Olá minha querida família!! Oh how I miss each one of you! I can feel that it is just getting so Christmas-like up in the North! Here, it is pretty much like any other time of the year. I am glad that the members keep up with the lovely Christmas traditions! Mitch sounds like he is ruling the town! Oh my, I just crack up when I read his emails... so funny.
It has been a very great week, full of surprises. We are on the hunt for those the Lord has prepared. J was not baptized. Well, he was so excited and ready! We marked his interview with our District Leader and J just never showed up. We have not been able to talk to him since. When someone is on the right path, and so close to changing their life, the enemy works as well. But we have not given up!! Please pray for him that he can have the strength to resist temptation.
We were able to give a training to all of the adults and youth yesterday in the third hour. Oh it went so well! We talked about three things that can help them share the gospel right now. 1. Do not judge. Do not look for the "ideal mormon" or the "best friend". 2. Simplify the task! It can be a natural part of our lives! 3. Our success is when we invite others. We all really felt strengthened by the spirit and inspired also by the words of our Ward Mission Leader. He and his family are amazing member missionaries. After the meeting I was swarmed by so many members wanting to give referrals and wanting to mark up with us! It was amazing!!! When we got here in the ward, everyone told us that it was just a dead ward that has not been divided for so many years. They really are waking up, and feeling the spark of missionary work. You should see how excited Bishop Alexandre gets when we meet with him every week! They are such good people. We will take a different focus now with the members, which ALWAYS gives better results. We are starting an English class on Tuesday and every Sunday this month we will get out on the street in small groups with members to go caroling and picking up addresses. I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK! It is the most amazing and most important thing on this earth. I can just feel the baptisms comin' on, I can feel it in my bones.
This week we had an experience that really made me stop, examine my testimony, and exercise all of my faith. This morning I was reading the talk "Yielding our Hearts to God" by Sister Neil F. Marriott. He is the potter and we are the clay. He sees all things, and we can only see the present. I have really learned how to trust in something that I cannot see, touch or hear: the love and light of my Father in Heaven. In the end, it is all that we have in our times of great distress. I know He loves me, because I have felt it, and I can feel it every day. President Hinckley said, "If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God...The Lord will not foraske us." "Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for you good." (D&C 90:24) How do you think our Heavenly Father gained all of His knowledge and power? Do you think that He was born with it? Are we not on the path to become like Him? I am sure that He has had to pass through many, if not all, of the things that we live. Our suffering is necessary. We need to learn how to rely and lean on Him in every moment, every hour of every day of our lives. I am grateful to be here on a mission because now I know that I cannot do it on my own. I know that I NEED my Savior, and I know that He really and truly loves me unconditionally. I never tire to learn more, study my scriptures, pray, and read the words of the prophets. They are the words of life.
Sister Swindy and I are practicing a few Christmas hymns that we will sing at the Christmas conference for the mission! We will see how it goes... I will atempt to play the cavaquinho/ukulele... haha! I love you all, and I wish you all the most merry Christmas season!!
Sister Cordner xoxo
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