Week 73 -- Mosiah 2:41

Hey fam!

Don't have a ton of time to write this week but just wanted to show a SUPER real example of the following scripture: 

Mosiah 2:41

And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it. 

So there's this guy in the ward who's name is Caninde and he's literally one of the most humble and Christ-like people I have ever met. 

He is a simple baker and had a super hard problem of smoking (the one that started when he was 8) but has always treated everyone around him with genuine kindness - literally gives EVERYTHING he has, even if it’s hardly anything. 

So this is a picture of us in his house about a month ago - super simple, only had a rede and a stove to make food.  

Then enter the part about those who keep the commandments are not only ridiculously happy, but also blessed in a spiritual AND physical way. 

Caninde, although not having much, working EVERY DAY to be able to have the simplest of living, began to pay tithing. 

And man did the Lord provide. 

This is a picture of Caninde's house this past week – 

complete with a refrigerator, a brand new dresser, a better job that pays more with less hours, a GIGANTIC BED (did you SEE the size of that thing??), and is now on the lunch calendar to feed 4 sisters every month. 

Who can deny that this man was infinitely blessed by the Lord for his faith and obedience, even with his difficult situation?

TRUST IN THE PROMISES OF THE LORD AND HE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. 

People who listen and obey God's commandments in humility really are the most happy of all His children. 

love you all!!

Sister Staheli

LESS THAN A MONTH #whatishappening?

Gorete <3

Week 72 -- Take time to listen

Birthday twins

I had a surprise this week!  Elder Patty in our district also had a birthday and this family in the ward wanted to do something for him and someone along the way said that he had this undying love for bolo de milho (corn cake) (which he does not not even like that much) and so everyone started giving him bolo de milho.  And there was a night that they invited everyone over to share it, but I wasn’t really interested about going because we had other commitments.  But my companion managed to practically drag me there and I get there to find that it was actually a birthday surprise for me too.  And as I sat there surrounded by these people that I love so much, I felt super loved as everyone shouted and sang to us and we all ate homemade bolo de milho.  Did I already mention how much they love corn here?  #PrepareYourselvesStaheliFam  #Anne’sBringingTheMilhoToColorado

I want to talk about a miracle this week which was Dilene.  So we actually were looking for a different house of a member but simply got super lost and confused.  I saw this little purple doorway of a house that looked like the type of place that sells acai (there is a lot here) but as we got close, we realized it was actually all alcohol.  My companion just gives me this – Are you sure kind of look? But the spirit was strong and I plowed on and bati as palmas (said let’s go) and proceeded to ask if she knew our friend.  And thus emerges Dilene – one of the sweetest women I’ve ever met.  

After talking for a little, she quickly calls us in and starts to open up and tell us her life story.  I think one of the most powerful ways to love and help someone is just to listen.  I think that’s been one of the strongest lessons I’ve learned on the mission – the importance of silence and letting that person release everything that they had been guarding for so long.  Sometimes you don’t even have to know what to say.  Just being there and taking time to listen is already more than enough to cure the wounded soul. 

And so with us there to listen, Dilene opened her heart about her 2 daughters who she loves so much but has stopped talking to for several years.  How her husband passed away and how she only feels less lonely in her empty house when she kneels by her bed to pray.  How she sometimes will drink with her friends but really would leave it all with the simplest sign from the Lord that He was there.  And she’s just crying the whole time.  And then in the end she surprised us by throwing her arms around us in a tight and strong embrace. 

I think it was one of the lessons that I said the least and felt the spirit the most.  Listening gente (people) is a gift God’s given us that I think we have come to neglect.  When was the last time we took time to see if someone really was doing ok or just accepted “fine” as being “good enough”  I know we get busy, but there are so many around us that are suffering so much.  My challenge this week is to not only take time but make time to sit down and listen to someone who really needs it.

It makes all the difference and is what the Savior would do if He were here!

LOVE YOU ALL

Sister Staheli

Week 71 -- Power of the presence of the spirit

October 14, 2019

Ah, can I just say how much I love you guys?  Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the love and birthday wishes you all passed my way last week.  I really felt loved and hugged a lot by reading your letters and eating my mom’s homemade granola.  My pday/birthday was consumed with a leadership conference and a trip to the Fed police station, but I did manage to talk to my parents the last 30 minutes of the day.  That was enough to make the day great.

You want to know what we did this week as a district?  Two words:  MATCHING T-SHIRTS #AlecrimDistrict.  There’s an elder in our mission whose art skills are legit and he drew a picture of us all!  It turned into a pretty awesome shirt.  But what we soon realized is that if you tuck the shirt in, in goes about half the district.  Imagining all the little floating heads sticking out of everyone’s waistline was enough to almost make me cry I was laughing so hard.   #GotToEnjoyTheSmallThings

I’m sure you are all tired of hearing this, but this really was a week of miracles.  I don’t think I’ll ever get over how amazing it is to see hearts being touched and changed by the power of the spirit and people earnestly opening the dark parts of themselves to let the light, love and peace of the gospel of Jesus Christ take away their pain.  Or even watching how sometimes the absence of the spirit is more impacting and shocking than the constant influence of the spirit we are able to feel.

We really saw this with Eduardo this week (the one that we chased down).  He has been struggling with one of the commandments ever since we started teaching him.  But when we taught him that it was wrong, he kind of laughed it off and continued on his merry way, without even the slightest sense of guilt.  But then he started reading the Book of Mormon.  He started praying and then asking questions in his prayers and he began to really feel the warmth and peaceful presence of the spirit, right?  But then in a moment of weakness, he fell into temptation and caved again.  And how did he feel this time that was entirely different from the previous occasions?  Angustra, (distress) overwhelming shame and guilt, absolutely the worst.  But what made this time so much worse?  Why would this time be any different when it was so easily and guiltlessly done before?  

Because for the first time, Eduardo had experienced how it felt to lose the spirit.  He felt how amazing and comforting it was to have the spirit with you and then how bare, vulnerable and empty it is without Him.  And wow, you don’t even know how he was seriously in the pits of the pits.  But that was his choice.  We asked him WHO had forced him to be there, WHO had made him feel that way, and I think because the answer was NOONE other than himself, made him feel all the worse.  And I get it – although his difficulties are different than mine, I know how he feels.  I think we all do – we are all human right?  We ALL have moments when we fall into the same mistakes and we ALL know how unbearable that pain is.  God knows us better than anyone, He literally CREATED our spirit and gave us our strengths and weaknesses.  And the most amazing thing He ever gave us is His son, our Salvador (Savior) Jesus Christ.

Alma 36:17-21

17  And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

18  Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

19  And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

20  And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

21  Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.

The atonement of Jesus Christ is real and has the ability to change us.  Turn our pain into joy and guilt into peace.  But it can’t happen by itself, we need to seek after it.  I’m so grateful for my Savior.  I know He’s ready and willing to forgive each one of us.  Trust in Him and do those things that invite the spirit to be with you.  I promise that you will be all the more happy because of it.

LOVE YOU ALL

Sister Staheli

Week 70 -- Pizza e luvinhas

7 Outubro 2019   #21 ANOS!!!!  (October 7, 2019 - #21 years old!!!)

# conferencia geral (General Conference)  I hope everyone was able to watch it!

It is unreal how much I love my mission.  Oh my gosh guys, THIS WEEK I ATE PIZZA WITH PLASTIC GLOVES.  #LostMyAmericanPride.  SO something I’ve seriously come to appreciate here on the mission is that everyone eats EVERYTHING with a knife and a fork (or sometimes spoon).  Things like sandwiches or batatas fritas (french fries) they will pick up with their hands, but like PIZZA or CHICKEN WINGS…..it’s all in the utensils gente! 

This week I did splits with a trio (which had a pretty amazing miracle.  I’ll explain below) and to celebrate said miracle, we went out to pizza night.  But this place doesn’t give you plates to eat on (even though it’s got a pretty chic vibe) but only putting a can of plastic “luvinhas” (gloves) and a napkin or two on your table.  Also it’s been 16 meses (months) here in Brazil and I still have yet to eat a pizza with tomato sauce (or any molho (sauce)) for that matter.  They just serve it with cheese and other toppings (they like sausage and this cottage cheese) and they just put a ton of ketchup on the table to use if you want!

But, I’d like to talk about the miracle of Panatis that happened this week.

There are some sisters in an area in Panatis that I take care of that have really been struggling for a few months now.  They’d been getting pretty disenchanted and stressed about the people they’ve been teaching and felt that even though they were giving EVERYTHING, nothing was happening.  I call them regularly and prayed a lot to know how to help them, but I woke up one morning and felt really inspired that God needed/wanted me by their side for a couple of days.  So day of, I grabbed a backpack and off I went – and what a day it was.  So we’re in the house of one of the families they were teaching, whose son had been baptized over a year ago and their mom was getting pretty interested in the Church and the Book of Mormon.  Only one problem gente – Ela ainda nao casu com a pai dos dois filhos dela e esta no processo ainda (She has not yet married the father of her two children and is not in the process of doing so.)  #After20+Years.  But, she has been going regularly to church and loves it.  So we get there and start talking to her and her daughter about KPOP (popular S. Korean music) (don’t even ask why but literally ALL of the 12 year old girls are crazy about them  #BTS  Bangton Boys Band) and then later talked about the church (naturally J lol) and came to find out that the daughter had NEVER stayed in the room before when the sisters arrived because she’s super shy, but that day for some reason she stayed.  We find out that she had actually had a ton of questions about our purpose here on earth that she had asked her brother over the span of several months and had learned many things little by little.  Prompted by the spirit, we taught her about how important our life is here and (once again encouraged by a spiritual push) I challenged her to be baptized the following week.  She just thinks about it and goes, “This is what I want.  I want to follow Jesus Christ.”  And I look over at the 2 sisters and there is this look of COMPLETE SHOCK – like eyes wide open and boca aberta (open mouths) and everything (I wish I had taken a picture).  Keep in mind that it had been MONTHS and MONTHS since they’ve had any success and so really were not believing it right?  THEN her brother walks in (who’s 21 and has been preparing to leave on a mission soon) and we are just already dying over how he’s going to react and we are like “Hey you know what will happen on Saturday?”

“No – Meet Up?” (Which is a huge church youth conference they do every year in Brazil)

“Nope.  Um batismo” 

“De quem?”

“Da Luana.”

He goes into shock, looking everyone in the eyes to see if it’s true.  He sees that it is real, runs over and tackles his sister in a bear hug, kissing her cheeks and agrees to baptize her. 

-        Everyone is crying. 

-        Sister Staheli’s feeling like her heart is about to explode of pure joy and happiness for them.

-        We find out that it was always Luca’s dream that his sister would be baptized before leaving on a mission. 

-        The sisters de Panatis are able to feel hopeful and realize how apt and willing Heavenly Father is to grant them miracles when they really believe and work for it. 

-        Heavenly Father manages to blow Sister Staheli’s mind yet again with His infinite goodness.

-        Sisters celebrate by eating chicken and sausage pizza with stuffed crust, complete with luvinhas (plastic gloves) and ketchup.  And Sister Staheli realizes that sometimes life is short and you’ve got to stop to enjoy and celebrate the good times and tender mercies of the Lord.

Oh also, not only did God bless the sisters of Panatis but also the sisters of Alecrim as Joao Vitur was able to feel strong and prepared to take upon himself the nome de Cristo (the name of Christ) and be baptized.  JUST TRY TO TELL ME GOD IS NOT GOOD GENTE.

Believe in miracles folks.  They are real.

Personal Revelation is real.

The Spirit is real.

God is real.

AMO VOCES

Sister Staheli

My birthday breakfast - Acai Bowl 

Our district

Week 69 -- Give it your all and pray to God

 THIS WAS JUST THE BEST WEEK.

This week was so cool because it was one of those weeks that we really just gave it all and instead of going completely wrong (which totally happens more than a couple times heh heh..), Deus foi bom (God was good) and completely blew me away!! 

ahhh I think I've found one of the most amazing feelings - giving yourself a real challenge, throwing everything you've got even when everyone doubts that it'll all work out, and then.. ACTUALLY ACHIEVING YOUR GOAL. 

It’s crazy how much God does when you give your all in a righteous pursuit. #2confirmaçõespendentes #NEVERGIVEUP

Oh gente. (people) EDUARDO IS SO FUNNY (he's the guy we ran after a couple blocks for if you remember). We probably pass about half the time dying laughing and the other half crying because of how strong the spirit is. He said that it has been years since he has been able to pray because he felt that God had stopped listening. We found that one huge source of hurt in his life is that the mother of his two adorable meninas (daughters) woke up one morning and just left. Decided that she did not want to be a part of their family anymore and just abandoned him with his two little girls, leaving him to raise them completely alone as a single dad. And he just REFUSES to pray. 

BUT after one of our lessons, we called his little girl Marina to pray with us who had NEVER prayed before.  After teaching her how, everyone kneeled on the ground (except for Eduardo, unable to allow himself to kneel) and that little 7 year old said her first little prayer. I think that was the first day I ever saw Eduardo cry. 

And then only a few days later (and although still unable to kneel), Eduardo was able to begin to overcome his hurt and regret, saying the first prayer to his Father in Heaven for the first time in YEARS.  You could tell it was the type of prayer that he spoke super nervous and with real hesitation. You know that first conversation that you have with someone after an argument or disagreement and you just get like, is it cool to talk now or are we still fighting right? And even though he was able to pray, he STILL was not able to ask for anything more than for OUR well-being and safety and for his family. It blows me away how he still holds God at arm's length, knowing and longing in his heart to come home but still unable to let himself feel how much Heavenly Father really loves him. But the way he talked, it was clear that he really spoke with great tenderness and reverence, in a way that showed he really felt that God was there listening.  

God listens to every prayer and I know that if we only trust in Him and in our Savior, our pain will be turned to relief and peace. 

In the end of it all, how do we want to feel? 

Where do we want to be?

And now the question - o que ainda me falta? (What do I still lack?)

What's stopping me from feeling happy? What's keeping me from setting challenging goals and then giving it my all? 

What's stopping me from allowing God to change my life? 

Será que é mim mesmo?  (Is it me?)

21 Sim, digo-te, meu filho, que nada pode haver tão intenso e cruciante como o foram minhas dores. Sim, meu filho, digo-te também que, por outro lado, nada pode haver tão belo e doce como o foi minha alegria.  

22 Sim, parecia-me ver, assim como nosso pai ^aLeí viu, Deus sentado em seu trono, rodeado por inúmeras multidões de anjos na atitude de cantar e louvar a Deus; e minha alma sentia o desejo de lá estar.

23 Mas eis que meus membros recobraram as ^aforças e levantei-me e declarei ao povo que eu havia ^bnascido de Deus.

This is a story of a prophet of God who changed his past, becoming a believer in Jesus Christ and then sharing his testimony with all who would hear.  In this section of Alma he is sharing his conversion story with his son Helaman.

Alma 36:21-23

21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.

22 Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there.

23 But behold, my limbs did receive their strength again, and I stood upon my feet, and did manifest unto the people that I had been born of God.

Love you all and hope your week was amazing. 

DESAFIO (Challenge) - set a goal (spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual) and then GIVE IT YOUR ALL. Pray for the strength to overcome it and God will bless you in your efforts!

AMO VOCÊS (Love you)

<3 Sister Staheli

Week 68 -- Monkey sisters of Alecrim

So I have  found 2  pretty convincing points  that the sisters of Alecrim have officially turned into monkeys that I think you will find quite interesting - 

GUYS THIS WEEK WE ATE SO MANY BANANAS. 

Point 1 - For real there was one day that my companion and I received a ton of bananas and then the other sisters in our house got some the SAME DAY and I counted them all... in total 36 BANANAS GENTE. And I think I for sure ate about half of them sozinha (alone). We got pretty creative - bananas and granola, bananas com açai, bananas com amendoim (with peanuts), bananas com ovos (with eggs), bananas com rice and beans, bananas com mais(with more) bananas.

Did I mention already how much I love bananas?

ALSO - 

WE HAD A CRAZY MIRACLE THIS WEEK. So we were on the street and we passed by this dad and his two girls and you know that moment when you're like - wait I totally know them but I have NO IDEA how. When we made eye contact with them, it was like this weird ripple of recognition passed through everyone and we all smiled and said hi but then we were running to make an appointment and they continued down the hill. My companion and I looked at each other after we had passed them and were like wait... what was that?  We have to talk to them. But when we turned they were already about 100 yards down the road and turning onto a different street and we're like, that would be SUPER weird to haul down there and track them down but then we couldn’t deny that feeling and while we sat there in indecision my companion just goes "don’t doubt – it’s the adversary making you doubt!!" and we went sprinting down the hill to catch up to this family. When we finally got to them and called them out the dad just turns and starts dying laughing like what these girls are crazy, you tracked us down for HOW LONG. But we managed to grab his address and phone number. BUT GET THIS - when we arrived at his house I had this weird flashback and realized that it totally wasn’t the first time I had been there. I realized that I had actually taught his MOM, who was super strong in her church (like walks over 30 min every week as a sweet 68 yr old lady ALONE) and had mentioned that she had a son who lived there too, and who used to go with her EVERY week but that something happened and he didn’t go anymore. 

When she said that, I remember that it just stuck in my head - like I GOTTA meet this son, but that we never met him and eventually stopped passing by. 

Flash forward and I realize that EDUARDO actually was that son and I'm just blown away with how perfectly God organizes and plans everything. And wow, is he really needing help. 

This is a man who went religiously CONSISTENTLY EVERY WEEK to church, visited people in their homes, earnestly prayed every day, had perfect confidence in God - everything and then all of a sudden - nothing. He lost his faith. It's interesting because he believes that God is real still, but more in the way that He only acts and listens to OTHER people and not himself. He has let so much time pass that he doesn’t feel worthy enough to pray or talk to God, like Eduardo thinks He wouldn’t listen even if he tried talking to Him. 

And I think that happens a lot with the adversary - he gets into your mind and makes you think that you are unworthy. That maybe it’s great for other people and He loves them, but after all of your weaknesses and mistakes - YOU don’t deserve to talk to your Father in heaven or that He doesn't love you. 

It’s been amazing being able to teach him and help him realize and  acknowledge that it’s never too late to come  back home, not even after everything we've done to hurt and offend God - He's always waiting for us with open and loving arms.  It reminds me of the parable of the prodigal son.  It's never too late.

Luke 15:18-20

18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

God just loves us so much guys, never forget that He is always waiting and wanting to forgive us and desperately wants us to come back home to Him.

I love the mission because I'm really beginning to understand just how God looks and loves His children because He fills my heart with the same love and worry for their well-being. 

Maick in the trees grabbing Jambo

LOVE YOURSELF AND SAY YOUR PRAYERS 

YOU ARE A LOVED CHILD OF GOD. 

<3 Sister Staheli 

PS. wish Jonathan Staheli the best birthday in the world today folks – he’s a stud and I love him to death 

So yeah we had uma festa de piolho (a lice party) and my companions literally HANDPICKED these bad boys out because its been like 2 months and I'm still rocking the head lice. #mycompanionhaditfor5YEARS #butlookatthatcurlyhair! #whataboutashaveSisterStaheli? #baldisthenewbeautiful #segundaprova @macacosDOalecrim  

Point 2 - monkey sisters of Alecrim

Everything MADE OF CORN - corn cake, corn pudding, #LearnedThatMyStomachDoesn't
likeExcessiveAmountsOfCorn

#ButHowDoYouSaynotoNazaré

Week 67 -- Say your prayers

You know when your body's beat when even taking the short 10 min walk to the church after the week feels as tiring as the hour-long runs you did before the mission. I have a serious respect for mission life and for the legs that spend 9 + hours daily on the street. 

Ai gente (aah friends) I really gave my all this week mentally, physically, and emotionally - and last night I got home and just crashed on my bed from sheer exhaustion.

IT WAS JUST THE BEST WEEK EVER.  I learned a lot this week about just how important it is that we take care of those around us and the power of sincere prayer. 

I got to witness the most precious and powerful blessing of healing I have ever seen from a little 4 year old boy named Tomas.  He strongly and repeatedly expressed his faith and told his father he did not doubt. 

God does not let people (even the smallest of children) fail to receive the blessings of their Faith - especially when asked in prayer with a pure and sincere heart. 

When praying, sometimes I forget that God is actually listening. I love how prayer makes you realize that you are never alone. Literally it is the only thing that does not matter WHERE you are, how physically able your body is, what you're doing, nothing - you can Always talk to your Father in Heaven any time, any where. 

Here is a picture of  4 year old Tomas who was going around giving everyone snacks in sacrament and is SO CUTE

I am feeling especially loved this week gente. 

LOVE YOU 

SAY YOUR PRAYERS. 

and remember to 

HAVE FAITH LIKE TOMAS.

<3 Sister Staheli

week 66 -- Transfers

Hey hey fam!

WHAT A WEEK. Sorry I don’t have a ton of time but just as a recap – I had transfers this week!! I got my new companion and found out that this will officially be my last area before heading back home.  #WHAT? 

We now share the area with another dupla and so had to divide our area to be fair with what we had before and where the two duplas would be designated to work. It’s been a CRAZY whirlwind and I don’t have time to describe everything, but I really gained a testimony this week that when you trust in the Lord's promptings, and really give it ALL you have, He's really going to blow your mind with how many miracles He's capable of. 

I am working in a part of the area that I have never seen (and this is after 3 MONTHS of being in the same city).  Although we left all the strong families we had been teaching with the other dupla - I just can't even get over how the Lord has blessed us by putting new families in our path.  He has heard and answered my prayers. What did I even do to deserve this? 

There are SO MANY people prepared to hear and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ in EVERY place in the world, people that the Lord has already been teaching and influencing and loving. People that really need you. 

If you love the Lord, if you really love your family and friends - there won’t be any way to keep you from shouting on the rooftops and doing EVERYTHING you can to help them to be as happy as you are by sharing the message that Jesus Christ lives and loves us and has died for us.

You'd be surprised to see how happy you will feel, even if the person doesn’t end up going to church or something more. I really have appreciated how much God loves His children here on the mission, and how much He depends on US to be His hands in serving and blessing one another. (Remember that HE really LOVES all of His children everywhere.)

anyways, I love the gospel, I love Brasil and açai

I love my Savior

I also love my family

Sis Staheli

Alex and his bank

Alex is one of our recent converts who makes furniture for a living (the one who started smoking when he was 8 and stopped within a WEEK.). He went to a devotional about the temple and afterwards went and made this piggybank to put all of his spare change to be able to pay the bus trip from here to Recife (4 hours) to visit the temple!!

Camila

The granddaughter of one of our recent converts got baptized this week!! She is the sweetest little angel and after going a couple times with her avô (grandma), asked if she could be baptized <3 (this is a girl who loves going to church - especially Sacrament mtg - shes10) 

João Vitor and Alexia

MILAGRE DA SEMANA:

We have been teaching João Vitor for almost the past 2 MONTHS. and he is super solid, always reads and prays but just getting him to go to church was the HARDEST thing. His mom Gorete has been smoking for almost 30 years (yeah it's pretty common unfortunately to see young kids smoking here on the street side) and she stopped one of the members on Sunday as he was heading to church. She said she was sick of smoking and wanted to stop and also to go to church with him! After teaching her for a while we realized that she really wasn't that prepared right now to change but that her 19 yr old son is SUPER AMAZING and loves learning about Jesus Christ and His gospel.  João wanted to go to church the first time with his mom. But after taking another cool guy from the ward to meet him, they totally hit if off and he WENT TO CHURCH AND ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT.)

karioke with Edimar 

After a super stressful week what is the best cure? Grabbing a mic and belting all of the classic música brasileira even if you don't know the words. Man I love o meninho Benjamin <3

One of the sweetest little 11 year olds I've ever met in my entire life and the trio <3

Views from the missão Brasil Natal

the district!!