When All is Said and Done

So this is the second to last email I'll be sending. The next one will be the last. As Ive been going through this week, lyrics from a really poetic song has been going through my head that I wanted to share with  yall. 

When all is said and done
as the season slips away
when I've taken steps beyond my sight
will I find my strength in greater light
will my courage grow with every passing day
and will my faith be constant as the setting sun 
when all is said and done
When all is said and done
and the years have turned to gold
will my life become a legacy
of the things that matter most to me
will the fire of faith burn bright as I grow old 
and will I want to be the person I've become
when all is said and done
When all is said and done
when my eyes can finally see
will I glory in the sweet release
and will mercy fill my soul with peace 
will I knell in wonder at the Savior's feet
will I hear him say 'well done'
when he sees who I've become
will I live with him
when all is said and done

This song has been the theme of  my mission, because honestly a mission is a parable of life. You leave the comfort of a home with a mother and father to fulfill a calling thats more important than you can comprehend, but its the hardest thing you'll ever have to do, you complete it, then you return home different than you left. I definitely want to make sure that I go back to Heavenly Father better than I left Him. 

Heres some last minute fotos! (mom I knew youd crack up to know that I stole your shirt and that we were all trying to feed you pao de mel! haha)

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-084-when-all-is-said-and-done?lang=eng 

My Work and My Glory

Okay gente, this week was all in all a good week. Me and Sister B brought 7 people to church which is a record in my mission! And my pride and glory recent convert Gilberto was helping 2 of these 7 investigators feel at home and comfortable during the sacrament meeting. 

I wanted to share with yall what happened after church with Gilberto, we were running to a meeting with our LMA (mission leader of the ward) and he stopped the car in the middle of the road saying he had something for us! He raced up to his lil apt and brought down a huge box of juice, coconut cake and a box of chocolates for us! 

He then told us how happy he was in the church. 'In all the other churches I felt empty, there was just a hollowness, an emptiness that I felt. But now its different! I feel like Im contributing! I finally found everything I had been looking for."

In pondering on his words, my heart filled with gratitude and joy. Remembering the words of God in the scriptures as He said, "this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." And to think Im apart of this glory! Feeling the spirit and the happiness that eminated from Gilberto, I felt blessed in feeling just a small portion of the joy and happiness that Heavenly Father feels when one of His children are baptized and continue forth.

I love this gospel! I love being a missionary! And Im always praying for yall to have this same moment this same experience that I had one day in watching someone change their life for the better.

xox

Sister VerHoef

You Never Know

Hello to all!!! 

Okay, so this week has been pretty hectic. We went on splits with the sisters in the north of Londrina that are having a bastante amount of problems and it didnt exactly go according to plans. I love all of them, but nevertheless, it was frustrating. 

In other news, we worked pretty hard to baptize a mocinha called Claide whos 11 yrs old and SUPER smart. She understands everything, got an answer about the Book of Mormon and being baptized but she doesnt want to be baptized -_- OTHER frustration this week. Seems like the Lord has decided to test my patience until the very last straw!!! 

However, we did recieve another miracle at church yesterday. After all 9 of our firmes "Yeah ill be there on Sunday at 9am!" feel through, we thought we had not a single investigator there. But, come to find out after, that the brother of a member who lives in our area was there yesterday and he wants to be baptized! WHAT??? 

which got me thinking of this video to share with yall. You honestly NEVER know how much good you do. At times it feels like youre beating your head against a brick wall with countless things to do and nothing every goes according to plans. but as you watch this video, I ask you all to place your priorities in the right spot and to let go of the things you have no control over. You have control over your thoughts and youractions. Maybe sometimes someone or something will stress you out, or even offend/insult you. You have control over how youre going to react and what you'll do in the end. 

LOVE YALL!!!

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-00-008-you-never-know?category=mormon-messages/mormon-messages-2014&lang=eng

Waiting on the Road to Damascus

So this week was a whirlwind, and I cant BELIEVE its already week 3.... the terrifying thing about the mission is that you get to a point where you feel the time slipping by and theres nothing you can do to stop it. The nights feel shorter and the days feel like a blur. Its all gone by so fast. 

Anyway, Gilberto got confirmed yesterday!!!! Yall remember Gilberto? The sweet, amazing, wonderful senhor that we baptized last week? hes absolutely amazing and ALMOST didnt get baptized. He was always telling us to wait until the next week, and no I will get baptized but later, later. Well maybe we yanked his arm a little but I knew he had a testimony, he loved the church, he knew everything we had taught him was true. He just was afraid.

As we visited him this week, everytime he told us "I know my sins have been washed away! I know it!" Each time we saw him his glow grew brighter and brighter. And to think it almost didnt happen at all.

In pondering about Gilbertos experience, it got me to thinking about our own personal conversion. Which made me think of this video by Elder Uchtdorf. At times on our own personal road to Damascus, we become afraid in taking that famous "leap of faith", to move forth even when we have questions or dont know the answer to everything. 

https://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#waiting-on-our-road-to-damascus 

I know that we WILL receive more light and knowledge as long as we diligently seek and search for it. Spiritual light does not come those who sit in darkness. I invite each and every one of you to not wait on the road to Damascus and courageously go forward with faith. I know this church is true, and I know that this gospel is real. But I only know this because I chose to search until my belief turned into knowledge. in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

love yall! heres my fotos for the week! me with my zone and everyone with their "moms" and "dads' haha (trainers and trainees)

photo diary

this is gonna be a group email of pics with quick explanations....

the first 2 are of me at the rodoviaria during christmas. the others are the baptism of gilberto! totally forgot to talk about him, he was baptized on saturday but has been struggling with some things and I ask yall to keep him in your prayers this week if you can, so that he can be confirmed this sunday, I love this man so much! I'll write details next pday, sorry I was caught up in answering emails this is gonna be super lame, but next week will be better! :) LOVE YALL!!!

short but sweet

Sorry guys! This'll be a short email because I spent 20.freaking.minutes uploading our christmas presentation to mom's google docs. but I think its totally worth it :) me and sister b took a few christmas songs "All I want for Christmas is You" "White Christmas" and "The Christmas song" and we did a missionary/baptism twist to it :) it was me and sister b who wrote it and put it all together! :)

 

love yall so much! Was  SO good skyping with the fam! I hope and I pray that yall took at least a few minutes in the holiday season to think about the real true reason of Christmas. The gifts, the lights, the wrappings, tinsels and trees are pale in the comparison of the gift that cant be bought or wrapped which is the gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know He lives and I know He loves us with an imeasurable love that we cant understand.

 

Love yall!

 

Sister VerHoef

The Gifts of the Magi

hello family and friends! SO sorry for not sending group emails the past 2 weeks. with our conferencia de natal, it was SUPER correria with writing the music and practicing it, but I recorded it so Im anxious to share it with yall on christmas day! (btw, can we send videos through skype? is it possible?)

anyways, wanted to share with yall a special message if I can in the spirit of Christmas. Sometimes, I believe in the story of the birth of Christ we forget minor yet significant details that are in Matthew and Luke. One of these being the 3 wise men. At times we overlook their long and difficult journey to the Savior with their gifts of Frankincense, gold and myrrh. But these gifts are so much more than mere and interesting presents to give to the Christ child. 

1. Gold- for mary and joseph, gold would be very practical to use in the flight to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod and protect the baby Savior. However, as well, its sympolism is royalty- and adequately would be used as a present to the "King of Kings." 

2. Incense- incense is a sweet vegetable resin that was used in priesthood ordinances (Lev. 2:1) and was used to anoint priests. Which is a perfect representation of the priesthood of Jesus Christ as "An High Priest of good things to come" Heb 9:11

3. Myrrh- myrrh is a bitter substance used for medicinal purposes and also for the act of embalming a the time of burial. The symbolism of its medical uses could be used to represent the fact that Jesus Christ is the Great Physician and also the "bitterness" to represent the "bitter cup" he drank to pay for the price of our sins.

In addition these 3 Magis traveled an arduous journey months and months to find the baby Jesus through the deserts of Egypt, Arabia and Israel with sand, dustwinds, the unsupportable heat of the day on camels with the danger of thieves. 

My question/challenge to all of you is: how many miles in the desert are you willing to go for the Savior? How far are you willing to go? What are you willing to give Him? Are you willing to give your best to Him? What would be your best?

May we always remember the meaning of Christmas and do as Pres. Monson advises: 

"May we as the Wise Men, seek a bright particular star to guide us in our celebration of the Saviors birth." 

and remember, "First and forever there was just a little family, without toys or tinsel. With a baby--thats how Christmas began."

-Elder Holland

LOVE YOU ALL! merry christmas! feliz natal!