Hi there!
February 3, 2014
This has been a crazy week of ups and downs and smiles and
laughter and tears and açai and hammocks! Basically, business as usual here in
Brasil :)
Can I just say , I LOVE THIS WARD!!!! Seriously, I can’t say
it enough! The youth are the key in this ward. We are getting so many
references of friends of members, and they are really just working so closely with
them that it’s hard to keep up the pace! There are 15 active YM here, and the
YW President asked us specifically to help her reach a goal of 15 active YW
(currently we are at 4, but there were 9 on Sunday!). It’s just so nice when
the missionaries and the ward counsel work together on the same page for the
same goals.
We spent all week preparing two YW, Maria Rita and Darliane,
to be baptized this past Sunday. They both decided at the last minute that they
didn’t want to go through with it. So that was really hard for everyone, but
definitely a learning experience. I was really sad (a lot of it has to do with
lack of support at home) but they are both committed to continue coming to
Church and reading the Book of Mormon. With a little more time, I’m sure they
will find their own testimonies again.
BUT there was another YW at church who has been many times
but I guess the missionaries just missed her? Don’t know. But, we went to visit
her right after church and asked if she wanted to prepare to be baptized next
Sunday (she already knows and lives all the Church standards! thanks to awesome
members) and she said yes without hesitating! So keep Jasmin in your prayers
for this week :)
We had a special devotional with the youth on Sunday all
about how to invite friends to church without being weird or awkward about it.
We did a bunch of practices, read some inspiration scriptures, and every youth
in attendance committed to bringing a friend to church on Sunday! Now we just
need to get the adults helping out too ;) It was such a wonderful feeling, to
here all the YW there say that they wanted to serve missions and watching the
group of them leave the chapel singing Called to Serve at the top of their
lungs! Truly, this is the time for the Church in Brasil :)
In other news, we heard some sad news today about Sister
Souza´s family. Her uncle passed away this past Tuesday, and another aunt
passed away on Saturday. Same side of the family, but completely unrelated and
unexpected. It’s been really hard on her, so if you could keep Sister Souza and
her family in your prayers this week I would really appreciate it. We need all
the help and love we can get right now.
Alma 7: 12 is the scripture of the week. Christ suffered
all, so that He could know how best to help us in our time of need. If we ever
feel scared or lonely or lost, or not up to the task. just remember that we
don’t have to just rely on ourselves. He knows how best to help us, and
sometimes we just forget to ask. The same applies to helping people around us.
When the people we love suffer, we don’t have to only rely on what we know to
help them. We can plead to our Heavenly Father on behalf of our loved ones, and
we can receive revelation on how we can help. It is often through the hands of
other people that Heavenly Father takes care of His children. Christ always
know what to do, He always has a solution, and He is always waiting and willing
to carry us through whatever trials or challenges come our way.
Keep smiling! Keep praying! Until next week :)
-Sister Carroll
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