In Our Weakest Moments the Lord Carries Us Through!

                                                                                                          January 18, 2016

Oi Familia,

 

Wow, this past week we saw miracles, I felt the spirit so strongly, and in my weakest moments, the Lord truly carried me. 

 

This past week Sister Caleira and I had the opportunity to teach a family about the Restoration. This isn´t just any family, however, but a family that is truly elect. I´m not sure if I shared about them in the past, but one day we were making contacts on the street, finding people who were interested in the Church, and telling them about the location of the chapel, and most of the people we talked to were rejecting us, and weren´t too excited to talk to us. After reaching our goal of contacts for the day, we needed to walk to a teaching commitment. As we were walking, a woman approached us, and asked where we served (in what part of São Paulo). We told her the areas where we served, and she said that she has a cousin who lives in our area who already went to church one time, and who would be interested in the gospel. She brought us over to this woman (her cousin), and introduced us to her. The woman who introduced us to her was the wife of the bishop in the Caucaia 2 Ward. The cousin, named Cida, passed her number to us so that we could visit her and her family, and we called one day and taught her family about the Atonement. Later, we marked another day to teach her, her husband DeCarlos, her son Gustavo (16 years old) and her other son Rian (12 years old) about the Restoration. While teaching them about the Restoration, this family fully accepted the message, accepted the Book of Mormon, and accepted baptism open-heartedly with ease!! They are going to prepare to be baptized on the 7th of February. 

Shortly after this message with their family, we ran into the wife of the bishop on the street. She works in a churrascaria (selling really good meat), and we talked to her on the street about our visit and how it went. We said that they are going to be baptized on the 7th of February. She immediately started crying, and I started crying too because the Spirit hit me so hard that this family truly is elect, and that this woman has been waiting the longest time to hear those words. She told us that elders had tried to teach Cida and her family in the past, but they were shortly transferred later, and the following missionaries after them weren´t able to teach them for some odd reason. let me tell you that in this area in Cotia, it has been a long time since elders have worked here!

I know that the Lord works in mysterious ways. This past week we had more opportunities to teach inactive members--strong women who were baptized in the church, sealed in the temple, but have withdrawn from the Church. One day, I had the impression that we should visit Abigail, one of these inactive members, and while we were there, Nuimi, another inactive member was visiting Abigail´s house as well---MIRACLE. I remember teaching them and feeling the Spirit put into my mind these words: that the Lord needs them to fulfill His Will. He is waiting anxiously to call them to specific callings in the church just to strengthen His children. One of these women had already been a Primary President in the past, and she had loved the Gospel. She kept saying how the Church is perfect, but that she can´t return to church quite yet because she needs to prepare. I assured her that the lord is waiting with open, loving, arms for his daughters to return to his flock. 



My last training session in São Paulo for all of the somewhat new missionaries. I thought it was quite funny to have to leave my new companion one day to finish up my training, only to turn around the next day and become her trainer. 

X-Baff--probably the best hamburger there is here!



Yummy!!

 

 

A bottle we couldn't get open for about an hour during one of our lunches.

I know that this Church is true. Yesterday, we didn´t have many investigators show up to church (Just Emily and her dad, Robson), but I know that it is through the small and simple things that we do as missionaries that will allow miracles to happen in the field.

 

I am anxious to keep working with Cida´s family, and help them draw closer to Christ. 

 

I hope each and every one of you have a wonderful week!! I know that Heavenly Father is waiting anxiously to answer your prayers, and to listen to your feelings and thoughts. You are always worthy to turn to Him, and the Spirit will let you know that He is there. 

Sister Harris