WEEK 17: October 8, 2018 "CONFERENCE IS BRINGING JOY TO ALL"

I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Hey Gente!!!

So this week was really nice! I was on EXCHANGES (shout out to Dylan Robert Carter for finally telling me the English word for divisão.) I went to Águas Claras! It is way out of the city where there is nothing. No houses, no companies, nothing. But it was AWESOME! It is gorgeous and it was raining and I got to spend some time with Sister De Dato! She is absolutely amazing and I LOVED SPENDING TIME WITH HER! But it was a lot of walking. We were on one street that was like house... 10 minutes walking... house. We were super tired and had to stop at the store to buy chocolate for an FHE (Family Home Evening). But we decided to pray before we turned back. We prayed and I felt really strongly that we should knock on two more doors. The first rejected us really hard. Like yelled about how we need to stop because everyone already has Jesus. But in the second, two teenage boys let us teach them and they both accepted baptismal dates and agreed to go to conference and were super interested!!!

SPEAKING OF CONFERENCE!

We had conference! It was strange for me to listen in Portuguese because I am so used to hearing the voices of the prophets and apostles. But it was amazing! I am very grateful that we have a prophet who is actively looking for revelation.

Otherwise this week we didn’t have a lot of things that happened. We had a zone conference that took up a whole day and another exchange with the sisters in our zone. Sister Rodrigues was with Sister Carvalho and I and she is amazing!

Earlier this month our mission president asked us to make 10 contacts everyday. I have been working really hard to do that but it is always sitting at about 7-8 contacts. But with Sister Rodrigues we made A TON and the blessings really came! We suddenly had a lot more success with all the aspects of missionary work. The people were receiving us more and the lessons were going more smoothly. That really helped my testimony grow about obedience. If we have obedience to the commandments of The Lord, we really will see the blessings.

This week I challenge you to read Alma 13. This section is applicable in a lot of different aspects but I love reading it and thinking about the Priesthood. I am very grateful for the power of the Priesthood in my life. From blessings from my dad, to bishops and stake presidents. I am very grateful that we literally know that the things that are happening in the church are happening in the name of God and Jesus Crist.

I am sorry for the short email! I love you all to death! Keep up the faith! You guys are amazing!!

Com amor,
Sister Hammond

What was the Brazilian reaction to the 2 hour church block?
It wasn’t a big reaction. There was a bigger reaction to President Nelson saying we need to stop called ourselves Mormons. That is the announcement that everyone is talking about here.

How did you watch conference?
We watched it in the chapel with the stake. But we watched the women's session on Sunday morning because the live transmission was when we needed to be in our apartment.


Was it in Portuguese?
Yes.... the translation was not very good so that was hard. But I am grateful that when I get home I will have it in English again!!!


What were your impressions?
I am very grateful that we have a prophet that is literally looking for revelation. But it was kinda a burn conference for me because lately I have been just really really really worried about the day when I will be a wife and a mother. I had like a moment of realization that after my mission, that part of my life will really begin and I worry a lot about being a wife and mom. And that was really scary. And then like all of conference was about being a mom and raising children in the gospel. But I am grateful to have this time here to prepare my testimony and myself for that day when that really is my reality.


Tell me what the training program is like?
So we have half an hour of training everyday where we watch videos and read preach my gospel according to a schedule that they gave me when i arrived. Nothing really special. But it is interesting with two trainers.


What does a typical day in the mission field look like for you?
A LOT OF WALKING! We wake up and get ready and do our studies. 1 hour of personal study. 1 hour of language study. 1/2 hour of training. 1/2 hour of planning and 1/2 hour of comp study. Then we have lunch at like noon with a member or at a restaurant or they give us money and we make lunch. Then we visit our investigators or knock on doors and talk to everyone in the street. We arrive in our apartment at 9pm and sleep at 10:30


What are the best shoes you have?
Right now, the orange sandals (Chacos, I think). But the boots are a blessing too when it is raining