Well, it was another wonderful week!! And very eventful so I have so much news!!
First, I had my first road trip in about a year and a half!!!! Ironically enough, WITH my mission president.. Long story short, Carla, our wonderful investigator needed to get a divorce document from campinas so that she can get married (and baptized). She always meant to get over to Campinas, but never got around to it. I explained the situation to President and he and Sister Del Guerso are basically besties with the Carla and Diego family after our FHE last week so he got super excited and said ``Lets go together!!´´ And that is exactly what we did!! We got the document and after managed to visit the Campinas temple. So beautiful by the way. Carla absolutely LOVED the temple. Actually, when she stepped inside she even gasped. She said that she has seen lots of buildings equally if not more luxurious in her life, but she has never felt such a powerful spirit anywhere. She affirmed, without a shadow of a doubt that she had indeed stepped inside the house of the Lord. She sent pictures of the gardens and things to Diego and seemed all sorts of excited to enter with him in a short while.
And, on the way home, we stopped at an incredible sushi restaurant. All I can say is, President knows his missionaries :)
On a side note, sister Del Guerso even packed some snacks for during the trip. So it was a road trip de verdade.
Speaking of Carla and Diego, this week, as a goodbye gift to Sister Castro, they planned a little suprise for us. They made homemade burgers, a great passionfruit mousse, and gave us BEAUTIFUL, expensive jewelry. Needless to say, I will wait until I get home to use it. And they even gave Sister Castro a ride to transfers to say goodbye properly and pick up my new companion, Sister Freitas. As a welcome, we went to a light breakfast at a cute bakery with Carla. During our breakfast, a man passed by asking for money. Immediately, Carla stood up and ordered a meal for him too. As we left she offered to buy all kinds of things for us to take home with us. They are so absolutely wonderful and giving. So when President and sister offered to come with us all the way to Campinas she simply could not believe the generosity. She said ``I have spent my whole life serving, but I am not used to being served... No one ever does these kinds of things for me!´´
They will do great in the church of Jesus Christ. Because as I told her, here we take turns. At times we serve. At other times we let people serve us. And everyone ends up winning in the process.
Also, this week I visited this less active American girl who lives here with her RM/less active husband. She doesn´t speak Portuguese, so as you can imagine, I tried to teach in English. TRY being the key word. I stummbled over my words the whole time, forgetting lots in the process. And in the end she said ``I think it is so cute, you trying to speak my language and all...´´ Yeah so not cool.
In other news, today I finally got the chance to visit one of my favorite Vila Sonia... Wendy and Marcela. (Eduarda was at school) But it was incredible. Wendy ended up not getting baptized yet. :( Eduarda is a little bit rebelious at the moment but Marcela (9 year-old) is super strong. Actually, she gets herself up every week and goes to church alone. she told me about Daniel, her prayer rock and her nightly scripture study. She even gave me a pine cone to remember her by.
But, I have been feeling, for a while, like I needed to do something to finish what I started. Because this family is absolutely wonderful. So, I got out my old journal, brushed the dust off, and found every part where I wrote something about them. (there are lots!!) I made a little journal for them full of pictures, precious memories, quotes from prophets, things like that. We got permission to visit and II surprised them. Wendy was so absolutely happy! Thrilled actually. It was wonderful to be able to see them again.
Oh andddd I heard some other exciting things too... Joyce is now young women´s president and Alexandre is first counselor in the young men´s presidency. (Cotia) And they are oh so excited. Joyce has already made a list of every young women who is not going to church weekly and she has all sorts of plans to visit and reactivate. They were born to be church leaders!
So, to close, I would just like to say that I am a really happy girl!! And I am loving every minute of my Brazilian adventure.
Com Amor,
Sister Lauren
Road Trip with the President and Sister Del Guerso!
Curritiba Temple
Sushi with the President
Old Friends from Campo Limpo
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