Week 14

Oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii,

This week was a lot less crazy than the previous week! My new companion is Sister C. Silva! She is from São Paulo and has almost been out on the mission for a year! She just got called to be a Sister Training Leader. She is a LOT less talkative than Sister Angulo was, so that´s been a transition for me, but also really good because I´ve been able to speek a lot more during lessons! Also she doesn´t speak any English😀😌 Soooo that´s been jolly fun! But I really love her- we have pretty similar personalities :) She is a wonderful missionary and a good example for me. I can see why she is a leader in the mission. I am grateful I have the chance to finish my training with her. (only 4 more weeks of being a "greeenie", WHAT?!! )

When Sister Angulo headed to Curitiba on Tuesday, she took the phone with her and forgot to pass it to Sister C. Silva, so this week we have been working without a phone. Talk about difficult!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also since Sister C. Silva is new in this area, it´s up to me to "be in charge" of where we go and how we get there. I´ve been in Guarapuava for 8 weeks and still don´t know my way around 😖 It´s been a little difficult this week, not gonna lie, I keep expecting myself to be fluent in Portuguese and know the streets and where our investigators live, but I don´t yet. wahoooooooo. I would be really grateful if you all could pray specifically that I am more kind and loving to myself and my abilities. Obrigada🙃

THIS WEEKEND WAS GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man I was so excited for it. Like Christmas excited. General Conference happens every 6 months. It takes place on a saturday-sunday. There are 4 sessions, 2 hours long, and I wish there were more!!!! The Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, and the Apostles speak to us. It´s literally the best. You can read, watch, listen to the talks at lds.org.  DO IT. ☺ Promise your day will be better if you do!!!

SO as you know.. right now I´m kind of living in Brazil, where everyone speaks Portuguese.. as a result, I watched Conference in Portuguese, instead of English.  Man, let me tell you HOW MUCH I sincerely missed hearing the voices of them--- Folks, I am realizing more and more each day how blessed I am, and all of you are, for knowing English, and living in the United States. It´s so easy, comparatively, for us to actually watch Conference at the Conference Center, or visit Nauvoo, Palmyra.. etc. --- but I only understood about 50% of what was being said. But let me tell you- Did I feel the Spirit? YES.  Did I find comfort in just simply seeing the faces of the men who lead us? YES. I absolutely did. And it was wonderful.  

Sunday morning during my personal study I was reading in 3 Nefi 18:25, "..come unto me that ye might feel and see.."  Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ do NOT expect us to understand 100%. They want us to simply feel and see. Can you imagine how comforting that was for me?  I couldnt understand a good portion of what the Prophet and apostles were saying, but I DID feel their love and their spirit, and I found comfort in looking at them.  It´s really such a wonderful and comforting principle- God knows we won´t be able to understand everything, but He has provided us with a way to see and feel. That is through the Holy Ghost, the scriptures, listening to the words of our Prophet and apostles... Our Heavenly Father is so kind and loving. I testify of that truth.

I love you all lots, and think and pray about you all!!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

XO Sister Councill