Week 41 pix

Week 41 whz up from Brasil

April 10, 2017

Hi yall!

Well, this week was wonderfully difficult and I am super grateful that it is over!  How was your week??  

Some fun things that happened this week... I sent my shoes to a shoe shope to repair the color, and ended up painting them a totally different color!  I´ll attach a pic !

Also I found a type of banana that is literally HUGE. Unfortunately, I ate it before I could take a picture.. sorry folks.. maybe next time?

But the highlight of the week, was that GILMAR WAS BAPTIZED!  woop woop woop!

It was a pretty intense story as well, let me tell ya!

Okay.  So on Thursday morning we get a call from the Hospital, saying that Gilmar was there.  We dropped everything and went to the Hospital!  He ended up being okay, and was released that afternoon.  Saturday we planned for him to be baptized.  Sister Libanio and I went to the chapel first thing that morning and started cleaning and filling up the baptismal font.  OKay okay everything is going okay.. we head to lunch, and when we get back we discover that the font wasn´t filling and all the water was going down the drain!  So what do we do?  We find a hose.  We find buckets.  And we start filling it up ourselves!  We even tried plugging the drain (pic attached).  Well, it didn´t work in time for the baptism.  So we left pretty upset and planned to baptize him Sunday after church.

A little bit about Gilmar.. we found him about a month ago, and since them he hasn´t missed one Sunday!  He´s awesome!  He has had an incredibly hard and unfair life.  He used to be a rich, black-belt Karate teacher, but then his "wife"  tried to kill him and he was left with slight brain damage, and limited movement on one side of his body.  Because of this, he can´t enter cold water, sooooo we had to plan his baptism for the hottest part of the day, and with HOT water!

Okay, so Sunday arrives, everything is going great, the tank is filled and WAIT.  The water heater isn´t working.  So what do we do?  We start heating huge pans of water on the stove!  AND in the end, HE WAS BAPTIZED! 

Literally a miracle. 

Speaking of miracles, I want to talk about a miracle that happens almost every single week.  It´s called, the Sacrament!

This last week for both my companion and I was physically and emotionally difficult- I know 1000% that it was because last week we didn´t have the opportunity to take the Sacrament.  Last weekend was General Conference, which I LOVE.  But because it was GC, we didn´t have Sacrament Meeting, and therefore, no sacrament.

There´s a scripture in the Book of Mormon that talks about this....

"And the Church did meet together oft, to feast and to pray, and to speak one another conserning the welfare of their souls.

And they did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine (water), in remembrance of the Lord Jesus."

Moroni 6:5-6

I like the part that says, "they did meet together oft."  I know that it is incredibly important that we meet often to partake of the sacrament.  

We live in such a hard world.  SO much imperfection and temptations and terrible things.  

The Lord has blessed us with THIS opportunity almost every week to take the Sacrament. To feel His spirit.  To feel His love.  To renew our covenants with Him.  To be forgiven of our sins. To focus on the saving power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  To start a new week.

I know this last week was so hard because I didn´t have this blessing in my week.  I know that sometimes it may seem like just another Church meeting, but Sacrament meeting is the MOST important meeting that we have in the Church.  I´d like to invite ALL of you, to go to church this next Sunday (yes, EASTER) and take the Sacrament. There isn´t a better way to celebrate the fact that Christ lives.  

This week, every day the Church will release a new video about Easter.  mormon.org   You all should take this opportunity to watch these videos each day, because I can´t!  

Love you all, and I know we all will be blessed as we strive a little (or a lot) harder to be Disciples of Christ,

xo Sister Councill

Week 40 Pix

Week 40 ola pessoal!

April 3, 2017

Hello people!

This week was great and I´m happy!

Last week I said I would write about what Conference talk was my favoriete!  Well my favorite talk was by Elder Ulisses Soares!  He based his entire talk on my favorite scripture, Mosiah 7:33 ❤

This was the first time that I can remember where this scripture has been used in General Conference. So I was pretty stoked that there was a whole talk about it!

"But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in Him, and serve HIm with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage."

This scriputre has brought me much peace and comfort since I found it about 7 years ago. You can analize each phrase in it, and study it like Elder Soares did in his talk!  I love it because it has such a clear promise at the end.  It is the PERFECT formula for every situation and difficulty.  If we turn to the Lord, TRUST in Him with all of the faith that we posses, and do our best to serve Him diligently, He promises us that He will "deliver us from bondage."  

This "bondage" could be a hard semester at collage, losing a job, losing a member in the family, confusion, depression, an addiction..  God promises us He´ll deliver us from all of this.  BUT we have to do our part and trust in Him and His timing. 

I know that God loves each of us. I knoww because every time I sincerely pray to Him, He responds to my prayers. This Conference talk was a powerful response to my prayers. 

I know the Book of Mormon is true.  It blesses my life every single day. Our prophet Thomas S. Monson has reminded us to study the Book of Mormon daily.  

I know that as we exercise our faith, pray sincerely to our Father in Heaven, and study the scriptures daily, He will bless us with peace and joy.

xo sister councill

LOVE YALL

Half Way pix

Week 39 Half Way

March 27, 2017

Hello people!!!

So many things to tell you all this week!  BUT GUESS WHAT!!!!!! This week marks my half way point!  That means that I only have 9 more months on my mission. Is that not just the wildest thing yall have ever heard?????? OH my heck.

But eventful things that happened!  We had a baptism!  Mariana got baptized last Saturday! :D

We made coxinos this week! SOOO TASTY

A family here found out that I always ate waffles for dinner on Sundays at home, and they made us waffles. ❤  Literally I wanted to cry I was so happy.

Something funny about Brasilians is that they eat Halls cough drops like candy... every gas station of little super marked has them..

SO I CUT SISTER LIBANIO´S HAIR THIS WEEK!!!!  Pictures are attatched!

This week we met and talked to a man who is a "spiritist" or something like that ( I don´t know how to translate it to English).  But he explained the whole reincarnation process to me.  It was quite interesting.......  I actually have always wanted to know how and why they believe in reincarnation, and now I know!  But I can testify to you all, that each of us will be resurected, not reincarnated. 

ALSO GUESS WHAT we found a Nigerian man.  Who lives here in Brasil.  But doesn´t speak Portugues..... BUT SPEAKS ENGLISH!!!!!! We marked a time to talk to him next Sunday. Pray that it goes super well, because I am seriously SO STOKED!!!!

This week as I was studying the Book of Mormon, I found a scripture that is amazing and talks about Christ.  Mosiah 16:9, "He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death."

How beautiful is this scripture?? Did you feel good when you read it?  Because it´s true! My parents always say that if we are on the Lord´s side, we are on the winning side.  I know this is true. I know that no matter what situation we are in, or how we feel, Christ´s light and love is always there for us. ALWAYS. ALWAYS. ALWAYS.

and... guess what?? This weekend Saturday and Sunday  we ALL have the super amazing wonderful incredible opportunity to learn more about Christ.  It´s called General Conference. For two days our beloved Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, and his counselors the apostles will speak to us. They will talk about Christ, the Gospel, the Book of Mormon, the Bible, God´s plan for us, and how we can be happy, and what God hopes of us!

General Conference weekend is literally the best weekend of the year ❤ I am SO EXCITED.  

So people, If you live on the East Coast, make yourselves available from 12-2, and 4-6 on Saturday and Sunday.  I PROMISE you it will be worth it, and yall know that missionaries cant lie ;) 

Go to lds.org to watch!  

And, I´d love to know which talk you liked best, and why!  Next week I´ll write about that as well,

MUCH LOVE,

xo Sister Councill

Week 38 Pix

Week 38 Surpriseee

March 19, 2017

Hi everyone!!!!!!

Today is my pday!  I won´t be having pday on Monday...

We went to the temple today so that´s why! Our pday got switched :P

But let me first just appologize for last week´s email :(  I was so stressed the entire day because I didn´t get to send an actual email to yall!!!  

So interesting things that happened this week.. we were supposed to have a Zone Conference, but there was a huge strike and it got canceled, and then canceled again.  Needless to say, our plans got moved a ton and we ended up knocking on a lot of doors this week 😂 

Also we were teaching a lesson yesterday and a dog randomly came up and started peeing on Sister Libanio´s umbrella.  So that was pretty hilarious. 

IT WAS FINALLY COLD THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I got to wear tights three days and even use boots on one of them!  Literally heaven. It´s so hard working in the heat.  I´m pretty stoked that 1. it´s starting to get cooler, and 2, I won´t ever have to live through another summer here in Brasil! WOOP.✌

Today there was an American sister and her husband at the Temple!  They were from Alpine, Utah.  It was soooooo great talking with her. Made me miss home just a liiiiiiiiiitle bit 😛  (okay actually a huge lot). 

Also, WE`RE GONNA HAVE A BAPTISM TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!   Mariana is going to get baptized!  Mariana is Eliane´s daughter, who was baptized about a month ago 😊  I´m pretty excited.  Next week I´ll send pictures!

But hey, I love being a missionary. It´s seriously the best thing ever.  I also love being a Mormon. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true.  I have had so many spiritual witnesses of that in my life. I know that Temples are literally Houses of God, here on the Earth.  I know that we hare children of our Heavenly Father.  I know He has a plan for each of us, and if we seek Him, keep His commandments, we will have immense joy- here and forever. 

Who doesn´t want immense joy? 

I´m here to tell you where you can find it- by learning about the life of Jesus Christ; by studying about His Atoning sacrifice; by reading and praying about the Book of Mormon.  

Easter is in a few weeks.  During Easter we have the incredible opportunity to honor and worship our Savior, Jesus Christ.  I know He lives. I know He loves us.  I know He knows us each perfectly.  

So I´d like to challenge each of you to this (almost) Easter season, prepare a little more for Easter than you did last year.  Make this Easter a spiritually growing experience for you. 

https://www.lds.org

https://www.mormon.org 

I love and miss you all so much,

xo Sister Councill

Try the new Yahoo Mail

Week 37 Holaaa

March 13, 2017

 

hey everyone!!!!

I am so sorry, but there was a HUGE confusion with my computer here and I lost track of time, and I don´t have much time to write... SORRY SORRY SORRY.

But this week was so great! We have 4 people with a baptismal date!!! :D

Also I forgot to say this, but my mission has a facebook page!

"missao brasil curitiba sul 2016-2019"  

I think there is a video of me singing up there, and pictures and stuff! WOOP. check it out, since I cant XD haha

LOVE YOU ALL, HAVE A FANTASTIC WEEK❤❤❤

xo Sister Councill

Week 36 One more transfer in Fazenda

March 6, 2017

HELLO!

Well, transfers are today...but the good news is that I´m staying here in Fazenda with Sister Libanio!!! WOOHOO  I didn´t think I would leave, since I´m training, but I had my fears... I really LOVE my area right now. It´s the best area in the mission. Everyone says that.  EVERYONE.

But let´s see, I don´t have a whole ton to write this week..

Fun things that happened.. I made an apple pie!!!! Ah, it was delicious, and made me miss Thanksgiving haha.  

Oh, Happy Carnival to you all! Carnival was last weekend, and I completely forgot to say that to yall last week!  Unfortunately, or fortunately, Carnival is more of a "thing" in the northern parts of Brasil, so nothing exciting happened here in Paraná.  But that´s probably for the better!

So there´s this drink called "Cevada" here in Brasil. I had never heard of it before. Basically it´s like coffee, but not coffee. Anyways this last week I tried a sip, and it was AWFUL.  So for all of you who drink coffee,  HOW????

Also this new Cross Fit place opened up near our house, and I was really excited for about 3 days until I learned that it was 193Reis, which is like almost $60, per month, and then I got really sad because I don´t have that kind of money as a missionary 😞  It would have been SO COOL to do cross fit every morning.. but ah well. 

I think that´s about all that happened this week...

Sister Libanio and I are working HARD, and we have some pretty good investigators! We´re stoked to stick together one more transfer 😊

This week in my District Meeting, our Zone Leaders gave the training. Elder Fuzaro chose to speak about the Atonement of Christ.  (Or the suffering that Christ went through in the Garden of Gethsemane, up until the cross, and on the cross).  He said something that completely made me think. 

"We offend God every single day with things that we don´t even realize are offensive."

Okay, when he said that it took almost everything in me to not just start bursting into tears. I thought about how much I love my Heavenly Father, and HOW much I want to make Him proud of me.  The thought that I everysingle day do things to offend him, just made me so sad.  And then I thought about how grateful I am for the Atonement of Christ. I thought about how because of Jesus Christ, I can repent every single day of the "offensive" things that I do. 

I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father.  I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior.  Through Jesus Christ we can one day return and live with our Heavenly Father.  It´s ONLY because of Christ.  There´s no other way. Literally no other way.  And I am so thankful for Him.

This week think a little bit more about how Christ is your Savior, and I promise that this week will be one of your best,

xo Sister Councill

Week 35 pictures

Week 35: Miracles are real and dreams come true

February 27, 2017

THIS WAS THE BEST WEEK OF MY LIFE.

teehee.

Ya´ll. I love being a missionary.  Sharing the Gospel is literally the best thing ever. 

Before I write exactly WHY this week was so fantastic, let me tell you some funny things we did!

-I tried making BYU mint brownies, cuz I missed them, and they turned out great actually! 

-I tried making peanut butter.. which sort of not really ended up right.. 

-One day we knocked on about 13 yellow houses trying to find a contac ( who didn´t know her address, but said she lived in a yellow house) and I realized that Brasil has a TON of yellow houses.  We still haven´t found her yet.. sooo prayers por favor (:

-Sister Libanio has a sinus infection and a cold.  And I have a cold  (which isn´t funny actually, but it´s important information, so yall can pray for us 😜)

-We had another Baptism!!!  Felipe!!!

Let me tell you about him!

He is the older brother of Lucas, who is a RC. 3 weeks ago Bishop Roni stopped by their house to get Lucas to come to church. Felipe answered, and Bishop invited him to go to church. Felipe said he would the next week, and he did! This is where Sister Libanio and I enter the picture. On Sunday we introduced ourselves, and set up a time to meet with him. Our appointment ended up falling. BUT he came to church the next Sunday as well! (which was last Sunday) He ended up staying for Eliane´s baptism, and telling Bishop that he wanted to be baptized the next Saturday! Bishop had already told him about the WOW, and Felipe had already thrown out all his cigarettes. (We learned later that he immediately quit, and that now, 1 week and 1/2 later the smell of cigarette smoke makes him nauceous. Miracles) 

Sister Libanio and I ended up teaching him Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. He was interviewed on Wednesday, and baptized on Friday and confirmed on yesterday. 

But let me tell you some more of the detail!  On Monday he told us that his co-worker smoked 2.5 packs, while constantly offering him one, and he never accepted.  MIRACLE.

On Tuesday he had an incredible experience with prayer.  He and his boss are the only people who touch the money, and that day, the money had gotten misplaced.  Felipe knew he hadn´t touched it, but his boss was starting to assume he had.  They had been searching for like 2 hours, when he decided to bow his head and offer a prayer.  2 minutes later he found the money!  AND THEN he said he offered another prayer to thank Heavenly Father.  WOW.  MIRACLE.  

I hope you guys are just as blown as I still am.. this was literally like the dream of any missionary, and I can´t believe it happened to us... Miracles are real. 

It was honestly a super humbling experience for me because I realized that I didn´t do barely anything. It was ALL the Lord. This is His work, not mine or Sister Libanio´s.

I know Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us.  If we have faith in him, we will see miracles. 

Love you ALL,

xo Sister Councill