Farewell to President/ Wonderful news of Baptism

                                                                                                             May 30, 2016

Hello Family,

I forgot to tell you all that at the end of June, I will receive a new President in the mission. I will
miss President and Sister Del Guerso and love them dearly.  

Sister Oliveira and I visiting the Temple

This past week we had a mission meeting, and afterwards, we were able to go the temple once again.
We were able to unite with Sister Del Guerso and President Del Guerso at the end of the session, and it was really a spiritual experience...

 

This morning, we had a farewell party for the two of them, and I remember feeling the spirit so strong

while singing our mission hymn to him with our entire mission for the last time.

I feel so much love for the humble man that President Del Guerso is. He has helped me so much in the times when I really needed to be reminded of Heavenly Father´s love for me, and has been like a father to each one of us. We celebrated with farewell videos from each zone in the mission, salgados, and cake.

 It was so fun to be with my entire mission, and see my old companions and friends. 
 

So fun to see Sister Cellurale and other great sisters!

 

Sister Covey and I have not been companions,
but have served together and come to be good friends.  
 





 How I love these great sisters!!

It was wonderful to see Sis. Caleira!

 

I will never forget my trainer Sis. Bezerra!

Sister Bezerra, my trainer and ´mom in the mission, will leave for Rio de Janeiro in one week, and we just cried together in the temple, telling each other how much we had learned in two transfers together in the mission. It was a sweet farewell.´

My companion, Sis. Oliveira!

We also had the chance to Skype the new mission president as an entire mission, and he seems like such a humble, caring man. He lives with his wife in California, and his name is President Thomas. His wife was super cute because she didn´t know how to speak a lot of Portuguese, but she and her husband almost cried as the entire mission sang the mission hymn to them, and we welcomed them to our mission. They are going to officially come to Brasil at the end of June, so I will have a new Mission President at the end of June.

 

Also, I'm happy to tell you that Esther was baptized this week!!!

She was baptized in warm water, and Sister Cellurale was able to attend her baptism.

 

The first time she went under the water, she slipped, but the second, she gained stability, and was completely baptized in the water. She then, like a child, doggy paddled a little bit in the water to make us laugh. She is 80 years old, but was baptized because she became like a child, and had softened her heart to Heavenly Father´s will. While receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost on Sunday, the Bishop gave her a sweet blessing. He said that it is never too late to come to know the Savior in this life, and promissed her that she would be an example for her friends and family in the Church. 

The smile on Esther´s face after her baptism was priceless. 

Esther and Leticia both newly baptized 

Not too many people were able to attend her baptism because we held it early on Saturday morning, and this worried me a little bit, but an elderly woman, a member of the Church who became Esther´s friend, bore her testimony in Esther´s baptism, and said that angels were celebrating her special day round about her. The Spirit then touched my heart, and comforted me, telling me that a lot of friends attended Esther´s baptism, though I wasn´t able to physically see them. Angels on the other side of the veil are always looking out for us, and Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are always celebrating with us when we choose to do what is right, and make sacred covenants with God.

Yesterday, because it was the fifth Sunday of the month, the Bishop taught the quorum and relief society together, and he spoke to us about three things we can do to receive blessings in this life.

1. Be EXACTLY obedient to Heavenly Father´s commandments. At times, for example, we are obeying the word of wisdom because we are abstaining from using drugs, alcohol, tobacco, coffee, or black tea, but we are not exercising daily, or we are not eating foods that are healthy for our body. There are little details that are part of a commandment that we aren´t obeying, and this can cause us to lose out on blessings that Heavenly Father is willing to give us.

2. Pray Fervently--we need to pray fervently to overcome the natural man, and become, instead, a spiritual man. When we feel as though we shouldn´t pray, we need to pray. Prayer is a commandment in order to overcome temptation, and overcome our challenges.

3. Receive the Grace of Jesus Christ in our lives--Mosiah 3:19--we need to become like a little child in order to receive this power from on high . 

The bishop also spoke of how the most common promise that is given to us in the Bible is: ask, and you shall receive. We need to ask for blessings, believing that we will receive them with faith, and Heavenly Father, in in His own time and will, by Christ´s grace, will bless us. 

Have a wonderful week family!! LOVE YOU!!!!