P.S. I heard my new area wrong the first time. I am now in Pilar Do Sol, in Zone Sorocaba. 

THIS WEEK WAS FULL OF MIRACLES

Basically I have done more cool things during this week than I have in my entire life. First of all, I almost died. Let me explain.

There we were, walking down the street in the late afternoon, watching the beginning of a storm that we had prayed for because it felt like a drought all week. The thunder and lightning was getting increasingly closer to us, but as there isn´t much we can do about that, we kept walking. We stopped for a moment to look at the rain that was falling in torrents except for where we were, and my companion (Sister Gonçalves) pointed out towards the clouds and BOOM!!!! CRACK!!!!!! The earth shook with thunder and lightning flashed, as I felt electricity surge through my body and crackle in my ears. I was doubled over for a moment and Sister Gonçalves had fallen to the ground. It took a second to realize what had happened, but we got up and ran to the dirt on the side of the road to get off the street. It turned out that as sis Gonçalves pointed, lightning struck, and an electric shock hit her finger, and as we were standing shoulder to shoulder, it went through her and into me. I felt it go through my body and out my right foot. Thank goodness for rubber-soled shoes. There were no side effects, except for the fact that I now have super strength, no big deal. Really though, we´re fine, and afterwards we were laughing and freaking out about how cool it was and telling the whole world about it. But really we could have died, but the Lord truly protected us, and we didn´t die. Woohoo!!

But basically, I got struck by lightning and survived. You know, the usual.

Also, we went to visit some recent converts, and they live in a place called a sitio, which is basically a country home outside the main city with lots of land and a great view. It´s gorgeous up there. Anyway, we went to visit, and they brought out this tupperware full of HONEYCOMB. They told me to eat it, and I was hesitant at first, because what even is honeycomb? Anyway, I put a piece in my mouth, and bit down into WAX. Immediately my tongue was coated in sweet honey and it was glorious. And you just chew until the honey is gone, and spit out a chunk of wax. I now know where beeswax comes from. 

Also I ate a banana straight off the branch, and held this huge tortoise, and saw a huge spider almost as big as my hand. It was incredible. 

So the more important part, this area is incredible. The members are so helpful and have the desire to help us, and people actually progress here! It is so different than Cerquilho in the best ways possible. It´s still freakin hard and freakin scorching, but I can honestly say I have never been happier in my entire life. I didn´t know I could feel this happy. I almost feel bad being this happy, but not bad enough to stop. Here´s a miracle:

We were knocking doors when we realized we had an appointment with a woman 2 hours earlier that we had missed. We ran over there, and she wasn´t home. We didn´t know if she had been there waiting and left, or if she had been there at all. We started walking back, and we saw a young lad sitting on a bench looking off into the distance, and decided to invite him real quick. We sat down and started conversing, and it turns out this kid has already done a year and 7 months of prison and he´s only 22. He was separated from his mom and sister for 9 years for some reason or another, and just found them, but his mom lives in a crack house and his sister lives with another woman. But he was sitting on this bench having just fought with his sister, contemplating what he´s gonna do with his life now. Later we talked to the lady we had an appointment with, and she wasn´t even home that day at all. All this happened to find this kid Daniel. And so we´ve been talking to him and teaching him and he came to church on Sunday. He´s super great. Last night we stopped by to talk to him and follow up about church. He was receptive and everything, just normal, and then my comp said with firmness, “This is the only true church of Jesus Christ on the earth.´´ and Daniel got nervous saying, do you know what you´re saying, and the responsibility you are taking on by saying that? He looked like he was expecting lightning to come strike us down (haha that already happened) but we bore our testimonies, that we know what we are saying, and are assuming this responsibility because we know it to be a fact with everything in our heart, mind, and body. Afterwards, the spirit was so strong, and he felt it to be true too, as we walked down the street, he was practically jumping for joy because “this is the one!! This is the true church! This is the way!!´´ We reminded him that it´s not the church that is the way, it is the ordinances under the authority of god, and our ability to do our part. As long as we have faith in Christ and His atonement, repent, are baptized under proper authority, receive the Holy Spirit, and endure to the end (or strive to be better every day) we will live with God again. 

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS IS THE SAME CHURCH THAT JESUS CHRIST ESTABLISHED DURING HIS MINISTRY, RESTORED IN THESE DAYS. I know this to be true with everything that I am, and I will never deny it. When we doubt, we need only to study it out in our hearts, (the scriptures help too) and pray unto the Lord with a sincere heart and real intent, and the truth will be manifested unto us by the power of the Holy Ghost. This gospel brings true joy. I testify that these things are true. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Love, Sister Evans

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