The Best Decision I've Ever Made

The decision to come on a mission is the best decision I've ever made!  It´s taught me a lot about how to differentiate what comes from the Spirit  and what doesn´t, and I feel that I did the right thing.  I'm afraid of doing something wrong, not being 100% dedicated, so I´m SUPER conscious about that... I´ve learned how to rely on the Lord and trust in His guidance and opinion, follow the promptings I receive, and then keep working. Also, it´s not as hard as I thought it would be to focus. Just set limits. My comp and I only think and talk about trunky things after we finish planning at 9:30, and even then, we´re normally so caught up in our investigators, that we don´t even reach the subject.  I have the rest of my life to live my life. I only have 3 months to live as a missionary, and I won´t trade that for ANYTHING!!!!!!! It was funny, I had my interview with President 2 weeks ago, and I was talking about how I wanted to take advantage of this time I have here, and I started to cry telling him how I want to be a missionary forever.  He stopped me and asked if I was  at least excited to go home and get married and have a family. I said yes, and he stopped worrying! Hahaahahhahah! President was worried about me bc he thought I wouldn´t be able to go home. It was funny! I´ve changed a LOT here on the mission!

The Adversary ATTACKED us this week! I´ve never felt the desire so strong to give up, and all the while, my spirit didn´t want to, but my body fought me. My comp ended up the same way. The last three days of the week we felt TIRED to the bone, irritated, trapped, unexcited, and our glow disappeared, BUT we learned a lot. We sat down on Sunday and talked through what was going on, and we realized that the Lord had given us the chance to feel what one of our investigators is feeling. That changed EVERYTHING! Today, we´re back to normal and happy and ready ready READY TO GO and conquer the world!!

I learned this week about gratitude and real friendship and love. My favorite moment this week was Saturday night. Everything had gone wrong, we were tired, really irritated, and trying to find the courage to take one step after the other. The thought came to me to state something I was grateful for. Then I asked my comp what she was grateful for, one more thing I was grateful for, and she stated one more thing she was grateful for, and on and on, we walked for about 15-20 minutes, JUST stating what we were grateful for. It changed our night! 

I am a grateful for my comp and her humility and her strength. I want a marriage like this.  We strengthen each other and lift each other. We complement each other's weaknesses and learn together.

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! THE TRUTH IS TRUE AND THE TRUTH IS LIGHT AND JOY!!! 

MAKE it the best week ever and be the answer to someone´s prayer!

 

Sua Little

Time is Flying, Cutting my own hair, and a Surprising Lesson Learned

 From August 1

Mom! I'm freaking out! I have only 3 more transfers! 18 weeks! That's CRAZY SAUCE!!! Everyone keeps telling me I'm hitting the end, but in my mind December is still a good long, comfortable time away, but AH!!! AH!  I'm really trying to live in the moment and love the people and the situations. I've realized that the Lord is changing me. (I'm becoming a whole lot more like YOU!) I don't stress as much, and I'm able to see the lessons I'm learning more in the moment. It's a great blessing!

 THIS is the BIGGEST rooster I've EVER SEEN! It lives in the school right next to our apartment!

I burned the cookies.....we forgot about them....for an hour....during our personal studies.....yup.....ouch.....

 

 

Exchange in Perdoes!!!! This is Sister Melo! She's super cool! 

Perdoes is BEAUTIFUL!!!! It's a little town and there are tons of hills, and so that means awesome sights!

 

 

We cut my hair...by ourselves...at home. Never have I done something like that, but it turned out! And WAY CHEAPER!

My poor tired comp. yesterday - We went to another Zone for Sister Scholes and I to sing at a baptism (a Stake President of another Stake asked for us, so President Hill called us and we went. Like WOW! The Lord is amazing! I'm amazed at how He uses us in ways we never imagine!), but poor S.Anderson fell last Monday (we had to go to the hospital bc yeah...it was ugly, but she's getting better now!) and she caught a cold. So sleep, yes, sleep.

Advanced English in 2 1/2 years...how about Fluent Portuguese in 4 months....which program do you choose?

 

 

My dear Rosa!!! Saying goodbye.....transfers stink!  (And that is the one time I[ve used that coat in a while...it[s getting HOT HOT HOT again!!!!)

 

Beautiful sunset-love note from Heaven on a really hard Saturday!

 

WOW! Your new calling! You're going to be AMAZING, Mom! Seriously!!! Those YW are going to ADORE YOU!!! You have all of the animo and spunk that they need! You will be amazing! You have a testimony that will inspire them to do the right things! Your activities will rock, and will help them build their testimonies and confidence. Something that President Hill told us when when does interviews with us is that he has 3 objectives for us to receive:

 

1. Feel the Love of the Savior

2. Receive Revelation

3. Have an Increased Desire 

This is what I can TOTALLY see you doing! They will love you, and so they'll follow you. Don't be afraid bc the Lord is in control. That's what I learned this week. This is what I wrote to President:

This week has...hard...but not awful. Our numbers were ABSOLUTELY AWFUL, but the things we learned weren't. This week has hard bc of S.Anderson's injury, a WHOLE LOT of rejection that kept us from "getting anything done" number-wise, but I was taught many things. 

 
Our Zone Leaders called us one day to follow up, we passed the information and they told us "parabens". We said No! and that our numbers were horrible, and they asked "Have you been obedient?" 'Yes" "Then parabens." That shocked me a bit, but really taught me a lesson. During the sacrament on Sunday, we talked with the Lord about our work. We were super stressed out and feeling pretty down about our work, but after the Sacrament, we felt peace. We didn't have regrets, and the Lord taught us that there are difficulties outside of our control-HE is in control, not us. It made me feel very small and humble, but also very important and safe in knowing that despite everything good or bad that I do, He is in control. 

I loved this message He taught us! I love you tons, and you're gonna ROCK this calling....

 

 

"You look weird in pants...really weird...."

 From August 9

My NEW WONDERFUL AWESOME COMP AND BEST FRIEND!!! Sister França (France-uh ... that´s how you say it. Accent on the France-like the country- part! ;D)  She´s crazy, loud, talks a lot, super spiritual, and she teaches with a power! WOW! She´s going to be one of my very best friends for EVER. You would LOVE HER! She reminds me a lot of you, Mom! And she speaks English well! We´re practicing !

Opposition is real, but so is peace. Go to the temple-moral of the story!

The little dot on my foot from where my shoes developed a hole....it´s a lot bigger now...this was last week.....

 

 

Have you seen this Pokemon  thing?! It´s ABSURD!!! It arrived here in Brasil on Thursday, and EVERY MOMENT OF EVERYDAY it looks like this out the window of our apartment! People have DIED bc of this GAME! AH! It´s like those distopic books and movies seeing everyone so CONTROLLED by this thing! AH! It´s really strange to be seeing this from the outside as a missionary!

 

 My shoes last week......last WOOHOO!! ADVENTURES!!! (My poor socks from now until the new shoes arrive! XD Haha! Only on a walking mission! This is my 5th pair of shoes!!!)

 

SERVICE PROJECT MEANS PANTS!!!!!!!! 

 

And hardhats! XD

 

Really funny, we changed clothes from proselyting clothes and looked at each other like....what?!?!? "You look weird in pants...really weird...."

 

 

I fell.....wearing tennis shoes and pants...that´s just sad.....BUT I´M ALIVE AND WELL! (I got too excited about the pants hing, and WHAM!!! Já era!)

 

 

He was making room for HIS plans!

This week I felt the most profound joy I think I´ve ever felt in my whole life!!!!!

The night of the baptism of Tharsilla and Paula, Sister França and I came home, we danced, laughed, and "caimos por terra" and laid there laughing and talking about the incredible joy we were feeling. It was AMAZING!!! The Spirit we felt in the baptism was different! Special, and we felt so HAPPY! 

Joy comes from obedience. Joy comes from repentance and being cleansed. Joy comes from seeing those you love progress and feel the same joy. It feels like we were cleansed from the inside out. 

This week, we just did GOOD! We helped an old woman shovel dirt, we sang for people who were sick, and it seemed like all our plans were falling through, but strangely enough, we felt happy and in peace.  When we closed our numbers yesterday and conversed about how our week went, we realized just how much the Lord had blessed us and guided us. Our plans fell through many times during the week because He was making room for HIS plans! 

 
This week, we want to keep going!!! We tasted what this happiness is, and we don´t want to stop! I´m praying that we will be able to stay humble and focused and not fall backwards. I LOVE LOVE LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE working with Sister França! She is one of the most incredible missionaries I have EVER worked with. The thing that blows my mind is that she doesn´t know it! She is always trying to be better, and doesn´t realize just how amazing she is.  She´s so amazing and so humble. I am SO GRATEFUL to be working with her!!!

 Yes...those are Easter pass along cards that are left over...I´M SO DESPERATE FOR SHOES!!! All of my socks have holes in them now bc of the whole in my shoes!!!! XD Missionary life!!!  (Cameron brought down some new shoes for her in his luggage.  She's just waiting for them to come from him in the mail now!)