Miracles and Mustard Seeds- April 28, 2014

Family and Friends!

I dont know if I should say this was the best week ever or the worst week ever:D How is it that we can have the best and worst of times at the same time? Somehow it happens to each of us at some point and this week it happened to me. But the cool thing is I learned that when we have faith, show that faith, and then work like everything depends on us miracles happen. As my companion says everyday, Faith without works is dead!

Kleberson is a 22 year old that has been coming to Church for the past 6 months. His girlfriend is a member and he loves to come. He has heard the missionary lessons from 5 companionships and has been dragging his feet. At this point he has said that he knows the Church is true and he knows that he needs to get baptized, but he doesnt have the will to be baptized. He agreed to be interviewed for baptism and he has recieved many answers to know the truthfulness of the Gospel. But the day of his baptism came and he backed out, he didnt want to. God gave us agency and we know how important it is for people to choose thier own path and not force things upon them. We were deeply saddened.

But he said that he will still come to church every week.

Suzana is an amazing young woman who has an incredible faith in Jesus Christ. She has wanted to be baptized for over a month now, but her mom wouldnt give her authorization. This past week we had the opportunity to talk to her very busy and business like mom (she is kinda intense). We explained a little bit about our Church and baptism. She replied that she thought Suzana is too young to be baptized. She knows that the Church is good for her daughter and she is totally cool with us coming over and teaching her. She said that she didnt want her daughter to make such an important decision only to change her mind later. Which is understandable and we respect that. We challenged Suzana to bear her testimony of the Gospel with her mom after we left. 

 

Sunday night came and we recieved a phone call from Suzana all in a tizy. She had borne her testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and her mother gave her consent. 

It is said that faith is like a mustard seed, that if we have even the smallest particle of faith miracles can happen. After seeing Suzanas mother on Friday night I felt very strongly to fast for her and Suzana that the right things would happen so that Suzana could get baptized. That Suzana would have the courage to bear her testimony and that her mom would feel the Spirit and that her heart would be touched. So Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon I fasted that everything would fall into place and a miracle would happen. I like to think that my tiny act of faith helped a little. That God answered my prayers and fast and touch the heart of Suzanas mom and gave Suzana the courage she needed to open her mouth. 

The fist video I would like to share with you all is about how faith and prayer can bring miracles into our lives.

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=910930406001

The second video reminds me of Suzana and the courage she had to bear her testimony just like Ester.

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2221439363001

I have been thinking a lot about change lately as well. I am doing much better, Sister Marinho is a great companion for me. I really have learned how much communication means to me. I have come to realize on the mission a few things:

 

1. I express love for others through physical interaction (hugs, brushing hair)

2. I receive love by people talking to me and communicating with me. It drives me crazy when my comps don't talk. I really have come to appreciate good communication.

3. I really think that music therapy is something that I will seriously consider after BYU. I was having such a rough week so I called President Klien and asked for permission to listen to Rob Gardner and listen to music on days other than p-days. His response in a nut shell was do what ever you need to to be happy. So I have permission to listen to Rob Gardner before studies and after nightly planning if I need to. I just cant tell the whole world. 

4. I am apparently crazy obedient and methodic in the way that I function. I like things to be done a certain way and through being obedient.

 

Love you all! 

 

Remember the Lord loves you! And with faith like a mustard seed miracles can happen!

Sister Nay

 

Albino bunny at a members house

I fell and scraped my knees

You can also see some crazy tan lines on my feet! :D

More pics of my scraped knees.

Because of Him- April 21, 2014

Family and Friends!

 

This past weekend was Easter weekend and I cant help but speak of how grateful I am for our Savior and Redeemer! I have grown so much closer to Jesus Christ since I have arrived here in Brazil and I know that I will continue to grow in my relationship with Him for the rest of my life. To truly rely on the Lord for everything in our lives and submit our will to His are traits that take a lifetime to learn. I may not understand everything or even very much about what the Savior went through for us all, but I do understand how grateful I am for it. I can always be forgiven of my sins because He suffered for me. I can always overcome trials and hardships because He already did. I can live with my family forever because He lived, suffered, died, and was resurrected. I need not fear death because He died so that all might live again.  

We were at a members house for lunch and she showed us this two minute video about the Savior entitled: Because of Him

 http://easter.mormon.org/?cid=HPTU041514694

Because He lives...we all will live again

Because of Him... death has no sting, the grave no victory

Because of Him... we can start again, and again

Because of Him... guilt becomes peace

Because of Him... regret becomes relief

Because of Him... despair becomes hope

Because of Him...we have second chances, clean slates, new beginnings.

Because of Him... there is no such thing as the end.

Because of Him I miraculously have the strength to work everyday. I dont know if I have ever worked so hard and long in my life! I literally come home everyday sweaty, tired, hungry, and practically brain dead. But, it is all worth it everyday because I know that my Redeemer lives! I know that this is His gospel restored on the earth today through and real a living prophet, a man who speaks with God and directs His work here on earth. All of the blisters, sweat, and occasional tears are worth it and possible because we have a Savior that lived, died, and lives today! 

 

We have great members and great investigators that have made our lives easier and happy! Denys is an exceptional young man with incredible faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. He is so excited and ready to hear everything that we bring to teach him. He is working on getting married legally, so we should see him enter into the waters of baptism next month. We have countless others that we have met who have an amazing faith in God and Jesus Christ and it is truly a blessing in my life to get to know eachone of them.

Lets see...

 

-I tried and loved Tereré this week. It is a chilled drink that you drink through a special straw and that straw is shared with mulitple others :/ But I survived!

-Açai flavored ice cream

-A few weeks ago I tried corn flavored ice cream

-I ate the meat of the backbone of a cow, it was super fatty

-I ate the fruit cacau (the fruit which chocolate is made out of) Chocolate is better, but it was pretty good. They make the chocolate out of the seeds!

Love you all!

Remember the Lord loves you and the Church is true!

Sister Nay

Count Your Blessings- April 14, 2014

Family and Friends

Whoa I dont know how Heavenly Father does it but the days seem like weeks and the weeks seem like days! Somehow time goes so fast yet so slow at the same time. 

This week I really have been learning a lot about the power of couting my blessings. It is amazing when you are feeling down or exhausted and you cant do anymore and you start to think about the things you are grateful for how quickly your attitude changes! It helps even more to vocally thank Heavenly Father for them. 

Like yesterday I was totally overwhelmed after church between meeting tons of new people and a new language I felt like I couldnt do anymore. Our next door neighbor, a member who we lovingly call Mom, somehow found out that my feet hurt. She gave me a foot massage while my companion and I worked on some paper work. She is a message therapist so it is normal for her to do stuff like that. But even the most seeminly small things to others are so great to me. 

Another time a man walked up to us while Sister Marinho was helping me with pronuciation in portuguese while reading the Book of Mormon and asked us if we were reading the word of God. Of course we replied yes. We then had the opportunity to teach him about the Book of Mormon, which he gratefully accepted. Never in my life have I taught a person who approached me and asked me who I was and what I believed in... until now.

I loved the talk by President Uchtdorf about being grateful in any circumstance. There were so many things that stood out to me and made me feel like he was talking directly to me. 

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/grateful-in-any-circumstances?lang=eng

We have so much work to do in this area. I always come home so tired! The people are so great and loving. Suzana is ready for baptism but we need permission from her mom. Cleberson after months finally accepted an invitation to be baptized, he is being interviewed this week. Gerson has so much faith we just need to help him get to church. Nazareno is practically a member he just needs to get married legally. (Here in Brasil the government doesnt recognize religious weddings)

Hope you all have a great week!

Remember the Lord loves you and the Church is True!

Sister Nay

General Conference- April 7, 2014

Hey Family and Friends

I hope that you all enjoyed this past week especailly the chance to hear the words of our modern day prophet Thomas S. Monson! If not you can go to lds.org and check it out!

I had the opportunity to watch conference is portugues this time and due to my limited language abilities a whole new world was open. In the past as I have listened to the voice of the prophet, I would focus so much on the words that he was saying. But, this time becuase I couldnt understand the words very well I learned what it truly means to listen to the Spirit when you are listening to the different speakers at conference. Each person who gave a talk I am sure I didnt understand fully what they said with their mouths, but I know from the feelings of my heart that whatever they said was of great value and importance. I felt countless times the Spirit testify to my heart that the words of these men and women are the words God would have us hear today. It was a very neat and unique experience that I will always be grateful for!

Amos 3:7
7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, ^abut he ^brevealeth his ^csecret unto his servants the ^dprophets.

Remember the Lord loves you and the Church is True!

Sister Nay

Butterflies-March 31, 2014

Family and Friends!

Another week has come and gone and I can't believe it. I don't have much time left today, but I wanted to share a special experience from this week. 

 

As you know I have been having a hard time adjusting to being here and not in PA anymore. I miss all of those I came in contact in PA, OH, and WV. It was one of the greatest blessings in my life to spend so much time with all of you!

 

Butterflies have been one of my favorites for a couple of years. Before they were just pretty and a sign of happiness to me. Then on a particualarly hard day for me this past week I saw a pretty little butterfly. As I watched it silently enjoying its presence, I realized something. The care free butterfly wasn't always that way. It was a tiny catterpiller with a limited ground view. Then it created a cacoon and spent time changing. Then in a final battle before the freedom it has a beautiful butterfly, it had to get out of that darn cacoon. Like the beautiful butterfly, we start on the ground as a caterpillar. We have a limited view. Then one day Heavenly Father inspires us to build our own cacoon and make a hard and long change. Then to finish changing we have to get out of our cacoon. When we emerge from our cacoon of change, we have become a beautiful butterfly that has a greater and higher perspective. We have more freedom because we have changed, we are more beautiful because we changed, and we have a greater appreciation for the cacoon that has changed us. Life is hard and change is hard. But each day I count the butterflies and remember that God is helping me become a beautiful butterfly of my own. 

 

Doctrine and Coventants 98:1-3

1 Verily I say unto you my friends, ^afear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give ^bthanks;

 2 ^aWaiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament—the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.

 3 Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been ^aafflicted shall work together for your ^bgood, and to my name’s glory, saith the Lord.

Remember the Lord loves you and the Church is TRUE!

Love 

Sister Nay

Things that I have eaten, seen, done:

 

Açai- a fruit that they drink the juice.

I met a genuine Catholic monk from Italy. Like the brown robe and everything.

Leaving the Brazil MTC- Love You All (3-10-2014)

Tomorrow I am flying out for the real world again. We have had some awesome experiences that I think I might have to tell you later I don't have much time. But I just wanted to say that I love you and I am praying that I will survive the weather. Right now Manaus is flooding because of all the rain they have been having. I don't know what time I am flying out but it is really early. 

 

Thanks for all fo your love and support!

 

Love you

Sister Nay

Brazil MTC- Brasil (3-5-2014)

Hello Friends and Family

 

MTC is crazy we are the first group so everybody is watching us like hawks. Plus they send videos of us teaching to the brethern, no pressure! The language is hard but coming faster that I thought. I am ok. Just like I thought I am in a trio. 8 adn 9 comps!!!! By the end of the transfer I will have had 11 comps in 9 months.
If you think driving in PA is crazy think again! People in sao paulo drive like mad men, it is scary. the roads are super narrow and they ride each other's tails like nobody's bussiness. Whooo!

Went to the temple it was so great!!!!!!  I love it. Warm raining and the people are so sweet. 

 

We got to go to the temple today! Holy cow. It was exactly what I needed. I have been struggling with learning the language especially becasue the reast of my MTC district seem to have caught on better. But I know that Heavenly Father loves me and I am glad to be here. Next week I leave for the field again. I am in a trio so that makes comps 8 adn 9! I know Sister Kunkel from the first MTC experience adn Sister Shipp is just great. WE are the first distrcit ever to go back to the MTC after time in the field so we are the THING to be. All the teachers talk to us all the time. They send videos of us teaching to the brethren and pics of us doing everything under the sun. It is kinda funny. 

 

All the teachers are Brazilian so you either speak portuguese or go without. It was hard at first but I know that this is exactly where teh Lord wants me to be! I will be leaving for the field again next week. It is warm and humid, but I am totally loving it. One of my compaions was with me in the MTC the first time so that was fun. Yeah I am in a trio again. Sister Kunkel whom I know and Sister Shipp. All of us have been out for at least 8 months. There are some missionaries in our group that  have been out for over a year! but we finally made it to Brazil. The drivers are so crazy i am so glad that I don't have to drive but that we ride the buses!

Sorry with such little time I have been copying and pasting so I know that there are some of the same things!

I have been having a hard time because the over achiever in me doesn't like to be mediocre at something. Portuguese is hard! Plus I didn't really get to study for 4 months. I think the hardest thing is that i know what it is like to know what you are doing and how to do it. I know what it is like to be a great missionary and with the language barrier I just can't do everything that I could before and that realy frustrates me. But President Swenson has been super helpful and my profs are super awesome and so are my comps. Also we went to the Campinas temple and it was exactly what I needed that new video is awesome and the Spirit was so strong. Plus i learned so many new things! Can you believe taht I have been endowed for over a yaer now? Crazy right! Taht was exactly what i needed today.

 

The traveling here was fine. I slept okay. I was able to talk to the people sitting next to me on both flights. Elder Lowe and i actually taught the guy sitting inbetween us the plan of salvation together. We gave him a card to get a BOM. He was from Uruguy and mennonite.

 

Love

Sister Nay