LIFE IN BRAZIL, NATAL: Week 15 -- Tender Mercies of the Lord

Wow this week was one that I think that really gave me perspective I needed.

One of all the tender mercies of the Lord for those who really love and serve Him, one of the impact we have on other people, and a perspective that made me stop and think about who I really am as a person.

This week we had one day where we left the house at 8 in the morning and didn't get back until 9:30 - almost legit 12 hours of straight and diligent hard work. Just to give you a taste, normally our goals for the week from our mission president are 80 contacts (where you stop people on the street and give them the location, time, and invite them for a church service),and we had almost 115 !!!!! In one day, we had to encounter 7 new people to teach with addresses and everything. It was one of the most tiring days, but also one of the most satisfying you know? When you have something that you really give every effort you have, something that you really invest yourself in and the feeling that you were able to accomplish something that challenged you, ahhhhh wow I just THRIVE on days like that.

And it was such a tender mercy because the Lord completely blessed our efforts. Our president has really been emphasizing that we need to walk by faith - both to have patience that the people we are teaching will be able to change their lives and accept the gospel, but also that you need to be able to let go of people that just aren't really ready in their lives right now to accept the happiness of the gospel (which is SO MUCH more difficult for me). I have such a strong testimony that when the Lord sees that you are really invested in something good in your life, with faith and humility to know that you can't do it all by yourself, that this is all the Lord needs to justify a little extra boost to help you out. But we were able to not only meet but exceed the standards for the week and were able to celebrate with both açai, AND my first time in a McDonald's BRASIL.

And MAN IT'S SO FUNNY. You can have a brisket and sizzling steak with rice, beans, farofa, salsa, bolo de chocolate, mandioca, sweet potato, cuscuz, with a LITER of Guarana for like 20 reais, but how much does a burger and fries cost from McD's??

$33.

*shrugs and buys subpar quality subway across the street for $12*

The mission is crazy because I totally thought I had things figured out in my life before I left - my testimony, the person I was, the perspective I had of the world but also the way that I thought the world saw me. But there's never been any other moment in my life that I have felt the burden of my weaknesses so strongly, that I have been aware of how much I have to improve and just how very, very far I am from the perfect example of my Savior. And wow I really sat and thought about who I was one night after everyone had gone to bed. Just me and my thoughts and the stars. I thought about my Savior and that moment in the Garden when He sat and took upon Himself every bad thing, every pain to ever have been imagined. Reading a talk by Elder Howard, it talked about how Christ knew on an intellectual level what He would need to do, but when it came time to actually feel the immense burden and pain upon shoulders and heart of one so pure, even He felt inadequate. That what which was required of Him was too much for Him to bear, asking for Heavenly Father to relieve Him - to help Him under the overwhelming guilt and grief. And it just made my Savior so much more real you know? He really does understand you, in everything, wow it's just powerful.

So I had a moment - ANNE STOP. And I am learning to accept myself for who I am, weaknesses and all. Because it is only through our weaknesses that we remember that we can't do everything on our own - that we really are children who need our Father's love and wisdom in every moment.

Wow I love Him.

Try to take something that you know you can improve on, and really try to turn it from a burden to a blessing. Every imperfection is just an opportunity to learn how to better.

LOVE YOU ALL.

MUITO AMOR.

Sister Staheli