So this week was marvelous. Boy I hope I spelled that right.... my english professors would skin me alive if they saw the spelling & grammatical errors in my journal.
Oh well! hashtag-
To start off with, we had a mission tour this past thursday! with Elder Costa of the 70! The area prez in brazil. This was Pres & Sis Genaros first mission tour so naturally they put the fear of God in us to be dressed to the nines & be there early AND be on our best behavior.
The morning of, I remembered everything.... everything.... except my plaque! The most important thing for a MISSION tour & I forget my PLAQUE!!! ugh!! couldve sworn if I could! Well, actually probably not, but I certainly was NOT happy. Luckily Sis Cassiano called the secretaries & they picked up an extra plaque for me to wear. So for a day, I was Sister Silva from Sao Paulo brazil.... you can imagine me shaking Elder Costas hand trying to cover my false plaque with my hair, tilting my head and saying
"Im Sister VerHoef from the United States.... BYE!"
Ugh so awful.Sis Genaro probably wouldve killed me but all went well. It really was an amazing conference, and we had a better week. Renewed & revved to go as far as missionary work goes.
At the end of the conference we sang our missionary song, all 180 missionaries in the Londrina mission. It was INCREDIBLE. Theres a part of the song that goes: Missão Brasil Londrina, nosso lar. which translates to Brazil Londrina Mission, our home. I couldnt even get through the first syllables without choking up. And seeing Sis Genaro cry & Pres Genaro get emotional, all 180 were in tears by the end of the song. And I knew in that moment that for the next 14 months... this is home. Londrina, Brasil is home.
And this sunday was especially amazing. I was feeling super frustrated because NONE of our 10 investigators made it to church, and since it was fast sunday we had a class, all of the members together for the first hour. We were talking about family history and me & sister cassiano sat next to an older lady in the ward, Irma Aurora. Shes SERIOUSLY the sweetest, kindest dearest woman youll ever meet. As we sat next to her, she took my hand in her frail hand and kissed the back of it & smiled at me.
In that moment the sweetest feeling ever came over me & I started to cry. I was overcome by an immense love & I suddenly remembered Grandma & the day we did her baptism & confirmation in the temple a year after she passed away. I felt super strongly that she had accepted the gospel on the other side of the veil. And I suddenly didnt feel dispondent anymore.
I suddenly felt like even though we had no investigators progressing & no baptisms, our work wasnt a waste.
Im so immensly grateful for this gospel, & for the knowledge that our familes are eternal. I love you all so very much!!!
xoxo
Sister VerHoef
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