Monday, August 1, 2016

Week 4 in Arcoverde!

Olá! Happy 1st of August everyone and happy birthday to my brother, James!!
Sister Costa and I have had a super good week! We weren´t able to baptize Josie, BUT it´s all good because she just wants a little more time to prepare. So we´re going to baptize her on the 13th of August. She is wonderful though! She´s 20 years old and told us this week that she wants to serve a mission :) 
This week, on Wednesday, we were able to have splits with our Sister Training Leaders in Garanhuns! Goodness, it is cold there!! I didn´t know it was possible for Brazil to be that cold! I ended up getting pretty sick though, and so we had to head back to the house a little early :( But, it was still super good and I was able to learn a lot!
We stayed in Garanhuns for the night and then had District Meeting and interviews with President Bigelow in the morning! The interview with President Bigelow was WONDERFUL. I´m pretty sure he´s the best mission president ever haha. He helped me a ton. I was still feeling really sick and feverish Thursday morning though and so I asked my district leaders to give me a priesthood blessing before we left. Elder Johnson gave me a super cool blessing and honestly, within hours after the blessing, I was perfectly fine and healthy again. I know that the priesthood is real. That experience was a huge miracle and testimony builder for me. 
One of things that President Bigelow asked me in my interview was, "how has my relationship with the Savior changed in my mission". I´m really grateful that he asked me that because Í´ve been able to think about it a lot and realize just how much closer I am to the Savior now. I know that He is always here with me, working along side us. It makes sense that His is, because I wouldn´t have been able to do any of the things I´ve done on my mission without Him. Even if people don´t believe our message, they always are able to recognize us as representatives of Jesus Christ. We have an investigator that says that every time we visit her and talk to her, we share with her exactly what she had a question about that day. And I know that we are able to do that because Christ is at the head of this work. We are only instruments in His hands. I know that He lives, and that even though we can´t see Him, He is always here with us. 
I´m so grateful for my mission and that help build God´s Kingdom here in Arcoverde. Our other person marked for baptism, Gorete, is doing great too :) We stopped by her house early Sunday morning to take her to church and she had pieces of cake waiting for us haha. She always, always gives us food. The other day she saw a picture of Joseph Smith and commented for us that he´s really good looking hahaha. She funny. But also has a super great testimony and love of God. 
Thanks for all of the e-mails and prayers! I love you all!
Sister Anderson

Sister Costa wanted to build a "mosquito net" for her bed
Watch tan line almost at the level of James (her brother who always wears a watch)
This is a cool square in Sao Cristovao with a super pretty Catholic Church! This pic doesn't do it justice