Diligence

Hi there!                                                                                  July 14, 2014

So this week was interesting, I KNOCKED DOORS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY MISSION. Let me explain

I spent the week with another sister, Sister de Oliveira, in what is probably the RICHEST area of the mission. Plus side: we got to go to the gym that’s part of their apartment complex to exercise in the morning. Also, all the members have cars. Down side: it’s really dang hard to find someone who wants to listen to our message.
So it was a really good growing experience for me. I don’t think I´ve been sufficiently grateful for my mission - Missão Brasil Natal. It really is heaven on earth here. In general, the people want to listen! We see miracles every day! We always have people to teach! I am so, SO grateful that the Lord has put me in a place where the people will listen to me. Most of my mission has been teaching, not finding people to teach, and this has made the experience that much sweeter. This past week was a rough wake up call to what the rest of the world is like, when people DONT want to hear and I have an even greater love and respect for the missionaries serving in different parts of the world.

But, live and learn, right? One thing my mission president loves to say is

Ser diligente é fazer tudo certo mesmo que tudo está dando errado. - To be diligent is to do everything right even when everything is going wrong. Words to live by. I’m still working on my diligence.
We are working with 2 WONDERFUL families right now that really, really need your prayers! Dantas and family are a mom, dad, and 4 children that are less-active and live NEXT DOOR to the Church. (Even still, they find excuses to not go to church...?) We have been teaching and preparing they´re youngest daughter, Alice, for baptism these past weeks and she was finally baptized yesterday!!! But the real work is helping the whole family come back. They are so close!!!!! They never went to the temple :( But that’s why we´re here. We taught the plan of salvation and asked Alice (8 years old) if she want to be with her family forever and she said, Yes of course! And the mom almost cried. They are so close, but we don’t know what is keeping them from returning! So....prayers. Please. I just want to get this family to the temple.

We are also teaching Tiago Fransisco and Cristiane, and their 3 sons. We had a really spiritual lesson last night and read John 3 together and asked what it means to be born again. The spirit was SO STRONG and at the end of the lesson it was so natural to invite them all to prepare to be baptized. It was the Spirit that taught everything, and they accepted to prepare for August 10th! We need to help them get married first, but that’s okay we have the Lord on our side. One more family to put on the path to the temple.

Close with a little spiritual thought-

As missionaries (and members) that have taken upon us the name of Christ, we often have a very good idea the weight and responsibilities that this name carries. At least, I never forget. I never forget the magnitude of what I have to do and who I represent. But don’t have the same understanding of all the blessings and saving grace that is the other side of these covenants. When we are sincerely, honestly striving to do our best and give everything the Lord will complete our efforts. Our best efforts won’t always be up to the task, but He has promised to never leave us alone. Never. Remember that covenants are a two-way promise, and the Lord has promised to do His part when we do ours.

I love you all! Until next week!

-Sister Carroll

(Also, I almost cried this week because of the World Cup. It’s just plain sad!!!!! )