Oi Família!
This week was really busy and really hot and really great! We are preparing a few families to be baptized in the next few weeks! One of them is Dariana and her 4 daughters, I think I told you guys a bit about them last week. We decided to wait another week to baptize them because they weren't exactly ready and are dealing with a lot of opposition but we're here firm in the faith that this week tudu vai dar certo! Nicole and Cris received the gift of the Holy Ghost and they received some of the most powerful blessings that I have ever heard anyone receive as they were given the gift of the Holy Ghost. I am so grateful for the day that I decided to listen to the Spirit and we talked to a 13 year old girl on the street!
Another bit of fun news is that this week was a state holiday here in Rio Grande do Sul! the 7th of September is independence day in Brazil but the 20th of September is when all of Rio Grande do Sul celebrates and commemorates the war they LOST to secede from the rest of Brasil...and I thought Texas had state pride! Esses Gaúchos, neguém entende. They have parades and dress up and act out the war and make churrasco and drink more chimarrão than normal, if that is even possible.
So last week I hit 500 days as a missionary! Nearly 2 years ago when I was planning and preparing to go on a mission I made a goal to record a miracle for every single day and every single day I have found a miracle. This week I was reflecting on a few of these miracles.
- I remember being the the CTM and giving a full lesson in Portuguese 2 days after I arrived.
- I remember the first time I gave the Restoration lesson and could actually say what I wanted to say and not be hindered by memorized phrases and lack of vocabulary.
- I remember the miracle of loving some companions that were hard to love, of finding strength to keep working on the hard days and long days but mostly--
- I remember the miracle of teaching these amazing Brazilian people and watching them change to become more like Christ and find more happiness!
Some miracles you can see in a day, others in a week and others only after a transfer or two but I testify that our God is a God of miracles. Moroni as he closes the last few chapters of the Book of Mormon he testifies of miracles as well, he says
"And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.
And he hath said: Repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, and have faith in me, that ye may be saved.
And now, my beloved brethren, if this be the case that these things are true which I have spoken unto you, and God will show unto you, with power and great glory at the last day, that they are true, and if they are true have the days of miracles ceased?
Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them?... Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men..." Moroni 7:33-37
I add my testimony to the testimony of Moroni, I know that God is a God of miracles and that he is the head of this great miraculous and marvelous work. He lives and loves us.
love you guys!
Sister Jolley
ps I had to put half of these words in google translate to remember how to say them in English and the other half for how to spell them. Haha I never thought I would forget the word hindered or how to spell marvelous. This is why my emails are so short! Falando ingles de novo...bem, o negócio vai ser tri tenso voltando pra casa.
