May 23, 2016

Hello Family!

Wow each and every week here is such an experience, and testimony builder. This week we had many lessons with 14 year olds and man do I love this age! Ana Paula, Tadeu, and Udie truely have such a desire to learn the truth. We taught them about the Joseph Smith and the book of Mormon and their eyes truely lit up! They could not wait to get their hands on the book, and read and discover the truthfullness of it! They have such a love for our Heavenly Father, and truely will do anything that he asks of them.

So a challenge that we are facing here is that basically every one and their dog is catholic. And they have this "rule" that they will never change religions because their parents (who have passed away) told them before they died that they need to remain catholic. That they too need to die catholic. bahhhhhh seriously?! They won~t even open their hearts or every try to hear our message. grrrrr

But I have learned to have such a sincere love for the people we are teaching. This week we met Jumar and João. 2 men who live on oppositive sides of the city, but have a similar problem. They live alone, because their wifes left them. They are so sad, and never wanted to be seperated from their spouces. My heart just hurts for them. Me and my companion both have divorced parents, and so we have a little knowlege of the pain that comes from this experience. But I am so greatful to have met them, and to share a message about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Always remember that during your difficulties, and hardships, that you are never, ever alone. Jesus Christ suffered for each and every one of your difficulties. What ever you feel, he felt too. You are a savior who because he too left your sufferings, he is the only person who can truely help and heal you. Trust in him, and he will always comfort and guide your path.

I love the mission so so much, I love the people here. When these people tell us about their experience, I feel so much for them. I have such a desire to help them come unto christ, and to heal their hearts. This work is marvelous, and I know that Heavenly Father is a God of miracles.

I hope you all have a great week, and always remember your Savior, Jesus Christ!

Love sister Hannah

And nooooo I will not be wearing pants! That is only for areas that have issues with zica...

read 3 Nephi 11

Our bunk beds with the blankets Dad sent. 

Package from home!! 

Lunch at a members house! fondueeeeee my favorite. 

wedding of Maria and Adreano!! She is a member and he isn~t, but we are praying that he will be baptized this sunday!! 

May 16, 2016

Yes, I have AWESOME news, and that is that we had our first baptism here in Gramado, and my first baptism here on the mission! Woshington is 12 years old and is such an amazing and inteligent young man. His parents are not members, and he has two younger siblings that are 5 and 2. He starting coming to church with a member, because he didn´t like the church that his parents attended. When we asked why he didn´t like that church, he simply responded "Because they don´t talk about Jesus Christ there," He is such an example to me of doing what´s right, and having a desire to follow Christ.

I also especially love his prayers. He is so sincere and has such strong faith. In his prayers with us, he prays that he will be able to serve a mission and spread the truth that he has learned. I know that he will make a huge difference in building the Lord´s kindgom here on the earth.

He was baptized on sunday, and wow was that such a special experience for me. Our President of our branch here baptized him, and we also had many members there for support! Woshington was just glowing, and I know that he will remember that day forever.

Sunday I also had the opportunity to give a talk in church! I talked about the experience that I had my first week here.

How it was general conference and how I was so sad and frustrated that I could not understand any portuguese. And how the lord grandted me with a miracle of understanding every single word of the talk given by Jeffery Holland. I know for a fact that Heavenly father knows each of us personally, and he knows what we are going through. All he wants is that we trust in him, and do our very best. I talked about the tender mercies of the Lord and how with the strength of the lord, anything is possible. (alma 26:12, 27) Also to have patience in our trails! I was so happy because people actually understood me! I got many (pitty) complitments on my portuguese....liars. bahah but it was great!

This week was amazing!! Love you all, no time to talk, i´ve got work to do, and lives to help change! :)

Sister Hannah

P.S.  I want to start giving you guys chapters of the Book of Mormon to read each week! (same chapters that President Campos gives to us. so that we can read together)

May 9, 2016- Happy Mother's Day!

It was so amazing to have the opportunity to talk with my incredible family face to face!! Oh have a missed all of your faces....you all are such examples to me, and give me so much strength. I truely am so fortunate so have my family. My heart just breaks when my companion talks about her family. This Mothers day she got to talk with her dad, and a few siblings. But the only one active in her family is her sister. She instead of spending her 40 minutes of skype to talk to her family about her mission, she spend the time teaching her 19 year old brother (because he doesn~t want to serve a mission, has become inactive since she left for her mission, and has lost his testimony of Jesus Christ).
This truley shows the person that she is, never thinking about herself, but always about how she can help others.
Her mother was no where to be found on mothers day, and my companion feels as though her mother has completely forgotten about her. Never once has her mother written her an email, or made any effort to talk to her. I can~t imagine how it much be like for her. Please pray for her family, to have soften hearts.

But this week was AMAZING! My companion and I worked harder than we ever have, and wow did it pay off! We reached all of our goals, (My companions first time on her mission that she accomplished this, and obviously mine too)! And these goals aren~t easy, definantly a streach to the moon, but we showed that it is indeed possible!

This week we had a quite hilarious experience with one of our investigators Paulo. He was 100% WASTED and falling all over the place. At first we didn~t realize he was drunk, and entered into the gate of his house. But oh we recognized very stortly after his state. He smelled horrible, and was falling over, calling us his lovers. And when we told him that we wouldn~t be teaching him because he was drunk, he guarded the gate and didn~t want us to leave.You´d think that we would be slightely frightened, (being two girls, with a drunk man), but it was hilarious because he couldn~t speak or stand straight. We played around with him (asked him to stand on 1 foot, and touch his nose, walk in a straight line, and had him repeat words after us.) He couldn~t do any of these things....bhahah and it was so funny. Don´t worry mom and dad, we got out safely, he didn´t have any control over his body to stop us from leaving. Definatly a day to remember.

Don~t have much time to write, but this week was amazing because I saw a true change in so many of our investigators! Their faith is growing, their desires to find the truth are growing, and they testimonies of Jesus Christ are blooming. I love the people here, and they are changing my life for the better! I love my mission, I love God and Jesus Christ, I love my companion, this area is amazing, and bahh life is great!

Love you all, and I hope your week is great!!

Sister Hannah

May 2, 2016-

Sooooo sadly we didn't have a baptism with Julio this week :( He already has had his baptismal interview and is completely ready, but he has fear to mark a date. We have praying and hoping for this Saturday!!

Awesome news, this Sunday My companion and I left our house at 7:30am to round up our investigators for church. Sprinting up and down lombas seriously is a workout. Even though was 30 degrees outside  we were sweating bullets. And yes I'm serious about the cold. The other day it got down to 28 degrees, who would have known that Brazil could be so freezing?!??! And it is very very sad, because many here don't have enough money for coats, or warm clothing. They walk around  freezing to death with a little sweater. 

Anyways, on Sunday we rounded up 6 investigators for church (which doesn't seem like a lot, but is a record for us!) My companion and I took the advice from Seth and Daniel, about teaching people more about the importance of church, and taking action sunday morning to gather these people. And what a success we had! 

The couple from Brasilia (Elaine and André) especially loved church, and strongly felt the spirit there. It was Fast and Testimony meeting, so my companion and I bore our Testimonies. Man is the gift of tounges real. I don't know how, but after sacrament meeting I got so many compliments on my portuguese (when I bore my testimony)! What a blessing that people can actually understand me!! We sent Elanine home with warm sweaters and a coat (clothing that was gathered by the members here). 

Tonight we are going to have a fun time with Elanine and André! Because we are going to bake brownines, cookies, pudding, and deviled eggs with Elder and Sister Copa (elderly couple from Cali), and with Ricardo and Vanessa (young, very skeeky couple).

No more time to write, but I am love love loving my mission! Each and everyday I learn more about how to have more charity, patience, love, better understanding of others, compashion, etc. I have such a strong desire to share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, because I know that I changes lives. The people here struggle with money, jobs, the cold etc., and I know that this message changes lives, and will help them throughout these diffuculties.

Love you all, and I hope your week is amazing! 

Sister Hannah