FELIZ NATAL! Ft. Abandoned Hospitals And Vilazinha Miracles - Semana VINTE E DOIS

GOOGLE PHOTOS

https://photos.app.goo.gl/s3nM4Wi5Cr8jEy349

Feliz Natal meus queridos amigos e família!! Amo todos voces!!

I hope you guys are having the best Christmas season!! Don't hesitate to tall me all about it!! My hope for y’all is that you are finding more joy GIVING than RECEIVING!

PENSAMENTO ESPIRITUAL

I have a sticky note of a quote from President Russell M. Nelson that brings me so much joy.

"the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives."

- Joy and Spiritual Survival, Pres Nelson

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2016/10/joy-and-spiritual-survival?lang=eng

We all know that the focus of Christmas is our Savior, Jesus Christ. "There is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ. Behold, he is the life and the light of the world. Behold, he is the word of truth and righteousness," (Alma 38:9).

So how can He be the FOCUS of our lives??

A popular reminder that many missionaries use is a bracelet that reads, WWJD. 

What Would Jesus Do?

My invitation and promise to you all as a Representative of Jesus Christ with the power and authority to make these promises, is that if you diligently find ways to forget yourself and find ways to serve those around you, to lift them up, create a smile, give a gift, that YOU will be blessed for the sacrifices that you make FOR OTHERS. 

And who says it has to be a physical gift? A word, a deed, a smile, a helping hand. You decide. I promise that by small and simple things are great things come to pass. Find a way to share your light this Christmas and New Year. 

Then tell me all about it and your experience!

RECAP (of the past two weeks)

- getting to know my new area! Jardim Catanduva is WAY smaller than Caucaia and so many more people to contact in the street! I'm so excited. This place is FILLED with stairs, connecting streets and houses, and its like the whole day is working the Stairmaster. My calves will comeback lookin like CBum's

- One thing I love is talking about baptism in the first contact, especiallyin the street. If they really are elite, we pratically give the whole third lesson, explain the importance of baptism and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost and mark to meet with them again.

- This place is super cool, we have about 4 neighborhoods, and 2 massive favelas. Inside one of the favelas is an abandoned hospital where a person lives in each of the abandoned hospital rooms. It's so cool. I don't have many pics there, only standing on top of it, overlooking our area. I'll try to do better taking pics

- The Elders that we share a ward with got robbed the first week so they have had a lot of fun trying to make unplanned visits to all their investigators hahah. We will do our very best not to get robbed. (I'll be okay mom)

- our teaching pool is growing and we have about 6 people ready for baptism, however, they all are traveling during Christmas or need to get married first. The marriage places were they get married legally dont open until next year so hopefully we'll have baptisms in January só água

- Had the opportunity to work in the Vilazinha de Belém (Little Town of Bethlehem) two more times! Two Sundays ago, we worked and 20,000 people showed up, with more than half being non members!! As we worked we got TONS of people to fill out forms to recieve visits from the missionaries!! We worked this past Monday as well and it was a lot less packed, so it was easier to have actual conversations with the non members that came!

- Monday night while working, this 6'4" bald white guy and his family had us take a picture for them. I asked them where they were from, they said Utah! Elder Gardner asked them what they were doing in Brasil, and the guy replied that he was serving in the Area Presidency of Brasil!! It was Elder Eddy, pretty much our Mission Presidents Boss!! it was so cool to meet him and his family!! We took a picture with him and he sent the pic to President Hunt lol.

- This past Thursday I headed back to my first area to have our Zone Conference and Christmas Reunion at James E. Faust! It was super fun, we had tons of food, played dodgeball (aka queimada), 9 square with double the balls, capture the flag, futebol, Spoons, Uno Flip, all kinds of things!

- Florisbela was actually there working in the kitchen and I was able to talk to President and get her to mark her date again on the 28th of December! We'll see if she goes through with it. Pray for her and Elder Ferreira!

- thats pretty much it. Everyday we spend hours contacting in the street, meeting references, and giving lessons. Working hard everyday, everyday after prayers when my head hits the pillow I instantly fall asleep. So tired and sore, but so incredibly happy. I try to work everyday like its my last. I am putting huge attention to following every prompting, and it has been so fulfilling.

Love you guys so much!! Tell me about your Christmas miracles!!