4 pews away from Elder Soares ❤️

Hi!!!

This week was INSANE AND SO AWESOME. We had transfers and I'm leading the area and Sister Cordner slept over and we put our friend on date for baptism!! and I got to see and hear Elder Soares speak 3 times!!!!!!!!!!

Segunda:

- I'm so blessed we have an "American store" in my area. I cried happy tears looking at those Mac and Cheese boxes.

- Had some sisters stay the night with us because of transfers. A sister said she's never seen this apartment this clean.

Terca:

- Tranferencias!!!

- Me and Sister Cordner at transfers

- Met up with Sister Cornell!!!!

- Mimi and Christina pulled out corn on the cob for us for our walk home at the end of our lesson. Literally the funniest thing for no reason.

Quarta:

- Lesson with Ricardo!!

- We met up with Jorge, and he really wanted to sit at this one particular bench and for a hot sec thought we were gonna have a saratov approach situation on our hands but we made it.

Quinta:

- Menos ativo Paulo told us he has aids

- Out of the first 3 grey dots we called 2 of them accepted a lesson and marked another time to talk with us!!

- Only 30 minutes of knocking doors and a woman yelled at us and called the cops LOL

Domingo:

- Sao at church

- Stake conf with elder Soares

I'm going to write about my weekend in more detail because it was just the best. Friday we had a lesson with São!!! Do you remember her story? How we contacted her on the street and apparently she had met missionaries 2 years ago, and her meeting us was a sign? Well, we've continued teaching her, and guys it has been so amazing. Every time we've met, I have seen a difference in her countenance. She is so much happier now!! Our previous lesson with her we invited her to pray and ask for a personal witness about the Book of Mormon and the things we've taught. When we asked about her experience she told us how she opened the Book of Mormon at two random places and read the chapters. She said she read them and was crying and couldn't stop. The chapters she opened to were Moroni 10 and 2 Nephi 31. Isn't that insane?? Not a coincidence for sure. We marked a date for her baptism!! October 1st!!!! Guys I love her so much I'm so excited for her.

Friday night, there was the young adult devotional with Elder Soares. Our friend Ricardo pulled through and we were able to go!!! When Elder Soares walked in, the Spirit was so strong. I saw Elder Soares walk into the chapel 3 times this weekend, and the Spirit was SO strong every single time. He's here with some other leaders and their wives as well, I'm the worst because I can't remember their names, but from the Presidency of the 70 and the Bishopric. They did a q and a for the devotional and it was so cool! Also cool because the other leaders were speaking in English, so they had someone translating almost every couple sentences, and it was awesome for me as I'm trying to learn.

Because of our mission conference the next day, we had 8 sisters stay at our apartment Friday night, so 10 including us HAHA. Sister Cordner slept over!!!! Heritage halls deja vu. It was so fun to be able to talk and talk about our first week of the transfer. What a milagre fr.

Saturday we had our mission conference!!!! This conference is and probably will be one of the highlights of my mission!! Super not kidding. It was so amazing to hear him speak so personally to us. Because of the other leaders there and because our mission is 95% americans, Elder Soares decided to do the conference in English. Which at first was a little bit of a bummer but I'm honestly so grateful because I definitely learned and felt more because of that. The other leaders spoke as well as their wives. One sister spoke and shared this quote by President Monson that I feel was a re-occurring theme throughout all the speakers. "Learn from the past, prepare for the future, but live in the present." I've super learned that this is suuuch an important thing to remember, especially here on the mission. This time is so valuable and is such an amazing opportunity. and then, before Elder and Sister Soares, we had the dreaded musical number. I'm pretty sure we ended up sounding decent, but my literal only 5 measure solo was the worst thing in the whole world. I was so nervous. Imagine being me singing for Elder Soares and 150 of your peers with the most mid singing voice in the whole world. Hahah I do have a recording but I will not be sending it out any serious inquiries can ask my mommy. I was in the 4th pew and you better believe I kept track, me and Elder Soares held solid eye contact 14 times while he spoke, each time being a good 3 seconds. Amazing.

Elder Soares is really good friends with my mission leaders President and Sister Barcellos. It is so cool!! Elder Soares spoke for about 15 minutes about how amazing they are and even started tearing up. He talked about how both their families are both pioneer families in the church. President Barcellos grandpa was Elder Soares Bishop growing up. Sister Barcellos grandpa was the first stake president in all of South America (Sao Paulo). He was so passionate at the pulpit, almost yelling in a Elder Holland kind of way, when he said "WHATEVER they teach, are the words of the Savior. Follow it." He promised that we'll be blessed for heeding their words during my mission AND after.

He spoke a little on how our success as missionaries depends on our commitment, and two things really stuck out to me that we can all apply in our lives. He said, "Setting and planning goals are eternal principles." Eternal principles!! That's so cool!! And later he said, "Your power comes from your studies, your power comes from your desire." I looove personal study so much. I want to be better at studying for the people I'm teaching.

I wish I could share everything he said and everything I learned!! But there's too much!! He shared his family's personal story finding the church and it and his testimony were so powerful. He continued to emphasize both how important our work is as well as how important we are. He said, "I'm here, because of you! These miracles are because of you!" Id be lying if I said I wasn't crying when he said that. In his testimony he said, "Missions are hard. If it was a simple task, He wouldn't have called you." SO GOOD!!!!

On Sunday, yes I'm only now talking about Sunday, hahaha we had Stake conference, also with Elder Soares!! I'm so blessed. São came with us and it was soooo special. We got there 30 minutes early with her and only were able to get seats because the missionary senior couples gave up their seats for us. They ended up watching the conference from another room. Soo nice of them. As soon as we sat down and were listening to the prelude music, São started wiping away tears. It was such a good meeting. We left and everyone in the whole world came up and said hi to us and São and it was so perfect. Even President Barcellos came up and met her! I asked her afterwards what she thought in comparison to what she knows from the Católica church, and she commented on how everyone was so much more friendly. It was a good day!!!

I'm excited for this transfer! I love you all!!!

Sister Menden

Pics

1. My morning run

2. Transferências

4. Corn

5. Sleep over!!!! Not pictured the 6 other girls lol

6 and 7. Besties fr

8. My latest obsession. Only 1 euro might I add

9 and 10. Obra missionaria at its finest