email yesterday!! We had Zone Conference yesterday and so our P-day was switched to today! Sorry if anyone was worried about me! haha.
Zone Conference was super super awesome though. We received training from President Bigelow and I learned so much! The other day, he and Sister Bigelow received training from Elder Holland and so he was able to share some of the things that Elder Holland said to them. One thing that Elder Holland talked to them about that really touched me was, that he asked them if they´re happy. When they said yes, he talked to them about how they can be so happy, but yet so tired-- how they can be so happy when life is so hard. And then President Bigelow said for us that happiness is not having a life without trials. And I loved this so much because I don´t think I can describe a mission more perfectly. It´s really hard and we´re always so tired, but at the same time I feel an amount of happiness that I have never been able to feel before. And I know that that happiness is because of the Gospel.
This week was fantastic though! Fernando and Camilla were finally baptized!!! Saturday night we had the wedding and then right after had the baptism, and then Sunday during church they received the Gift of the Holy Ghost :) They are all SO happy. I love them so much and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to be in instrument in helping them receive the Gospel. They have changed their lives so much and are truly living in harmony with the Gospel and the happiness that has come into their lives is proof of that.
Now that Fernando and Camilla are baptized we are searching for more of God´s elect to teach and baptize! The other day we had a period of time just to do contacting. We started with a prayer that God would put into our path someone who is ready to receive the Gospel. It was almost time to go home and we hadn´t found anyone yet. But as we were walking home a lady named Isabelle stopped us and asked what time it was haha. But we started talking to her and she said that she had been praying to find a way to change her life and follow God! I know that God hears our prayers and that He put Isabelle into our path :)
We´re going to have another baptism this week! Her name is Dalva and she´s the mom of a less active in our ward. But it has been absolutely wonderful teaching her! The first time we taught her she wouldn´t talk, wouldn´t smile, and wouldn´t accept anything. But we kept trying and showing her a lot of love and it´s incredible how much she has changed. She is so happy, loves it when we visit her, and wants to be baptized so much! She went to church this Sunday and loved it! I´ve learned that the reason why she was really difficult at the beggining is because she has a lot of "vergonha". Vergonha is a word in Portuguese that I think is a combination of shy and embarassed haha. She has a lot of insecurities and has a really hard time talking in front of people. In church, during Sunday School, she got called on to give the opening prayer. When she was talking to us yesterday, she said that she was so scared and didn´t want to, but when she got up to say the prayer, she said she felt God take away all of her vergonha :) Kind of a simple thing, but I was still really touched by her story. God knows our weaknesses, and He is always there to help us and support us in doing His will.
I think that´s about it for this week! I had my 3 months anniversary this week! Kind of crazy! Brazil is great though. Right now they´re having a holiday called São João! I don´t really understand what it´s about, but there are a lot of cool decorations in the streets haha. It´s a little weird though, because a part of this holiday is having fires. So there´s always just chunks of woods or boxes burning in the streets haha.
Love you all! Thanks for all the emails!
Sister Anderson
Sister Anderson
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| Wedding and Baptism of Camilla and Fernando! |
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