FELIZ NATAL!!!!!

            Oi familia!! Feliz Natal!!!!!                                                                 Dec. 21, 2015




Sis. Bezerra and I love the Santa hats!!

Thank you so much for the Christmas presents!! I absolutely loved them!!!I will try to limit myself to how many Christmas sweets I eat per day, but just know that I am so grateful for them!! Also, thank you for the sweet letters you sent attached!!  And the musical Santa Clause letter. I love it!!!! Sister Bezerra loved the stocking and treats and especially the little dog ornament.         




Sister Bezerra's mom is a seamstress and made me this beautiful makeup bag filled with surprises. Feeling blessed!!

  

Feliz Natal! A very Merry Christmas to All!!!




 

   

I have limited time to write today because I have to finish up some missionary training, but I want to let you know that you are all so amazing!!! Each day I pray for you, and I cannot wait to see your faces on Friday!!!  

The long awaited gifts of missionaries! So excited to hear from their families!! 

This past week we had such a blessing happen in the rain. I learned a lot about working together, the power of forgiveness and how the Lord blesses us to feel more adequate. Earlier, Sister Bezerra and I had a bit of a misunderstanding in which I didn´t know that I had done something to offend her. Everything is okay now, but during this time I was really feeling down and didn't know how to fix it. I wasn't sure what I had done wrong and had asked her to forgive me. She was slow to share what was bothering her and how I could change.  I started feeling quite discouraged and inadequate, but ended up having a powerful experience Saturday evening while we were standing out in the pouring rain. We were leaning against a house which had a bit of a cover, waiting for the rain to lighten up for us to continue to visit other people. I remember standing off to the side, staring at the harsh rain, and beginning to sob. I thought that I had done my part by asking for forgiveness, and I still didn´t know what I had done wrong. Our commitment had fallen through with a recent convert the night of, and we were trapped with really nowhere to go. All of a sudden a car pulled into the driveway in front of where we were standing, and a young man of about 30 years old, asked if we wanted to at least stand in the garage away from the harsh rain. We did so, and soon, his dad asked if we wanted to take shelter in his and his wife´s house temporarily away from the storm. We sat in their house and we soon found out from asking questions that they had had the elders in the past teach their family, but it has been a long time since they have had missionaries there. Only Sisters work here in this area, at this time, so it has been a long time since there were elders. The 30 year old young man named Vagner, muttered to his parents that it wasn´t by chance that Sister Bezerra and I were standing in front of his home, and that the Lord had placed us there for a reason. Vagner has been having trouble finding peace in his home (the house above his parent´s home), and he asked if we could say a prayer to protect his home, and allow the spirit to abide in it. As Sister Missionaries, we have the neat opportunity to pray and dedicate homes as a place for the Spirit to abide and the family to grow spiritually. It is one Priesthood prayer we have the opportunity to offer, and use Heavenly Father´s authority to do so. Sister Bezerra had already offered a prayer of dedicating a house unto the Lord at another time in the mission field with me before, so for the first time I had the opportunity to do this for Vagner. I was a bit nervous at first, but the Spirit put into my mind the words that I needed in the prayer when I needed them. At the end of the prayer, Vagner was crying, and was extremely grateful for our visit. I could feel the presence of the Holy Ghost in his home after the prayer. Sister Bezerra and I became closer through this experience and were able to work out our differences. As we were feeling inadequate, the Lord blessed and strengthened us to fulfill His Work. I know that we just need to trust Him, and He will allow us to perform miracles under His guidance. We later shared a Christmas message with this family, and they were super warm and generous, telling us we could come by on Christmas day if we needed a place to stay. We are going to visit them again this week.

Also, Kleber and Sandro have travelled for Christmas, so we haven´t been able to teach them lately. As for Denise and Robson, they didn´t come to church this past Sunday, but we are going to work with them this week to do so. Sara as well didn´t come to Church this past Sunday. We are going to testify of the importance of doing so this week (tomorrow) with her. 

I love testifying of Christ during this Christmas season, and I absolutely love you all!!! Thank you for your sweet examples of love and kindness. I am so excited to see you all this Friday!!! 

This past week I had the activity of the mission in Caucaia with the entire mission Sao Paulo Oeste!! I played volleyball, had the opportunity to ride on a mechanical bull, and jump on the trampoline, and of course, eat amazing food!!

   

You can all see the fun we had during the activity on the below or on our Facebook page: Missão São Paulo Oeste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feliz Natal!! A wonderful Christmas memory I will not forget!!!