India in Brazil

So this week was very different than the first. It´s been a bit rainy, and this week the kids didn´t have school Friday, because today is Memorial Day here (?). So basically no one was at home this weekend. And if they were they were all drinking beer on their front stoops.

So there´s this girl who we were planning on baptising yesterday, but every time we visited her, her mom said she hadn´t decided if she was going to allow her to get baptized yet.. So we taught a lesson to the girl´s sister and now she´s committed for baptism. So their mom better get it together, because having two daughters wanting to join the church isn´t something you can ignore a whole lot.

I actually don´t mind tracting in the rain! Sure, my feet get all soaking, but we have umbrellas, and I like watching the rain.

I had my first experience being out during a Corinthians football game. That’s the local popular soccer team. Seriously everytime they made a goal there were legit firecrackers and people everywhere were cheering. There were some men running around our apartment complex screaming and using those weird instruments (vuvuzelas??) It was a little freaky. I wish the people would get that excited when we knock on their doors.. I mean, our message is SO MUCH BETTER than your team scoring, but they don´t know that. YET.

We finally taught that lady with the huge tumor. She had a lot to say, and had lots of questions about the Fall and Garden of Eden because she was raised Catholic. But she shows promise.

The family of four is still progressing, but the girls weren´t able to come to stake conference yesterday. My mission president came to conference though, because he was one of the speakers. And his wife brought us our mail. I received the package the ward sent. Thanks for all the food and the lovely notes, everyone!! Mail is the best thing a missionary can get. Besides a baptism or a good referral.

OH. MY. GOSH. I had pizza this week. With a chocolate filled crust. AND it was the best thing I´ve ever eaten.

This week we also had mission conference. A member of the Area 70 came and talked to us all day. My brain hurt a little by midday, but it was really nice.

My portuguese is getting a lot better!! I understand a lot, and can respond a little more rapidly, but I am a long way from fluent. I´ve been reading one chapter of the Book of Mormon in portuguese every day and that´s been helping a lot with gospel vocabulary and verb conjugation.

Guys, this work is hard hard hard. Not gonna lie. But it´s super rewarding when someone hears the message of the Restoration and you can testify to them and they feel that it´s true. It´s amazing, man. I was reading something in Preach My Gospel, that said that as long as you are testifying with the Holy Ghost, working as hard as you can, and being obedient to every commandment and mission rule, (and some other stuff) you are a successful missionary. And you should not let your key indicators (the numbers you have to report to your mission pres and other leaders) define how well you´re doing. Different places have different results, and the people are less likely to listen in some places than others. But you do your best and you plant the seed at least. And we can rest assured that if they don´t accept the Gospel in this life, they have another chance in the next. And that´s great to know. Maybe we´ll even be able to teach them again.

Lots of Love,

Sister West