What is More Important?- July 21, 2014

Family and Friends!

This week has been full of ups and downs. But most importantly it has been full of miracles and learning experiences.

Something that I learned with my companion this week is setting priorities. How is it that time seems to pass by so quickly and we haven´t accomplished half of what we needed to?

All of us in the world have a lot of things to do each day, each hour , and each minute. But are we putting what is most important first or are we putting what is eaiser first. For example, it is easy and entertaining to watch a movie, but is that really the most important. Or could we use a portion of that time reading, studying, and pondering the words of Christ through the scriptures?

My companion and I were looking for a house on a street that we had never heard of. We walked for 2 hours around the city, asking taxi drivers and locals if they knew where the address was, to no avail.  Are we going to spend hours looking for one address when no one know where it is and are we going to talk to as many people we can and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ? What is most important? The One. Jesus Christ taught us the importance of the one in His parable of the lost sheep. Each one of us is the ONE that He would go after. We have countless opportunities each day to go after the one!

In our lives we have so many things bombarding us and demanding our attention. May I add my testimony to those of modern day prophets and apostles that we need to remember what comes first! We need to put family, scripture study, family and person prayer, and attending church at the front of everything we do. If we put God first in everything that we do, I know that God will help put everything else into place. The house will be clean, the homework will get done, the bills will be paid, and we will even have a little bit of time for some fun. But that is only if we put God first.


I know that when we evaluate how we spend our time and adjust to give God a portion of our time first, in our FAMILIES not just alone, everything else will fall into place. Remember what is most important!

Remember the Lord loves you and the Chirst is TRUE!!!

Love
Sister Nay

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=1101413031001

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=911104789001

This is the best! Made my day! 

http://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/PioneerDay?lang=eng&cid=HPTU071514331

10 Minutes Changes Everthing- July 14

Family and Friends!

The World Cup has officially ended with Germany as the Champion :( Brasil finished in 4th place, but there is hope for the future in 2018!

Brasil played Germany in the semi-finals in a humiliating game of soccer. Within 10 minutes Germany made 5 goals to the shock of the entire country. I felt the life being sucked out of the country in 10 minutes. The energy and hope turned to lifeless despair within 10 short minutes. Many, including myself, couldn´t believe what they were seeing! It was incredible. In 10 short minutes the surety of winning the World Cup for the 6th time was taken from beneath our feet.

Brasil is kinda dead because we came in 4th at home. But the whole country is very happy that Argentina lost. There is some really stiff feelings between Argentina and Brasil so the whole country was rooting for Germany. It was almost like Brasil won because Germany won, the reaction of the people. Is was a huge pride thing for them. I thought that it would have been better with Argentina winning, keeping the cup here in S.America, but no Brasil wanted Germany to win. It was rather interesting even after the humiliation of our game with Germany they still wanted Germany to win. It would have been really cool to say I was here when Brasil won the cup for the 6th time, but oh well. Brasil is still pretty awesome. Personally I think our goalie got bought, he let too many through and he is too experienced.

As the week passed and everyone had a desire to rehash the events of the game, I began to think how important our choices are. Choices are made on a minute to minute basis and these choices can effect our lives for far longer than those short minutes. Just like in 10 short minutes Brasil lost the World Cup, we can lose some of lifes most precious gifts in short minutes. One choice can mean loss of virtue, honesty, friendship, trust of family, the need for repentance. Some choices can change the direction in which we want to be going so quickly. Brasil had high hopes for the title of the World Cup. We have hopes of eternal life and exaltation. Are we going to let 10 minutes, 5 minutes, or 2 seconds dash our hopes of the ultimate title of Eternal Life with our Heavenly Father?

On the flip side in those 10 short minutes Germany gained a sure footing on the way to the title. Likewise we can gain sure footing on our eternal destination by making good choices. 10 minutes, 5 minutes, or 2 seconds a choice you make will bring you closer to your eternal destination and goal of Eternal Life with Heavenly Father.

I know that our decisions, no matter how great or small have a great impact on our futures! Short spans of time can change our lifes trajectory for the better or for the worse. Watch where you step, choose the right, and if needed Repent and get back on the path of right decisions. I know that unlike in the World Cup, we have a Savior that can and will help us overcome our weaknesses and wrong decisions. We still have to pay the earthly consequences, He doesn´t make those go away. But through the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Eternal Father we can be clean of our sins, of our weaknesses, and burdens and be free of the Eternal consequences!

Remember 10 minutes can change everything!

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/your-four-minutes?lang=eng

Remember the Lord loves you and the Church is true!

Love

Sister Nay

Pictures- July 7, 2014

Even the temple has Brasil pride!

Soaked to the bone with my companion!

 

Welcome to the Amazon

 

Watching the Game with Recent Converts

Rooting for Brasil on the 4th of July, thought it was kinda funny! I was all decked out in Brasil colors:D But Brasil won!! Neymar went to the hospital because a dumb player from Columbia kneed him in the back. Neymar is out :( But Brasil  will win the world cup!!

The Power To Heal Broken Hearts- July 7, 2014

Family and Friends!

The weeks seem to be passing by quicker and quicker each week! We had the opportunity to meet President and Sister Castro this week and they are awesome! They are such a sweet couple and I am super excited to spend the next little while serving with them here in Manaus!

This week I would like to share something very dear to my heart. Two years ago I lost a very dear friend and it shook my whole world. For a good chunck of time I was deeply shaken by her passing. I found confort in none other than music and the atonement. Not so suprisingly I found the power of the atonement healing my heart through the power of music. At the year mark of my friend´s passing I was in the MTC and I cried myself to sleep that night, the pain in my heart was still so great. The 2 year mark recently passed and while I still miss her dearly, the sting was almost not even there. I know that the power of Jesus Christ´s atonement has healed the wound of my friend´s passing.

Last night my companion and I visited a recent convert couple whose 4 month old baby recently passed away due to a heart defect. I could feel so deeply the intensity of this couple´s hurt and I remembered the moments of my pain when my friend passed away. While my pain of lossing a friend is nothing to be compared with the pain of lossing  a child let alone an infant, the knowledge of the healing power of the atonement is still the same. My heart was torn in pieces as they wept and I could feel that Heavenly Father was weeping with them. I could feel Jesus Christ weeping for them. I had the opportunity to bear my testimony that the atonement of Jesus Christ has the power to heal broken hearts over time. That I know that Jesus Christ will heal the hole of their loss and curb the sting of their loss too. Words cannot express the emotions that I feel on this subject and the things that I have learned in regards to the healing power of the atonement. But I know with all my heart that the Savior will heal all broken hearts, all wounds, and all the pains and afflictions of a worn soul. I have felt it in my own life and I have had the opportunity to see it in other´s lives too!

My challenge to you all this week is to ask and allow the Atonement of Jesus Christ to heal your broken hearts, broken souls, and broken lives. I know that the moment that you decide to let Him in, He will heal all that hurts! He is the only one with the power to heal all that hurts. The world doesn´t have the answer! The answer is not drugs, alcohol, pornography, anger, smoking, or abandonment of religion. The answer is Jesus Christ, but we must let Him in first! So take the first step and put your knees on the ground and ask for the Savior to heal you! I know with all my heart that He will heal you of any and everything!

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/10/sunday-will-come?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#sunday-will-come

Remember the Lord loves you and the Church is True!

Love

Sister Nay

Modern Day Miracles- June 30, 2014

Family and Friends!

First off we have officially entered the interesting part of the World Cup. Saturday´s game was beyond crazy. I could feel the entire country of Brazil on pins and needles until the very end. Well, to be honest I was too! For those of you who don´t know. Brazil played against Chile in the most intense game of soccer I have ever watched. We went into overtime and ended up deciding the game by penalty shots. First of all Brazil´s goalie, Julius Cesar is amazing! Second of all Neymar Jr. Rocks! I am officially converted to soccer!

This past week I got to take part in a modern day miracle. Not the kind of casting out devils or raising the dead, but truly a miracle. There are a lot of people from all over the world here in Manaus because of the World Cup. They stay mostly near the center of the city, but one woman and her son were staying in the neighborhood that my companion and I work in with a host family. This miracle started last week when I got transfered. The mission president told me he had all intentions of keeping me in Petrópolis and transferring Sister Marinho. But, I ended up getting transferred to Dom Pedro. On Wednesday night my companion and I decided to work in a part of the neighborhood that we don´t usually go to. We ended up teaching a lesson to a less active and his cousins that lasted a little longer than expected. My companion and I were walking back to our apartment because it was time to go home. Then seemingly out of the blue (I was talking to my companion) a woman and a 10 year old boy walked up to us and asked in English for help. Now this woman was in the non-tourist part of Manaus, nobody speaks English.

This is truly a miracle showing that Heavenly Father is watching out for all of His children. First of all the odds are very slim for a foreigner to find someone that speaks English and Portuguese walking the streets at night. Second of all the odds are very slim to find someone who know the streetnames and neighboorhoods as well as missionaries do (seeing that we spend all day everyday walking said streets).  We found her host family´s house and gave them some of our water. (they had been walking the streets for 2 hours very confused because no one could understand or help them). As we finished our walk home I thought how special that experience was. I wasn´t even supposed to be here in Dom Pedro, but Heavenly Father transfered me here. Heavenly Father put a missionary that could speak English in Dom Pedro 2 weeks before this woman and her son got lost. He inspired our plans so that we would be on the same street when she needed us. And He left Sister Ojeda here (she has been here for 4.5 months and knows the area really well). There are no such things as coincidences, but there are such things as miracles. It was a miracle that this woman found an American that speaks portuguese on the streets of a Brazilian neighborhood at 8:45 at night. I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father who so willingly shows His love for each of His children. This miracle could have happened to anyone. I am glad that I got to be in the service of my Heavenly Father by serving one of His lost children.

And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles. 

Mormon 9:19

Remember the Lord loves you and the Church is True!

Believe in Miracles because they really do happen!

Love

Sister Nay