EAIIII (pronounced 'ee-ay-ey' and is how everyone greets
each other here)
Just wanted to send out some of the miracles/funny moments
from the most amazing and special week of the year!!!
1. Ok so maybe a mix of a miracle/disappointment - EASTER as
we know it in os Estados Unidos (the United States) just does NOT exist here. No Easter bunny, no
colored eggs (would be kind of hard given that almost all the eggs here are
brown), no competitive and adventuristic Easter egg hunts that sometimes
include climbing the roof or tall pine trees.
However, it DOES include:
- LOTS of 70 year old senhoras (ladies) found in literally
EVERY praça,(square) sitting in large prayer
circles and wearing these incredibly bright and bedazzled Maria Mãe de Jesus
camisas (Mary, mother of Jesus shirts). They all
sit there CHANTING with a figurine in the middle.
- Because it was Semana Santa (Easter)
and ALL the catholic holidays are huge here, no one had work/school so
how do they celebrate? …………………SLEEPING. #whoopwhoop
- Without all the hubbub, I was able to really study day-by-day
about the last week of Christ's life and the significance of it was just so
much different. Like wow TODAY was His last day with the apostles or TODAY was
the day He suffered for us, or TODAY was the day that changed the history of
the world when He rose again. It was pretty impactful.
2. Long story short - Caio's mom ACTUALLY SIGNED the form
for him to be baptized!! I don't think I have ever felt that much happiness in
my entire life oh my gosh my heart felt like it was going to burst.
3. I taught everyone what it means to be a "borboleta
social" (social butterfly) because yesterday, we brought probably the most
cutsie and hilarious, humble miracle of a family to church for the first time.
OKAY FOR REAL I JUST HAVE TO TALK ABOUT ANSELMO. So Anselmo is the pai (dad)
of the family and just to show how important he is, God put him in our
path 3 TIMES before we finally consented to go visit him and his family. He is
way talkative stopping to talk to literally EVERY person on the street (which
is why he usually takes about 4 times longer to get someplace XD), watches a
TON of Discovery and always asks a lot of questions about the states, wears
these adorable thick blue glasses, and just is the humblest of the humble. The
first few times we talked to him, I don't know why but I didn't really get the
impression that he would be that receptive/interested in the gospel right (even
with him saying 'hey come visit us" - which happens a lot but without real
interest right #everyonewantstoknowhowlifeisintheUS #doyouguyshavepineapple?).
But after seeing him on the street walking with his 2 sons and then AGAIN on
the street a few days later, I consented and we went to visit what has become
my favorite family. We went and taught them about the Book of Mormon and about
how we have a living prophet hoje (today) and the
spirit in that tiny and humble home was just powerful. When they said that they
would all go to church (Elizete mãe, (mother)
Ezanael (18) and Daniel (14) and their super sharp amigo Osea (28)), with giant
smiles and excitement glimmering in their eyes, and then seeing how everyone at
church the next day just straight out EMBRACED this humble and innocent
family.. it was just a real miracle you know?
You know those days when everyone is just so ridiculously happy
and you just think, wow, this is what it means to live. Yeah even though I am
without sem (the) chocolate or colorful Ukranian
Easter eggs, and thousands of miles away from the people I love more than
anything else in the world, this Easter will always be marked in my
heart.
Heavenly Father is so good guys, just incredible.
The Savior of the world really is Jesus Christ and He lives
and loves us.
Sending my love and gratidão (gratitude)
for all of you beautiful people - I hope you squeeze your family a
little extra-tight and send a prayer of gratitude to Deus (God) thanking Him for all the tiny miracles in your
life. (and don't say that you don't have any because there isn't a person on
earth that doesn't have at least a dozen)
