Irmã Brooks.: "Isnt it funny when you are the bus?" Sister Lofgreen

So, there`s all these times, when people don`t want to talk to us, but they`ll point to other people, or their friends will walk by, or they show us other doors where people live, and then they`ll tell us to go talk to them. It`s like they`re throwing them under the bus. But...we`re the bus. Sorry about it.

Also, apparently Sister Call, Sister Lofgreen and I were all talking to each other in Portuguese in our sleep last night...hahaha oops. I just cant get enough of them. And, I guess that means I`m dreaming in Portuguese now? Fixe. (Cool.)

Ah...what a week. So, our goal this week as a District has been to get people to come to church, so they can really feel the Spirit there and because I have never realized how much more we can learn in church than on our own since I`ve been here. (Oops.. maybe I should`ve been paying attention better all those years. Sorryyy.) Anyways, we had a district meeting last week and we did a practice and the Zone Leader taught Sister Lofgreen and I, and we were supposed to say no the first time he invited us to church, but I literally could not, because he was so incredibly amazing at it and I WANTED to go to church with him. It was unreal. Then when we were supposed to be giving feedback, Sister Lofgreen and I started crying. (Yeah, apparently I`m that Sister missionary that cries now. Cool.) But literally, the Spirit was just so strong, and his testimony was so powerful, and I just wish SO badly that I could just know everything and be able to teach with that kind of power. And I just always want to be doing more and working harder and helping people understand how important all of this is. Anyways. Maybe my drive is going to cause my companion to murder me, but gotta do what I gotta do.

Anyways. So, all week, we were talking to as many people as we could and trying to commit all of them to come to church with us, and we were seeing a LOT of miracles. It was excellent, and we were so excited, because on Saturday night, we were going to have FIVE investigators at church. Well...then Sunday morning came, and....no one wanted to answer their phones and no one was where they said they`d meet us. But we did our part, and we were there, and oh my heart just about broke. I said a little prayer as we were walking to church, and I just said, `Heavenly Father, please let someone show up at church and let them feel your Spirit there.` And GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS, BECAUSE HE IS SO INCREDIBLE!! First off, one of our investigators, Jose, had all these questions the night before about Joseph Smith and The Book of Mormon, and then GUESS WHAT THE TWO TALKS IN SACRAMENT MEETING WERE ON?! Yeah. One was on Joseph Smith and the other on The Book of Mormon. I die. Secondly, there are two wards that meet in our building, and in between classes, when everyone was moving around, this man from the other ward comes up to me and introduces us to this family and says, `We have this family and their neighbor for you to teach. They were just in church with us, and they came to our ward last week too. Let`s have a Family Night in our house tomorrow night.` WE HAVE A FAMILY TO TEACH! And then! Last night (at the family night), the neighbor, Maria, said that she felt God sitting by her side when she was at church, and that the feeling was so strong that it is something she won`t ever be able to forget. They are INCREDIBLE. AH GOD IS SO GOOD!!! And as long as we are obedient and doing our part, he will ALWAYS answer our prayers. Even when it isn`t at all how we thought they were going to be answered.

Also, when we invited someone to church this week, they asked what time, and we told them it was from 9-12. He responded saying, `Is there was going to be a picnic because I can`t go that long without eating.` hahahah, he`s not alone.

This week, I`ve been focusing a lot on learning about the strengthening power of the Atonement. Everyone talks about the purifying power, but I read a talk by Elder Bednar about focusing on the strengthening power and how it helped Alma and Nephi and when we ask to have forces to help our situation instead of asking for our situation to change, the Lord blesses us with that strength and power. And OH MY GOODNESS DOES IT WORK!! I have been amazed with myself this week. With the patience and love and my ability to just do my best and rely on the Lord, because seriously, it all comes from him. These are not my attributes I can promise you that. But through the Lord, He can make our weaknesses strong, and He knows how we can have forces to make it through our situations.

Speaking of, Sister Wilde came back to do divisions with the other Sisters, and we went on a little `split` and went on a walk together in the morning to have a `counseling.` She is incredible. She just told me that the Lord has so much faith in me and that President has so much faith in me that is why I am in this situation. So, obviously, my first thought was....well.... isn`t that a annoying. Hahah, but then I thought that I have so much to learn from every situation that I am put in and the Lord never gives us a trial that He isn`t willing to help us through, because He loves us so much, and He knows us SO much better than we know ourselves, and He knows what we can and cannot handle. And through Him, we can do everything.

In other news, I can`t stop thinking about you guys and how much I love you and I think I have said it about 1200 times this week, but it`s true. Also, I swear you are all here with me. Like, I`ll be thinking about Kelli and how I miss you and then we call an investigator, and his ringback tone is One Direction and later on in the week, I`m thinking about you again, and we walk by this store and a One Direction concert is playing on the tv. See...you guys are always with me. Even if it`s in the strangest of ways. Hahaha, but seriously, I love you all SO much. You are the greatest and I am so so so grateful to have you as my examples. Sorry to make you wait a whole other day, but look at it this way--Only 6 more days til the next one!!! :) :) (Yesterday was Dia de Portugal, so the internet place was closed--I think the Portuguese were out to get me, because they know how much I love internet time. But it`s okay, because we still got it today!!) I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU!!!

xoxo,

Sister B

p.s. HAPPY BDAY K8! I hope 21 was everything you wanted it to be and more.

pps. GET BETTER CANDICE I MISS YOU SO! And I think about you all the time and I wish we could be companions, because it would be the funniest thing in all of the whole world.

ppps. Shan- Alma 26:16. That`s the last I wanna hear about you making fun of me.