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Christmas Eve in the cobble-stone road with fireworks and explosions going off left and right!
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Bom Dia all the way from Brasil!!
This week flew by with many festas, food and fun! It made my whole entire month being able to talk to you all on Christmas day. It took me a while to recuperate from home-sick feelings, but with a lot of prayer and focus I am back on the road again! I feel such a determination to be the best missionary I can be this next year. The full year of 2015 I will be a missionary in Brasil, so I better do it right! I am so excited to see what the Lord has in store for me to experience and learn.
Christmas was very different but in a very good way. The Brazilian people are so loud, funny, happy and being a member of the church on top of everything and you have quite the group of people to spend Christmas with. I have never eaten so much meat (including many chicken hearts), flan, puddings, and this salada de mayonaisa - pretty much pure mayonaise. Do not forget o refri. (refreshment??) They always have a lot of Coca Cola to drink. After all of the fireworks were set off and all of the "Funky" music was turned down, I was finally able to sleep Christmas Eve. Christmas day was muito tranqüilo. I was able to read the Christmas story that morning in my personal study while listening to Silent Night by David Archuleta. Every time I read this very special account I feel so much peace, I remember what is really important, and I want others to feel the same way. When it is really hot in the mornings here, you can pretty much expect a down pour of rain in the afternoon. That is why my hair was a fluffer while we were skyping. (haha) I swear I had it curled that morning :).
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| That was just the dessert table! Oh baby it was good! |
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Everyone loved the Cupcakes mama! It was a ruckus to make them because we did not have a pan, but we had these little metal cups that worked just fine, thank you!
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The words of our prophets in the Ensign from General Conference have been such a blessing for me in my mission. I have recieved revelation for myself and for our investigators while reading the words of our prophets. This morning I was reading a talk by Elder Lynn G. Robbins "Which Way Do You Face?" The first commandment that our Father in Heaven has given us is to love Him with all of our might, mind and strenghth. The second is to love others as ourselves. Sometimes we mix these two commandments up and we start to fear what men think more than what our Father in Heaven thinks of us. He gave many examples of prophets and leaders in the Bible that had fear of men, they always fell. But he also gave examples of men that feared God before men. They were always triumphant in the end. Captain Moroni said, "Behold, I am Moroni, your cheif captain. I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country" (Alma 60:36) Nephi said, "Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world" (1Nephi 6:5) This morning I was also reading about Nephi building a ship. Nephi did not build the ship the way that the world would have built it, but in the way the Lord directed him. Are we building our lives the way that God would have us? With prayer, reading the scriptures, attending the temple, keeping our covenants and acting on faith? Or are we fearing men and what they might think of us, building our own personal boats or lives the way that they tell us we should. I testify that if we build our own personal boats, our lives, or our families in the way that the world tells us we should, we will be in danger. But if we build our lives and families in the way our Father has directed with prayer, scripture, family home evening, the sacrament and the temple, we will never fail in the end
I am so grateful for parents that are trying to build a family the way our Father has directed. I pray and I hope with all of my heart that one day I will be able to as well. Right now I will do my best to teach families here in Brasil how their Heavenly Father wants them to build their lives. It is never too late to start building a new boat. I love you all, and I hope you all have a Happy New Year! Make meaningful goals that you want to accomplish! Until next week!
Love, Sister Cordner
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It doesn't look like it, but these cats were the fluffiest, fattest cats I have
ever seen.
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