November 17, 2014
Yesterday, an Elder told me that I have a gift - the eyes to
see miracles. He told me that I have a gift that I´m able to see miracles that
other people can´t, or won´t, recognize. I don´t know if that´s true, but this
week really was a week of miracles!
Monday we went back to Natal (did you know that a bus ride
from Souza to Natal is almost as long as the plane ride São Paulo to the US?)
and Tuesday Sister Cabral and I had the afternoon free to do what we wanted. So
what do we do? Go to the beach? Go Christmas shopping? Hang around the mission
office? NO WAY! Visit our Recent Converts, of course :) It was the best
afternoon ever! Granted, it’s only been 3-4 weeks that I´ve left Natal but it
was neat to see the people I taught and baptized still going strong. The
highlight of the night was seeing Lucas and Vagner, two YM of gold. I didn’t
even have to go looking for them, they were just hanging around the Church
waiting for a youth activity to start! Just a few short years and they´ll be on
their missions :) also, Marceilda, a YW that was baptized in my first area,
went to the temple this past week!!!! She sent me a letter and told me that she
has a calling as a ward missionary, she is reading the Book of Mormon for the
3rd time, and she went to the temple <3 a="" bit="" cried="" got="" have="" her="" i="" letter....="" little="" may="" o:p="" when="">
All the traveling didn’t sit quite well with me so I got a
little sick this week. The Lord definitely helped us, because we only had 3
days to work in our area and everything worked out in the end, even with the
time I spend sleeping (almost 12 hours straight!) I have a renewed testimony of
priesthood blessings - the Lord WANTS to heal us! It’s just our faith that is
the deciding factor!
Dona Francisca was baptized on Sunday! She´s just the sweetest
little old lady (74 years old!) with more backbone than any other investigator
I know. Satan threw a bunch of complications our way, but it all worked out in
the end. There is a huge drought here in Brasil, the situation is critical. We
didn’t have any water to fill the baptismal font so we had to ask the
firefighters to fill the font! (If you could pray for rain....we need it. if it
doesn’t rain before January, the city will stop functioning). Then when we got
to her house to walk with her to church, her family said that she had ALREADY
LEFT! it’s a 30-40 minute walk! In the
hot sun! We were so worried about her, we just walked around the whole city
trying to find her. Well, we calmed down a bit and stopped to say the most
fervent prayer of my life....and then she appeared on the street corner! Ohhh
Francisca :) God really hears and answers prayers.
Saturday night was a devotional to celebrate.....THE TEN
YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHURCH IN SOUZA!!!!! Wooooohhhh! The church is soooo
new here. It brought me to tears to hear all the stories of the early efforts
and see the sacrifices of the members here. Missionary work is their life -
they spend the whole week visiting the members to help everyone get to church
on Sunday! Most members have to walk 30-45 minutes in the hot sun to get to
church! They really inspire me to be a better missionary. I feel like I´m part
of something a lot bigger than me. We´re just all together, literally fighting
for the life of Souza inch by inch. I feel like the early missionaries that
served in England - it’s the best comparison there is. It was so interesting to
hear the conversion stories, one sister of the ward said that it’s not the
beautiful chapels but the way the members received the visitors that makes the
difference. There wasn’t a church building when she started out, but the irmãs
hugged and kissed her and made her feel at home. And that is simply how the
church grows. The Presidente da Missão made a goal with the missionaries and
church leaders last night that before June 2015, Souza will become a stake!!!!
So, it was a good week! Keep praying for my comp, she´s
going home on Saturday and I don´t know what I’m going to do without Sister
Cabral!
Please pray for Manual, Daniel, and Serverinho also!
-Sister
Carroll
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