WEEK 9: August 13, 2018 "Where at least I know I'm free"

My Mom gave me these cute Legos that I love.

 OLA!!!!!!

Tis I! Sister Rebecca Hammond! Alive for another week!

This week was pretty low key. Kinda discouraging because most of our investigators canceled EVERY one of our lessons. We also had 3 baptisms on date for saturday, but they ALL fell through because our investigators were not home when we called. But we spent all the extra time batendo nas portas! Knocking on doors! Although we don’t really knock on doors here. Everyone builds their houses WAAAAYYY off the street and put a giant gate around the whole thing to keep robbers away, so we have to stand outside the gate and clap. And we have a rule in our mission that you always have to have a physical Book of Mormon in your hands at ALL TIMES so it’s a shuffling game to actually be able to clap loud enough for them to hear, but the people here really like to talk, so usually it ends up okay for us.

We also have been trying new things to find new people to teach. I am now the official english teacher for Ala 2 (Alegre area 2). If you’d like to learn english, 7pm on Fridays I am teaching a class. Right now I have exactly 4 students, but they love it when I sing in English and we are making little handouts about it this week so hopefully we can get members to bring their friends. I am also teaching piano to a couple nonmembers right now as well! THANK YOU MOM FOR FORCING ME TO PRACTICE!!!!

We did teach José this week and that was awesome! But before we taught him he had a lot of questions about America. But they weren't as much questions, as him trying to convince me what America is like. He is convinced that the government controls who works, who lives on the street, what religion everyone is, who studies what, where you live. Like. Everything. I tried to tell him that was not true and we were a free country, but he was not convinced. He thought the government sent me as a missionary. I ended up turning it around by explaining that we were free to choose and that is why Joseph Smith got to decide which church to join and had the freedom to restore the Church of Jesus Christ! And we taught about the Restoration! Turning it around like a CHAMP!!! Then I got to share my testimony on Revelation and our prophet! And the invitation I had for him, is the same invitation I have for you today!

I would invite all of you to re-read President Nelson’s talk about Revelation from the last general conference. We all have some sort of doubt or question about the church, and that will continue for the rest of our lives. But ponder the words of our prophet, and have the faith to ask. And then be patient while you wait for answers. I have had to do this so many times while I have been here and stumbled upon my own doubts and I can testify that God will answer your prayer and send you revelation.

I love you all! I love being a missionary! And I am so grateful for all your love and support!!

Love,
Sister Becca Hammond

Part of my area from my apartment window

Chimarrou!

My dinner vs Sister Lins dinner. She thinks it is so funny that I like to eat healthy.