January 13, 2009

Dearest Family:

Happy Tuesday! I had another fabulous week with a lot of wonderful blessings. Cleide was baptised this week! By her dear husband Luiz. It's a family! In the scriptures we're promised that we'll have many sheaves upon our backs. Up till now in my mission I haven't had any sheaves... just a stalk here and a stalk there. But now there is a family (a.k.a. sheave). It is so incredible to see the changes that are happening in that family. They're planning a January 2010 sealing!

We also had two new families at church this Sunday, I think I might have already mentioned them: Renata and Alex and Vanessa and Fábio. We've been having a hard time getting people to go to church these last few weeks. Our only investigators at church have been old ones... no one new has gone. But this Sunday we had a list of 17 people that had said they'd go to church. And of that 17, 5 made it there! And a 6th that wasn't even on the list made it. And now we have two families progressing. I don't know how much y'all know about key indicators, but to be progressing toward baptism you have to keep your commitments, and the first commitments are 1- read the book of mormon, 2- pray, and 3- go to church. Without going to church you cannot progress towards baptism. But as soon as you make it to church, it's a huge step, because there the spirit can testify that it really is the church of Jesus Christ... even if all the talks are weird and you get really nervous because the bishop and relief society president don't show up... But in the end it all works out because the Lord is working in the hearts of these people and they feel the spirit. I love that the church is true. And I love that the Lord works miracles. (Even though I can't cure people... I wanted to be Kevin this week when we met a man with a horrible sore on his foot and calf that has not gotten better in 6 months. We had to call the 1st councilor in the bishopric to give him a blessing. But I love the work.

And I'm happy and wonderful. I got your letters, too! Thank the ward members for all the Christmas cards! Transfers next Tuesday...

Love and miss you all!
Whitney