week 28

January 9, 2017

Hey yallllll,

This week was an adventure. Actually every week on the mission is an adventure!  Which is so great. Ah.  I loove love love the mission.  

But anyways, this week every time people asked where I was from I told them to guess.  (Mostly because this week I learned how to say "guess" haha).  And wow let me tell you, some pretty funny responses.  Someone said "Lebanon."  Yup. Absolutely. Nailed it!  I´m from Lebanon.  In case you guys didn´t know 😂

But let´s see, another funny story!  One day we were standing in the street next to this tree, waiting for to open the door, and Sister Ferreira said, "did you know that we eat this here?" Pointing to the leaves. I was like, "Definetely don´t believe you." But she went on and on and was pretty convincing. She told me to eat one, and I said, "yeah only if you do!!!" So we both did XD And the best part is that she was totally kidding the whole time.  So I have now eatten a leaf from Brasil. How many people can say that?? ✌

But WOW I have been SO tired every single day. I don´t know if it´s the heat or what, but if yall are looking for something to pray for, please pray that I´m not always exhausted :) thaaaanks

So Sister Ferreira and I have been visiting this woman named Nazare.  When we met her in the street, she was super hesitant to give us her address. But ya know, us Sister Missionaries are very convicing and we ended up getting her contact information!  

Our first visit we taught her about how the Gospel of Jesus Christ was Restored. Then the next visit we taught her about the Book of Mormon.  But after all this, she was offended by our messages.  We were pretty discouraged because we´d done all we could, testified with love, and even brought a member with us!  Buuut she still felt very taken aback. 

So this week we decided to return, and try something different. We decided to pass by, see how she was doing and not teach her anything. When we arrived she immediately ran and got the Book of Mormon and gave it back to us (ouch), BUT we said, "oh okay.. But how are you??!!"  We realized that she was painting her house and so we enthusiastically offered to help (because seriously i´m pretty sure it´s every missionaries dream to help paint).  

Ya´ll it was incredible the difference it made to offer to help her!  She changed from annoyed, to super excited!  (we didn´t end up helping her paint her house, but we stained a chair!)

This is my first time on the mission with an experience like this- it´s such a witness to me that Heavenly Father is always looking out for His children.

I have faith that one day Nazare will be baptized. I dont know if it will be when I´m still here in Fazenda, but ONE day.  I know it!

I know that as a missionary alone, I can´t do much, but as a missionary with God´s help, miracles can happen. It´s the same for all of us! We can choose to go through life alone, OR we can choose to go through life with the help of our Savior and Heavenly Father.  Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are perfect, and love and know us perfectly.  They will help us perfectly, if we let them.  I have seen this in my own life, I´ve seen this on the mission, and I know it can be REAL for all of us.

LUV you all; have a splendid week!

xo Sister Councill