Two Baptisms in Vila Prudente Ward in Brazil

I didn´t have time to get online this week, but this week was really good we had 2 baptisms, Carlos and Deborah!!!! It was a really spiritual experience for them and for me. Hope everyone has a good week!! I promise to write more next week!!!!!!!

Desi

Count Your Blessings on a Mission

Hey everybody! It was SOOOOO good to talk to everyone yesterday! It made me feel more excited about my mission and the experiences that I´ve been having.

Something that I´m learning here is to appreciate the things that I have. I have been blessed with so many good things in my life. I have been blessed with a good physical body, a good mind, a good family. And I have the gospel in my life!!!!! I have so many blessings in my life. One of the greatest blessings that each of us have is the Holy Ghost. When we listen to his voice we are always led to make the right choice which will lead to eternal life. When we stop to really count our blessings is when we see how much heavenly father has truly blessed us with and how much he truly loves us. Then we want to share these things with other people, not just with the people we know and like but with everyone!!!!!!  I have been blessed with a mission here in Brazil to share the gospel with a lot of people who have never even heard of the church. People who stop to talk to me and try to understand what I´m saying. Sometimes people don´t always accept to act on what we teach and when this happens it´s always sad to see because we know how much joy and blessings the gospel bring. But I know that Heavenly Father loves them and that he will give them many chances to accept the gospel. 

I love you all and I´m glad for everything that you teach me and show me through your examples. Don´t let little things get you down. Keep going strong in what you know is right. Walk by faith!!!!!!! 

Tomorrow are transfers and I´ll let everyone know what happens!!!!!!!!

Love,

Desi

Missionary Receives Answers to Questions in Brazilian Temple

HELLO EVERYONE!!! I can´t believe Michael got his call, already!!!! Where is he going??? When is he leaving?!?!?! How exciting :) This week I went to the TEMPLE!!! It was cool to watch the session in Portuguese. It made me pay attention and it was cool that I actually understood what they were saying. It was a really great day. I was praying that I could have a spiritual experience and I had a lot of questions that I wanted answered and I had exactly what I was needing and Heavenly Father answered ALL of the questions that I had written down. It was amazing :)

This week was good and frustrating at the same time. Good because I feel like I´m really gaining confidence in my teaching and my ability to speak in portuguese. We found a really awesome kid named Erick that accepted our invite to be BAPTIZED and he went to a yw/ym activity and really liked it. I´m excited to work hard to help him enter into the covenant of baptism with Heavenly Father. This week I had another pretty cool experience. Once on my way to a lunch appointment I saw a man sitting outside his work on his lunch break. I had seen him many times before always in the same spot same time of the day, but never thought anything of it. This one particular day I had a prompting to talk to him, but we were running really really late and I ignored the prompting :(.... But afterwards I felt really guilty and I prayed and prayed and prayed to have the opportunity to talk to him again, but everytime we passed by this spot he was NEVER there again. But.... the very next day after I had gone to the temple he was sitting there in his normal spot and I had the same feeling, and this time I had no fears I just went. It was an easy contact and he gave us his address and I´m not sure if we will even see any success, but I´m glad Heavenly Father gave me another chance. I´m learning the importance of always following the spirit even when its not convenient or easy. 

I´m excited for the Transfer next week. ReALLY REALLY REALLY hoping for some changes.... 

I´m excited to talk to everyone on Mother's Day this week. I will be on Skype at 4:00 PM my time. I´m not sure what time that is for everyone else.... Hope that everyone can make it!!!!!

Chalenges of Missionary Work

A lot of really good things happened, and a lot of really sad things happened this week. All of which have really helped me realize the love that Heavenly Father has for all of us!!!! I don´t like to dwell on the bad, so I´ll tell you the good. 

1. After waiting for almost 3 months for the divorce papers of our investigators Donizete and Adriana to come through, so they can mark their marriage to one another to be baptized, they finally came through and should be married and baptized by NEXT MONTH :) 

2. We started teaching a really awesome 15 - year old girl, named Sabrina, who really has a desire to be baptized and to follow the example of Jesus Christ. 

3. We´ve been visiting a man who left the church about 8 years ago when he and his wife divorced, and sunday he and his new woman we´re at church.  

4. Me and Sister Teixeira have finally came to an understanding, and our relationship is growing. It can only get better from here. She helped me a lot this week. 

5. We get to go to the TEMPLE next week. I`M SOOOO EXCITED :) :) :) 

I´m glad to see that everyone is doing good, hope you all have a good week!!!!

Desi

Facing Trials

This week was hard, but I´m grateful for my trials. It means Heavenly Father is testing me. I know that I´m strong and that he wouldn´t give me a trial bigger than I could handle. Good news is that the divorce papers of my investigators Adriana and Donizete are finally moving. They should be divorced, married and baptized by next month. It´s been really strengthening to see the patience and faith that Adriana has, and the desire that she has to truly follow Jesus Christ and be baptized. I know that if we seek out the good we definitely see the blessings that the savior has given us. I´m grateful for all of you guys and the example that you´ve always been for me.

Love,

Desi

Conference Inspires Missionary

Yesterday I watched conference in Portuguese. I was a little bit nervous because I was scared it would be hard to understand the translation into Portuguese and that I wouldn't get very much out of it, but I had been praying for a whole week to be able to prepare to understand and get something out of conference. Before hand I prayed that Heavenly Father would help me understand and that all my questions would be answered and it was amazing. I understood almost every word, and I felt like the talks where directly spoken to me (excluding the talk about marriage haha) I loved Elder Holland's talk on faith, he is always phenomenal and to hear President Monson talk is always so uplifting. Heavenly Father truly does answer prayers. Tomorrow is transfers and I´m dying to know if I´ll stay or if I´ll go. I´ve been here in Morumbi for almost 4 months, so we´ll see what happens. Hope everyone is good and that they enjoyed conference as much as I did!!!

Desi

Doubling Teaching Pool

Last week of the Transfer. This week was good. Yesterday Denise, our recent convert, told us she wants to serve a mission and that she already told her family, that she´s been praying about it, and that she wants to start saving money!!!!!! And Bruna, our other recent convert, gave a talk on standards!!!! I´m so proud of them and the changes they´ve made in their lives and their willingness to serve the Lord. It´s so awesome to see. HAPPY EASTER to everyone. Here in Brazil it isn't the biggest deal ever. They have these big chocolate eggs and they give their kids chocolate eggs and that's all, buttttttt Bishop Nilson is awesome and he bought me and my companion one and surprised us at church. He is seriously one of the best bishops in the world!!!! I´m grateful for the savior and his sacrifice and his Resurrection. One day all of us are going to be resurrected as well!!!! We  saw many little miracles happen this week and we doubled our teaching pool, I´m excited to work hard to show my gratitude to the savior!!!!!! I´m also REALLY excited for general conference this week. I´m hoping to really use it as a tool to help people know that we really have a PROPHET today that communicates with Heavenly Father to lead and guide us!!!!! One week till transfers. I don´t know if I´ll stay or if I´ll go.... I´m hoping to stay because I´m finally loving the ward and I´m finally getting a hang of everything, but then again I don´t want to get my hopes up because everytime this happens I end up leaving...... ANyways I love you all!!!! Hows it coming with sharing the gospel?!??!!?!?!?!

Sister Bruno