"Outside, there is just a bunch of old Portuguese people." Sister Briggs

Oh, my comp makes me laugh so hard all day long. Mostly because she just says everything as it is. Oh, I die. Like when we walked out of a house this week, and I go, `Woah. It`s not that cold outside.` And she goes, `No. It is. It`s just that in AMERICA, we have heaters, so when we walk outside we realize the difference.` Oh so so many laughs with her this week. I`m so grateful for her. She is teaching me so much. She is seriously an answer to prayers. 

Well, this week. Was....eye opening. I think I finally realized how in this I am. Our recent-covert, Batista, who has not been coming to church for the past transfer, decided to pretend he did not know who I am this week and wants nothing to do with us, and I have NO idea what happened, and I am heart broken about it. And then, on thursday night, we got a phone call from one of our investiagtors that we have been working with for the last two transfers saying that she wanted to talk to us. So, on Friday, she is the first appointment we have and as soon as we walk in and sit down, she goes, `I needed to talk to you and tell you that I do not want to be a part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints anymore, and I am giving you back the Book of Mormon.` Well, tears start flowing from my eyes. I am totally caught off guard. She had been progressing and always wanting us over there and always wanting to learn more. She told us she went into another church and she felt something there, so she is going to keep going to where she was before because all pathways lead to heaven. Well, I sat there in silence, completely shocked and so so sad for this woman. With tears streaming down my face, I bore my testimony and told her there is only one way, but that I know that God loves her and He will help her get back on the right path. Then we left, and I was still just crying and feeling so numb and so sad for her. Because, I love her so much, and I can only imagine how much God loves her and she just feels more comfortable there because she doesnt have to change for the better. Ah, how I just wanted to help her. So, we leave the house, and we are in the street and I decided that the best thing that we could do was start talking to more people on our way to our next compromisso. So, I stop this man on the street, only for him to go on for like 10 minutes about how God doesn`t exist and how incredibly wicked the world is and God can`t exist when people do such horrible things, so obviously the tears just come back and here I am standing in the street crying in front of this man trying to tell him that God DOES exist and he DOES love us and that is EXACTLY why bad things happen, because he gives us our agency, but he doesnt want anything to do with it or with us, so we keep walking. I am determined that the Lord is going to place someone in our path who is ready to hear this message, so we keep walking and I`m crying with this huge smile on my face just looking like an idiot I am sure and we start talking to the next lady who tells us that she is not going to waste our time with us and then Sister Briggs (that angel who puts up with me all day long everyday. Oh my, I do not know how she does it), tells me we are going to sit down for a second. Here I am, crying, not because they are rejecting us (because Im totally fine with that now...Im used to that), but because they are SO lost and because God DOES love them. He loves them so much. SO much more than any one of us can possibly imagine. He is SO worried about us and He is trying SO hard to help us, and these people aren`t even willing to slow down to hear it. And as I sat there and prayed for these people, I just felt so at peace, because I know the Lord loves them so SO much. He loves them so much, that He will give every one of us another chance. I truly felt his angels around me. I felt His presence and I knew that everything was going to be okay. I knew that we would continue on and that we would continue to get rejected, but that our message is true and that I am where I am supposed to be and that the Lord loves each and every one of us individually and perfectly and He knows us and He knows what we are going to. So, all we can do is keep trying. Keep opening our mouths. Keep moving forward. Keep loving these people with all our hearts and keep sharing the good news that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Well, this incredibly hard week full of rejection, luckily ended with a visit to Wellington and Adriana`s house last night. They havent been in church for the past 3 weeks which obviously kills me, but last night, Wellington just bore testimony about how He knows the importance of putting God in the first place in our lives and that even though it requires a whole lot more effort, it is totally worth it. And they are just so incredible. Always asking questions and truly wanting to know more and learn and grow. Oh, my heart is so full of love and hope for them. And Kawany definitely included in her prayer that we could spend Christmas with them, so yeah...I`m not mad about that haha.

#secretoftheday: Im totally watching Brazilian novellas when I go home.

Also, we did divisions this week with the STLs and hahaha the Brazilian brought her own canned sausage, because she heard I was vegetarian and was afraid she was going to starve to death. Hahahah #natives. Slash, I live with 3 other sisters. But oh man, I wish I could have gotten a pick of her canned sausage in the middle of all her clothes. Oh, I die.

Also, we saw a lady walking her pet DUCK this week. So yeah, there´s been lots of laughs in between the tears too. And it totally reminded me of Friends. And Joey and Chandler.

I want each of you to know how much God loves you. I want each of you to know how much I love you. I want you to know that your prayers keep me going everyday. This work is so hard, but it is so good. I am so grateful I am here. I have never been so grateful for the faith the Lord has in me. I am trying my best to be better every day and to live up to the potential He has for me. It is so worth it. We are so lucky. We can change and become better every single day. What a blessing. I love that. I love the Gospel. I am so grateful Jesus came into this world to die for us and to save us. I love you all with my whole heart and more.

xoxo,

Sister Brooks

Happy birthday Aunt Laurie!!! I hope it was fabulous! I love you so much!

Mel- I got your letter and I DIED!! i LOVE you and you are PERFECT.