I Saw God Today

 

Hi!!

This transfer we have been working our butts off!! and it just seemed like we could not find anyone and reeeally teach anyone, until this week. I've seen more miracles this week than I've ever seen before on my mission. and that is saying A LOT.

Peter!

Remember the guy last week that we found on my exchange where I had to walk back 5 minutes to go talk to him because I didn't listen to the Spirit fast enough? We taught him the restoration, and then the next day we were messaging him asking about if he had read and prayed about everything yet, and he said that yes, he's been reading, yes he's already prayed, and yes, he's already received a confirmation that the things we taught are true.  Now he's on date to be baptized!!!!! On the 26th of this month! 

Erik and Viviane and Erikzinho!

2 transfers ago, Sister Webster and her other comp saw this cute lady with pink pants on the street and chased her down to talk to her. They walked with her for 10 minutes until her house and taught her all about the church. They taught her for awhile but she was too busy so they ended up dropping her. And then last week! This guy named Erik did a self referral from a church ad and we met with him and his son little Erik the next day. They were super cool and big Erik was so excited to learn. As we were walking to the church to have our second lesson with the Eriks later in the week, we walked past the building of the cute pink pants lady and Sister Webster told me about her for the first time. We went to our lesson with the Eriks and we talked about how we want to meet his wife and go to his house and guess who is wife is. Literal cute pink pants lady Viviane. I had heard about her for the first time that day and now we come to find out that they are all part of this perfect elect family. You should've seen our faces when we found out.  They came to our ward activity movie night on Saturday night where we watched the movie of the Restoration and then they all came to church the next day! Viviane told the whole Sunday school class about how the Lord does not abandon us. How the Lord even ended up using her family to help her find the truth. It was THE CUTEST THING. After church Viviane told us that she wants to be baptized here and now her and Erikinho are getting baptized on the 29th of this month!!! 

Viviane and Carlos and Yasmine!

Last week Sister Webster randomly called someone on facebook messenger (you'd be surprised how often that works). And this tender Brasilian guy answered and was super interested. He is actually working in Germany, BUT he then gave us the address and number to his wife (we hope) and daughter for us to visit. We taught them the restoration and two days later when we came back, the mom Viviane and daughter Yasmine both had received a confirmation that what we taught is true!! Now both of them are on date to be baptized!!!!! On the 2nd of September! 

 

I had two super awesome exchanges this week and I'm convinced exchanges are for me as much as they are for the other Sisters. I've been thinking a lot recently about the prayer Joseph offered when he received his first vision and I've learned two very big things. That there is so much power as well as relief in prayer, and that the Spirit always always testifies of the truthfulness of the first vision of Joseph Smith. We learn so may doctrinal truths because of the first vision. We learn that God is our loving Heavenly Father and He knows each us in a very specific and personal way. We learn that He always answers our prayers. We learn that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are separate glorified Beings. We learn that the Father always bears record of the Son, that the Son always bears record of the Father, and the Holy Ghost always bears record of the Father and the Son (3 Nephi 11:35-36). 

Mom always told us that the first time she can remember feeling the Spirit was when she was in primary singing "Joseph's Smith First Prayer." I was trying to remember the first time I ever felt the Spirit this week, and similarly, the first time I can remember, I was in primary and we were singing "A Child's Prayer." We were in a member meal and the Olhão Sisters shared a video of that song and ficei emocionada because that song helped me remember some of the basic gospel truths that are so easily forgotten.

Heavenly Father, are you really there?

And do you hear and answer ev’ry child’s prayer?

Some say that heaven is far away,

But I feel it close around me as I pray.

Heavenly Father, I remember now

Something that Jesus told disciples long ago:

“Suffer the children to come to me.”

Father, in prayer I’m coming now to thee.

Pray, he is there;

Speak, he is list’ning.

You are his child;

His love now surrounds you.

He hears your prayer;

He loves the children.

Of such is the kingdom, the kingdom of heav’n.

During my exchange with Sister Sutton, we were sitting at the computer doing some facebook work and all of a sudden I heard her gasp. She had come across a post saying that Elder Holland was hospitalized again, and immediately she said, "We need to pray" and so we stopped, and prayed. And that really just stuck with me. We pray alll the time as missionaries and it gets very casual but I was honestly moved by her genuine and instantaneous desire to talk to and ask a blessing of our Heavenly Father. The Spirit has made it obvious to me that I need to be better at becoming as a child and coming to Him in humble prayer  

We receive transfer news on Wednesday night and then transfers are on Friday and I pray that I'm still here in Faro next week! I'm not ready to leave!!

Sister Menden 

Pics!

- I love these members 

- Exchange with Sister Tyler in Lagos!! Lagos is soooo pretty and soooo full of tourists lol. 

- I went to go fixe the other Sisters toilet and look what I found. Elders have been here 

- Exchange with Sister Sutton in Olhão!! 

- We had a zone challenge to "soapbox preach" and so we went on the train and announced that we are the missionaries and have a special message and we gave away 3 Book of Mormons and found 2 new friends to teach!! Miracles!!

- We put on a movie night at the church and we watched the movie of the Restoration and I'm actually amazed at how many members and friends came! The members said we should do a movie night every month  

- A cute member gave me a seahorse he got while fishing 

- We are starting a family history class and we had our first one!! We are working on it and are hoping more (younger) people will show up hahah

- THIS LAST PIC is Erik and Viviane and Erikzinho!!!! I love them!!!