Amazing Experiences with the First Vision - April 28

This past week was wonderful! It was a lot of hard work because Sister Saavedra and I have a lot of high goals. First of all, our mission president wants us to get ten addresses every day. TEN ADDRESSES. This means that we have to do AT LEAST ten contacts in order to find ten people who will give us their address and let us visit them! We have to talk to EVERYONE that we pass on the street and sometimes it takes almost our whole day to reach this goal. We are becoming better and better and contacting though, so that´s good. The other day I was thinking about how open and receptive Brazil is. We can actually find ten people a day who are willing to listen to us. What a blessing! It was definitely not like that when I was in California, where my companion and I talked to more than 600 people (yes, I literally did the math!) in order to find ONE person who was willing to meet us at a PARK. So yes, I am grateful to be serving in such a receptive culture.

One of the women that we talked to invited us into her home in the same moment that we did a contact with her. She and her family take care of her mother, who has alzheimer´s disease and is bedridden. When sharing the message of how Christ´s church has been restored upon the earth and that Joseph Smith was called as a prophet, I felt completely overwhelmed by the Spirit. I don´t know if Marcia felt that our message was true, but I felt it. I was tearing up as I bore my testimony of Joseph Smith. The first vision means everything to me. I know that these things are true, with all of my heart. Since I feel it in my heart, I know that others will as well. This moment gave me more incentive to teach the first lesson as much as possible. It really is something to celebrate and proclaim to the world!

The other cool experience we had this past week was when we were looking for a store that sells clothing imported from America. I was waiting in line at the grocery store one day when I saw that the woman in front of me had a tatoo in English. So, I just started a conversation with her (the easiest way to approach a contact!) and asked her if she speaks English. She said no, but that she travels to the states a lot to buy clothing to sell here in Brazil. So, we got the address of her store to go visit someday.

The store was on the outskirts of our area and it took us a really long time to find it! When we found the right building, we had to climb up a couple of flights of stairs, and then ring a doorbell for someone to give us access to the floor. Someone came to answer the door. He looked at us and said, ``Sisters?´´ We said, ``SIM!!!!´´ because we get really excited when someone recognizes us!

His name is Anderson and he is a member who actually served his mission in Michigan! He is a lawyer and works with one other man in that office that is on the same floor as the clothing store that we had been looking for. When we arrived, he had been explaining things about the church to Edson! He had just given him a pamphlet about the Restoration! So the timing was just amazing! We invited Edson to read the pamphlet of the Restoration (since he was working we couldn´t really teach a lesson) and pray about what he read. Anderson knows that we showed up when we did and that it was meant to be!

We went back to talk to Edson a couple of days later. He hadn´t had a chance to read the pamphlet since he had been super busy with work. However, he stopped working to listen to us and we taught him the first lesson. It was one of the most guided lessons that I have ever taught. I felt like everything that I was saying, that my companion was saying, and even that Edson was saying was guided by the Spirit. It was so exciting! I am grateful that the Spirit was guiding us because Edson is extremely intelligent (a very established lawyer) and with our limited Portuguese we wouldn´t have been able to teach him effectively on our own. When we read and explained James 1:5 with Edson, we told him that he could ask God for wisdom as well. Edson said, ``The only thing I ever ask of God is wisdom! I ask him to show me a light, to show me the right path.´´ When he said that, the Spirit hit my heart so strongly. I just felt in that moment that Edson would hear the first vision that my companion would recite by heart, and that he would accept it (if not in the moment then later for sure). Yes! We will tell you a story now of a boy who literally saw a light, and who was shown the right path!!! I had never felt so thrilled to tell someone what happened to Joseph Smith when he so sincerely prayed.  

Everyone was getting so excited! Anderson bore his testimony of how he knows that these things are true, and that the first vision was a moment in history that changed the world! Wow. It was incredible. So we left Edson with the invite to read a part of the Book of Mormon, and ask God for the wisdom that he promises us when we ask in faith. I know that he will read and pray and ask because of how powerful the Spirit was during the lesson. I know that he could see that what we had to say was different, and special.

It is moments like these that make me feel like it is worth it to walk for MILES every day, be rejected in various manners, and be so far away from family and friends for so long. This is God´s work! We have the precious gift of the restoration in our lives. We have one more testament of Jesus Christ, our Savior. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY FOR THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, and most importantly, for our Father in Heaven.

ABOUT BRAZIL... - April 28

Answers to the questions about Brazil!

Aunt Jen:

1. Biggest difference between where you are now and where you are from?

- The biggest difference (besides the language, obviously) is that the people are a lot more open and receptive. They are really friendly, even when they don´t know you at all. It is rare to encounter someone who won´t stop and converse with you at least a little bit.

2. Something you will miss eating from your mission when you go home?

- I will miss açaí. It´s a small purple fruit and we don´t have it in the states. Here, everyone eats it in a frozen form with toppings like bananas, granola, sweetened condensed milk, and other amazing fruits and things. During the summer, I ate it THREE TIMES A WEEK because it is so delicous and refreshing!

3. What do you wish you had done BEFORE your mission that would have been really helpful? (I have a son who will leave in just over a year for his mission - help a mom out will ya?)

- I wish that I had printed out photos to bring. On the spiritual side of things, it would have helped me to have studied the New Testament more, or at least the references that are in Preach My Gospel Chapter 3. The biggest thing that I DID do that helped a lot was read the Book of Mormon all the way through on my own right before my mission.

4. The most amazing thing you have seen on your mission so far?

- The most amazing thing that I have seen is how people have faith as big as mountains when it comes to overcoming trials or taking the next step in coming unto Christ. I am amazed at how much faith people can have, and the miracles that happen as a result of it. Faith in Christ has power, and anyone can change and become a better person because of it.  

Aunt Kerinda:  How has Brazil changed you?

- I am much more openly loving! I look for more opportunities to laugh and joke with people. I love hugs even more! Also, I am less scared of bugs. :)

Gabby:  What do you use to get from one place to another?  (travel)

- We use the ``ônibus,´´ which is just the bus system that goes EVERYWHERE in the big city. We also use the metro sometimes. We can travel pretty quickly! Sometimes the bus is so crowded though that you have no choice but to hug your neighbor or be hugged by a stranger. I am used to it though!

Gabby:  What does it say on your name tag?

- SISTER WILLIAMS

A IGREJA DE

JESUS CRISTO

DOS SANTOS

DOS ÚLTIMOS DIAS

Gabby:  What do you do for fun?

- We eat good food, walk around at the fairs, try new foods (there is just a lot to do with food!), go to the mountains (if we are in the country), play volleyball, and email our families!

Corban:  Do you have tables?

- Yes, we have tables, and we always eat at the table for lunch. It is the same as in the states. :)

Corban:  How do you count to 10 in Brazil?

- Um, dois, três, quatro, cinco, seis, sete, oito, nove, dez!

Quincy:  Do you like Brazil?  Is it fun?

- Brazil is AMAZING! It is so fun. The people here LOVE parties (because they work really hard during the week). There is always good food to eat and a happy feeling when families are gathered together.

Quincy:  How do you say 100?

- cem (``sang´´)

Quincy:  Is it hot or cold?

- Right now, the weather is PERFECT!!! In the summer, it gets as hot as Utah, but much more humid. In the winter, it gets as cold as Utah in the fall. It doesn´t snow here. At night we get pretty cold because our houses are made of cement and we don´t have heaters. I have to use lots os blankets and sweaters!

Quincy:  Do you eat bugs?

- No one eats bugs on purpose, but sometimes we eat bugs on accident... Ha ha. I have already eaten lots of ants. There was only that one time that was on purpose. The other times, I didn´t notice the ants until after... It´s no big deal now!

Bump:  Do ninjas really come from Brazil?

- Yes.

Erin:  What is your favorite portuguese word to say?

- I love saying what I have written on my nametag! ``Sou missionária da Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias!´´

Dad: Have you seen any of the giant avocados that Jody Dulberg raved about when visiting Paula's family in Brazil?

- See photo! After I took this picture, I actually found ones that were bigger... Ha ha!

Mom:

What is it like going to church in Brazil?

- All of the women greet each other with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Everyone is very friendly. I would say that it is pretty much the same where I am serving right now as it is in the states. However, when I was serving in a small branch, there was no microphone or air conditioning, and so it was a little bit different. Also, during fast and testimony meetings in the branch, EVERYONE had to bear their testimony or the meeting would end after ten minutes! But really, the chapels are really nice in many areas here in Brazil because they were built within the past ten years. They are very beautiful inside and out.

What hymns do they like to sing?

- The Brazilian´s favorite hymns are ``Count Your Many Blessings,´´ ``Now Let Us Rejoice,´´ and ``Choose the Right.´´

What type of music do the youth like to listen to, when they're not listening to church music?

- They listen to forró, pop music from America, any vareity of music from America, and Brazilian pop music. They also like Samba, and other fun dance music like that.

What activities do they like to do?

- Most people like to play soccer. Other people like to go to movies, listen to music, go to the beach, go to church dances.  

What do they grow in their gardens?

- I think that I have only seen one or two gardens here in São Paulo... People don´t really have gardens because the yards are really small, without open earth, and you can buy any fresh produce at the fairs at a very low price. When I was serving in a more country part of the state, there were so many fresh fruit trees that you could just eat a mango or guava whenever you wanted. YUM!

What's it like to go grocery shopping?

- It is almost exactly the same. There are just differences in the kinds of things that they have more or less of, and things that don´t exist here or there. For example, here, there are three whole shelves of sweetened condensed milk, but no peanut butter. Here, there are mountains of rice, but very few canned vegetables like we have in the states. Also, there is a TON of meat that is NOT refrigertated, and that threw me off a little bit. But no one gets sick, so I don´t really know how that works. Oh, the eggs aren´t refrigerated either. Really, I don´t know what the difference is here, but I have never gotten sick.

Does everyone have a computer?

- Most everyone that I have met has a computer. Even if their house is not very nice, they have a computer or laptop.

What does demora mean?

- delay

What is something that surprises you, yet is hum drum to the natives?

- There are random fires on the side of the streets that people start to burn trash. There are tons of amazing fruits that you can just pick off the trees anywhere. Cockroaches. The thousands of different colors of houses. How amazing the food is!

Did your mission president serve a Portuguese speaking mission?

- Yes, he served in Rio de Janeiro.

Have you seen any missionaries from your MTC district lately?

- I am in the same zone as three elders from my MTC district and they are all my buddies! It´s really fun. As far of the sisters go, two of the sisters from my district went home, two of them are here with me, and my companion never got her visa, so she is still serving in CA.

What is something you didn't appreciate until you got to Brazil?

- I didn´t appreciate carpet. Actually, no, I always loved carpet. I just miss it now. Ha ha.

What animals are considered pets?

- DOGS, CATS, AND BIRDS. People think that Americans are super weird for having snakes or spiders. They really do think that those people are crazy. They ask why we don´t just like dogs. Ha ha.

How do Brazilians celebrate Easter?

- Instead of making special foods, they just make MORE food, TONS of food. Since their food is already amazing, they don´t even need to cook anything special. They just make a larger amount and have everyone in the family over. :) Also, they give HUGE chocolate eggs as presents. The eggs are about the size of a football or a little smaller, and have presents or more chocolate inside. It´s pretty cool!

What is a unique Christmas tradition?

- Christmas Eve is the day to exchange presents! The party starts really late at night as well. Close to midnight. One good food they eat is a special kind of french toast called ``rabanada.´´ I will make it when I get home! On Christmas day, we just hung out with a family here and everyone ate good food and played cards and things like that. Very laid back!

Nicole:

What are the roads like in Brazil? Like, are they paved very well or not so awesome?

- The roads for cars are paved pretty well, but often have potholes. There are tons of speed bumps. In older parts of the city, the roads are all cobblestones. It´s really cool. The sidewalks are anything but level when they are in front of houses. Everyone paves their own sidewalk in front of their house, and so it is really uneven! You have to look where you are going when you are walking. It makes things more of an adventure, but every missionary suffers some kind of muscle pain in the beginning because it takes some getting used to.

How many new people do you talk to on average each day?

- At the least, one, at the most.... twenty or more!

On a scale of 1-10, how good is your Portuguese now?

- It is probably a 7. I can speak fairly well now, but I am sure that I still have an accent. I am working really hard to improve though. I can understand 95% of what I hear now, which is a blessing!! Heavenly Father has helped me so much.

Did you know that I still cannot spell Portuguese without autocorrect?

- Come on, Nicole. Ha ha.

Photos:

- Huge avocados at the street fair (they are delicous!)

- ``pé de boi´´ - COW FOOT, which I ate for dinner on Saturday. It´s not a common every day thing to eat though ha ha. It was actually pretty good. I wouldn´t have even known that it was cow foot if someone didn´t tell me. :)

THE BOOK OF MORMON - March 17

Today, I just want to talk about how the Book of Mormon has answered my prayers this week.

1 Nephi 2:19 - ``Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart.´´ Starting on March 4th, I have been going through the hardest part of my mission so far. I have been battling some of the strongest feelings of inadequacy, discouragement, and fear that I have ever been confronted with in my life. But! Just look at this scripture! I noticed this scripture one day during companion study. When I read it, I knew that the Lord was telling me that I have been blessed for my faith! I felt as though He was telling me that I never truly gave up, and that I was going to be blessed because of that. And, even though I have felt so humbled this week, I feel the peace of God´s love for me, and I know that it is right to feel humble like I do, as long as I keep the Lord as the center of my life.

Mosiah 4:27- ``And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.´´ I love this scripture, especially right now! The Lord does expect our best, but He does not expect too much. I read this scripture this week and will ponder more on its meaning. I think that one of the secrets will be doing the little things that matter first. For example, loving the people that I see every day before I try to go out and talk to everyone in the world and help every single person I ever talk to. Small steps. Start in the home.

Alma 7:11-12 - ``And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.´´ I have been thinking a lot lately about the Atonement and the fact that God gave us His only Begotten Son. He sent His Son to this earth to suffer for OUR pains and sins. He loves us so much that He gave us His Son. I feel a burning in my heart when I really think about what this means, and I am sure that I don´t even understand 1% of how profound this truly is. It makes me want to work so much harder to bring people unto Christ.

2 Nephi 5:27 - ``And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.´´ My good friend and ex-companion wrote me a letter and put this reference on the envelope. It hit me super hard - WHOA! I need to be happy!!!! I have the choice to be happy! Sometimes we just forget, don´t we? This verse is so short and simple, but it made me realize that there are always blessings to see, always bright moments in our lives! If it takes a little bit of work to recognize and remember them, then I will do it! :)

I was blessed with the opportunity this past week to bear my testimony to an investigator about how the Book of Mormon has changed my life. I told her that I have the testimony of the Savior that I do because of this book. The Book of Mormon is true, and it has power to change our lives if we read it in the spirit of prayer. I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers through the scriptures.

Thank you all for the prayers and support. I feel the blessings. :)

Love,

Sister Williams

Transfer 6, Week 3

GUESS WHAT I ATE YESTERDAY!!! ANT BUTT!!! Yep. I actually don´t even know the word for it in English because I have never seen an ant this huge in my life. The picture is a picture of their different body parts AFTER the people cook them. Mmmm!

So apparently, once a year, it rains "formiga." In other words, there is a huge migration (or infestation) of these huge female sauba ants (I think that´s what they are, but I don´t know what the English word is!). In my mind, I´m thinking, "WHAT A NIGHTMARE!" But all of the Brazilians here in the interior of São Paulo state are thinking, "GET A BOWL! HURRY!" I told my companion, Sister Chaparro (she is from Fortaleza, the north east of Brazil, very far from here) that I was going to tell my family about this, and she said, "No! What are they going to think of Brazil!?" So, I think it should be fair to say that this ant thing is not a normal practice in all of Brazil, and it is not a food that people eat every day. After all, it only rains huge ants once a year anyway.

So first, I ate the "boonda." Then, I ate the head. AH! Then, I ate the body, which took the most courage because it has the LEGS on it! The best way that I can describe it is that it is CRUNCY. Really, the flavor isn't anything too strange. It is like the shell of popcorn. Ha ha! Some people cook them with bacon and farofa, which may even be quite enjoyable. I think I have changed a lot since being here in Brazil.... I willingly ate a bug.... And I even saw them ALIVE before I ate them. AH!



So besides eating weird things, these past two weeks have been crazy but good. My companion is an adorable Brazilian from Fortaleza, and she has already helped me so much with my Portuguese. I was talking to her the other day, and I said, "I understand everything you say. Did you know that?" Of course I said all of this in Portuguese. Then I kept talking to her, and I realized that, with every other Brazilian, I have to ask them to repeat themselves a LOT. However, with S. Chaparro, when I am paying attention, I understand her the first time she speaks 95% of the time... What a blessing this is! It makes it so much easier for us to work together and get things done! It is CLEARLY a blessing from the Lord (especially since she has a different accent because she is from the north). I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to understand her and that she would get annoyed with me. It turns out that I DO understand her (thanks to the Lord!) and she is VERY patient with me. I am happy!

My new area is beautiful and the people are even more beautiful. I was also blessed to be welcomed in so lovingly by the branch here. Since it is so small, everyone is LITERALLY family (related in some way or another!), and the members wasted no time in helping me feel loved here so that I can work my hardest! Also, they are going to make me teach them how to make cookies! Ha ha. It should be really fun.

I have also met many difficulties while adjusting to everything in this new area. I prayed so much and read the Book of Mormon with so much intent to find answers to how I could be the best missionary possible. I encountered an amazing verse in the Book of Mormon in 1 Nephi17:13 - "And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led." I can testify that this scripture speaks the truth. When I read this, I knew that the Lord was speaking to me. I felt peace and confidence that everything would work out. There was no dramatic change in my life here, but the difference is that I was reminded that the Lord will illuminate our path when we are doing our best to keep the commandments and stay true to our convenants with Him. I feel an increased enthusiasm to stay true to the commitments that I made in signing up to be a missionary and serve the Lord. There is power in these promises that we have with our Father in Heaven. I am looking forward in faith for blessings that will come from God, and I hope for more direction. I know that Christ lives and that His church exists today on the earth - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know this.

Something that I am excited about - we might start a free English class here in order to find more people to teach. So cool! However, I don´t really know where to start. Does anyone have any ideas? What would be the best first thing to learn in a new language, in your opinion?

Thank you for the prayers and support. I love you all so much. I know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be! Whoo!

Com amor,
Sister Williams

P.S. The other picture is a picture of our church building here. For now, it´s just a rented space because we only have a branch. We´re working on changing that! :)

Creatures

The gecko was on the wall of our house. It was actually pretty cool looking.

The spider was in the baptismal font, which we were cleaning on Saturday ahhhhh!!!!!!!! It is the biggest spider I have seen in my life so far. :)

Week 6 in Brazil

Hello, family!!! 

I AM SO HAPPY HERE. I can´t imagine being anywhere else right now, doing any other kind of work. All I do all day is work my hardest to bring happiness to others. I KNOW that God is real, and that He loves His children. I am full. I have never felt such pure joy as I have since being here and serving the Lord. I feel like the most blessed person in the world to be carrying the news of our Savior to the people of Brazil. I feel like I am holding something so amazing and precious and I can´t wait to show it to everyone! This precious thing is the news that, not only does the Savior love us beyond anything we can fathom, but that Heavenly Father has restored the complete Gospel of Christ to the earth, and we have a LIVING prophet today. Whoo! I love waking up every morning at 6:30am to share this news. We have been working so hard. Besides from 11am-6pm on Mondays, we are out doing the Lord´s work from 6:30am-9:30pm. I am lucky to have a companion who wants to work hard, just like I do. It is actually easy for us to keep pushing forward when we remind ourselves that we are doing it for our Savior. In fact, this is the ONLY thought that can keep us walking over 5 miles every day and teaching for hours every day, even being rejected quite often every day.

I promised that I would talk about the baptism(s!!!!) that we had. They are very special and I am so happy to talk about the amazing people who found their way to Christ.

The first person to be baptized that we taught is F. I may have talked about him before. F is in his 50s and was in a wheelchair when we met him. This made teaching him ideal, because he was at home for two weeks, not working. The Lord truly had a plan for him! The most amazing thing about F is his faith and love for the Lord. F used to use drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol. However, after first meeting the missionaries in 2007, he managed to quit ALL of those things. So, by the time we met him, he was ready to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ wholeheartedly. He says that God is his best friend, which I definitely believe. He is always smiling. His baptism was incredible and I know that he is 10,000x happier than he was when he first met the missionaries. He is on the path to happiness now, and there is a visible peace about him. I saw the Savior change his life; F´s faith in Christ will continue to bring him feelings of happiness and safety.

There are two kids who we got to teach who have lots of cousins in the LDS church. They are Ms, an 11 year old boy, and Me, a 9 year old girl. Their testimonies taught me that kids really do sense goodness, and that they are especially disposed to doing good and accepting goodness when it is presented to them. They literally lit up whenever we talked about Christ, and they were eager, excited, and anxious to be baptized. They helped us boost our enthusiasm for teaching people about Christ! Though we taught them very simply, they understand who Christ is and what baptism means. They are very determined to remain strong and firm on the path. Even though their mom and dad were not interested in learning more, we know that they have a great support system of family and friends in the church. It was awesome because Ms actually LAUGHED when he came up out of the water at his baptism. I loved it because I was already so happy and full of the spirit, and I knew that he was feeling the same thing - happiness and lightness. Whoo! Because of Christ, we can feel HAPPY and LIGHT.

The most recent baptism that we got to see was R. R is a 24 year old young man. We met R on the street and have been teaching him for the past 3 weeks. He is just a gem. His mom is very sick and is in the hospital right now, which I think has made him ponder on the deeper things of life. He is quiet, but when he talks about the scriptures or his testimony, we can see that he has a deep love for the Savior. R´s baptism was amazing because we knew that R has such a deep testimony in repentance. He has done some things in his life that he is not proud of, and had a lot of work to do to be able to be baptized. BUT! This just meant that he was that much more excited to be baptized! He would smile whenever we talked about it! This is how it should be! The thing that made me the happiest about R is that, after his baptism, he showed me something in the front cover of his Book of Mormon. He had written out the verse that led him to know that he should be baptized. It was 2 Nephi 1:15 - "But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love." Ahhhh!!! I was so happy to read that!!! I was so so so happy that he shared that with us because it meant that he was receiving answers from reading the scriptures! It strengthened my testimony in how the Lord speaks to us through the scriptures. It was beautiful. It strengthened my testimony that those who read the Book of Mormon with a sincere heart WILL desire to do good things, they WILL desire to follow the Savior´s example, being baptized by someone who has the priesthood authority from God, which only exists in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. R is a gem, and he has changed my life, really. It was an honor for me to see how Christ has changed HIS life.

I have attached pictures; you should be able to tell who is who.

My favorite scriptures that I read this past week were in Romans chapter 5. Verses 7 and 8 basically say that most people would not die for a good man. Even less would die for a righteous man. However, Christ died for all of us, and we are all so imperfect. We did not deserve his sacrifice for us, and yet, we are everything to our Heavenly Father and Christ. So, it was worth it for them. Now, we just need to do everything we can to accept this sacrifice, which includes faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Spirit, and enduring in Christ´s name to the end. Because of these four baptisms and so many other things, I know, I KNOW that this is what brings us lasting happiness and joy in this life. I want this for everyone. I want everyone to find as much happiness in reading the Book of Mormon and Bible as I do.

Thank you so much for the prayers. :)
Love,
Sister Williams

Week 2 in Brazil

"Blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land. Now my bretheren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever."

I think the biggest change from the first week I was here to this past week of being here is that my feet and ankles have finally stepped up to the plate!!!! Pun intended! I got new shoes that are super squishy, comfy, and UGLY. Needless to say, I have been much happier and much less tired because I have good shoes.

The highlight of this past week is teaching one of our investigators, F, who has a baptismal date for this Sunday. F is an amazing person who has made so many drastic changes to embrace the Gospel and truly follow Jesus Christ. They have quit smoking, drinking, and doing illegal drugs. When we met them on the street for the first time, they had been clean from these things for a month. It was God´s timing that we met them when we did, because they were just ready to hear about the healing that the Savior offers. Now that we are teaching them the Gospel, they have visibly gained an inner light of hope. It has been amazing to see. This Sunday will be an amazing day!

The low points of this week have been when we have had to stop teaching two of our investigators. They are C and A. Both of them come from very different circumstances, but neither of them were ready to leave certain things about their old life in the past and take the next step necessary to follow Christ´s example for us. Since there are people who are ready to be baptized, we need to spend our time teaching them. I cried both times when we walked out of their houses for the last times because I knew that I probably wouldn´t ever see them again in this life. I cried because of the happiness that they are keeping themselves from, and I cried because I just grew to love them so much, even though we had only known them for a week. However, I know that not everyone we teach will be ready to accept the Gospel, but I have so much faith that these amazing people will one day choose to follow the Savior and therefore find complete joy. I just have to add them to my list of people to pray for.

Even though I´m still really struggling with the language, I am feeling the Spirit all the time. It is a testimony to me that we do not need to understand everything or have a great knowledge of deep principles in order to feel God´s love. You don´t even have to speak the same language as someone! When we are teaching people about the Savior, I feel the same feeling of peace, love, and hope that the Spirit always brings. Seriously, Heavenly Father is amazing. I know that He loves His children and I know that He wants them to know that. My trainer told me that even if I can´t say something perfectly, say what is on my heart, because the people will be able to tell. They will be able to feel God´s love for them through my sincerity and the Spirit that I have with me. It is not hard to love the people here anyway.

The funniest thing that happened this week was teaching a family with only young kids in the room. Their four year old cousin came into the lesson right when we were asking the kids if they wanted to follow Jesus Christ. All of the kids said yes besides the little four year old girl. To help her a little bit, we asked her if she wanted to live with God and she said yes. We then asked her if she wanted to follow Jesus Christ, but she shook her head again. We found out a couple of days later that she thought that we were KIDNAPPERS and that we were asking her to follow US. It was actually pretty dang funny. She´s our little buddy now though.

Another really funny thing that happened was when we were talking to this 50 year old man on the street. He was going off about all kinds of different religions and I couldn't understand even a tiny bit of what he was talking about. He was shouting about Bible related things, and it didn't help that he was slightly drunk as well. Anyway, he started talking about something really fast, and then he looked at me and said, "explica para ela..." Which means "explain to her," as in, my companion is super white and so people assume that I´m the one who knows what´s going on. HA! It is REALLY amusing for me. I have to tell people, ``No, I have only been here for two weeks!´´ And then they look a little confused but Sister Corbitt quickly gains their trust. :) One time we were talking to twin teenage guys and both of them were giving me these little knowing looks on the side as Sister Corbitt was talking to them. I just gave them the knowing smile back like I had any clue what anyone was saying. It´s really funny. Sister Corbitt thinks it´s pretty funny too because she is obviously way more fluent than I am. Ha ha.

My new favorite food in Brazil is the linguiça. It is an amazing kind of sausage that I think they only have in Brazil. I love it though! I´m hoping that the hills here will help me not gain too much weight! Ai!

I love all of you and I hope that things are well with you in the states. Please let me know what´s new with your families!

Com amor,
Sister Williams

Sister Williams' Little Home

The Burned Hill