3/18/19 - Happiness is a Choice

Ok friends, lots of prayer and following spiritual promptings is how we've found quite a handful people this week. We've made goals with them, marked a few baptismal dates and they're really progressing well. The only thing is it's hard to help people who don't want to help themselves. We did everything we possibly could to bring people to church on Sunday and when it came down to it no one came. Ah! So frustrating. I feel like this is the hardest I've ever worked during my mission. As we were leaving chuch we were praying to know what we needed to do differenly, or better, or whatever. Are we really making a difference here in Sanata? Is it worth it? We made a street contact an hour or two later and without telling him about any of the trails we were facing we got talking with him and he gave us this scripture reference:

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."  1 Corinthians 15:58 

Talk about an answer to prayer. Tender mercy. We decided maybe we were being a little too hard on our selves. We're giving our all. The best thing we can do is keep on keeping on and choose to do so with a good attitude. Happiness is a choice and I think everything is better when you're happy.

All the sisters that live with us are also passing trough some dificulties in their areas so Sunday night all 6 of us just sat there on our kitchen floor eating chocolate chip pancakes and having a much needed vent sesh. It turned into more of a group pep talk and motivational scripture sharing. I love these sisters. Serving a mission is the best thing.

Aside from that gente it's rained so much! We caught word that 9 people died in a flood last week on the eastern side of São Paulo because of so much rain. (I'm fine mom). There was one day that we were walking down the street and the wind and hail were so strong. I've never heard thunder as loud and angry as I did that day. So much lightning! We went trudging through the dirty, shin-deep water until we found a safe spot to wait until it calmed down. 

Also, we're going to be on google maps 2019. We were walking down the street looking for an address with really confused faces because all the house numbers are out of order here in Brasil. Sometimes you have 109 next to 48 and sometimes houses have 2 numbers. Anyway, as we were there the google maps guy drove by with the cameras. Rua Mandaqui Numero 568. 

I think that's about it for this week friends. Thanks for all the support! 

Alma 1:25

Sister Barbie

1) Coming home SOAKED after being in one of the many storms. Pictures don't do justice. We were dripping! Our umbrellas did nothing. 

2) São Paulo has the coolest street art and randomly colored walls. I love it.

3) All the sisters that live in our house are now asking me for ukelele lessons, English lessons, and braiding lessons. This was one I did on Matias this week.

4) How we celebrated pi day at our district meeting.