I have been very blessed here in Campos Eliseos for many reasons, especialmente healthwise. I haven´t really been sick at all my whole mission. I´ve had a few headaches and stomachaches here and there like anyone else, but I have never gotten the flu or worms like lots of other missionaries or had to miss any day of work at all. Thank you tons for your prayers! They are being answered here daily.

We had an interesting experience this week when teaching the Restoration. We had taught this one 13-year old boy named Guilherme once and went back to watch the short DVD of the Restoration with him. He was actually in the house of our menos ativo across the street. We didn´t know he was there but ran into him "coincidentally" and he reluctantly agreed to come back over to his house (that had the DVD player) to watch it with us. Then about half an hour later just after we had finished the film and were finishing the lesson, his other friend Alan who we had been trying to get in contact with that day had come to Guilherme´s house actually searching us out. "Sim as meninas da Igreja estão aqui!" we responded. He came in and was sad he missed the movie so we actually watched it again! I think I have seen the Restoration (20 minutes) now more times than any other movie in my life, but I never thought I would watch it twice in one hour. It turned out to be two really great lessons and they felt the Spirit strong, especially Alan. They both came to Church this week (wooooo!!!) and we are excited to go back and teach them again.

We also taught a great lesson to Débora about the Priesthood this week. I learned a lot from studying and teaching this lesson, and Débora said it really opened her eyes to see the gospel in a new light. Then the next day at Church there was a baby blessing and for fast and testimony meeting lots of members bore their testimony about the Priesthood. It was absolutely perfect and made me really excited that Débora was there to see the Priesthood in action so soon.

In Sacrament Meeting também Sebastião passed the Sacrament to me for the first time. He has been helping with the Sacrament for some time now but this was the first time he passed it to me in my corner behind the piano. He came over with a huge smile on his face and it made me super feliz. We had lots of little tender mercies from the Lord this week.

We also had a ward integration activity on Wednesday. This ward is really good at having activities. They just make it like a giant Family Home Evening for the ward. It is not a big deal, just a hymn, short message, game, and treats. This week there were LOTS of people there, and about half were investigators! The ward is really doing great to help integrate investigators, and with 8 missionaries we are seeing the blessings. When the activity was supposed to start we were all praying for members to come, not investigators, because we had so many visitors and few members to integrate them! But eventually lots of people arrived due to normal Mormon Brazilian time. We also had a mini miracle of the multiplicação do cachorro quente. We had hot dogs Brazilian style but not very many and had tons of people, so Síster Hoggan and I and Paola (wife of the bishop) said a prayer and started dividing and improvising to multiply these cachorros. It turned out great and there was plently for everyone.

For those of you who are curious, we got news this week that no, we will not watch the World Cup. For me I could care less and actually I am pretty excited because we will have more time to study. We will come back home half an hour before a game of Brazil starts (there are three marked so far) and have a few extra hours of study until the game ends. You would be amazed (maybe) at how much hulabaloo is going on by the copa. Everyone gets off of work and the whole country shuts down to stay inside and watch the game. I personally think it is a little ridiculous, but then I have never been a big football fan in the first place so who am I to say?

It´s starting to get colder (halleluiah!) and I am sleeping better these days with a blanket. That calls for strange dreams. But I am happy and using a jacket in the mornings. I miss the snow and ice, but at the same time it is hard to imagine going back to that again! It took a while to accostum to this hot weather but it will be very strange to be in a cold place again some day! I think I´ll stay here for a while instead.

I love you all! Stay cool and drink lots of lemonade (Brazilians think it´s weird that we like lemonade so much. Why would you choose lemonade when you have so many other wonderful crazy flavors of juice?)!

Síster Marchant

Obrigada Presidente!

Esta semana foi muito boa de novo. Síster Hoggan está um pouco resfriada esta fim de semana, mas esta melhorando agora com um pouco mais descanso. Eu acho que depois desta P-Day vamos estar com boa saúde e pronta trabalhar de novo. Nós tivemos algumas lições boas esta semana com novos pesquisadores também. Estamos ensinando dois rapazes agora se chamam Alan e Guilherme. Eles são jovens mas têm muito desejo para saber a verdade e parecem dispostos sacrificar para saber por si mesmos. Eles foram a Igreja esta semana sozinhos e estão fazendo sua parte. Nós não os ensinamos muitas vezes ainda mas temos esperança que eles vão progredir rapidamente.

O Conselho de Liderança foi uma bênção grande de minha semana. Aprendi muitas coisas e estou incentivada para ser uma Síster Treinadora melhor. Sei que tem muito mais que eu posso fazer como treinadora e também em nossa própria área, e quero dedicar tudo que tenho ao este trabalho. Vamos ligar nossas Sísteres mais e trabalhar mais arduamente esta semana.

O dia depois o Conselho eu decidi estudar da Liahona desta mês de junho para conhecer os escritos dos profetas e líderes da Igreja melhor. Encontrei uma artigo sobre o Sacerdócio que abriu minha mente muito. Nós ensinamos nosso recém-converso sobre o Sacerdócio aquele dia então foi perfeito. Aprendi tantas coisas que nunca entendi! Estava muito animada que o Senhor respondeu à minha oração tão rápido. A experiencia fortaleceu meu testemunho sobre os profetas vivos e as forças que ganhamos quando somos obedientes ao conselho de nossos líderes.

Também tive uma experiencia muito doce esta semana na Igreja quando meu recém-converso que recentemente recebeu o Sacerdócio passou o sacramento a mim. Foi tão bom para ver ele firme no evangelho e crescendo e aprendendo cada semana. Esta obra é maravilhosa.

Obrigada por tudo!

Síster Marchant