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I Think I have a Complex of Some Sort

Hello North America!
So this week was insane. I'm learning there's really no such thing as "normal" on the mish. It was a mixture of laughing my head off and crying to the Lord for His help in this work. This area....nossa, carumba....precisamos BATISMOS!!!!!!! We had one baptism scheduled for Sunday, and Brendon (who the Elders taught before we got here, and he had an interview and all, just never was baptized) had an interview with our District Leader on Saturday, passed, and was excited for his baptism on Sunday. Well, Sunday morning, we walked the 30 minutes to his house (including mountain climbing through a cow pasture), then stood at his gate and yelled and clapped and made his dogs bark, but still he didn't wake up. WE stayed there half an hour, but then eventually had to leave and get other investigators. In the end, NO ONE (again....4th week in a row for me) was at church! I'm trying not to let it get to me, but if you served a mission, you know that Sunday is when you see how your work through the week went. And when no one shows up for Church, it just looks like we goof around all the time and do nothing in this area. It's frustrating. Anyway, so Brendan didn't show. To make a LONG story short, our Zone Leaders didn't take no for an answer, sending us to his house after church (we only caught sacrament meeting at church this week) to talk him into baptism. Problem: bishop wouldn't let us baptize him without him being at church. Understandable. Anyway, it was a ridiculously complicated situation which I wont rehash (I'll get frustrated again and really....good things happened this week:) ), but in the end, he wasn't baptized and his mother said he can't be. Well, we'll talk to her. And get that all worked out. I don't think she will be much of a problem.
Saturday we had lunch with a Jehovah's Witness. She and I talked about the Book of Mormon. And yep, she's reading it. Then yesterday morning while we were walking to church after being rejected by our investigators, there were a lot of them in that neighborhood, and it was funny to say all smiles "bom dia!!!" to them, as they were just eyeing us. Haha. Oh funny stuff! Another random thought...I heard some Italian and Spanish on Saturday...and miraculously understood a good chunk of it. It'll be interesting after the mish to hear these languages and hopefully understand them! That would be so cool!
Well. Of course this week was full of the usual miracles. I had some really good scripture studies this week, and learned a lot ot things on a new level that I'd never learned before. I'm feeling today a severe lack of the Temple and want so badly to go back. But....who knows when I'll get to go again. It's all good. Anyway, I studied a bit about the Spirit World and the House of Israel and Christ as our light. It's some pretty good stuff! Also, I found some pretty funny scriptures....this is how I feel when I get mail: Proverbs 25:25; and when no one writes to me, this is how I feel: Job 19:14. Hah. Now you know.

We had another zone meeting last week, and our Zone Leaders told us about the changes that are taking place in the mission. Basically, everything is changing. And I love it. We are going to have some pretty intense trainings with President Moreira every month, which I am excited about. We don't have interviews (bummer) except for 3 or 4 times a year, and our zone conferences are cut back too. But it's okay. I know President is following orders of Salt Lake, and I know that our leaders really are following the counsel of the Lord. This is how we are going to become better misionaries....and goodness, I need to become better!
Last couple things. We got a new Ward Mission Leader in the ward this week, and he has some great plans to put the ward missionaries to work...knocking doors, making contacts, finding references. We teach just about every day with a member, which is awesome. Most of our investigators (we still don't have a ton) are references and friends of members. It is great. They already have a support system in the church with helps them feel the truth of things. We aren't seeing baptisms yet, but I have faith that we will soon. I'm learning a lot lately about perfect faith, and really trusting completely in the Lord...not just partially, but COMPLETELY. It is necessary.
Random things: I learned how to say the word "otorrinolaringolagistas"...haha, even my brazilian comp can't say it! I love word games and word challenges. :) AND...I made brownies last week, which were delicious. Too bad I gave them all away. Maybe I'll make more today. I miss cheesecake though. Haha.
Welp, gotta run. Time is ticking by, and I still have a couple other emails to send. Thanks, as always, for the support and love. Remember that you're never alone. Even with people all around, it can be easy to feel alone. But you never are. The Lord is always by our side, and we are never, never, never alone. Truly KNOWING this, you'll never feel alone.

I love you!!
Karen

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