WEEK 16: October 1, 2018 "Teaching the ELECTS"

US WITH A FUTURE MISSIONARY IN OUR WARD!!!

 OLA GENTE!!!
So this week was INSANE!!! But I also worked harder than I have for A LONG TIME!!!

Monday was Pday and we went to THE CENTER!!! Center of Porto Alegre!! It was really funny because we went to buy cuias (see picture) and peanut butter. I thought it would be simple... until we arrived! There is a market in the center and we went INSANE!!! There were 5 stores just for things for Chimarrão!! AND WE FOUND PEANUT BUTTER!!!!!! Granted, I only bought some for an investigator because it was her birthday and she wanted to try it... but I KNOW IT EXISTS!!! I also bought the most BEAUTIFUL CUIA!!!!

CUIA (It's a cup that they put herbal tea in and drink through the special straw. 
The herbal tea is called Chimarrao in Brazil, Mate in Argentina.)

So my companions are the Sister Training Leaders for our zone. So we do A LOT of divisions. So we had one on Tuesday until Thursday. I went with Sister Carvalho to TERESÓPOLIS!!! IT WAS MARAVILHOSA!!! I love Sister Pezzali!!! She is from Argentina. We visited a ton of people. So funny story: We had a family night marked with a family in the ward and they invited a nonmember; We were super excited. We arrived and waited... waited... waited. We ate the treat and waited again. 1 hour later a man arrived and we started the lesson. We taught about the Restoration and the Spirit was so SO STRONG! I bore testimony about Joseph Smith and the man started crying!!! I thought, "He is going to be baptized THIS WEEK! He is feeling the spirit and understanding the restoration. ELECT!!!" We ended the message and... another man arrived that was THE REAL INVESTIGATOR.  THE FIRST MAN WAS JUST ANOTHER MEMBER!!!! BAH I WAS SO CONVINCED THAT THIS MAN WAS SO PREPARED AND READY FOR THE GOSPEL!!! But the rest of the division was good! We knocked on a lot of doors and found ELECTS! It was a division SUCCESSFUL!!!! (Note from Mom: in some languages the adjective goes after the noun.)

DIVISION!!

We also had a family night for the ward. It was an idea that we had to invite everyone to a huge family night. It was AMAZING!!! We had a message about prayer and Sister Gerlach, Sister Carvalho, A member named Esther, and I sang "A Child’s Prayer" in English and Portuguese. The spirit was so strong and it was amazing!!! We had 3 investigators there!!!

US AND ESTHER

MIRACLE!!!

So the other day when I was with Sister Lins, we were fasting and both felt really strongly that we should knock on doors on the street, São Manoel. We knocked and knocked and nobody answered. UGH!!! I was so frustrated that day. But this week all 3 of us here got the same impression that we should knock on doors there. We knocked and knocked for 2 hours and nothing. We talked to everyone on the street and nothing. Then I suggested we say a prayer. We stopped, prayed, and then Sister Gerlach had a realization that the same street, São Manoel continued like across this park! So we went to the other side, the end of the street, and the LAST DOOR THAT WE KNOCKED ON, two girls came out and let us teach them! THEY WERE SO EXCITED AND ON THAT SAME DAY WE PUT THEM ON DATE FOR BAPTISM!!! We were really excited and we are continuing to work with that street!

This Sunday was also the first Sunday that I actually gave a talk in all of my mission thus far. I was SUPER NERVOUS! Guys. Real talk. I can speak Portuguese. But sometimes I forget a word or pronounce something wrong and have to ask someone to correct me. That is not possible when you're giving a talk.... NOT POSSIBLE!!! But I knew these people. I am a missionary. Not a problem. I can give a talk. So the bishop stood up and started to conduct the meeting. And I thought, "who is this man that is sitting by the bishop. He is not a counselor..." When the bishop started to talk he announced that this man IS A MEMBER OF THE 70 AND A GENERAL AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH!!! I gave my talk. I was so nervous. But after the meeting this man came to talk to me and said that he thought I was from Brazil when I was giving my talk. THE GIFT OF TONGUES IS SO REAL GUYS!!!

Anyways. Today it rained a lot. We had floods everywhere! But hey I am alive!!!

This week I have a challenge very special for you!! I invite all of you to read 2 conference talks about faith and write down impressions!! I have had an awesome opportunity here to work on my personal progress again!! My comps and I all want to finish it again so we have been working together. This challenge is from Experience #1 in Faith. It is amazing what you can learn from the words of the prophets. SPEAKING OF PROPHETS GENERAL CONFERENCE GUYS!! If you will read those two talks and write your impressions, you will be better prepared to hear from the prophets again. I PROMISE!

I love you all!!

Com amor e muito chimarrão,
(With love and lots of  chimarrão)
Sister Becca Hammond