FELIZ PÁSCOA!!!

                                                                                                            March 28, 2016

Oi família!!! I hope you are all doing well, and loving life!!

 

The Savior Lives!!! He loves us, and He is always working with us to help us progress in life!! 

 

Hmmm, where do I start? Yesterday was Easter, and I had the opportunity to bear my testimony in Church!! I absolutely love hearing the testimonies of members here in Casa Verde because they are so strong and beautiful.

 

Yesterday, as well, Sister Cellurale and I received a HUGE Easter basket full of goodies--chocolates, candy--American and Brasilian, nutella, bread, cookies, and HEAVEN.

 

It´s really hard to lose weight now...I´ve been trying to eat healthier and exercise more, but this area is just too difficult to resist food temptations. I will try to show some self-control and limit my sugar-intake.

 

Yesterday as well, we had the opportunity to take Donna Ester to church to watch the woman´s conference of general conference, as well as Maria, a less active member who has a TON of cats. They both loved every minute of it, and are excited to attend general conference now this next week. Maria recently lost one of her cats, and was super sad yesterday, but we shared a message of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and invited her to attend the woman´s broadcast, and the moment she heard the choir sing, she began to cry so hard. She really needed to feel of her Savior´s love last night. 

We are teaching a man named José who accepted baptism for the 10th of April!! ABBY´S BIRTHDAY!!! He has already been to church 2 times, including yesterday, and he really enjoys it. He was a contact that Sister Cellurale made one day on the street, and he came up to us one night, asking us when we would be able to teach him. He is truly a miracle!!! I´ll let you know more about him next week!

And as for this past week, we weren´t able to find the family of Ricardo to teach them. We went by and were greeted by their dog, Agata, who is always so friendly toward us.

 

  We will try again this week to reach them. They need to watch general conference!!! 

 

We were able to visit with Romulo, and his brother Rogerio who have been less active.
I gave him brownies for his birthday and Sister Cellurale made him brigadeiro.

As for Rafaela, we also weren´t able to teach her again yet, but we are going to try to teach her tonight.

As for Luiz, we discovered why he doesn´t want to begin dating again. He´s had a really hard past with relationships. We did have the opportunity to teach him, however, about the commandments.
In the mission, we recently received instructions from the presidency of the Church to focus our teaching on repentance, and then, we will baptize CONVERTS. I had the opportunity to teach and testify of the power of the atonement, because Luiz has made some mistakes in his life that he needs to correct. He likes to drink coffee with milk, and doesn´t think that it´s a strong drink if he adds milk. It´s really hard for him to quit drinking coffee; During the lesson, we were teaching about the commandments, including the law of chastity, and the thought came into my head that Luiz was having a hard time keeping the commandments because he felt alone in life. I then bore my testimony, and said what came into my mind by the Spirit: Luiz, we are incapable to keep the commandments by ourselves in this life. But we are not alone. We have the Savior´s perfect example to follow, and He has given us the gift of repentance to progress and do our Heavenly Father´s will. We have the gift of forgiveness only because of Jesus Christ. With this gift, we are able to repent in sincere prayer to our Heavenly Father, and start over each and every day. I then told him that he was able to keep the commandments and see a change in his heart because of His Savior´s atoning sacrifice. I testified with all of the conviction in my heart, and I knew that it was only by the Spirit that I was able to do so. 

As for Maria Luiza, she is the same Maria Luiza again!!! She is up and walking, and full of life and energy, and smiling, and telling us how much she loves us again. Yesterday, we went around giving away our chocolate boxes we received to some less actives and investigators (Donna Ester and Maria Luiza being a few), and Maria Luiza wanted us to enjoy the chocolates with her!! She only wanted to eat one of them, and share the rest! SO HUMBLE AND PURE IN HEART. She, as well, as having trouble to stop drinking coffee, and we shared with her 2 Nephi 31, about the importance of repentance and baptism, and the Doctrine of Jesus Christ. We testified of the importance of repenting and the steps of repentance. How, we need to repent in order to keep the commandments and continue to follow Jesus Christ. She was so grateful for our lesson, and at the end she promised to stop drinking coffee. We tried to tell her about an incentive we would have for her of a cup we were going to write scriptures on that she could use for anything to drink except black tea or coffee, but she said that she didn´t need it. She would stop drinking coffee on her own. She is excited for her baptism on the 10th of April.

We also have a young man named Vitor who is preparing for baptism on the 10th of April, who just needs his mom´s approval to be baptized. This next week we will have a lesson with the Bishop and the mom, and so we are praying that she will open her heart to his baptism because she is really catholic. 

I love you all so much!! I hope you have a wonderful week, and I hope you know that the Savior lives and loves us!!!

Also, last night I learned from Elder Henry B. Eyring that when we understand the forgiveness that comes from Christ´s Atonement, we will have gratitude in our hearts, and we will want to serve others and help others feel of Christ´s love for them. Perdão leads to Gratidão which leads to Serviço. LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Have a wonderful week!!