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