Sunday, April 27, 2014

14 April 2014

Dear Family,

It´s been another awesome week! 

Early in the week, we were going to visit Teresinha, a less active member, but caught her just as she was leaving her house to go to the doctor. She was pale and looked like she had a fever and looked super tired. We walked and talked with her for a bit before she caught the bus. I was really surprised when the next day, we saw her again at Cátia and Sergio´s, the member´s house we were going to for lunch. She works as kind of a nanny for them, helping around the house and sometimes cooking. She said she was still not feeling really well. Cátia told her to rest and I sat by her on the couch. We got talking and she said she wasn´t able to watch conference. I decided to read with her Elder Holland´s talk from last conference, about physical and emotional struggles. As we read and talked about parts of the talk, she said, "That is exactly how I feel." The doctor had told her that she needed to watch her stress levels and control her emotions because it was affecting her blook pressure and health. We were able to discuss how she can use both medical and spiritual help to become whole. She is so sweet and I just love Teresinha! 

We finally were able to teach Barbara and Helém (10 and 11 years old) who live on our street. They are so adorable and love the Book of Mormon. They read it together and pass along the scriptures we read with them to their friend Paola, who studies in the afternoon so isn´t always there for the lessons. Barbara is really spiritually in tune and she says she can pray and ask whatever she needs and God will answer and usually answers her in a dream. She says that she prayed about a different church that uses white chairs and God told her that the church with white chairs is not true. She said that He also answered when she asked about the Book of Mormon and said that all of it is true. Her and Helém came with us to church yesterday! It was fast and testimony meeting and Sister Melo went up with a girl from the ward, and we were all really surprised when  Barbara, who was sitting next to me, stood up and walked up to join them. After they gave their testimonies she spoke one of the sweetest testimonies I have ever heard. She said "I believe in the church and in the Book of Mormon and in Jesus Christ, in the name of Jesus Christ Amen"
When she said "I believe" It reminded me of Elder Holland´s talk from April 2013 where he tells of meeting a boy who also believes. He says "14-yearold boy recentlysaid to me little hesitantly, Brother Holland, can’t say yet that knowthe Church is true, but believe it is.” hugged that boy until his eyes bulged out. told him with all the fervor of my soul that belief is aprecious word, an evemore precious act, and he need never apologize for “only believing.” told him that Christ Himself said, “Be not afraid, onlybelieve,”12 a phrase which, by the way, carried younGordon B. Hinckleyinto the mission field.13 I told this bothat belief was always the first step toward conviction anthat the definitive articles of our collective faith forcefully reiterate the phrase We believe.”14 And told him how very proud was of him fothe honesty of his quest.

It made me also think about what I know and believe. There are some things in the gospel that I know, and others that I believe to be true, but I know that when we lead with faith, all of our doubts can be transformed into belief and then knowledge and we can have a strong conviction of truth. 

I testify that Jesus Christ is our Savior and through the atonement of Christ, we can become who we want to become and return to live happily in the presence of God, our loving Heavenly Father. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and the Book of Mormon is the word of God for us in these days. I bear witness that this is the Lord´s work and that He will support us and carry us in our hardest moments if we let Him. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Love,

Sister Smith


Pic 1: Me with Izabel waiting for the bus after General Conference :D 

Pic 2: Sharing the Book of Mormon with a famous guy´s bronze statue

Pic 3: With another famous guy in his museum. Looking back, I really should have written down their names. 




No comments:

Post a Comment