So it´s officially our last week here in the CTM. Our district leaves for the field next Tuesday - AAHH. It´s crazy how the days seem sooo long, and we work so hard, yet at the end of the week it´s like we blinked and it was over. I´m really going to miss my district, and especially minha companeiras - we´ve gotten so close after just 5 weeks, and I´ve learned many different things from them that I couldn´t have learned any other way. I am 105% positive that Heavenly Father knows exactly where we´re supposed to be, and who we need to meet.
Just a couple highlights from this past week:
First off. The weather here is so crazy. Because it´s hot all the time, and pretty humid (yes, my hair is one giant frizzy poof. I´m in my prime). But then, 5 minutes later, it is literal down-pour, soaked to the bone wet! The other night, me and minha companeiras were in our room, and it was raining outside. And as we were having companionship oração, it thundered SO LOUD. I kid you not, I thought we were being bombed. It was funny afterwards, but still.
Biggest thing we did that we loved --> PROSELETISMO. They bussed all of us out to the biggest street in Sao Paulo, and after getting directions, we said a prayer and took off. It was a little difficult at first, and the hardest thing is just getting them to stop. Everybody´s got somewhere important to be. But after fwarming up a bit, we were able to reach out more. My favorite was we were standing at this corner, not having much luck, so Sister Kehr suggested that we cross the street. It sounded like a good plan, but that´s when I saw this lady walking towards us, and I just felt that we needed to talk to her. After I stopped her and got her attention, Sister Atkinson explained how o Livro de Mormon can bless her vida, and she had a lot of questions about it. But the best part was this hope in her eyes. Grateful for the Spirit as a missionary, because he knows what these people need to hear, and how they need to hear it.
I´m also so grateful for the temple. We went this morning (up at 5:30, bright and early) and it was my last time going for the next 17 months. Very bittersweet. But I love the peace that comes when we go to the temple. Like Heavenly Father is giving us a big ´welcome home´ hug. If you have questions, or just need to feel time stand still for a moment, go to the temple! There is a such a peace there, and it is a refuge from the crazy world we live in.
Next thing - at this point I´m starting to look so Brazilian. I am already getting so dark - and we´re rarely outside at all! When people would talk to us while we were proselyting, they would always look directly at me, as if I will understand them better because I´m Brazilian and not American... haha. Or today at the temple, when the ladies were asking what language. They turned to Sister Kehr and said, "Ingles?". And then for me, "Portuguese?" hahaha. I´m going to have the best tan lines when I get home.
One last amazing thing from last week. This past week, one of our instructors Irmã Andrade, has been pretty sick. She had 11 huge kidney stones, and was in so much pain. After she was teaching us one day, Elder Andrus suggested we go find someone to see if she wanted a blessing. We found another instructor, and he gave her a blessing in one of the classrooms. It was amazing to be there. The Spirit was so strong, and the love that was felt in that room was incredible. There´s something special about the prayers/testimonies of 8 missionaries all coming together. I´m so grateful for the priesthood.
But I really am loving Brazil. Next week I will be a real life missionary! Woo hoo! The language isn´t exactly great at this point, but I know that Heavenly Father will make up the rest. I just need to love and reach out to people.
Next stop --> TERESINA.
I love you all! Keep praying and working hard!
Sister Hill
No comments:
Post a Comment