I am easily in the best area of the mission, I could spend my whole mission here! I hope I at least get to stay for a while. We are such a pain to bring back to the mission office that I think I might!
Anyways, somewhat less adventurous, but we are being eaten alive in our apartment, and everywhere else for that matter by pennylongs, it looks like we have chicken pox, and its really hot, but the rain started! And when it rains here it rains!
I know we have the best branch, they really are a family here, and they are all so willing to help us with whatever we need! Whether that means helping us move, or going to a lesson with us, or just yelling across the hall for ice cream. They have a ward activity every wednesday, everybody gets together to sing, share a message and eat! Its really fun, and perfect to bring investigators to.
Speaking of investigators we lost two! Because they got baptized! Joseil and his mom Alice. Between transfers, opening a new area and the other sisters being the training leaders, it has been a big team effort baptizing these awesome people! Joseil is really smart and from Sao Paulo but he came to visit his mom Alice and his brother and ended up finding the true church! We always focused on him and his brother and one day Alice just said I want to be baptized I want to be baptized! She might be the cutest little old lady that is. Her baptism was very sweet, after she was baptized she was carried out of the font because she cant walk very well and said "Jesus healed my soul"! Geronimo, an awesome recent convert got to be a big part of Joseil's conversion too, and baptized him! Overall it was a neat experience and showed how important it is for us to work together as missionaries with the spirit and with the members!
This week we have four people that can potentially be baptized so we are going to work really hard to baptize them! Clebson, is a 10 year old with a huge fear of water, Paulo is a catholic but his wife is a member and his son is on a mission, Rute knows its all true but is the drummer in her church's band and Claudiney is the investigator we have been working the most with, but he has some mental problems. He knows its true and wants to be baptized, but also really doesnt want to disappoint his very Catholic mom who doesnt agree with the idea of a second baptism. Almost all of them have already been taught by missionaries a few times, so we are believing that we will be the last! We are learning a lot about just loving people, no matter what they do, just love despite their behavior. We pray for the spirit, and that we will be able to help these four people conquer their fears.
We discovered the roof of our apartment building these week, it is this huge balcony with a great view and I like to think its a lot like life. Sometimes you have to work harder, get a little uncomfortable, take a leap of faith on your fears, but once you reach the top, the view is always worth it. As members we know what the view is, and we should never live below our priviledges of the gospel, and do what we can to help people taste of the fruit! To see the maravilhosa view!
Tchau!
Sister Holmes
Anyways, somewhat less adventurous, but we are being eaten alive in our apartment, and everywhere else for that matter by pennylongs, it looks like we have chicken pox, and its really hot, but the rain started! And when it rains here it rains!
I know we have the best branch, they really are a family here, and they are all so willing to help us with whatever we need! Whether that means helping us move, or going to a lesson with us, or just yelling across the hall for ice cream. They have a ward activity every wednesday, everybody gets together to sing, share a message and eat! Its really fun, and perfect to bring investigators to.
Speaking of investigators we lost two! Because they got baptized! Joseil and his mom Alice. Between transfers, opening a new area and the other sisters being the training leaders, it has been a big team effort baptizing these awesome people! Joseil is really smart and from Sao Paulo but he came to visit his mom Alice and his brother and ended up finding the true church! We always focused on him and his brother and one day Alice just said I want to be baptized I want to be baptized! She might be the cutest little old lady that is. Her baptism was very sweet, after she was baptized she was carried out of the font because she cant walk very well and said "Jesus healed my soul"! Geronimo, an awesome recent convert got to be a big part of Joseil's conversion too, and baptized him! Overall it was a neat experience and showed how important it is for us to work together as missionaries with the spirit and with the members!
This week we have four people that can potentially be baptized so we are going to work really hard to baptize them! Clebson, is a 10 year old with a huge fear of water, Paulo is a catholic but his wife is a member and his son is on a mission, Rute knows its all true but is the drummer in her church's band and Claudiney is the investigator we have been working the most with, but he has some mental problems. He knows its true and wants to be baptized, but also really doesnt want to disappoint his very Catholic mom who doesnt agree with the idea of a second baptism. Almost all of them have already been taught by missionaries a few times, so we are believing that we will be the last! We are learning a lot about just loving people, no matter what they do, just love despite their behavior. We pray for the spirit, and that we will be able to help these four people conquer their fears.
We discovered the roof of our apartment building these week, it is this huge balcony with a great view and I like to think its a lot like life. Sometimes you have to work harder, get a little uncomfortable, take a leap of faith on your fears, but once you reach the top, the view is always worth it. As members we know what the view is, and we should never live below our priviledges of the gospel, and do what we can to help people taste of the fruit! To see the maravilhosa view!
Tchau!
Sister Holmes