Mission Week 28: June 12, 2017

June 12, 2017

THIS WEEK- I was thinking a lot about when Christ was walking near the sea shore and his disciples were trying to catch fish. They weren't having much success, but when Christ told them where to cast their nets--- they brought up sooooo many fish!!! Christ said, "Come unto me, and I shall make ye Fishers of Men,".

 

I thought about this a lot this week-- that as missionaries-- we are in the field, fishing. We are working hard to find all of the people out there wanting and waiting to hear the truth of the restored gospel, but sometimes, we don't always CATCH/or see the results of our efforts...

That is how it has been here in Cambé for our companionship. We are working hard, we are fishing- we have tried many neighborhoods, planned activities, done divisions with other missionaries, and prayed lots, but still, we haven't seen the fish!!! 

This week, my companion and I were feeling a little bit discouraged- transfers are next Tuesday and we have had two transfers in Cambé without a baptism...I found myself asking the Lord in my prayers, "where are the fish?" "where are the people in Cambé that are ready to hear thy message?" "Who can I help?"--- but then I was reminded that Christ told his disciples that they needed to have faith, and follow Him. And when His disciples did, OH HOW MANY FISH THEY WERE ABLE TO CATCH!

I am learning so much--- I told my companion that sometimes we just need to exercise faith to continue FOLLOWING HIM, despite whether or not we are seeing the results of our efforts. Heavenly Father knows and sees even our smallest effort to bring His children back to Him, and so, if He is satisfied, we need to be as well-- but if He is not, and it is not hard to know...WE NEED TO KEEP ON FISHIN!!! 

I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to not only learn how to fish, but to learn how to be a FISHER OF MEN. I am learning so much and I know that Christ is always aware of us. This is the hardest thing I have ever done, especially now that I have gone 2 years being separated from my own twin brother and now will go another year away, but I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT EVEN IF I DON'T SEE THE RESULTS OF MY EFFORTS, I WILL ALWAYS KEEP CASTING MY NET! I know that Heavenly Father sees it all, and I am doing this for Him!

 

I am feeling lots more confident in Brasil! I feel comfortable! iIam still learning so much about the culture, language, people, etc, but I am feeling more comfortable with everything..

I hope to stay one more transfer in Cambe, but at the same time would be happy to leave and challenge myself in a different way--- I am finally feeling comfortable enough in the mission, with comps, and in Brazil to just go with the flow with the transfers... this is a happy feeling! Less nerves, more excitement to see what will happen next!

 

I'll be honest- there are some days in the mission field when I want to just collapse and stop--- days when it is super hot or super cold like this week (down to 5 degrees celsius)--- and no one wants to let you in... it is exhausting! But, I always remind myself that I can not stop moving, finding, and serving, until I have passed through even a fraction of what Christ passed for me.... I tell myself this knowing that I will never, ever get close to doing what He did.

This week we were knocking doors and found a woman named D. She is a single mom with a 15 year old son and 10 year old daughter. We met with them and they go to another church called "Paz e Amor"- they are really big church goers... we introduced the Book of Mormon and they were ecstatic to accept it! They thought we sold Books of Mormon and worshiped Joseph Smith... haha so they were happy to hear the truth. I am excited to see where things go with them. They were super cute and wanted to send you guys pictures of me! haha this week we will visit them again and try to teach them everything we can!!! They are already reading the Book of Mormon! I think our only challenge with them will be teaching them about authority- that only the Church of Jesus Christ has authority to perform baptisms and such...but I am hopeful!

We had lunch again with I. and her family, they are so great! Love that cute family!

This week I met with Presidente Pereira again--- he is so great!!!  He said that these past few weeks, his wife has been begging him to let her call me- she said, "I miss talking to Sister Tyson--- can I just call her and chat?" hahahaha he told her that she can call anytime.

 

 

Sister Tyson with Sister Perreira (mission president's wife) and another sister missionary

 

Mission Week 27: June 5, 2017

June 5, 2017

THIS WEEK WAS AWESOME! We are working in a new part of our area and it is an area that has so many families in their homes together during most of the day!!!! It is a new subdivision here in Cambe that is owned by the government- the families there either have no income whatsoever, or they have one small income to support their families, so the government helps them temporarily. It is sad to see that many of the parents in the families turn to drugs and alcohol do deal with their financial issues, but the families in this subdivision are younger and humble. WE HAVE 37 NEW INVESTIGATORS THIS WEEK!!! WE ARE CATCHING FIRE, FINALLY!!!!

We are still in the beginning processes of teaching and contacting these new families, but I am hopeful that we will start seeing the "fruits" of our labors here in Cambe during these last 2 weeks of the transfer!!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED!

Yesterday we did an activity with the youth in our ward and we had a great turn out! We did a practice with them about how they can invite their friends to come to mutual, church or seminary! It was awesome! My companion did the spiritual thought and I did the games and the practices! Then, the YW presidency made pizzas and brought soda for everyone. It was awesome!

 

The language is great! I was told that I am fluent this week! haha Not true, but I have some of the people fooled!! I have a long ways to go and still have an American accent, but I am trying to learn lots everyday! I have understood 90% of everything people have said for a long time-- pretty much in the CTM (MTC) I understood a lot...but now, I don't even skip a beat with the people in the street--- which is a blessing from the Lord! And I love joking in Portuguese! I am learning lots and still need lots of help, but with time! Portuguese is hard!! Sometimes I doubt why Heavenly Father thought I was smart enough or capable enough to learn this difficult language.... everyone speaks it differently and have different accents! It's so hard--- and it has so many rules! I know that the Lord doesn't give us any challenge we can't face, but man! It's a challenge!

I will give the training for my district this week--- I am nervous but excited!

 

 

Mission Week 26: May 29, 2017

May 29, 2017

This week we did divisions with two recent converts- two young women- and it was so fun to teach them how to invite people in the street--- they literally had some much energy and were running through the streets inviting people to come to church! It was precious--- so happy to be helping future missionaries!!!!

We will do a youth activity this upcoming Sunday to help the youth in our ward get excited for missions and doing missionary work now in our ward--- I'm really excited!!!

This week we didn't teach very many lessons because we were making lots of new contacts and picking up referrals in two new parts of our huge area, but it was a good week!!!

This week was also cool because I taught a lesson with the young woman T. while we were on divisions. I taught the Plan of Salvation to an older widow and she was soooo sweet! The Spirti was so strong and we took photos with the lady afterwards and ate fruit off of her trees outside her house!

We passed another lady in the street and the Young Women invited her and her friend to church. The women started to refuse the invitations and so Sister Fereira and I jumped in to help "rescue" the teens from the rejection. HAHAHA and as soon as I started speaking, the woman stopped me and said, "Have we met before? I know I have heard your voice before, it is so familiar to me." She asked me lots of questions to see if we had met before and I reassured her that I am new to Brazil and so it was not likely that our paths had crossed before. She then concluded, "I think I must've known you before this life, like we were friends or something."

Mission Week 25: May 22, 2017

May 22, 2017

THIS WEEK- this week was rough... the rain really slowed us down! My companion was so happy to receive the package you guys sent with all of the American goodies!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH! EVERYONE AT OUR ZONE MEETING SAW THAT SHE GOT A PACKAGE FROM MY FAMILY! HAHA IT WAS REALLY FUNNY- I didn't receive a package, but lots of letters and so they were like so confused..but so jealous-- they call mom, "the only mom who didn't forget"- that is moms nickname in our mission! haha Because when I first got in the mission and was receiving so much mail, everyone told me that in a few months down the road, everyone sending mail would forget about me and I would receive less and less....but after 6 months, I AM STILL RECEIVING SO MUCH MAIL AND SO ARE MY COMPANIONS (FROM MY FAMILY) HAHAHA MOM HAS AN AWESOME REP IN MY MISSION! HAHA I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!

My companion was beyond thrilled!

 

 

The Webb's sent her a card too! Bro. Webb wrote to my comp in Portuguese and Sis. Webb sent those GLOW IN THE DARK STARS TO HER!!! SOOOOO CUTE!! MY HEART IS SO GRATEFUL!

This week we had an awesome lesson with N.-- our long time investigator-- I invited two awesome elders-- zone leaders-- to come and teach her-- they both taught her in the past and she loved them--- I had talked to her the night before and we discussed her upcoming medical appointment and she explained her nervous feelings about it--- and I asked if maybe she would like receive a priesthood blessing. She happily accepted and we brought the elders to teach and give her a blessing! The Spirit was incredibly strong and I gained an even stronger testimony of the priesthood!! N. after 6 months of going to church and having 6 sets of missionaries in her house, went to be interviewed for baptism! She said that for the first time- she felt Christ's love when my companion and I taught her! SUCH A MIRACLE!! She went to the interview and our district leader said that it was one of the best interviews hes ever had-- she is incredibly prepared--- she still has many things to resolve with her health, and so, we are hoping she will accept to be baptized in the next few weeks! We will see.... she still feels like she needs more time...so we have to start working with other people and leave her to decide for awhile...but I am hopeful! I love her so much!

 

This week we are working on getting the awesome youth in our ward involved in the work! we will do divisions this week with some cute young women who are recent converts!  we will teach them how to do door contacts and more about the temple-- they will divide with us and find people to take to church this week! they are precious and soooo excited!! we are hoping to get all of the youth to bring their friends to church!! we have lots of ideas!! trying to help them do missionary work and prepare to become missionaries themselves! i am so excited!!

Yesterday was Stake Conference and we took a bus provided from the church with the members to the chapel in Londrina! President and his wife spoke about missionary work and the temple president from the Curitiba temple was there to speak about missionary work beyond the veil! It was great!