a prancing moose: Monday November 18, 2013 New companions, hearty icecream, and endless learning

This week marks basically the beginning and end of everything. PRONTO(ready)?

Sister Gómez is now serving in Campinas, and Sister Staples, and Sister Maura are serving here. Sister Maura is from northeast Brazil- she never saw any sort of city before coming here, and she.... okay basically she is the most admirable and most amazing teacher in the world. She is the only member in her family (joined the church 4 years ago) and she has had uhm, how can I put it. A really, Really hard life. She basically left home, without her mother's approval, because she knew it was the Lord's will, and she has been ignored by them for the last 6 months. Not only this, she knows how to cook like a boss, how to tell stories and keep people's attention in Portuguese, She knows how to use the scriptures, she knows how powerful this calling is... she knows and she is teaching us.

I think I have learned more this past week, than in the past 3 months in the field.

I have learned most of all, that if you are not afraid, if you will talk to people without hiding anything. Promising them the things that you feel directed by the spirit to, telling them if they are doing wrong, specifically teaching out of love.... the powers of hell begin to work against you.

When you give everything, It is really mindboggling to see how the power of God and the power of the Devil are working in people. This literally is a battle for the souls of men. Yes that is blunt, yes, many times missionaries dont realize this, and people are skeptical. But it is the absolute truth.

When you are neck deep in the work of God, Satan is going to do anything and everything to stop and hinder the progress.

Nevertheless- Miracles are happening daily. I am seeing more and more how the Lord is helping us and lifting us. It is becoming obvious, and I am just blown away at the magnitude of His goodness.

I have been so blessed in my life. ... I just can't put it in words. To have the gospel, my family, to have talents, and emotions, to be happy, to have food, but most of all to know for a surety that God is my father, that this is his marvelous work, that I am being an instrument in His hands.

My lovely D_____ was baptized this week, I cant explain how much I just adore her.

This is another thing. Praying for my heart to be opened, for my understanding and strength to be deepened, and for my capacity enlargened (so that I may be an adequate representative of Jesus Christ) The answers come as the sincere prayers are offered. Changes in hearts and minds that only can come through Him. The Giver of all good gifts.

Oh and mom? the years and years of forcing and begging me to play piano finally paid off. I have been unofficially called as the ward pianist, the choir pianist, and the baptism pianist, and any-other-event-that-needs-a-pianist pianist. The crazy thing? I have absolutely no time to practice. And I am playing better than I have in my entire life. Without ever seeing the hymns or music. WHO KNEW?

Last thing, for the past... basically my whole mission, I have asked God to help me learn how to be a good missionary. Learn how to teach, how to work, how to listen... I have wanted more than anything... just to be able to Do this! to be confident and prepared. And My prayer has been answered through Sister Moura. I can not say how much she means to me, and how much I am learning and trying to apply. But Finally.... FINALLY I know exactly what I need to do. And I am doing it with all the power I have. And I am oh so happy.

Now real quick-

This week Sister Raymund and I made lunch.... Puzza with nothing but sauce, and a cake......

wellp... was a cake