Missao Brasil Londrina, Nosso Lar

Hellerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr everyberrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrdy! :)

Well, as yall know, I had to say goodbye to one of my best friends Sister E. I miss her SO doggon much. But Heavenly Father is, obviously, wonderful and incredible and perfect and my new companion issssss *drum roll*

SISTER B!!!!! 

She was in my district in the MTC!!! and we had mentioned how awesome it would be to be comps and shes my comp for the last 2 transfers of my mish!!!!

:) :) happiness. felicidade. ahhhhh...

anyways, this week we had a conselho dos líderes with Pres. G. and, I wanted to ask all of you to keep him in your prayers. Something happened that I cant even hint at with the mission office, and mistakes were made and now, through NO fault of his own, he is being reprimanded severely. It got so bad that it made him sick, and even IN SPITE of him barely being able to talk he gave a training DE PODER. seriously. I love my mission president. You cant find a better. Him and Sister G are, without argument, marvelous.

So please keep them, and especially Pres. G, in your prayers this week that the dust will settle and that everything will work out. Because hes under a lot of stress and I worry about him and Sister G. 

Anyways, in this conselho dos líderes, he talked a lot about many many things, but the thing that stuck with me the most was the end, which, after every meeting/conference, we sing our Hino da Missao. 

Every time we sing or Mission Hymn, I always without FAIL cry buckets. and this time was no different. However, as it got to the part that said, "Missao Brasil Londrina, nosso lar..." (Londrina Brasil Mission, our home) I felt my heart just break.

At the end of the prayer I immediately  got up with tears streaming down my face to talk to Pres. G. He stroked my hair and asked tenderly, "Why are you crying??" I asked him "President, is there a transfer in March?" He looked at his computer and brought up the list of transfers and what missionaries were going when.

Im due to go home in February. The next transfer is on March 24th.

My birthday. 

Im not saying anything, but with fasting and prayer, Im gonna see what the Lord says about going home in February or on my birthday..... 

I love you all so much. Remember that the Lord is in control and that He, at times, puts us through the refiners fire to mold and shape us until we become the beautiful tool that He will use to do His work here on the earth.

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=3897359657001&cid=HPTU111814487

The First of the Last...

Okay, so today Im saying goodbye to my AMAZINGLY beautiful, wonderful, fabulous, fantastic companheira... Sister Rachel E.

I just cant even begin to express, without getting chessy, my love and gratitude for this AMAZING person that presidente genaro chose as my companheira no ultima transferencia dela :) 

I just love this chick so doggon much!!! I have tons AND TONS of funny stories and great moments with her that I havent even begun to share with you guys (for falta de tempo errr lack of time?) but suffice it to say, shes the best and has become one of my best friends. 

Also, had an interview with pres. g last week that was EXACTLY what I needed as well that I wanted to share a lil bit with you all. 

First off, I entered and president g asked "Sister V, you have how much time left on the mission? 5 months?" then I said, "I leave in February, Presidente..." instantly tears filled his eyes as he asked "didnt you just get here yesterday Sister?" 

We both cried for a few minutes as I said through my tears "I dont wanna go home, Presidente. I dont wanna lose this." 

We talked for about a half an hour about all kinds of things, how happy I am here and how nervous and stressed I am about being a sister training leader and that I dont wanna let him down, worries about my family and neices and nephews and how I dont want to enfront reality when I get back to my house and also, even more than anything, 

how its all starting to end. the first of the last... the last mission tour, the last christmas conference, the last area, the lasttransfer, the last interview.... its all coming and I cant stop it. 

at the end of the intervew I asked presidente g to give me a fathers blessing (explaining that I needed one at this moment embarking on a new responsibility) and he graciously agreed.

At the end of the blessing he said with tears in his eyes again, "Did you feel what I felt during the blessing, Sister V? Love. Your Heavenly Father and your earthly father are so proud of you." 

Then I lost it and, with tears in my eyes asked, "Are you proud of me too presidente?"

He said "Com certeza."

With each transfer and each week, my heart is breaking a little more... but I know that all of the friendships and the love Ive felt here will continue on after the mission. Its just painful to watch it all go by so fast. 

love you all! miss you all! but know that Im where I need to be for now. 

the baptism that almost didn't happen

Okay, so this week, we have happy news! Me and Sister Edwards had our first baptism together! Her name is Mari and she is, as all the other missionaries in brazil would say, "DE PODER!" or powerful. Well, it was a bit of a struggle with her until the day of the baptism yesterday because of her work schedule (she works from 4 in the afternoon till 6 in the morning....) She was a reference from a recent convert couple, Alisandra and Alfredo. They are AMAZING! so strong in the gospel and they are planning on going to the temple in february to be sealed! :) so excited for them!

anyway, they helped Mari out SO much because me and sister e had to travel to apucarana this week to help the sisters there (another part of my job being a sister training leader) so they accompanied Mari with all her doubts and obstacles that she was working through. 

It seriously was one of the best most special baptisms on my mission. 

and it almost didnt happen. 

Satan is really cruel and is getting more and more smarter in trying to prevent these sacred experiences and covenants from happening. So first off, Mari's bf (whos a tool pardon my french) spent the entire night provoking and tempting Mari with alcohol and other things but she remained firm and cussed him out and said shed baptize with or without his approval (you go girl!) so then comes the day of the baptism, and Alfredo and Mari were all ready to do the baptism (which would be the FIRST baptism of Alfredo being ordained an Elder:) super cute!) and WHAT do we find on the first step of the baptismal font with its stinger sky high?

A black scorpian.

Yeah. I nearly had a heartattack. And it was on the EXACT spot that Alfredo wouldve stepped in entering the baptismal font. Thank GOODNESS for sister nascimento (our roommate) for finding it and disposing of it. But that would have DEFINITELY messed up with the baptism of Mari. 

Im so grateful for this gospel and that nothing NOT EVEN SATAN IN THE FORM OF A SCORPIAN can stop the work from progressing. persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble,calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, andindependent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime,swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of Godshall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.

love you all! have a wonderful week!!

xoxo

sister v

My Kindness Shall Not Depart from Thee

So this week was super difficult and very entertaining at the same time. 

All of our baptisms fell through (3 of them that had accepted their baptismal date for this sunday) and for those who maybe dont know why that is such a depressent for us as missionaries, imagine this for just a moment: 

You have bought a present for someone you care about dearly. Youve saved and saved to buy exactly what they want. You even asked the shopkeeper to put it on hold for you. You buy this present and wrap it in the most beautiful, expensive paper and decorate it perfectly to give to this person. Christmas comes and you hand your present that you slaved away and saved for weeks with the hopes that their eyes would light up and you would hear the words pour from their lips "this is exactly what I wanted! Thank you."

But instead, they hand your precious, perfect gift back to you with a "I dont want it. This isnt what I need."

Well, if youre still with me, and imagining the crushing feeling of disappointment and hurt that would swell through your heart at a present at Christmas imagine a gift from God that every missionary is willing and eagerly waiting to give to EVERYONE absolutely without price. Something dear and precious that cannot be measured. And the person who says they wanted it at the beginning has told you they dont want it anymore or its not what they expected.

This is what we felt 3 times this week. But as I was pondering on my email to write to you all this week, I thought of a song that has been a favorite of mine the past few weeks that Id like to share with yall. Its called My Kindness Shall Not Depart from Thee:

For a little while

Have I forsaken thee; 

But with great mercies will I gather thee. 

In a little wrath I hid my face from thee 

For a moment. 

But with everlasting kindness will I gather thee, 

And with mercy will I take thee ‘neath my wings, 

For the mountains shall depart, 

And the hills shall be removed, 

And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea, 

But know, my child, 

My kindness shall not depart from thee! 

Though thine afflictions seem 

At times too great to bear, 

I know thine every thought and every care. 

And though the very jaws 

Of hell gape after thee I am with thee. 

And with everlasting mercy will I succor thee,
And with healing will I take thee ‘neath my wings.
Though the mountains shall depart,
And the hills shall be removed,
And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea,
Know, my child,
My kindness shall not depart from thee!
How long can rolling waters
Remain impure?
What pow'r shall stay the hand of God?
The Son of Man hath descended below all things.
Art thou greater than He?
So hold on thy way,
For I shall be with thee.
And mine angels shall encircle thee.
Doubt not what thou knowest,
Fear not man, for he
Cannot hurt thee.
And with everlasting kindness will I succor thee,
And with mercy will I take thee ‘neath my wings.
For the mountains shall depart,
And the hills shall be removed,
And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea,
But know, my child, My kindness shall not depart from thee!

I encourage all of you to listen to this song (the version by Dallyn Vail Bayles) and remember that the Savior loves and cares for all of you. He has not forsaken you. His kindness shall not depart from thee. I know this gospel is true, I know that the Savior lives. I know that we are under His watchful care. 

love yall!

xo