Abacaxi Com Doce de leite

Oi família e amigos! 

Well, this week was super good. And it felt like nothing much happened, but looking back I have a ton to tell you. Praying that I can type fast enough.

Well, first off. We went to have a lesson on Monday with Rosangela, Cesar, Pedro, and Aime. We taught about the Plan of Salvation. They are keeping the word of wisdom. Things are going super good. And at the end of the lesson we were just all smiles. I asked if there was anything that we could do to help them. And Rosangela said, "Well, you guys walk around a lot and know a lot more about the city...and I was wondering if you could get information for me about what we need to get married?" JAW DROP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was almost crying. It was wonderful!!! So now we are waiting for a few documents, and hopefully within the next month there will be a marriage and a family getting baptized!!!! They are progressing so much and I am super happy!!! They went to a stake activity on Wednesday and they are interacting with the members a lot more. Their family is so much happier. EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL!!! THE GOSPEL IS TRUE! 

This week we ate a LOT of pizza. Twice for lunch and then we went to the Rodizzio...which is a pizza buffet. I ate 14 pieces of pizza. Holy cow. We were so stinking full afterwards. But I have discovered that the best pizza to exist is abacaxi com doce de leite (pineapple with something that is sort of like carmel sauce). 

We are teaching a family of three women-a mom (who doesn´t live in this city, but is taking care of the granddaughter, so is here during the week) Elizamar, and two of her daughters-Fernanda and Andressa. We found Fernanda knocking doors and shared the message of the Restoration with her and she was super interested. And the other week we taught the three of them about the Book of Mormon! They read and have a testimony and are surprised that other religions don´t have this book and think that it should be published for the whole world, haha :) 

Well, now that it is November, the Christmas decorations are going up and I am contacting with Christmas pass-along cards. It´s pretty funny. Sometimes people look at me really strange...as if there was something wrong with being excited for Christmas in two months! haha

This week we taught a Pastora (the woman version of a pastor..). Her husband is also a pastor. She was pretty awesome. And really liked how we taught the Plan of Salvation. haha. And then she prayed. And with every sentence she raised her voice a little more...at the end of the prayer she was nearly screaming. That was a little scary haha. 

Saturday had the first baptism..well actually two... here in nearly a year...maybe more. The ward is super excited and helping us out a ton. Things are going super well!

Well, we have Eduarda (a less-active), Elizabete, Rosangela, Cesar, Pedro, and Aime all progressing. And many investigators that have a lot of potential! Please pray for them. We need some miracles here. Hoping to see a few this week :) 

Love you all! 

Hope things are going well!

Have a wonderful week! 

Sister Wilkins

At the Rodizzio...last piece of pizza

Selfie, day of the baptism

Two districts, we meet at the same church for district meeting

They came. AS A FAMILY!

Oi família e amigos! 

Well, another week has come and gone, and yet another week we have had crazy weather. One morning the rain looked like snow and it was really cold...I was nearly convinced that it was snow...and the next day we were melting. And so went our week...but what´s new?

This week we had a couple of large miracles. Rosangela, Pedro, and Aime have a baptism date marked, but Rosangela is not married and Cesar, her "husband" was not listening to many of our messages because he was asleep. Well, we organized things better to go there with a member. We taught him the word of wisdom because he has a drinking problem and their family drinks coffee. But the members helped a ton and they committed to live the word of wisdom! Later that night they came to an Integration Night as a family and to church the next day. AS A FAMILY!!! I WAS SO HAPPY! Pray for them. We need a miracle with a marriage or they won´t be able to baptized when it´s planned...it´s scheduled for the middle of November.

Rosangela, Cesar, Pedro, and Aime at church!

Well, we had the Integration night and we set up the church to be kind of like Lehi´s dream. We had a bunch of returned missionaries and other members in our ward help us to try and pull people off the rope, the iron rod, so they couldn´t get to the tree of life (a tree with chocolate strung on the branches). It was awesome. The investigators loved it and the members too. It reminded me of my second year at girls camp, when I had my first Lehi´s dream experience and how much I learned from that little experience that we  can never let go of the scriptures, never stop praying or going to church, because it is with the little things that Satan gets us. Little by little, he will never ask us to take a big leap, but will guide us step by step until we reach the edge and he can push us. The scriptures, prayer, and church attendance are what keep us strong in the gospel. 

Well, this week we had a lot of our investigators that were progressing more than others tell us that they were out of town dealing with family health problems and would call us when they got back or that they were really busy and would call us when they have a bit of time...which means that we aren´t going to hear back from a lot of these people and we have some work to do finding investigators who will progress. 

Trying new foods again from the NorthEast of Brazil. Super good stuff. 

Well, that´s about all my news. 

Happy halloween! Stay safe!

Love you all! 

Sister Wilkins

Super delicious dessert we made this week

Selfie

This is how I am celebrating halloween :) 

"I've Got a Blank Space, Baby, and I'll Write Your Name"

Oi familia e amigos e todo o mundo!!!! 

This week was super good! I am super happy! Things are super great! (Sorry in advance for all the excitement to come that may or may not make sense)

This week we went and taught Pedro, Rosangela, and Aime the Restoration. The Spirit was so strong, they´ve already received testimonies about the Book of Mormon and they accepted the convite baptismal!!!! (They accepted the invitation to be baptized). We walked out of that lesson nearly flying home. We practically ran all the way there (because we were almost late) because we were so excited! There was a baptism on saturday in the Elders' ward that we got to go to and we invited this family. THEY CAME!!! And they came to church!!!! :) SO HAPPY!!! But we found out that there are some family problems that we never imagined and that they might be moving back to the Bahia at the end of the year...please pray for them. The bishop is going to talk to them and see if he can help. 

This week we had interviews with President. It was awesome. 

I asked him about his thoughts on college and such and we had a really good talk. Asked him what I could do to be better since my mission is coming to a close (tears....) and he helped me to realize how far I have already come. That was awesome. 

This week we found two or three new investigators every day!!!! WE HAD 18 NEW INVESTIGATORS THIS WEEK!!!! :) Well, that was legit, and hence the title of this email...we have been writing registros (forms) for about an hour a night every night of the week. And then we collapse exhausted in bed. It is AWESOME!!! 

This week it has heated up a lot but it has also rained a ridiculous amount here. It is crazy. They are having some problems with heavy rain in some areas of the mission, but it´s good. Don´t worry all the missionaries are safe. It´s helping us cool off instead of dying every day of heat. 

Loving the mission more and more every second. There are times when it is hard, when all you want to do is sit in bed and cry or study until your eyes can´t handle it. But there is nothing better. If you are considering a mission, please stop considering and decide to go. You WILL NOT regret it. And you will grow more than you could ever imagine. 

Love you all! 

Have a wonderful week! 

Sister Wilkins

Interviews with some of the missionaries..

Really cool flower we found while walking yesterday

Week of New Investigators!

Oi familia e amigos!!! 

Well, I don´t think I have been this tired in a long time. This week was so long. We had a holiday on Wednesday and it rained. Normally here in Brazil no one would answer the door in this circumstance. WE GOT IN AND SHARED MESSAGES AT ALMOST EVERY HOUSE WHERE SOMEONE ANSWERED THE DOOR!!!! :) 

President has sent us a lot of emails and we have talked a lot lately about finding one new investigator every day. Sister Evangelista and I have taken that very seriously and we are working really hard to find one, or more, new investigators every day. On the holiday (Children´s day) we found 7!!!!!!!!!!!! And most of them were couples!!! WE ARE SO HAPPY!!! AND EXCITED!!! 

So, we got 15 new people to teach this week, but three said that they didn´t want to receive our messages after we finished...

Well, what else? I talked in Sacrament meeting yesterday about the pioneers in my family. That was actually really cool. Bishop asked me to talk about my feelings towards these people and how because of them I can serve a mission. Well, the stake President was there and I was a little nervous. I had to talk for 15 minutes, and everyone there was totally stone-faced when I was talking. I was grateful when I finished. But it all worked out really well. The members all really liked it and said it was good and that I am speaking really well...when I was up there I could have sworn that I went backwards in progress about 6 months. But it was really interesting, because the people here are almost all first generation members (and then there´s the second generation with their kids) so I have heard a lot of their stories and I got to share mine and how we are all pioneers, independent of how many generations are in the church because we all have to make the choice to be baptized and then work to be converted to Christ. Sadly I realized that I don´t know a lot about how my family learned about the church...just one great-great-great grandpa. Got a lot of work to do when I get home. 

Avelino came to sacrament meeting!!! :) I was soooo happy!! 

Well, it is super hot. We basically melted today and yesterday. we bought milkshakes and I got  sandals for R$11 (pics to follow). 

What more can I say??

We are working with a guy named Fernando. He is engaged to a less-active. We taught him about the Book of Mormon this week and he said he´d read it! And wants to be baptized but he wants to know what his commitments with the church are first. Please pray for him!! 

Loving this work more and more every day. It truly is the work of God and He really does bring about miracles when we do our part. 

Well, that´s about it for the week. 

Love you all! 

Have a wonderful week! 

Sister Wilkins

Yet Another Transfer

Oi família e amigos!! 

Well, this week started with Tuesday night at 10:30 receiving transfer calls from President. I am staying here in Chapecó and my new comp, Sister Evangelista already arrived. And Sister E. Costa left for Caçador. 

I lived with Sister Evangelista back in Balneário. So should be good! 

Well, this week we found a new investigator. We were teaching Gilberto, a new investigator we found a couple weeks ago. He accepted to be baptized in the second lesson. And this was our third lesson with him. He didn´t want to take on any sort of commitment of going to church. Sister E. Costa and I were about to drop him. And then his roommate, Allisom (it´s a guy´s name here) showed up and started participating in the lesson. He was super interested, and super awesome. We asked if we could say a closing prayer. He literally flew off the couch, standing in front of us with his hands out, ready to hold hands and pray. Sister E. Costa and I just smiled. I have never seen anyone so excited to pray in my life. Reminded me a little of the importance of prayers. That we should see it as something exciting! Not just something that we are required to do on a daily basis, not just something routine, because it is so much more. It is a sacred connection with a loving Heavenly Father who will never abandon us. 

Well, we had our last district meeting as a district, but out of the 6 of us, only Sister Evangelista is new this transfer. 

We are also teaching a couple that belongs to the Spirit church...not sure what it´s called in English. In Portugues it´s Espíritismo. Anyway, they believe in the reincarnation. Among many other strange things. But it has been a very eye opening experience. It has helped me to understand better and become more grateful for the chance that I have to know about God´s plan for me-where I came from, why I am here, and what will happen to me after this life. It helps me to know why some people suffer in this life and others have it so seemingly easy. And sadly, there are many people who still do not understand this. Well, I am forever grateful for this plan: the Plan of Salvation. It is real. We CAN live together with our families forever. But we must do our part to earn that salvation. 

If you want to know more about it, enter in contact with the local missionaries of the church, they would love to teach you! 

Love you all! 

Have a wonderful week! 

Sister Wilkins

District meeting, 

and Elder Fonseca, from the other district

A less active being reactivated and his mom! 

And this morning at the rodoviaria saying goodbye to the comp

Conference! :)

Well oi família e amigos! 

This week was somewhat eventful. 

I finished reading Jesus the Christ and would invite you all to read it! Your testimony of the Savior and His divine mission will grow immensely! 

Well, the week started off real interesting....I was peed on by a members dog. Gotta love dogs :P

And the next day we had a man stop us on the street asking if he could talk to a member. We took him to the young men´s president. And he talked with him a bit. And then came and talked to all of us. He told us he´d been homosexual for 29 years and managed to stop. But that he was trying to get a job and had to return to his city, and needed money and prayers...that was interesting. 

Well, you sure do see a lot of strange things on the mission. 

We went and taught Elizabete this week and found out she had doubts about some of the stuff that the Church teaches. One of which was tithing. so we taught her about tithing, and cleared everything up! Things are going really well. And she is going with the ward to the temple this week! She knows she won´t be able to enter, but she´s excited. And I am hoping that she´ll receive a response there! 

CONFERENCE!!! I loved conference! And I have come to realize that we are always learning the same things. About the scriptures, prayer, going to church, etc. Because it is the small things that count. 

AVELINO, our less-active, came to the first session!!! I was SOOOOO EXCITED!!! He´s been less active for about 15 years. And he came, by himself! On his bike!!! :) And it is a long way from his house.

Well, running out of time, but wanted to share this quote that I loved: "All that the Lord expects of us is that we try." -Pres. Hinckley

Don´t give up! The gospel is true! READ, PONDER, STUDY and REWATCH or LISTEN to the talks from this weekend! You will be blessed immensely! I love this gospel! I love all of you! 

Have a wonderful week! 

Sister Wilkins

Avelino at conf. 

And other selfies...

Happy Conferencing!

Oi família e amigos! 

Selfie Sunday!

This week was good! 

We had Zone conference with President on Wednesday! It was awesome! He talked about finding one new investigator every day, without fail. And then he let us ask any question we wanted about D&C 88. It was awesome. I learned a lot about the Plan of Salvation. Learned that God sets a limit to how much Satan can tempt us because God knows how much we can handle. He never gives us more than that. It was a very insightful day.

Zone Conference!

Got a package from my wonderful parents! :) With goldfish! Que saudades de comida americana.

Package!!!

Well, this week we started teaching a FAMILY! They are a referral from a member. Rosangela, the mom, and Pedro, 14, have been coming to church and we finally got a lesson with their family. Cesar is the dad, and they have two more kids, Aime, and Acam, who was born a couple of months ago. And Aime came to church this week! Pedro is already super good friends with some members. When we got to his house he asked us to explain the Book of Mormon to him and leave him couple of verses so he didn´t have to read the whole Book of Mormon yet! He is super awesome!!! Super excited about this family! 

Our investigator, Elena

This week I had a cool study about the Refiner´s fire that I thought I´d share with you:

Refiners purify gold and cast out that which is not pure. Fire is a symbol of purification or sanctification in the scriptures.

A refiner places the unpurified gold in a receptacle that can withstand extreme temperatures. The gold is placed in an extremely hot fire so that the impure substances may burn out and be separated from the pure gold-which is worth much more in it´s pure state. 

God is the refiner, and we are the unpurified gold in His hands. He places us in a fire with extreme temperatures, He gives us difficult trials so that He can remove the impurities, weaknesses, and sins. He lets us melt in the blazing heat to purify us, and then he molds us into what he wants us to become. And then we become more perfect, our "gold" is worth more. He puts us into the fire because He knows it will increase our worth; not because it will harm us-it can only hurt us if we jump out of His receptacle, out of His hands, and into the fire. In His hands he will take care of us. He will not let us fall, but rather he will increase our worth as He refines and molds us into the son or daughter He wants us to become. 

And if we submit to the will of the Refiner, then one day may He say, "For behold I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction" (1 Nephi 20:10). 

God has chosen us as His gold. Will we choose to accept His (refining) fire?

Hope that makes sense! 

Have a wonderful day! 

HAVE A WONDERFUL GENERAL CONFERENCE! :)

Love you all! 

Sister Wilkins