LIFE IN BRAZIL, NATAL: Week 57 -- Feliz 4 de Julho agente atrasado!!

Feliz 4 de Julho agente atrasado!! (Happy Late 4^th of July)

I and the other 2 American elders in my district celebrated in the only firework-banned-missionary way we could…waking up at 12:15AM and belting the Star-Spangled-Banner. #OkaySoMaybeTheEldersForgot #CarryTheDreamTeamStaheli

All the Brasileiros retaliated by proudly yelling their national anthem (which reminds me a lot of the queen of England for some reason – you have to march and pound your chest). I tried to explain our insanely passionate national pride by giving a quick US history run down of every briga/querra dos Estados Unidos (United States war) for my companion, but may have just made her more confused. #WaitWereYouFriendsWithTheIndians? #HowDoYouDescribeHowRidiculousTheStampActWas? #OrTheBrillianceOfChecks&Balances?

But for real, sometimes we forget to be grateful for how lucky we are and blessed that God played such a HUGE part in inspiring our founding fathers to establish such a strong and united and free nation. #ILoveMyNation

God, yet again managed to blow my mind this week with all of His tender mercies e pleno amor (and His love):

Nubia & Clayton

These past few weeks we have had the blessing of teaching Nubia and her son Clayton. NOSSA (WOW) I love those two – never have I met people so prepared and spiritually in tune as these two. Like the first time we gave them a Book of Mormon and talked about how God still speaks directly to us and guides us step by step today through a modern day prophet like He’s always done. It just immediately clicked with them. Clayton took the Book of Mormon, saying how anxious he was to read it and gives the book a little love tap (right?) and Nubia said that in that moment it was like she felt the impact pounding in her chest and she just says to Clayton, NAO TOQUE O LIVRO ASSIM E PODEROSAO CLAYTON. (Clayton do not touch that book so forcefully, be respectful). And there was this other time that we got to their house only to find that Clayton had barely left for the gym (he spends a ton of time there) and that we wouldn’t be able to see him, when 3 minutes later Clayton arrives back saying how at the gym he had the craziest buzzing noise in his ears and weird feeling in his chest like he needed to go back home only to find the sisters there waiting to teach him. And one other time when Nubia goes “cem todo respeito,sua igreja e pura e vendodeira” (with all respect this church is pure) (after only attending 1 time) . It’s been truly amazing to see how much they’ve grown and how much the Spirit has impacted their lives, how they have so much more purpose because they know they are cherished children of a loving Heavenly Father and that His greatest hope for us is to find true hope and happiness in life because of His Son, Jesus Christ, and that He has done and is doing everything He can to have us back with Him. All we have to do is give a little back in return. Man, it really changes a person when you come to first learn of these simple truths, and then feel them burning in your heart by the undeniable presence of the Holy Ghost. It is real. God gives us His spirit so that we can know it is true.

Hearing what Nubia said and how she felt after being baptized… “aliviada que tinha trevas onde agura tem luz” (relief and gratitude that where there was once darkness, now there is light.) #TrustInGod’sPromises

Nubia

Side note….had a pretty HILARIOUS moment this week.

Clayton

So every time someone is ready to be baptized, the Elders do a little interview and ask questions to see if this person is prepared or not to be baptized. Ah, so usually it all works out great but the elders got confused with the address and ended up landing at a park that was a good 2 miles from Nubia and Clayton’s house. Enter problema that Clayton had arranged to go to the gym at 7:30 and it was currently 7:15pm. Yikes. So after delicately telling the elders they had better book it to where we were waiting or they would not be able to interview Clayton and he wouldn’t be able to be baptized, we hung up the phone, and walked out to the street to wait for them. I kid you not, 12 minutes later Sister Silva starts dying, laughing so hard because the elders were flat out sprinting, running like their lives depended upon it as fast as they could to get to where we were. When they arrived, Elder Rich didn’t even have time to take a second breath and went directly into interviewing Clayton while the other 2 elders passed out on the chairs, panting, loosening their ties and sweating active droplets like nobody’s business. Keep in mind that these guys are a long time at the mission office right now, so they aren’t getting a ton of time walking on a daily basis. Oh my gosh, I didn’t think I’ve seen anything funnier in my entire life – it was PRICELESS. #8MinMileInDressPantsShirt&Tie #Dedication

Maick (12 anos)

I also had the most tender of miracles in being able to see Maick (that’s how they spell Mike in Portugues…sorry dad) be baptized also!! He’s the funniest, quickest kid I’ve met and whose mom got baptized when she was 15 but had lost track of the church. Being able to watch the strength of these youth is seriously life changing, especially seeing as they are often the only active members of their families, going faithfully to church week after week. This kid is the best!

I really gained an appreciation for the Atonement this week on a whole different level. Sometimes it seriously hurts to realize how many weaknesses and faults I have, things that I still need to change and learn even after over a year on the mission. Everything I wish I could improve. But this week, I really felt the power of the atonement and I’ve come to be grateful for the weaknesses God has given me. It’s because of them that I have the relationship and dependence that I do with my loving Father in Heaven. I daily feel how much I need Him, because I literally can’t do it on my own.

Never forget that you have a loving Father in heaven who guides us step-by-step, loves us more than we can imagine and has promised us the presence of His spirit and console (solace) if only we are willing to give a little in return.

Distrito Patriotico E Batizador (Baptizing District and Patriotic)