So today has kind of a melancholy note to it....transfers are tomorrow, and 5 hours from now, I'll find out where I'm going, if I'm staying with Sister Frame, or if she is going somewhere. Or if the area is closing. I'd cry if that happened. I don't think that's very likely though.
Anyway, so this last week was completely destroyed. Literally every appointment (except maybe 2 or 3) fell through. So we spent a lot of time running around, and then didn't have any new investigators in church yesterday, even though we have some great new ones. We taught some friends of Mauro (remember him?), who are FANTASTIC and so prepared. It's amazing to see how the Lord truly prepares people to hear the gospel. We also taught Claudimere a few times at 9:30am., which destroys our study time, but it's the only time he has. So that's been intersting.
Also, remember zone conference last week? I think I forgot to mention that at the beginning, there are always a couple on-the-spot short talks, where no one knows ahead of time that they'll be giving them...so when my name was called to talk about bearing testimony in our lessons, I was surprised. So...I talked. I still have no idea what I said, or how I said it, or anything. Except I do kknow that after all that, I forgot to bear my own testimony. Hahahaha. Sister Frame and I had a good laugh about that. Anyway, since zone conference, we've been stressing a lot more the second lesson, about the Plan of Salvation. It works miracles. This is the truth the gospel has, and we are so blessed to know this. This plan of God is perfect, and brings hope and happiness. So we've been teaching that like mad lately. And it's awesome.
We had a crazy district meeting last week. Last district meetings of every transfer tend to be a lot more casual and way more fun, and we took a bunch of pictures. Other small random things: I've taken up poetry-writing again, which is fun, and exercises my brain (not that it's just sitting around...I'm learning a new language, for goodness sake!). I've also taken to telling stories to learn Portuguese. A few times last week, I picked some stories from my life that I told to Sister Frame and Elder Lopes, but I had to learn a bunch of words to tell them. That was awesome. Because using the words that I learn helps them stick in my brain. Also, I'm addicted to food. i'll have to remedy that before I get home. Haha.
There are always two sides to every story, and often we hear both sides and are in the middle of some drama and hodge-podge. It's pretty rad....hah. But I have learned that despite all we hear about and from people, we need to see them the way Heavenly Father does, and not judge them. That has become something easy for me; not judging people. This is great, because for years it was something I struggled with, and has only become easier as I've learend to see people through the eyes of Christ, and really act on this. Because God never gives up on people, even in the pit of despair. I can't either. Everyone deserves a chance to change through the Atonement and become a better person. Actually, I hate that word "deserve" in this sense....everyone HAS the chance to change.
Finally, the big event of the week was doing something that was on my bucket list, something I've wanted to do for YEARS. Know the program "Mãos que Ajudam"? I think in the USA it is Helping Hands or something. The program the church has to help clean up after distasters, with the yellow vests and all. Anyway, here it is Mãos que Ajudam, and it is not just for distasters. There was a service project this weekend for our stake, with this program, cleaning up and reforming two schools in Moóca. We thought we couldn't go, because it's out of our area, but found out Saturday morning that we could...so we went! We wore regular clothes (let me tell you, THAT was weird), and helped paint a gate blue. And we painted the gate...and each other! S. Frame and I were there with four other missionaries, Sister Hall and Sister Freitas, as well as Elder Lopes and Elder Arndt, two of the secretaries. And I learned that the paint we used is impossible to get off...without paint thinner. For the first time in my life, I washed my hands and arms in paint thinner. :) But overall, it was a fantastic day, and I finally got to be a part of this program, even for just a few hours.
Well, my spiritual thought for today comes from 1 Nephi 18:3, which talks about Nephi going to the mountain often to pray, and because of this, the Lord did great things in his life. The mountain, in the scriptures, signifies the Temple. But we don't need to go to the Temple to pray. We can pray any time, anywhere. And really pray...converse with the Lord. Have faith. And you will see the hand of the Lord in your life, and how much He blesses you. Because of your prayers, He will do marvelous things in your life. Prayer is such a simple principle, and so often overlooked. It's something I've really been thinking about lately, this month entirely, I think.
Anywayyyyyyyy, I love you all! As usual, I love you all, and of course you're still in my prayers. I enjoy getting letters from you. Thanks for the support. I'm so blessed to have you.
Love,
Karen
Anyway, so this last week was completely destroyed. Literally every appointment (except maybe 2 or 3) fell through. So we spent a lot of time running around, and then didn't have any new investigators in church yesterday, even though we have some great new ones. We taught some friends of Mauro (remember him?), who are FANTASTIC and so prepared. It's amazing to see how the Lord truly prepares people to hear the gospel. We also taught Claudimere a few times at 9:30am., which destroys our study time, but it's the only time he has. So that's been intersting.
Also, remember zone conference last week? I think I forgot to mention that at the beginning, there are always a couple on-the-spot short talks, where no one knows ahead of time that they'll be giving them...so when my name was called to talk about bearing testimony in our lessons, I was surprised. So...I talked. I still have no idea what I said, or how I said it, or anything. Except I do kknow that after all that, I forgot to bear my own testimony. Hahahaha. Sister Frame and I had a good laugh about that. Anyway, since zone conference, we've been stressing a lot more the second lesson, about the Plan of Salvation. It works miracles. This is the truth the gospel has, and we are so blessed to know this. This plan of God is perfect, and brings hope and happiness. So we've been teaching that like mad lately. And it's awesome.
We had a crazy district meeting last week. Last district meetings of every transfer tend to be a lot more casual and way more fun, and we took a bunch of pictures. Other small random things: I've taken up poetry-writing again, which is fun, and exercises my brain (not that it's just sitting around...I'm learning a new language, for goodness sake!). I've also taken to telling stories to learn Portuguese. A few times last week, I picked some stories from my life that I told to Sister Frame and Elder Lopes, but I had to learn a bunch of words to tell them. That was awesome. Because using the words that I learn helps them stick in my brain. Also, I'm addicted to food. i'll have to remedy that before I get home. Haha.
There are always two sides to every story, and often we hear both sides and are in the middle of some drama and hodge-podge. It's pretty rad....hah. But I have learned that despite all we hear about and from people, we need to see them the way Heavenly Father does, and not judge them. That has become something easy for me; not judging people. This is great, because for years it was something I struggled with, and has only become easier as I've learend to see people through the eyes of Christ, and really act on this. Because God never gives up on people, even in the pit of despair. I can't either. Everyone deserves a chance to change through the Atonement and become a better person. Actually, I hate that word "deserve" in this sense....everyone HAS the chance to change.
Finally, the big event of the week was doing something that was on my bucket list, something I've wanted to do for YEARS. Know the program "Mãos que Ajudam"? I think in the USA it is Helping Hands or something. The program the church has to help clean up after distasters, with the yellow vests and all. Anyway, here it is Mãos que Ajudam, and it is not just for distasters. There was a service project this weekend for our stake, with this program, cleaning up and reforming two schools in Moóca. We thought we couldn't go, because it's out of our area, but found out Saturday morning that we could...so we went! We wore regular clothes (let me tell you, THAT was weird), and helped paint a gate blue. And we painted the gate...and each other! S. Frame and I were there with four other missionaries, Sister Hall and Sister Freitas, as well as Elder Lopes and Elder Arndt, two of the secretaries. And I learned that the paint we used is impossible to get off...without paint thinner. For the first time in my life, I washed my hands and arms in paint thinner. :) But overall, it was a fantastic day, and I finally got to be a part of this program, even for just a few hours.
Well, my spiritual thought for today comes from 1 Nephi 18:3, which talks about Nephi going to the mountain often to pray, and because of this, the Lord did great things in his life. The mountain, in the scriptures, signifies the Temple. But we don't need to go to the Temple to pray. We can pray any time, anywhere. And really pray...converse with the Lord. Have faith. And you will see the hand of the Lord in your life, and how much He blesses you. Because of your prayers, He will do marvelous things in your life. Prayer is such a simple principle, and so often overlooked. It's something I've really been thinking about lately, this month entirely, I think.
Anywayyyyyyyy, I love you all! As usual, I love you all, and of course you're still in my prayers. I enjoy getting letters from you. Thanks for the support. I'm so blessed to have you.
Love,
Karen
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