I hope everyone had a wonderful new years! "Trancamos 2016 com uma chave de ouro!" Translation: We locked 2016 with a golden key! This could quite possible be a phrase we use in the United States as well, but let´s just pretend like it´s a cool Brazilian saying that you guys have never heard before haha. Also a little fun fact: A type of new years tradition that they have here, is that if you´re on the beach, you have to jump over 7 waves! Not sure why... But. I thought it was interesting haha.
Rayane was baptized this Saturday!! Goodness, she is just the cutest little girl. After the baptism, she told me that she had achieved two of her dreams:
#1: to enter a pool.
#2: to be baptized.
Haha. I love the spirit that is always present at baptisms! It is truly such a sacred ordinance of God! And it´s so special to see my recent convert (Rayane´s grandma), Djanira, progressing in the Gospel!
I am so grateful for the tender mercies that Heavenly Father gives us every day! This Sunday, because of new years it was a little harder for our investigators to get to church. And so we were sitting there in sacrament meeting without any of our investigators there-- which was pretty difficult. And so I said a little prayer that one of our investigators would show up and as soon as I ended the prayer and looked up, there was Tamires entering with her four little boys!! It really filled my heart with joy to see them. It´s really these tender mercies that help me to feel Heavenly Father´s love-- knowing that He listens to our prayers, big and small!
Can you guys believe it´s already 2017?! So insane! But I´m so grateful for the opportunities we have to reflect on what we can do better as people and disciples of Jesus Christ! Something that Sister Bigelow told me a while back, is that we all have "a list"-- a list of our weaknesses; things that we want to change about ourselves. She told me to keep this list, write the weaknesses down, choose one, put the list away, and then focus on fixing that one thing. And doing that we can always be "a little better than we were yesterday". And with the new year, I thought it´s a wonderful opportunity to do that! Choose something, work on it throughout the year, and then at the end see how you have changed to become more like the Savior Jesus Christ!
"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." Ether 12:27
I know that this promise is real!!
Love you all!!
Sister Anderson
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| Viviani & Alexandre |
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| Rayane's Baptism |
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| Rayane's Baptism |
