Guerra

Well... this letter will be short because I am having computer difficulties today, that would be the computer and not me, who is having difficulties! I like what Michael said the other day about the internet- it’s like the water- you never know when its going to shut off. Luckily I can’t complain that the water shuts off here... but I will say I am looking forward to the day to have a hot shower... We have had lots of problems with our shower.

Ahh but there I go again, off on a tangent…but I wanted to thank everyone for the letters and email I received today... They truly meant more then words can say, and I really, really needed them. This past week was well... a guerra…or a battle here. We had baptisms planned for Sunday, and I felt like every day was a literal fight to help Rosa and Alessandra, and also Paulo and familia.

And Sunday... well... I don’t even know where to begin, but I will say that each Sunday is for sure the hardest day of the week. I am convinced that Satan works all through the night Saturday night to stop our weeks progress…and Sunday he truly pulled out all of the stops. Sister R. Silva and I both cried at different times yesterday as I watched, what it felt like, a lot of things fall apart.

In fear of being depressing- and I am laughing as I write this, this letter is so dramatic, haha... I apologize... but I really don’t feel like writing too much of what happened this past week. I guess it would just sum it up to say that I have spent a lot of time crying, a lot of time fasting and praying, as I have tried to even know where to start. And as I have pleaded to understand how to help- I have been reminded that this is a small price to pay. I am becoming acquainted with the Lord- I am learning to put all of my cares on Him, I am learning some of what He suffers as He holds and cares for each of us. His love is truly overwhelming, and as I have been reminded this past week that this is His work, He always knows a better way, and how to support me in it.

I am truly at a lack for words today, but please know that I have felt each of your prayers this past week, we did have an awesome day yesterday as well, its just that these joys where impacted by some of the greatest sorrows as well... But some miracles that I got to see was Jefferson, our baptism 2 weeks ago, recieved the priesthood and passed the sacrament. That was the most beautiful thing. Jefferson and Naiara are continiuing rocks, and it truly is amazing- they have spirits beyond their years, and they have experienced things in their lives that most adults will never experience. Benedito also had a special glow at church Sunday, we have continually worked with him! And also, Alessandra was baptized - after and amazing, amazing fight to help her have the faith to take this step. it was emotionally exhausting.. we have a lot of work this next week.

Anyways, I have the upmost confidence that this will be an awesome upcoming week- I am growing in my testimony every day of this gospel. This is such a perfect gospel, and the more I learn of it, the more I am amazed at the Lords love and plan for each of us! I am grateful for this chance to learn and to help others learn!

Nossa, I need to run. But I love you all, perhaps this letter was a bit down... but please know that we are still having a lot of fun, and just working really hard here! haha!

tchau,
Sister Monroe

Ja Novembro...que esta acontecendo

Wahoo! Oi familia e amigos… wow, I cannot believe that it is November! I had an awesome past week… but first before I share the highlights of the week- I thought I would share some of the highlights of the past 8 weeks with my companion- Sister R. Silva. But these are her highlights- not mine. (I asked her some of her favorite moments)

Entao... During the past 8 weeks, the funniest moment for her was one day we had our umbrellas and were walking slash running home. Well, Sister R. Silva is just awesome, and she spontaneously burst into a hymn… we are always singing. haha. Anyways, it was some triumphant hymn I forget which, and I grabbed my umbrella and started waving it around like a trombone, and we started laughing really hard. We have a lot of funny moments with our umbrellas.

This is not her funny moment, but I will share some others- There was one night when we were walking er... running for the chapel to have a baptismal interview, and it started pouring… and it was one of those crazy sideways rains... where it comes from every direction. So yeah we were soaked, and running in this field for a good 15 minutes. And Sister R. Silva pulled out her water bottle, as it was raining, as we were running, and started drinking. It just looked so funny, here we were running, soaked, and surrounded by water, and she was thirsty. It was classic. Another funny moment came when a lake nearby overloaded, and there was one street that had water up to my knees. All of the cars had stopped and wouldn’t go through... but we had appointments, and the only way around was way, way, longer... so we just walked right on through the water. It was hilarious- and people just stared.

With all this rain you think it would be cooler…but wow. It is so hot. I wake up and want to take a cold shower. Welcome to summer in brazil eh…ok, but I am off tangent, back to Sister R. Silva.

The happiest moment of Sister R. Silva's was when we had the fast for Milena, and we had a special prayer, and Milena’s mom changed her mind and let Milena get baptized. That was an awesome day!

Other funny things that Sister R. Silva likes are that I am always making funny videos with my camera. She loves these videos! And also, we set a goal to have her say a prayer in English in the interviews with our mission president-Presidente Condie. So we have been practicing prayers in English, and I tried to pray out loud in English the other day- it was really hard. haha.. I felt like a little kid stuttering.

Sister R. Silva has also passed through 10 other areas on her mission- and as far as some news on Porto Ferreira- she says that they have the most churches of any other city she has seen. (There is literally a church on every street... it would be funny if it weren’t so sad.) And also, it has rained more here, and that we run more here then any other area. Which means- we are having way more fun! ok she didn’t say that… but we do have a lot of fun.

Anyway, that’s for the update on Sister R. Silva…now for the week- we had quite an eventful week- we had interviews with Presidente Condie which was awesome as always. We had some awesome, awesome lessons- we have 2 women that we have been teaching for weeks now that we marked for baptism the upcoming Sunday. These 2 women live on opposites sides of the city- and don’t know each other- but have some interesting similarities- they each have a son, and each have had really hard lives.

Irma Rosa for example, has a 7 year old son, and her husband died 2 months ago. She has never had much family- she was an orphan, and when her husband was alive, it wasn’t a happy marriage. He was an alcoholic, and just really sad. So anyways, she had been praying and praying to know the truth and feel some joy in her life, and she said that’s when we came in the picture, and she immediately felt the difference in our message. She is awesome- and loves the church already.. we are helping her develop a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and she is incredibly humble and has a great desire to learn and know more. So yeah, we are praying that everything will happen to have her baptism this next Sunday.

The other women is Alessandra… we have been teaching her for 4 weeks…and it progressed slowly at first, because she is incredibly intelligent. She at first started reading the Book of Mormon because it was an interesting book, but it has been awesome to see her change slowly and slowly. This past week, she really opened up. She had a horrible marriage for 13 years, she has a son Lucas who is 1, and she finally had a divorce. Anyhow, she was studying about temples on her own one day, and found out about the temple in Sao Paulo, and wanted to know more about it. And the next day, or a few days after…I cant remember which, we passed by her on a bridge, and offered to teach her and made an appointment with her. She has been progressing slowly because it is hard to talk about families with her- because it was such a bad experience for her, and a few times that she came to church the lessons were on families and eternal marriage, and so she left. But she is slowly opening up, and it has been awesome to see her change with the light of the gospel. So she is set for baptism this next Sunday also, and with prayers and work this will happen!

And the most exciting news of the week... We had a baptism yesterday of Irmao Paulo!!! He is the father of Naiara and Jefferson... so now almost all of this family is united. It was a huge fight to have this baptism…I wont go into this.. but wow I will just say this past weekend we had some spiritually exhausting moments trying to help him, and I felt so sad many, many times, because there was nothing I could do to help. But, the Lord has truly helped us, and we were able to have a beautiful baptism yesterday. The spirit was so strong, and it was so exciting to see the other members here all very excited- we had 5 other men receive the Priesthood here 2 weeks ago- and so all of these men were really excited to learn how to baptize and help Irmao Paulo. They gave him a blessing of comfort before the baptism (He got scared of the water) and all of them were so excited to help and learn.

It has been so humbling to feel the Lords hand here in Porto Ferreira- and to see people who have been prepared for us. I felt truly overwhelmed many times this week with how blessed I have been to be allowed to participate in these experiences.

There was one night that was particularly moving- it was raining like crazy, and we ran through the rain for a good 20 minutes to get to Irmao Paulo and Naiara... and we arrived there, I had some letters that my little Sisters had written to Naiara and Micaela. And as I sat down on the floor, dripping wet, in this humble home... there was only a light of 2 candles- they don’t have money for electricity- and translated these letters for these girls... the spirit truly touched me. I felt so blessed to be there in that moment. This is a truly humble family, they don’t have chairs, tables, or much clothes... but I felt so overwhelmed with the love that the Lord has for them, and for truly each of us. To have this opportunity to connect Naiara and my sister Kimberly, and see these 12 year old girls help each other with the problems of growing up in a world that is so confusing…was so powerful, and so moving.

I am so grateful for this gospel, and for the love that the Lord has for each of us. We each need to come to the Master... each of us is blind, or crippled, or sick in some way or another- whether it be physically or spiritually... each of us need the healing power of the atonement in every aspect of our lives... and there is nothing better then that joy of feeling your sins and sorrows lifted, of feeling clean and whole- and perfect because of the touch of the Master. I am so grateful to see this take place in the lives of people here... but more importantly in my own life. The greatest joy truly comes in our testimony of Christ role in each of our own lives.

Anyways, I better go, I love you all so much! Fique Firme e Seja Feliz!

Com Amor
Sister Melanie Monroe