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Category: April 2017

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