Sister Aundrea Evans In Sao Paulo

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)

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. 

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

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