Yeah for Brasil!

Well, everyone take a deep breath, because this is the last letter that I will be writing from Brasil. Wow. How the time has passed so quickly! It’s almost seemed like a dream, looking back on the past year and a half. Time is such a funny thing, because its gone so fast, but at the same time, it seems like its been forever. I can’t remember so many things about life before the mission, I am sure that some of this is a blessing from the Lord, to help me focus on the work. But I can’t seem to imagine going home, it seems like in one week, I will be transferred to another area, another companheira, with new members, pesquisadores, etc... but in reality… its coming to an end. Something that is starting to hit me slowly. It is..... hard. But I dont want to be dramatic, so I will tell you guys some of the funny/serious/crazy things that happened this last week-

-I killed the most giant, ginormous moth that was in our house. It was the size of a small bat. I thought it was a bat... we got home at night, and when I turned on the light in our room it was circling around the light like crazy, I grabbed the broom and was hitting it with a good old softball swing. I fighting with it a good 5 minutes... I was so focused that I didn’t even yell for my comp, who was in the kitchen. Finally, the mothy thingy landed on the wall and I hit a home run and killed the thing. Yuck. There’s a mark now on the wall... when my comp saw it she didn’t believe it- it was huuuge... about the size of the Book of Mormon. So that was funny.

-Regina is pregnant!!!! wow!! This is the first transfer that the Lord has blessed me with two families... and now both of the women are pregnant- Tatiane and Regina.. crazy.. They are both due the same month as well. ha-ha. So that’s funny. Tatiane and Francisco will be married on Saturday and Tatiane will be baptized the same day- they are sooo excited :) and Regina and Rodrigo are so strong, they went on visits with us this week. I love these families, it will be so hard saying goodbye... but at least next July I will be coming back to see them and their new babies! I jokingly told them they could name their kids with my name- mel- but we all laughed, because only dogs have my name here. haha.

-sebastiao recieved the priesthood!!! yay! He made us dinner last night because he was so excited. he has is a member for 2 months now... and has already read the book of mormon 3 times. crazy. We are also teaching a friend of his- Daniel, who is incredible. He is almost 18, but wants to be a missionary. He went to church yesterday, and then broke his foot... when we went to visit him at night, we saw him with the cast- I couldn’t believe it! (Generally we always promise blessings when they go to church) but he had a great vision- he said- "the enemy (devil) was mad that I went to church that I broke my foot!" ha-ha. So he accepted baptism for this week, but he wants to receive a response first... so we are praying that will happen.

- the third man.... yes that would be Marcos. He has a baptism date set for Wednesday, please, please, please, please pray for him that he doesnt smoke, and that he gets baptized. He wants so badly to be baptized, but has ruined 2 baptismal dates because of the cigarettes, but we are working with him, and with faith, prayer... He will be baptized. He’s an awesome guy, and needs to finally take this leap!

- Magali and Eliazer- this is a couple from my first area- Porto Ferreira- that came to visit me at church yesterday. I couldn’t believe it- its over and hour drive by moto to São João... and it is quite expensive. When I walked into church and saw them there, I started to cry. They had brought me presents, and I just felt overwhelmed. It is an amazing thing to reflect on my mission, and see all that has happened. There are so many incredible people that I have been blessed to teach and help, and I truly just feel overwhelmed...

But to finish off this last letter here... I guess it would be best just to bear me testimony :) here it goes...

I don’t know if it will be possible to write all that I feel, there is so much to say, and I have so little capacity to express all that I feel inside my heart. I am so grateful for the many blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon me- I am so grateful for my good parents and family, that taught me the right principles of life- here on earth and in the eternities. I am so grateful for the many inspired leaders the Lord has given me to instruct me and help me along my way. I feel overwhelmed to see how the Lord has guided my life. I am also eternally grateful for the way that the Lord has given me trials and tribulations- that molded who I am, and gave me understanding of the eternal gospel principles in my life, of the power of the atonement to cure every part of me.

After feeling the power and love of the atonement, I could not turn away the chance to serve a mission- to show my love and appreciation to the Savior- for how He had changed my life because of the atonement. What began as a search to truly serve and show my love for my Savior is now ending... and I see how much it is I who have benefited from the mission. I have strived with all of my heart, mind, and strength to serve the Master- once again I am amazed to see that it is I who have been blessed. I have gained a doubtless knowledge of the eternal principles of the gospel- the happiness of the Plan of Salvation, the importance of the Restoration, and the purifying cure of the atonement. I have loved the mission- it has been overwhelming to feel the love of the Lord as I have worked... to find eternal friendships- these people that I knew and walked and talked with in the pre- existence, and to feel this eternal love for them. I have found true and eternal friends- in my companions, in my leaders- especially presidente and Sister Condie- and most of all, in the very people of brazil, the people I have taught and loved.

This gospel is true. it was restored by a young boy Joseph Smith, whose innocent and pure faith was powerful enough to open the windows of heaven and restore the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, and because of him we can enjoy the blessing of the gospel, pure and simple. Because of him we have eternal covenants and the power of our Savior on our side. I am so grateful for the covenants of the temple- and for my eternal family. I am so grateful for the beautiful plan of the master- for the purpose and part that everyone here has in that plane. I am so grateful for that knowledge in my life- that neither sin nor death shuts the gatest of heaven to us here on earth.

I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon, as I have read and pondered its pages, I feel a power, and the love of our Father in Heaven. I am grateful for the inspired prophets who have worked so diligently to write this book for us, that truly fills in all the doubt, and gives so much more faith.

I am grateful for the mission- for the amazing people that I have found and taught, and the blessing that Heavenly Father has given me to watch many enter the waters of baptism and continue growing in the gospel. The mission has not been easy, but it has been the happiest and best time in my life. There has been no hardest or easiest area- every area has its difficulties- every transfer its problems- whether it was companions, members, health, etc... but all worked for my good- because through them I came to know my Savior.

And this is my testimony more than all- that Jesus Christ is our Lord, Savior, Redeemer, Master, Elder Brother, that he was born of humble birth during this Christmas season, lived a humble and dignified life, and was crucified for us. I know he suffered more that we can comprehend, bled at every pore, and with his stripes we are set free. Because of His love for every one of us- we have life, and hope, and life eternal. I love my Savior Jesus Christ with all my heart, and it is He that I serve, and will continue to serve until the end of my days- here on the mission and forever. I will never stop being a missionary- the people, food, language, and culture will change, but I will always have work to do. I will fight the good fight, because my Lord and master is on my side, and with Him, I cannot, and will not fail.

"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him- that He lives! " (D&C 76:22)

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

com amor
Sister Melanie Monroe

A penny For Your Thoughts

então....
I am having a very hard time beginning this letter. It is hard to put into words all that I have felt and seen this past week. I loved Michaels letter, much of what he said was perfect, and exactly what I feel as well. In my last interview my President told me that the last 3 weeks on the mission can be some of the most impact-full weeks on the mission, and it is true... I have been overwhelmed with the many lessons that the Lord continues to teach me. So here are some of the things I continued to learn this past week-

- Patience-
This is something I really have learned on the mission…not only with others, but with myself, my body, my talents, my weaknesses...all of it. I was reminded and humbly taught this yet again this last week as my companion was quite sick this past week, and we had to stay in the house for 2-3 days... that doesn’t seem like much, but on the mission, its a lot of days. But I was able to remember how I felt when I had pneumonia... and how I really needed that time to sleep and get better. The trials and things that happen in our lives are always to help ourselves grow closer to the Lord, and so I am quite, quite grateful for every trial I have had in my life... I read so much of Jesus the Christ this past week as I tried to help my companion, and after a few days, my companion was better, and I had a much greater love for my Savior.

-Humility-
I have really learned that at times we do aaalll that we can, and things don’t work out. And it’s to help us at times to realize that its not us or our talents that are making the work happen, its the Lord. This week we had 3 incredible men set for baptism- Lorival, Marcos, and Julio... the three live far apart, and are awesome, all were progressing and excited for baptism... and then the Inimigo did his part... I don’t know how he managed it, but the baptism of all three fell through. We tried calling and visiting all three... and there was no one home in every single house. It was the weirdest, and one of the most discouraging things that have happened on the mission.. This week was one of those weeks, where you do everything you can, and nothing goes right. And yet, I have learned, its apart of life!

-Be Happy-
yep, and even with all of these things that go wrong, you can still laugh, smile, and find the good things that happen. It was a horribly stressful week, but the good news- is that’s its over, and life goes on. And I am only stronger. There were a lot of funny things that happened, as always... the good news is that my companion that I have right now is one of the best I have had on my mission. Sister Gomes is incredible, we laugh so much together, cry together, teach well together, and find beautiful moments in each day. It is such a blessing to have a good, good friend in my companion. She has a hard life- her parents threw her out of the house when she decided to serve a mission (Her parents left the church like 5 years ago) and she had to sell everything she had to serve a mission. And yet she is fantastically positive. Its true, you can always be happy- it doesn’t matter what is going on in life- happiness is a choice.

-Families are forever-
I have learned soo much on my mission that family ties are eternal. This past week, Tatiane and Francisco (one of the families that will baptize in 2 weeks) lost an uncle. I saw how much this hurt Tatiane... she cried and cried, but for the first time I saw how grateful she was for the gospel. The missionaries had visited her soo much, and she didn’t want anything, but during the last 6 weeks, she made a great change and completely accepted the gospel. I saw the happiness in her eyes and we taught her about temples, and about the spirit world, and the beautiful plan of salvation. She was soo happy, and two days later, she found out she was pregnant. Life always moves on, and it is cool because she will baptize pregnant... and her and Francisco are sooo happy, especially to raise this new baby, and her sister Isabella (the cutest little girl) in the church.
I have also felt so close to my family here on the mission... it sounds so funny to say when I am so far away, but I have learned soo much about the eternal ties that link our family. I have never felt so close to my relatives who have already passed on, as I have felt here on the mission, as well as seeing what great blessings my family has received while I have been here on Brasil.

-Endure-
It is incredibly hard to think that I only have 2 weeks left on the mission. I am trying to do all that I can to finish strong. I keep thinking of cross country, where you always have to sprint the last half mile. I feel like that’s what I am trying to do... Saturday when we arrived at home I can’t remember ever being more tired, or more happy. We had walked so much, and visited so many people, and when you do everything you an- it feel so good. It is always incredible to see how other people are keeping firme in the gospel- Sebastiao is helping all of the missionaries with visits, and all of the members love him1 Rodrigo received the priesthood yesterday and passed the sacrament. He was literally beaming from head to toe as he reverently passed the sacrament. I could tell that he was nervous, but so happy. He will quickly become a leader- it is easy to see... and Regina is so happy as well. Their two little children- Nicolly and Nycolas received baby blessings yesterday as well, and the two were blessed and it said they would receive missions.. I thought of the great blessings of the Lord... to see how the work just continues. I too, was promised in my baby blessing that I would preach the gospel to the nations of the world, and now, to see this dear family baptize- and to hear that their children will serve missions... just makes me realize how this is the Lords work. And it will continue growing and growing… nothing can stop it- no power of the devil, absolutely nothing will stop the gospel from filling the whole earth.


Hoorah for Israel- I love being a missionary, this continues to be one of the hardest, happiest, and most rewarding times in my life.

Have a great week- Be happy, be patient, endure, think of your family, and just laugh when trials come your way. You have to enjoy the journey, because it passes faster then you realize.

I love you all,
Sister Felony Monroe

ps... Pray for Estevam, and for Tatiane and Francisco!