These past few weeks have been so busy!! I dind´t have time to write last week, so this week I have quite a bit :)
Last Sunday we had the baptism of L. Miguel, the 20 year old that I found while contacting people on the street! He really was sooo prepared to hear the gospel. He studies the manuals of the church, gave up coffee, and wants to serve a mission!!! WHAT?? He already talked to bishop about serving a mission like Sister Bailey and Sister Lira hahaha :) He will start institute this week. Then yesterday we had the baptism of little Em. Her sisters were less actives that we have been working with a ton. Em then started to listen in on our lessons and wanted to be baptized like her sisters. Her mom isn´t a member but fully supports her daughters. It was really sweet when mom pulled us aside privately and thanked us for all we had been doing to help her daughters. She began to cry and tell us that we were an answer to her prayers :) The rainy season in Brazil has definitely arrived!!! It rains every single day!!!! It makes it hard to walk on the roads that are only dirt because it is straight mud. Friday my companion was walking in front on a dirt road and I said, "Sister Lira you are walking too slow... let me lead. It isn´t even muddy." Well, jokes on me, because two steps after I said that I sunk up to my calves in mud/dirt. hahahahahaha!!! See picture below! This week we had a divison with our STLs... one of which is Sister Benicio, my former companion. She goes home on Monday so it was fun to spend a day with her. We made brownies and spent hours talking!! It was a nice change of pace. This Saturday we should get calls about transfers... I think I will stay here and finish the training of Sister Lira. I can´t believe I have already been in this area for 4 months! Time is sure flying. I hope you all have a great week!! I wanted to share two scriptures with you all... Revelations 21:3 - 4 and 1 Corinthians 2:9 :) I know that The Lord is watching out for yáll. Just continue to obey Him. Com amor, Sister Bailey
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This transfer is flying by!!! I can´t believe it is already halfway through. My filha (companion) and I are finally in the swing of things and are teaching a lot better together. The beginning of this week was Carnival... a holiday here in Brazil that I don´t really understand. Some missionaries in the big cities of Brazil aren´t allowed to work during this time, but here it isn´t too bad. Just a lot of drinking and people in the streets, so it was a little hard to work. However, now everything has returned back to normal.
Yesterday at church something really amazing happened... when I arrived in this Ward in October, the number of people at sacrament meeting was 100 or maybe 110. Yesterday there was 187 people!!!! It was so amazing to see our chapel full. I know it wasn´t just because of our efforts as missionaries, but because our ward has really come together and all worked together to bring non-members and less actives. This week I had a lot of expierences where I knew The Lord was watching out for me. Our investigators are progressing and this Sunday we will have a baptism!!! His name is Miguel and was a contact I made on the street... actually it was a contact with his mom. I felt super impressed to talk to her as we walked by, so I stopped. As I began to talk with her I realized that she wasn´t interested at all in our message, I and was a little bummed since I had felt a really strong impression to talk to her. Just as I was about to leave, her 20 yr old son walked out and began talking to us. He has a friend that is serving a mission and wanted to learn more about our church!! Now this Sunday he is getting baptized :) I learned to always follow the promptings we get. This Wednesday my companion and I are going to make a huge dinner and cake for a less active girl in our ward. It is her 12th Birthday and her family doesn´t have any money to get her anything/make her a cake, so we are going to throw her a party!!! I love serving a mission because I am literally helping people everyday. It is the greatest thing!!! Have a great week :) I love you all so much!!! XOXOXO Sister Bailey This week flew by!!! We had a training with President and the assistants on Friday. I learned a lot of things that I need to improve upon! One thing I love about a mission is that we are constantly learning and applying new things. How can I be a better teacher, better example, feel the spirit more? After the training I had divisions with my STLs. It was great to have a change of pace and learn more techniques and how to be a better trainer for my companion. We had an awesome lesson with an investigator!! I have never met someone so prepared for the gospel. He was a contact I made in the street a weeks ago, and we finally followed up with him. He is going to baptized the 27th of Feb!!!! Sunday mornings are my least favorite part of the week! We had 8 investigators and 2 less-actives to pick up for church.... and only two of us and one member with a car!!! It was pouring rain and our phone is without credit so we can´t call anyone!!! Let´s just say that we arrived to church 30 minutes late, soaking wet, and muddy! But we had a lot of less actives and five investigators at church. Also we had a record number of attendance in our ward. What a blessing!!! My recent convert told me today that he is going to speak in Sacrament on Sunday about faith!!! It is so great to the gospel working in the lives of others. He is so excited and asked if we could help him!! Also I was taking a shower one night and I looked over and a spider the size of my fist was on the wall!!!! I have never seen anything so disgusting in my life. I eventually had to call the member that lives next door in to kill it because my companion and I didn´t have the courage. IT WAS HUGE AND HAIRY!!! I am sorry that my email this week is short. It is just goes to show that as a missionary we are always running from one place to another! This week I found a scripture that has kinda been my motto: John 14:27. I LOVE this scripture!!! It really is a comfort when my family is so far away sometimes. I love you all!!!!! Have a great week!! Com amor, Sister Bailey<3 First week with my little filha (daughter - or new missionary I am training) was great!!! We worked soooo hard and walked 1000 miles, I think haha!
This week I have really progressed a ton. I am practically teaching all the lessons alone, because my companion is so quiet and nervous that she says one little sentence and then looks at me! However, I know she will continue to grow everyday! I am responsible for passing numbers, making contacts, teaching and training etc. Also, yesterday I taught a third of church (all the adults in Relief Society and Priesthood) on missionary work. I really can´t believe in four months I am able to speak fluently in another language. My testimony of The Lord, Jesus Christ, grew a ton this week. I know that He knows each of us by name and our individual needs. He also knows our capacity to grow as well. I know that if we seek His counsel, we will become more than we ever thought we could... in all aspects of our life. On another note, I learned how to make rice, beans, and meat (brazilian style) today! Before the mission, my companion was studying to be a cook so she is teaching me all sorts of things!!! I love it :) We also encountered an old man, 80 years old, who is so sweet and has already recieved all the lessons for years!!! He and his wife are two of the nicest people I think I have ever met. They want to make us lunch every P-day and the only thing they want in return is for us to sing them hymns. They are so cute :) However, I was a little bummed because they aren´t too interested in our messages. Then in walked their grandson.... he told us that he wants to hear all our lessons and agreed to come to church with us next week. It truely was a blessing to meet this family on a day when I was feeling a little down and completely exhausted. I am doing well and only melting to death a little hahaha. I forgot to take a picture but my companion has an alarm clock that measures the temperature, and Friday at 5:00 pm it was 98 degrees inside our house!!!! yeah.... I love yáll!!! Stay safe. Love always, Sister Bailey |