The Mouthpiece

We will see if I can try and remember what happened this week. It went by so fast that I am not even completely sure what happened!

We had divisions this week! Our mission has switched the way that divisions work, so all the missionaries actually go to the area of the Sister Training Leaders or Zone or District leaders instead of the leaders going to all of the different areas. They are hoping that the Leaders areas will be a type of Model area where all the other missionaries can go and help out as well as learn. It is also super weird because in our mission right now all the Sister Training leaders are training and so there is only one sister training leader in one zone instead of there being a companionship of sisters together. 

So on Tuesday after our district meeting, we stayed with the Sisters of Barreiro and I am not going to lie, I was a bit nervous because I would be working with Sister McChesney and Sister Andrew would be working with another sister in her 1st transfer!!! Ahhhh! Two missionaries working in an area both only in their first Transfer! Coitadinhas!  But it was actually super cool because we did some training with them before we sent them out on their own, and actually had them teach the restoration to us, and even though they were limited in their words, the spirit that entered the room when they taught was undeniable, and I was really able to see that God is able to teach despite our inabilities. After that I really had no worries, and everything worked out really well.

I always love divisions because I love learning from other people and receiving feedback and recognizing how I can teach better or improve myself as a missionary. Sister McChesney is such a solid missionary so I definitely learned a lot from her.

(Side note: I am in this internet café right now and there is definitely a new coldplay song playing that I have never heard before......sadness)

As for updates on some of the people we are teaching:

We tried passing by Goggy this week and unfortunately she was never at home-She has a super busy life, so hopefully we will get to talk to her this week.

We finally got to have a lesson with Rubem´s family this week! (Mom the lady who added you on facebook this past week-Noemia Silva-Yup that is Rubem´s mom!) hahah What a character! We actually just taught Rubem´s mom and his 14 year old sister Vera. They are super awesome, and love us, but now we are just trying to determine whether or not they have as much interest in the church as they do in us. We will see, but they are super nice and hillarious.

We worked quite a bit in Pinhal Novo this week. Pinhal Novo is another city in our area, and it seems to have a ton of potential. We were walking down the street and saw this woman walking with groceries. Normally the Portuguese people are super stubborn about letting us help them, but I was determined to help this lady with her bags. She was resistent, but I was persistent and I won :) We were able to help her with her bags and she actually invited us into her house! We sat down in her living room, and I was super excited....until she turned on the television set and had us sit there and watch this super suave brazilian catholic television program...oh my goodness. Sister Andrew and I almost died laughing! It was just sooo sneaky! And the faint piano music, mustache, bazilian accent, and gold backdrops were just too much for me to handle. 

Thank goodness I was able to get her to turn off the television and we were able to actually teach a super powerful first lesson. She was pretty worried about missing her prayer service, so I really couldn´t tell how much of the message actually effected her, but I felt the spirit, so I am sure she felt something. We are going to go back this week, so we will see what happens with that.

Another cool experience that happened while in Pinhal Novo. We were right outside one of the houses we were planning on Visiting, and right next door there is a watch shop. Well, when we walked past there was a woman outside smoking and as first I just walked past, but a few steps later I had the distict impression that I should go talk to her. So I went back and I started asking about her and her beliefs in God. She told me a lot of things, mainly how she wasn´t really sure if she believed there was a god, but that she believed there was something. We continued to talk more and she started opening up to us about how her mom died when she was 10, her sister died when she was 16, and then just 5 years ago her husband died leaving her with 2 children to raise on her own. And she is only in her 40s. It was amazing to be able to talk to her about God´s plan and the Savior´s atonement. She began to cry and said that that day was actually a special day because it was her husbands birthday. From there I just said: I hope that you know that God loves you and is aware of you. I know you need to hear and know this at this moment because I got the feeling that I needed to turn around and come talk to you.

I am not sure what will happen with her. I am not sure if she will continue to accept our visits, but it was amazing to feel like I truly was a mouth piece for God in that Minute. It was such an amazing experience.

Other exciting news! Alfredo received the Holy Ghost yesterday, so he is officially the newest member of the church!!! Woooo so good.

Well fam, I don´t have too much more to say! Thank you so much for all the support! I love you all so much! Fiquem Bem.

Paz e Bênçãos!

-Sister Selk