`It´s from Elder Wilson, isn´t it?` Joana

So, every day, we eat with the Elders in Nelma´s house. Well, Nelma is from Africa, so Nelma´s house is like everyone´s house. Aka there are always 12 million people there and 14 billion children, which obviously is so much noice and commotion and yelling and ahhh. Anyways, there are these two absolutely ADORABLE little girls, Joana and Jessica, that are Nelma´s friend´s daughters, and they´re over there a lot too. Well, this week, we´re eating dinner and Joana is looking at the rings on my fingers, and she looks at one, and then looks at me, and says, `This one is from who?` And Nelma was talking to me, so I didn´t respond, and then I looked at her and she looks across the table at the Elders, and then turns to me and smiles with this little smirk and says, `It´s from Elder Wilson, isn´t it?` Hahahahha oh funnier things do not happen. Actually they do, but everyone just started dying laughing. She is the sweetest and I absolutely love her.

 

Miracle of the week: I didnt wear that stupid purple jacket for the first time in over 6 months!!!! I have never been happier!!! Lagos is my happy place. Dont worry, whenever we are walking on the street, one side is always on the sun, and I will just cross the street to walk in the sun and my comp looks at me and goes, `Why?` And then I just smile and point to that blessed light in the sky that we call the sun and she starts dying laughing. Oh, I was lacking vitamin D in my life.

 

Also, there was this time we had to wait outside for an investigator to get home, and we just stood in the sun for.....some time, and i was so so so grateful. AND it was even more of a miracle, because we were waiting and waiting and then we decided that it was finally time to go back, and WE FOUND PRINCE!!! Yeah...I know. You didn´t know we had lost him, but we had, because everyone changes their phone slash phone number every other day in this country, but we had prayed specifically that the Lord would let us cross paths with him, so that we could find him again, and we did!!! So really, it was inspired that we needed to stand in the sun so that we could find Prince. AH. God is so good. Super bonzinho. Literally, I don´t even understand why He loves me so much.

 

Speaking of, lately I have just been thinking about how I am just so imperfect. Not in the like ugh, stupid girl stuff imperfect, but in the like---why am I such a pecador? Ya know? Like why can´t I just have my thoughts and will perfectly aligned with God´s will and His thoughts and desires? And why can´t I just do everything that I know that I should do /need to do? And why can´t I just never get distracted? Or why can´t I just be who God wants me to be and have the faith sufficient to move mountains and just...ya know? Maybe it doesn´t make any sense. Maybe it sounds ridiculous, but it´s like---there are so many things that we HAVE to do here on this earth, but at the same time, the ONLY purpose we have here is to prepare to meet God. And to help to bring to pass immortality and eternal life for all of God´s children. So, why do I get so distracted by other things? Why do we care so much about other things? Why can´t I just consecrate every thought and action and drop of energy to the Lord and His work? It´s frustrating being imperfect, but it´s kind of fun too, because it always gives us something to work toward. We can always be working and striving to be better and to work harder and to be more in tune with the Spirit and to do the will of the Father even when it is hard, or even when we think of other things, or when we are dying from exhaustion because naps don´t exist and ohh how i miss them--but like that! why do I even want to take a nap? Whatever, Heavenly Father is perfect. His plan for us is perfect. His love for us is perfect. I have no idea how I even come close to deserving His love, but I am so grateful He loves me and is aware of me, and I am SO grateful that He loves YOU and is aware of you and that He answers my prayers and relays my messages that I send out to the universe :) Super bonzinho that Pai Celesital of ours.

 

AND. I read a talk from General Conference this week (actually, I think I´m viciada. I wake up and I read Conference talks, I get in bed at night and I read the Liahona until I fall asleep...ayi yi yi WHO AM I? haha its not nearly as fun though when Im not texting them back and forth with Erin. And maybe I am counting down the weeks til next General Conference...). Anways, it talked about how we have all these trials that we go through so that we can grow and learn, but then, he said something so profound that struck me so deeply.

 

He said, `I have learned that the bitter, almost unbearable pain can become sweet as you turn to your Father in Heaven and plead for His comfort that comes through His plan; His Son, Jesus Christ; and His Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost. What a glorious blessing this is in our lives. Wouldn’t it be tragic if we didn’t feel great sorrow when we lose a child? How grateful I am to my Father in Heaven that He allows us to love deeply and love eternally. How grateful I am for eternal families. How grateful I am that He has revealed once again through His living prophets the glorious plan of redemption.` TRUER WORDS NEVER SPOKEN. Seriously, how INCREDIBLE it is that Heavenly Father gave us this potential to love so deeply. That I love you all so much it hurts. That is hurts so badly when people ask me if I have saudades, because ohh how I can´t even begin to explain how I miss you guys. How grateful I am that I have so many people that I love and miss so much every single day. How incredible is it that God gave us this gift of loving. Oh having such strong feelings for the people in our lives. Seriously, I can´t explain it, but I was just so overwhelmed with gratitude for our ability to be sad, but also for the happiness that is the love of God and eternal families and the restored Gospel. SUPER bonzinho Heavenly Father. I can´t.

 

Something I think I am going to miss most from the mission--sprinting home as fast as we can on that crazy slippery cobblestone every night so that we get in house before 10. The best part of Lagos is that there is this big church that rings a bell every hour, so...we feel like Cinderella running home before the bell rings and we turn into aboboras. I think I just think the visual image has to be the funniest thing ever. These two foreigners in skirts sprinting and screaming at each other to hurry up. Sometimes I just start running even when we have time, but just because I think it is the funniest thing ever. Ah...I love my comp. She really is the absolute best.

 

Other than that, this week was spent doing heart attacks on our ward members´ houses and having the most wonderful carnival dance that actually everyone showed up to and it was a smashing success. This place is full of little miracles every single day.

 

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. More than I love VM, but owww it hurts so bad that you are all going to see it without me. I will try not to cry and just be grateful that the mission blessings exist and the movie was made.

 

xoxo,

 

Sister Brooks

 

Ps. I found JRU videos on my camera this morning. Ethan, Kyle, Irene, and SJ---I love you guys with all of my whole heart. I found the vids from when we were on the way back from the Red Sea and Kyle and E were trying to rap boyfriend. Ahh such happiness. ERIN I MISS YOUR LAUGH. Actually, JRU crew, I love you with all of my whole heart. Oh, happy happy days. Such happy days.