Brazil Bound: April 21, 2014, EASTER, pascoa and agua!

Oi all!

I hope you had a wonderful Pascoa! My week was so incredible! As I mentioned last week, we were very busy preparing our 4 investigators for baptism. I did not quite realize what a task that would be. In one of dads letters he advised me to warn our investigators that as they came closer to baptism they would feel opposition in a big way as Satan would be working hard with them to prevent them from entering the waters of baptism. He said he basically lived at their houses of his investigators for the feeks before their baptisms and oh how true that statement turned out to be! Luckily they live close together because we definitely made our rounds of the Favela Andrea Firenze this week. And like clockwork, all four had their individual doubts and fears.

I remembered so clearly the months before my mission when I was so scared and experienced every doubt and fear about myself, my testimony, and my capabilities as a missionary (or lack there of). It was horrible. By some miracle I made it here, a little in shambles, but I was quickly healed by the good word of God and the opportunity to help others find this same peace in a really noisy world. And at the time I wondered ´´why me?´´ I wanted to feel as excited as all of my missionary friends seemed but I was a basket of nerves.

But as I was talking to my favorite little new convert Jefferson about the doubts he was having I shared my experience and my testimony that sometimes before we have a really great experience in life (like a baptism or a mission) we have to feel a little opposition. It is just a part of life.And a testimony to the fact that these things are worthwhile.

But, they all went through with it and it was a wonderful day! President and Sister Del Guerso came and everything. Our little boys turned out to be very popular and the managed to bring about 17 kids!! Us walking down the street with a herd of crazy children was probably quite the sight to see. We looked a little bit like a babysitting service. And now all the little ones want to know how they can be baptized too!

In celebration I had the brilliant idea to make a beautiful fruit pizza. yeahh bad idea. I forgot that the stake centers here are not equiped with plates, knives, napkins, etc. and so I ended up stabbing at my masterpiece with a spatula as everyone was crowded around me yelling for more and fruit was flying everywhere! Next time I will definitely be making cookies.

Easter was also incredible! The two chique women in the ward, Fancy Nancy and Eny fought over the opportunity to have Easter Dinner with. We had a simple solution... we ate twice and I felt oh so sick afterwards. They have this wonderful Easter tradition here: an egg made of chocolate and filled with surprises. And Nancy HANDMADE us an egg filled with coconut and handmade truffles. did I mention that at one point she hade a little bakery and gave the missionaries free treats every day? Yeah let´s just say its probably a good thing for my figure that I am leaving. haha. And best believe I will make my own chocolate eggs when I return. I love cultural traditions!

But to my next big news... I am leaving Campo Limpo tomorrow. So sad. I am actually pretty depressed and I have oh so many thank you cards and letters to write tonight. I´ll admit, at first I thought this place was the ugliest little city on the planet. But in retrospect I could not ask for a better place to learn and grow and I will miss this place a lot. I promised my new converts I would return and check in on their progress in just over a year.

So pretty please pray for my new adventure... companion, area ward etc.I am pretty nervous but I am hoping and praying I have good things to report in my next leter.

xoxo

Sister Lauren