Week 38!

Wow! 9 months!

Week 38—April 11, 2016

Hello my awesome cute family!  Looks like you all had a blast in California without me and Kylie. (;   Not much happened this week, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t learn something!!  I learn something new everyday out here!

Okay, Sister Kendell told me this hilarious story that I have been laughing about all week long.  A church leader somewhere said this, when his son was disrespecting his mom, the dad said, “don’t you ever talk like that to your mother again.”  And the boy said, “well it was the truth, right?” The dad said, “I don’t care, you don’t talk to your mother like that, mister!”   Then the boy said, “Dad, don’t you love me?”  And the dad said, “if we were on a boat and it was sinking, I would step on your face to save your mother!”   BHAHAHA!!  I can just imagine this dad stepping on this kid’s face, and I just thought it was the funniest story.(:  Respect your parents folks, they know best. (:

Okay for a little while, the missionary work has been slow, but hey, that doesn’t stop us right!!!  In Preach My Gospel it says every person you come in contact with, that you talk to, that you teach, that you invite to church, is affected and we plant a seed.  Sometimes we teach someone and spend a lot of time with them and it turns out they don’t want to learn more, or they don’t want to be baptized, but guess what?  It isn’t a waste!  Because in 5 weeks, 5 years, or the next life, what we did or said, made a difference and one day they will eventually accept the gospel.

There is a lady from Goiania that has been visiting our ward because her friend lives here in Caldas.  She said that she found out about the church 5 years ago but wasn’t baptized until just 2 years ago.  She started crying and told us that we don’t know how many people we affect in our mission.  She said she wishes she could tell the first missionaries that found her five years ago, that she is baptized today and that they made a difference in her conversion.  She said that we will never know the fruits of our labors until after this life, and we see all the people we affected on our mission, not just the people we baptized.  She said she has so much respect for us, sisters serving a mission because it isn’t easy, its hard work, spiritually and physically. She was so sweet and she asked us if she could go on visits with us. She has a little girl and can’t serve a mission, but she loves us and is so grateful for the missionaries.  It was super special to hear this from a convert.  I love her, she is amazing, and calls us just to see how we are doing. (:

What is this!!!  I will be out 9 months this week AHHHH!!

Rodrigues received the Melchizedek priesthood and has been blessing the sacrament. woot woot!!  And yesterday, Cosme and Damian the 2 little boys we baptized and have been working with, came to church and Cosme bore his testimony in sacrament meeting.  It was soooo special!  I didn’t know until after because I had to step out (I was so bummed) but sister told me everything he said, and he said,  “I love this church, and it is the place for me, and I will never leave it”.... Cosme melts my heart!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!! 

-Sister Smithie poo

My Caldas Novas family.