“Voces foram poeira a prara Sisters?” (Have the sisters
gone the way of the dust?) To
which we answered – “Nope, just the cemetery.”
It only took up until the last 3 weeks of my mission, but I officially
got sunburned folks. It happens when you
space putting on sunscreen and stand 3 + hours in the blazing Natal sun. This week may have been Halloween nos Estados
Unidos (in the United States), Dia de los
Muertos no Mexico, but here in Brasil it was the infamous Dia Dos Finados (or day of the dead).
(Which in reality is a super low key, but highly commercialized and
slightly less exciting version of Memorial Day). But ended up being a really cool experience
as we were able to as a zone (14 missionaries) organize a table and talk to
people, who were really suffering from the memory of lost loved ones, about God’s
eternal plan of happiness. We had 3
questions for them to think about:
1.
Where did we come from before our life here on
earth?
2.
Why am I here and what is my purpose?
3.
Where will I go after I die?
Which in reality, really are questions that we all come to
think and wonder about at one time or another.
Whether it’s when we lose a loved one or when holding the tiniest of
newborn infants in our arms. Our life
here on earth really starts to change when we come to realize who we really are
– treasured spirit children of our loving Heavenly Father.
The coolest member in the world grabbing every person he saw
passing by the cemetery to bear his testimony!! Love this VALEIRIO.
Our mission president’s wife Sister Miranda called us this
week asking if she could accompany us for a couple hours wanting to help us
teach the people we visit and share her story of how she encountered the church
when she was just 17 years old. She
talked about how in reality, her cousin was the first to meet the missionaries
and get a Book of Mormon, but was not interested and went to toss the book out. (gasp) Being as she liked to read, she
got a hold of the book and started to flip through its pages and began to feel
struck by the power of its words. But
she said the moment that really changed her life, was when she finally
understood that she was in reality a daughter of God. The same God who is perfect, the creator of
all that we see, and who has infinite wisdom.
Her life changed when she realized that as His daughter, she
has the potential to be exactly as He is one day. All we have to do is follow His plan. Being able to tell people all about Heavenly
Father’s perfect plan of happiness for them and their families, sing hymns,
(off tune) and comfort them with the promise of being able to see their loved
ones again really made for a wonderful day.
Also we had the BEST DAY yesterday because Eduardo went to
church and even though he swore on his life that he would not take the
sacrament, (the bread and water that remind us of the sacrifice that our Savior
Jesus Christ made for us and our commitment to follow Him), when the bread
passed, I saw him hesitate and then grab a small piece from the corner of the
tray. Keep in mind that it’s been almost
2 months that we have been teaching him, and I think he’s finally beginning to
feel humble and open the clenched fist he’s been holding around his heart for
so many years. And then because it was
my last testimony meeting, I got up to bear my testimony with a prayer in my
heart that God would help me to say what Eduardo needed to hear. But when I got up there, I started to cry (embarrassing
I know) and was able to just say something simple and short. Slightly disappointed in myself I went back
to my seat, only to find out after church from my companion that Eduardo had
wiped his eyes at the end of my short testimony. Maybe for me and for every other person in
that room it was entirely simple, but God was only aware of one of His
treasured sons in that moment, and answered the prayer of his aching and lonely
heart. I will really miss being a
full-time missionary.
God is our Father and He loves us SO MUCH. The moment we actually let that sink into our
heart is when it all starts to change.
I LOVE YOU ALL
Sis Staheli
Alexia gave me a late bday gift!! Man I love this 11 year
old <3 #perfumeGOSTOSO |
The Jambo tree shedding its pink petals.
