March 2017 – Sister Aundrea Evans In Sao Paulo

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

Emotional Rollercoaster

March 22, 2017 dreainbrazil

3/20/17

Olaaaaaaaa!!!

This week literally was an emotional roller coaster. I felt all the feels and it was uncomfortable. It made me think about how Christ felt literally all things possible at the same time and I can’t imagine how horrible it must have been. The disappointment, frustration, sadness, excitement, happiness, sorrow… imagine the agony of experiencing everything all at once. I have been studying in Alma in the Book of Mormon and I found a scripture where Ammon is talking about his missionary work, and I realized that I felt the same way. Alma 26:16

“Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.´´ seriously. This week I felt the agony of losing yet another soul, the frustration of someone receiving an answer from God, and yet not acting on it, the disappointment following excitement for when someone tasted of the joy of the gospel, but walked away from it for the things of the world. It hurts real badly. But still the one soul that accepts our message and is willing to act is worth every moment of sorrow. God truly loves each and every one of his children, and will never leave us alone. Christ knows how we feel, he felt it too, whether you like it or not. It´s easier to accept him into your life and feel his atonement than to try and go on without him. Jesus Christ lives.

Amo vocês!!! Sister Evans

our investigator made coxhinhas for us. you americans don´t know waht these are and i can´t explain them but the same investigator gave a me a recipe book on how to make them so fear not, here in 13 months you all can try one.

when brazilians try to be artsy in english hahahahaha. same tho.

Sisters Conference

Got to see my trainer Sis Robbi again

Sisters Conference luncheon

What Would Christ Do?

March 13, 2017 dreainbrazil

Hallooo meus amigos!! (hallooo is not Portuguese, just fyi)

Hope everyone is doing well, as it is spring there and still mid-summer here. (It never ends help me)

But aside from the sweltering heat, (ok it wasn´t super hot, it rained most of the time. I’m just being dramatic) this week was great!! STORY TIME: We were teaching this family of six boys and a mom, but 2 of the 6 don´t live there, as one is off doing his own life, and the other is a drunk who lives on the street here. One day, we were walking past this park plaza thing and my companion felt the spirit super strong with the name Wellington. We walked over to a group of drunks and asked if they knew a Wellington. One answered and said that was his name, and we asked his mom´s name, and it WAS ONE OF THE KIDS FROM THE FAMILY. Turns out he and his family don´t talk to each other, and he is always drunk and smoking all the things under the sun. We talked to him for a bit, asked him if he wanted to change his life, and he said yes, but as he was drunk, we couldn´t teach him, because he wouldn´t remember anything, and it´s hard for the spirit to be there when there is alcohol involved. Anyway, after talking to him, another drunk dude called us over to talk to him 2 other drunk dudes. The first guy was so completely wasted to the point where his eyes were pure red where it´s supposed to be white, and staggering around and not making sense while speaking. The other two was a guy from Peru, and an older man. We invited them all to church on Sunday, got the addresses of the other 2 guys, and marked days to visit. We said a prayer with them, and left. When we went to visit the Peruan, Juan Pablo, he wasn´t home during the time we planned. So we went to visit the older man, Benedito. Our appointment was marked for 3 hours later, but we went early. Turned out, he gave us the wrong house number, so we knocked a couple of doors randomly, and came to this one house that looked locked from the outside, and a neighbor yelled to us that no one lived there. We were about to leave, when Benedito came out all smiley. GUYS. This man was prepared to receive the gospel at this time. We taught him, and the spirit was so strong.

We went back to wellington a couple more times to teach him, but every time he said, “no I’m not in a good way right now. Maybe later.´´ but he said he would go to church. Guess who went to church? Benedito, not wellington. We were impressed with the name of wellington that day because we already were familiar with the name, as we were teaching his family. But we really were drawn there because of Benedito. After the first time we met Benedito, he didn´t drink again. When we went to pick him up on Sunday, he was all ready to go to church super fancy and everything. Awww. He is progressing so fast!! His baptism is marked for next Sunday the 19th.

He is incredible. He separated from his wife, who lives in a neighboring city with their 7 year-old daughter. And his wife turned out to be a less active member!! I am so excited I want to cry oh my goodness. We’re going to baptize Benedito, and he and his wife and daughter will reunite and will be sealed in the temple for all eternity!!! I am so excited. After church he said that it seemed like he wrote down all the things he was passing through and gave it to the teacher of the class, because it seemed directed at him. He is so excited to have found the truth, he understands everything, and believes everything and prays and reads the scriptures and wow wow wow. I’ve never had an investigator like him. The lord works in mysterious ways. That´s all I can say.

Anyway, amo vocês!! Boa semana!!!

Sister Evans

Confidence Booster

March 7, 2017 dreainbrazil

Ola familia!

Hope everything is well with all of you! This past week flew by, and guess what!! I´m, at 5 months on the 10th!! Already! I can´t believe how fast the mission is going. I feel like time is slipping through my hands and I don´t have enough!!!! I really love the mission. I can´t explain it, but I love everything about it. I love teaching and walking and finding and all the mission things. Ok I don´t love walking, but it means that I can find new people to bring the joy of the gospel to, so I love it. This week I had a cool experience while teaching.

Throughout my life, I have always struggled with feelings of inadequacy. I would try so hard, but I felt that it was never enough. These feelings were tripled last transfer. I felt like I was constantly disappointing myself, my companion, and sometimes, even God. It was hard, I never received praise from my comp; my testimony was criticized to the bone, and only heard what I was doing wrong. I didn´t have the courage to speak, because I was afraid of messing up. But the other day, we were teaching the Restoration to a family, and I just taught. I didn´t think about what I was going to say at all. I didn´t stutter, there were no awkward pauses, and the spirit was strong. I realized in that moment that the Spirit was putting words in my mouth. The only confidence I need to have is in that I am the Lord´s instrument, and so the Spirit will guide me in all that I need to say. The Lord says in Matthew 10:19 take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. And I have a testimony that this is true. I know that we are children of God, and that He loves us more than we can imagine. I have had the opportunity on the mission to feel only a small part of the love God has for His children, and it is very strong, let me tell you. I know that He will guide us in all things, we have only to seek for His guidance.

Amo vocês, Boa semana!!

Sister Evans