Browsed by
Author: dreainbrazil

Leap of Faith

Leap of Faith

This week was great, we baptized Alessandro on Saturday and on Sunday he was confirmed!! It was really incredible because Satan tried almost everything to prevent this guy´s baptism. He had been super soft on baptism the whole time teaching him. He knew he needed it, he knew it was true, but yet he didn´t want to be baptized. Friday, we taught him out of 2 Nephi 31 which focuses on baptism and the blessings of. The spirit was super strong, and we asked him one more time, with the intent of dropping him if he said no, if he would follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by the literal power of God. He sat there for several minutes, in silence. Kind of awkward, actually. Finally, after like 5 minutes of thinking, he said quietly, I will. I honestly was not expecting that response and I almost fell off my chair. Buuuuuut the next day was his baptism, and we went to the church to fill up the font, and went and worked and then came back for the baptism. We turned off the water and went outside to wait for him, and there we has walking by, but not towards the church. We greeted him and he said that today wouldn´t work for him, that he didn´t want to anymore. We talked to him, helping him remember his feelings from the day before. Also a drunk guy named Luiz who is in love with me and my companion (only when he´s drunk) showed up and kept trying to talk to us and it was super frustrating because he was making Alessandro anxious. 

BUT finally Alessandro decided he´d go in the church just to see. So he walked in and climbed the stairs…. very…. slowly. He looked at the filled font, we showed him his baptism jumpsuit and gave it to him, and he thought for several minutes. Finally he walked into the bathroom to change. I almost peed myself I was so excited. Then Luiz came in too as part of Satan´s plot ughasdjflçsfh. Anyway ALessandro came out and said  let´s go before I get discouraged again we gotta just go for it while I’m excited. And we were like let´s go buuuuuuuuut NO ONE in the branch would be able to be a second witness and we called everyone. Finally after like 15 minutes of desperate telephone calls, and Luiz trying to get our attention, Lucas, who would be one of the witnesses, and is also secretary of the branch called the branch prez and prez said he could come just to be witness and then leave right after. So we started the meeting, san a hymn, said a prayer, gave a talk, and went to the water. 

Oh one detail, the heater that makes the water warm disappeared, so the poor guy had to be baptized in cold water. Real cold. Buuuuut prez showed up, and he was baptized in one perfect dunk. It was wonderful except for the part where Luiz raised his hand at the end and exclaimed drunkenly I BAPTIZE YOU IN THE NAME OF– ok Luiz that´s enough thank you go sit down. And prez left and Alessandro changed and we said a closing prayer and left. Wow it was rough. But Alessandro literally looked like a different person afterwards. No joke. It was awesome. And we left the chapel and Luiz was still there telling us that he loves us and wants us to come home with him. (He´s married and his wife hates us for some reason) no Luiz, go home right now. Eventually we just all left him there in front of the church and continued with our day. 

So that was fun, and I really admire the leap of faith Alessandro took, to just go for it, even though he didn´t want to, but knew that he needed to. (What up title reference) And so that was that. 

I also learned this week that when we work hard and do everything we can, the lord will carry us. I really felt His hand in the work this week. We definitely could have done better with talking to people and just doing more in general, but nonetheless we were super blessed. I am going to work as hard as ever this week to give thanks for our blessings, and because it´s the last week of the transfer. I am so grateful to be a missionary and a representative of Jesus Christ. I know this is His gospel, and only through Him can we have eternal life. 

Amo vocês!!!!! Boa semana!!

Sister Evans

Caterpillar
Birthday Cake

Baptism of Maria Clara (blue jacket)

Sister Araujo

“You know dats right!”

Baptism of Jose

Mothers Day Roses
My drawing
Sister Araujo teaching Benedito

Baptism of Victor

Baptism of Alessandro
My chocolate Easter Egg
Drinking Mate
Daniel & Benedito
So This Week Happened

So This Week Happened

Where to start, where to start…

First of all, Benedito was baptized yesterday!!! Woohoo!!! He overcame his doubts and fears and was baptized and feels great!! Love that guy. this week was honestly a ton of miracles. We had 9 investigators at church yesterday! it was incredible, and a personal record!! One was Benedito, our baptism, and he brought a friend, and 3 members brought friends, we brought 2 people, 2 are eternal investigators, meaning they´ve been going to church for a long while, but don´t want to be baptized. But holy cow that was a miracle. We´ll be working with each one this week to take advantage of this huge blessing. 

Another thing that happened this week was one of our investigators died on Wednesday. It was really, really sad. I can´t really explain how I feel. There´s a lot of details and I don´t want to talk about it right now. I wrote every detail in my journal, so when I get back you can ask me then. The only thing a can say is that our time here is short, and if we don´t use it wisely, we will regret it. 

We have Alessandro and Estefane scheduled to be baptized next week, and they both are excited!! We´re working a lot more with the members now, and it´s paying off. The members are great. The only problem is that they like to give steak to my newborn babies and it´s not cool. (AKA deep doctrine to people who only have 6 months or less in the church.) Line upon line people, that´s how Jesus taught. Buuuut we´ll get it figured out. 

Love you all, boa semana!!!

Still no pics! sorry! (This is the one we took while skyping for Mothers Day)

Condemnation or Salvation?

Condemnation or Salvation?

This week was pretty great. We had been teaching this older man, Benedito, all week, and was going great. He knows a lot about the Bible, which is cool. He has been reading the Book of Mormon and praying to know if the church is true, and he said he believes everything, and he knows he needs to be baptized in the church of Jesus Christ, but he has this huge doubt about having a second baptism. He thinks if he is baptized again, he will be condemned, because of a part in the bible that says there is only one baptism. buuuut if he is baptized in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints, and it turns out to be the wrong church, i will be the one condemned. in Galations 1:8, the apostle Paul says, But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach anyother gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. So basically if we are teaching anything other that what Christ taught, we will be condemned and accursed. I have complete certainty that what i am preaching is the true gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that His church has been restored to the earth in these says, in preparation for His second coming. I am willing to risk being condemned and accursed, because i cannot deny that this church is true. I know it to be true with every part of my soul. I invite you, if you do not know, or have doubts if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is actually Christ´s church, to pray to know the truth. Read the Book of Mormon, ponder on the things that are written, and pray to know if it is true. And i promise you, as a representative of Jesus Christ, that God will answer you by way of the Holy Spirit. because by the power of the Holy Spirit, ye may know the truth of all things. 

Love you all!! Boa Semana!!
 
p.s. sorry about the lack of pics. i´ll get it fixed up sooner or later. ….probably later. 
 
Sister Evans
 
Ch-Ch- Ch- Changeeesss

Ch-Ch- Ch- Changeeesss

Regarding the subject: I miss Shrek. (10 points to whoever can guess which movie)

This week was beautiful. Maria Clara was confirmed a member of the Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Ultimos Dias yesterday. It was so wonderful, she is so happy. Love that girl. We also baptized José Carlos yesterday too, which was awesome, he was basically bouncing off the walls. His wife passed away around 5 months ago, and we had the privilege of teaching him the plan that God has for His children, and that he will be able to see his wife again, and also be sealed to her for eternity. Also, this guy we invited on the street came to church yesterday (which never happens, btw), and we visited him later that day and he said he´d pray to know if the church is true. He already prays regularly asking for direction, which is pretty cool. When we invited him, he said he´d go to church if God permitted (which usually means no), and yesterday he showed up at church and we talked to him and he said “God permitted, so I came.´´ Miracle. 

I was thinking the other day about how much I’ve changed on the mission. I feel like a different person sometimes, but then I think, no, I’m the same person, just a little bit better than before. Sometimes I get caught up in thinking that I have to be the perfect missionary. Teach perfectly, speak perfectly, you know. But what I learned this week, is that it´s not about me. I am merely God´s instrument he uses to bring His other children unto him. I´ll never be Superwoman (no matter how hard I wish to be), but I can be perfected in Christ. I´m working hard on giving everything to him, so He can shape me to be who I’m meant to be. Only He knows our full potential. 

I know that Christ lives, and that because of Him, we can be perfected one day, and live with Him and our Heavenly Father, and our families forever. 

Amo vocês!!!!!!

Also I am sorry about the lack of pictures, I am currently unable to add pics because of the computer place, I don´t know what to do. I have pics, and I promise the moment I am able to send them, I will send them. 

Sister Evans

Só bençãos

Só bençãos

5/1/17

Olaaaa this week was beautiful. We have this recent convert named Daniel who went to the temple for the first time on Saturday and came back glowing wow. And the next day he got to baptize his little sister!!! And almost the whole family went to watch and it was so beautiful I almost cried. His sister is named Maria Clara and she was nervous at first, but we helped her resolve her doubts and she was baptized yesterday! She´s been going to seminary and everything and loves it. 

Also transfers happened again, and I’m staying here in Pilar do Sul with my same companion Sister Araújo!! Woohoo!! 

I learned a lot this week. I learned that we just have to trust in the Lord. We just gotta. To help Maria Clara be baptized we literally did everything in our power to make it happen, and had to leave the parts that we can´t control in the hands of God. Everything almost fell apart, but the Lord is so good. We taught her everything, scheduled the interview even though she didn´t have certainty. When we got there with the elders to do the interview she got scared and cried but her brother talked to her and we made it very direct to her that we will never force her to be baptized. If she really doesn´t want to, she does not have to. The thing is we were feeling that she was prepared so we just trusted that the lord would help her. Turns out, her interview with the elder removed her doubts and everything was good, and she agreed to be baptized the next day. I admit, I was not sure if she would go to church for fear of being baptized. But she showed up with her brother and a backpack, and said she was happy. She changed clothes totally fine, and was baptized and was glowing afterwards. We asked how she was feeling after, and she said, good. (Which means awesome because she is super timid and doesn’t express emotion usually) and it was the most beautiful thing.  We literally just have to trust in the Lord. She and we had to trust that He would make everything work, and it did. God is good. 

Love you all, trust in Him. 

Sister Evans

So’ Vai

So’ Vai

4/24/17

This week I have a new goal. To literally give everything I have, and just let God do the rest. Because I am tired. Sorry to be real, but I am so tired. I love being a missionary, I love spreading the gospel, but I am tired of working so hard and not getting the results I want. Unfortunately, that´s a part of the mission, a part of life. You don´t always get what you want. And I realized that I was relying on myself more than on the Lord. Sunday, we had 6 people firm to take to church. We knocked on all their doors, the doors of other investigators who weren´t as firm, and invited people in the street. We brought no one to church. No one. I was praying desperately during the sacrament, Lord, where did I fail? We did everything in our power. We followed up every day, we taught with the spirit, we studied for them, we went to their houses to bring them to church. Why did everyone fall through? What did we do wrong? At the end of the sacrament, I looked behind me, and saw the sister (Maria Clara) of a recent convert (Daniel) sitting next to my recent convert (Marcel) and another recent convert (Laercio). I looked up and in front of me was sitting a girl (Belli) who is not baptized, while the rest of her family is. We have been wanting to help her, and we had lunch with her family the other day, and she finally opened up a little bit. She had always gone to church with her family, but she hadn´t been going for the last 4 weeks, but there she was, sitting in front of me. After church, another investigator (Luiz) was outside the church and said he had been waiting for us. He was this drunk on the street, but when he is sober he is literally the best. We had been teaching him and he is the Lord´s elect, but the only problem is that his wife played goalie and said that she doesn´t want us teaching Luiz anymore because what will the neighbors think and say about my husband talking to two young girls every day? I have never tried to stop myself from rolling my eyes so hard in my life. She is part of another church, and he never showed interest in her church but loves the gospel of Jesus Christ all of the sudden. Buuuuuut before church we had a brother call Luiz on our phone (because if his wife answers we´re dead meat) and invited him to church, and Luiz said that he had to go to Sorocaba with his wife, but he would go next week. And we saw his walking on our way to church and yelled across the street for him to come to church and he said he would go in like 10 minutes. He didn´t go IN the church, but he went TO the church haha. It wasn’t until later that I realized that the Lord was telling me that He is in control, not me. He has a plan, I just don´t know what it is, and have to trust in Him completely. 

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church of Jesus Christ. I know that this is His work, and that sometimes He gives us bread to nourish us, but it tastes like a rock, but we just gotta eat it, because it´s what we need. He knows we can accomplish all that He gives us, and will never abandon us. He is always with us every step of the way. We just have to rely on Him because without Him, we are literally nothing. Just stop trying to do it yourself. (I´m talking more to myself right now) He knows how to everything and He will guide you.  He loves you more than you can imagine. You don´t have to face your difficulties alone. 

Love and miss you all!!! Boa Semana!! 

Sister Evans

Back with Sister Goncalves

multi zone conference April 2017

Sister Araujo

Idaho missionaries- Sister Toone & Sister Evans 

Birthday celebration

Sister Araujo

Easter & 20 Years

Easter & 20 Years

Aundrea turned 20 today! 

This week was great!! My recent convert Marcel received the priesthood, and he and my half recent convert, Daniel, are going to the temple on Friday to do baptisms!! AHHHHH!!! I´m so excited!! We worked hard this week, but still no baptism. I’m getting discouraged, but I just gotta keep working diligently. I still feel super blessed though, we had several miracles but also several drunk people hitting on us. Unpleasant. 

BUUUUUT all in all, I just want to testify that our Savior, Jesus Christ, lives. The people here celebrate Holy Friday or whatever it´s called in English, the day Christ died, and it´s really sad. The streets were vacant and there was a large group of people in robes mourning and carrying the “body´´ of Jesus. And it´s something I understand why they do it, but my question is why mourn His death, when He lives? He overcame death. Yes, he suffered and died, but He was resurrected, and because He lives, we can too. HE OVERCAME DEATH ITSELF. We all have difficulties and trials of faith, but if Christ can go through indescribable suffering, bleeding from every pore, and death, we can face our everyday trials. We can touch the marks in His hands by reading the scriptures daily, and thrust our hands into His side, by praying in every moment. I testify that He lives, and loves us, and that His hand is ever stretched out to us. Take his hand. Walk on the water. 

HE LIVES.

Love,

Sister Evans

 

6 Months

6 Months

BOM DIAAAAA!!!!                                                                                           4-10-17

Guys guys guys, I HIT 6 MONTHS TODAY!!!! WOOP WOOP!! And, I AM 20 YEARS OLD IN EXACTLY A WEEK!!!! Time sure flies when you´re serving the Lord huh? You know what´s weird, is when I was at 4 months, my body had adapted to everything, and I was just hopping around the city. And here at 6 months, I am still adapted, but my body is already wearing down. My back, my knees, oh boy. I’m getting old. Imagine how I’ll be here in a year. Eesh. 

Buuuuuuuuuut the work is great. I love being here, Pilar do Sul is still paradise. We´re working our butts off, but still having a blast. I really love the mission so much i never want to leave. Maybe having more than one p day per week would be cool but other than that it´s great!! I found that i really have a genuine love for the people here, and it actually hurts me when they make wrong choices. No joke, it´s really hard to explain, but when our investigators or recent converts are struggling, I literally sorrow for them and it´s draining as heck. Imagine feeling that sorrow for literally all of mankind. I am so grateful for Jesus Cristo. He has blessed me to feel the love he has for everyone, and it makes the hard work worth it. 

We´ve had several miracles this week, where I prayed specifically to find specific people in our path, and knowing there is nothing more i can do, left the matter in God´s hands. And what do you know? They were placed in our path. This strengthened my faith immensely. Several people told me this week that they feel my faith or see that i have a light super bright, and it is super cool, because I never thought that this would happen to me. Never imagined that I would have so much faith and desire to serve God that people could actually feel it. I never want to leave because it´s a great feeling. I have never been so close to the spirit in my life. The atonement is real!!!!1

Love you all! Have a great week!!!

fica forte!! (stay strong)

Sister Evans

 

Revelation is Cool!

Revelation is Cool!

Alo pessoal! 

 General Conference was awesome wasn´t it?? As we were inviting people to come with a question in mind, and promising that it would be answered there, I decided to try it out myself. I discussed with Heavenly Father the questions I had, and asked for answers during conference. My main question was how I can develop an unrelenting desire to do the Lord´s will, along with others about how I can be fearless, and use the power of Christ in my teaching. My answers came in a talk that had nothing to do with my questions. I literally don´t remember what the speaker actually talked about, i only wrote what the Spirit was telling me, and it was incredible, and yet, very simple. 
 
“Learn to love Christ.´´ 
 
Learn to love Christ? I already loved Him, and He knows that. I´m serving a mission for Him, doesn´t that prove my love? I then found myself in the apostle Peter´s place when Christ asks him 3 times if he loves him, and Peter responds every time with “Of course I love you, and you know it, because you know all things!´´ And the only thing Christ says: 
 
“Feed my sheep.´´ 
 
My answer was clear. Love Christ, love the people, and love to serve. But how do I develop that love for Christ? By studying Him and His life, I will grow to love Him more than ever before, and develop the desire to be like Him. When I love Him, I will have the desire to be completely obedient, and to serve Him and His children. When I am obedient and have the desire to serve, He will give me His power to do so, as effectively as possible. Feeling Him with me, I will do everything in my power to stay with Him always. And, as it is Christ´s power, not mine, I will be fearless, just like Him. 
 
I testify that as we study Christ, and strive to be like Him, we will be able to see the world as He does, and His will will become ours. I know that my Redeemer lives, and because He lives, so can we. I know that we are never alone, because He knows exactly how we feel, and exactly how to help us– we just have to let Him. Stay strong. He loves you, no matter what. 🙂
 
And I love you too!!!!!
Boa semana!!!
 
Sister Evans
Feelings Are Not Usually Fun

Feelings Are Not Usually Fun

Hello family and friends. This week was also an emotional roller coaster, which makes 2 emotional roller coaster weeks in a row and I´m uncomfortable. Tomorrow is transfers and I’m super nervous for some reason. My companion is a Sister Araújo that I know nothing about except for that she´s Brazilian, and has about the same amount of time on the mission as I do (which is 6 months, btw). I´m really sad to lose Sister Gonçalves, she´s so great. The past 6 weeks have been the happiest of my life. But I guess we´ll see how it goes. I´ll be staying here in Pilar do Sul, so that will be good. The members are super wonderful and loving. I know the area fairly well, it´s small, so we shouldn´t get too lost haha. 

All I know for sure, no matter what´s ahead, is that this church is the church of Jesus Christ. I love being a missionary spreading the joy of the gospel to all those around me, and seeing the change it brings in their lives. It´s beautiful. It´s hard, but it´s worth it. I sometimes feel inadequate as a missionary, because I don´t know everything, and I’m not perfect, but I have to remember that I have a testimony that the things I teach are true, and that I live the things I teach. I know that we are all children of God and He loves us unconditionally. We are able to live with Him again one day because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He paid the punishment of our sins, and we just have to be obedient to show our appreciation and we will live with God again. A fellow missionary shared this article with me and it explains the Grace of God with such clarity that I never understood before. Please read it, it´s super good. 

https://www.lds.org/youth/article/his-grace-is-sufficient?lang=eng 

Anyway, love you all!!! Boa Semana!!

Sister Evans