Touched by the Spirit

This week I feel like I have learned a little bit about what it truly means to bear one anothers burdens. This week we started teaching a woman named Fernanda. She is passing through a really hard time because she is currently living with the father of her two sons. Who is unfortunately an alcoholic. He can´t even work because he is so addicted to drinking. He is literally drinking his life away. As we have gotten to know her and have talken to her, I can honestly say that we have been bearing her burdens. I feel SO MUCH sadness for her, but I also feel so much HOPE for her. Unfortunately she can not work because she has a little baby of 1 month old and has to wait until he is 4 months old to stop breast feeding him. But she said that everytime she prays and thinks about the new years something fills her with happiness and hope. I don´t know exactly how to help her overcome these problems, but I am confident that Heavenly Father does and I hope to be able to continue to bear her burdens and help make them lighter. 

We also taught Josè and he is SOOOO ELECT!!!!! We taught him the restoration and he got really emotional and cried. It was the most tender moment I think I have ever had in my life. This cute little old man so willing to accept the teachings of Christ in his life. I thought about how much Heavenly Father must truly love him. We marked his baptism for the 12th of January. 

I´m so excited for this new year. It is going to be SOOOO Great. I know it. I am a firm believer of New Year´s Goals, so I hope that everyone writes out 14 goals for the year of 2014 and puts them in a visible place so that everyday you can remember and try your hardest to reach them.  

LOVE YOU ALL!!! HAPPY NEW YEARS!!! THANKS FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT AND LOVE :) 

Desi 

Christmas Week

A lot happened this week!!!!

Tuesday we had our mission Christmas conference. It was great to see all of my missionary friends that I have made over this last year. It also made me really reflect on my own testimony of Jesus Christ. I KNOW that he was born to save US!!!!

We worked well the rest of the week. 

We had a REALLY AWESOME experience this week!!! We were headed to an appointment at an investigators house that we had never been to before. I looked on the map and memorized the route, but as we were heading there I decided to turn on a street that wasn´t on the route. I didn´t know know what the street was but I was just like let´s turn here. As we were walking down the street we saw two men standing outside of a house. Two men that we had Never seen before in our lives. When of them shouted ``OI SISTERES`` We were like ummmm hiiii???? And he started going off about how we were sent from God.... We were like are you a member? And he just kept going off about miracles.... Turns out that he is a member that lives in a different city that was just visiting his friend for the day. A friend who isn't a member. His friend is going through a rough time and earlier in the day he told him that he should let the missionaries come by and talk to And we just happened to show up when the member was leaving. We really were sent by GOD!!!!! I´m super stoked to start teaching José.. .He seems really sincere and actually interested. Thanks to the awesome missionary work that his friend did. I know that when we are worthy we will be led by the promptings of the Holy Ghost!!!!!! 

This week we PRAYED so much to be able to find new investigators, and we actually found a lot of new people to teach. Most of which are not married, but living together. Hoping that the New Year brings a lot of weddings and happy newlyweds... Maybe Annika's wedding will start the trend :) 

Excited to talk to everyone on Christmas... We get an hour and a half to talk... What time should I get on?!?!?!?!?! 

LOVE YOU ALL 

Desi

We should even give thanks for our afflictions because they turn our hearts to God and give us opportunities to prepare for what God would have us become. - Dallin H. Oaks

This week was a TOUGH one!!!

Tuesday I got a knarly farmers burn. 

Wednesday I went to the doctor because I haven´t been able to sleep because I cough so much that I start to vomit at night, but then I didn´t have money to buy the prescripition so I felt like I wasted precious work time :( I´m allergic to all of the pollution that they have here in São Paulo :( And I still have random allergic reactions 

Thursday was thanksgiving. No one here even knows what Thanksgiving is, and we didn´t have money to really celebrate. We scraped some personal money together and bought a lime pie after we worked and ate it at night. 

Friday was the day of rejection. We got rejected by every single person we talked to on the street, and to make matters worse this great family we started teaching that I had really gotten my hopes with told us not to come back. and worst was that they refused to give me a specific reason. Just that they just weren´t really interested right now. That was the worst. I tried to be brave and tell them what they were missing out, but it didn´t seem to have much effect. Afterwards, I cried so hard that I couldn´t work for like an hour!!!!

Today I got robbed... Again.... luckily they only stole the cell phone and my bus pass. 

The point of these hardships isn´t to complain... just to say that Heavenly Father gives us afflictions because he wants us to learn and improve. I think he wanted me to learn to be grateful no matter what happens!!! It made me really evaluate the things I am grateful for. I´m grateful that I have the gospel in my life, and I´m grateful for all of the people that I have had the opportunity to teach. I feel like I have LEARNED so much from each and every one of them. Today I got to spend my pday with a recent convert from Vila Prudente. At the end she started crying when I left.... and just told me Sister Bruno... Não esqueça perseverar até o fim... Sister Bruno, Don´t forget, Endure to the End... It made me happy to see that she remembered what we had taught and that she was HELPING me!!!!! 

Going to continue enduring to the end... and taking advantage for every day that I have here on the mission

Sister Bruno 

PS- Thanks for everyones help with my byu apps!!!!!!