Ava Answers Questions

Changes in the mission:

We wake up at 7, but it can be earlier too! Sometimes we wake up at 6 so Sister can use a members punching bag or so we can run to the chapel. I am so happy I can run a few times a week!! We then do an hour of personal at 8, half an hour of planning, half an hour of 12 weeks (new missionary training) and then we leave the house to do proselyting. We eat lunch with a member for an hour (no more) and then get back to work. At some point during the day we can do language (30 minutes) and Comp study (30 minutes) but it has to be in public, like a park or on the sidewalk. We also have 30 minutes to eat dinner at home. The key indicators didn't really change in my mission. We only report the 4 (confirmations, baptismal dates marked, investigators at church, and new investigators), but we still need to make goals and work with all of the original ones.

Felipe's story:

As I said, we found him on the street with Taisa and Wanderson (members who are letting him live with them) on a Saturday night, and began to teach him every other day. He had moved from Alagoas to have a clean fresh start here in São Paulo. He was a little unsure if we really wanted to go through with everything, but when President came here to interview him, he got super super excited!!! President just has that powerful spirit that spreads light into peoples lives and helps them want to follow the Savior. I love President. President said "He will be baptized and confirmed tomorrow."

Then....everything that could've possibly fallen apart, fell apart. We spent the rest of Saturday running our tails off to make things right but when we would fix one barrier, another would arise. I kept thinking "Is this a sign it isn't meant to be?" But I remembered President's words and realized it was the adversary doing everything possible to keep it from happening. Even AFTER he was baptized the next morning before church we were still hitting barriers (they pronounced his name wrong in the ordinance). In the last 10 minutes of sacrament meeting, President finally called us back and said to go ahead with the confirmation so we did some hand signs with the brothers in the front...and it all worked out! WOO!  I felt like I had finished a marathon once church ended! It was truly miraculous that despite all the opposition, we were able to fulfill the Lords will. :)

Rosana and Rute went to Girls Camp (but it also has the young men, so it's not really girls camp) and they had an amazing experience. Rosana bore her testimony the Sunday after and tearfully shared how much she learned and grew. She walks an hour to and from the church 4 times a week to go to seminary. Rute has been inviting all her friends to church and to hear the missionaries. We have been gathering a ton of modest clothes for them :)  I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!

What does it mean to train?

Every 6 weeks new missionaries enter the mission and begin their training. Their first companion is their trainer and they do a program called "12 weeks" which is how long training lasts. So, Sister Gomes is brand new in the mission and I am helping train her how to be a missionary!

There are more Guilherme miracles, but I don't have any more time. I'll update his story next week :)

LOVE YOU ALL! I forgot my camera at home today, I am sorry!!


Have a great week!