THIS WEEK WAS GREAT AND HARD! Leaving Bauru literally broke my
heart....I love those people... R. and her family and other members
took me and Sister Alston out for a zoo trip and yummy food that I love in Bauru to send me out with a bang-- so many tears shed at church and the
whole Monday....the members were all emotional and so was I...MY
BRAZILLIAN FAMILY IS IN BAURU! Leaving my daughter was also soooo
hard....she is so great... my phrase for the Bauru people and Sister Alston was, "when you need me and want me, I can stay, but when you want
me, but no longer need me, I have to go..." #nannymcphee.... hahahaa
Saying
goodbye to N... that was tragic...she sobbed in the chapel and the
members could not take it...my heart was literally ripped out of my
chest...as I held N. in my arms, and we both cried, I begged the
members to take care of her for me... and told N. that she couldnt
lose faith and gratitude to the Lord for bringing me to her door.... it
was a special moment and I felt reassured that the members will take
good care of my sweet Sister Alston, N, and other converts there!
As I was leaving last week- Sister Alston and i were teaching A.- the
boyfriend of a member and I was anxious to set up our area to have a
baptism during the first week of the next transfer whether we would stay
or not, and when I got transferred this week, I told Sister Costa (the
sister who will finish Sister Alston's training for me) that i had left
them a ton of people to baptize this week- i explained that it was
important to me to see that alston would keep baptizing in a good rhythm
there in bauru... AND GUESS WHAT?! THEY BAPTIZED A. ON SATURDAY! I
AM SOOOO HAPPY FOR THEM!!!! HEAVENLY FATHER ANSWERED MY PRAYERS! SOOOO
HAPPY FOR THOSE TWO GREAT SISTERS!!!
AND THIS WEEK IN CASCAVEL, my companion and I BAPTIZED AS WELL!
WE BAPTIZED J.! HE IS 21 AND WAS A WARD REFERENCE!
HE WANTS TO SERVE A MISSION! THE LORD DEFINITELY PREPARED HIM FOR US!!!!
30 MEMBERS CAME TO SUPPORT THE BAPTISM!! It was so special- as a
sister, I have a personal rule that I don't let the Elderes enter the
water with my baptisms, I feel like the will have many opportunities to
baptize their own converts, and I like to give members opportunities to
perform ordinances and create friendships with my new members and so I
always invite youth or other men in the ward to baptize for me.
This
time, I invited the Relief Society president's husband to do it. I had
just met them, but I felt strongly that he should be the one to baptize J. He happily accepted. after the baptism, I realized that he, his
wife, and his teenage son were crying... come to find out, this man was a
recent convert of a few years and had never had the opportunity to
baptize someone before! His teenage son who is preparing to serve a
mission was so touched to see his dad baptizing and it was a blessing
for all of us! Small detail, but soooo special for that family!! Only
God knew!
Bishop picked me up late at the bus
station on Tuesday night and gave us the reference of J. We met
with J. for the first time on Thursday and invited him to be
baptized on Saturday (2 days later)--- he was so well prepared already
and I knew and felt the Heavenly Father was saying, "Sister Tyson, you
need to be here, thank you for letting Bauru go- all is well"
J. kept asking us why we are so happy-- working in the streets and in the
rain... and he said that he wanted to be a missionary too to understand
the happiness that we exude! so sweet!
My companion (Sister Teixeira) and I made chocolate cake for the baptism too!
We
did a musical number- "I Need Thee Every Hour" in Portuguese AND I SANG A
VERSE BY MYSELF IN ENGLISH!!!!!!! DO YOU BELIEVE IT? THE CROWDS WERE IN
TEARS-- EVEN MY DISTRICT LEADER, ELDER KING FROM LAS VEGAS, AND HIS
MEXICAN COMP CRIED DURING IT!! THE SPIRIT WAS SOOOO STRONG!!
IT WAS SUCH A GREAT DAY!! AND YESTERDAY AFTER THE CONFIRMATION AND
CHURCH, WE INVITED E. TO BE BAPTIZED--- WE FOUND HIM IN THE STREET ON
FRIDAY, HE CAME TO CHURCH, LOVED IT, AND IS PLANNING TO BE BAPTIZED ON
SUNDAY THIS WEEK!!!
ALSO, a young couple who we ate
lunch with yesterday told us that the wife's little brother lives in our
ward as turns 8 this week- his mom is not a member, but that we can
baptize him on Saturday this week as well!!!!!! His name is A.-- we
are hoping that it works out!!!
We have a big
area here and lots of rain this week, but we
are here to open the area again and to work well with the members, so
we are doing great and loving life here already!
The
members treat us so well and are so excited to have sisters!!! Presidente reminded me that if anyone doesn't treat me or my companion
with respect that he will close the area again instantly- hahaha but we
wont have any problem with that! WE'VE RECEIVED SO MANY GREAT LUNCHES AND
GIFTS ALREADY FROM THESE TALENTED MEMBERS! They are helping us with our
house as well! We live on the street of the chapel and close to yummy
cheeseburger places and a big grocery store so I am stoked! The house
needs some work, but we are already turning it into a sister's house! hahahaha The office elders gave me a budget that I asked for, so we are happy
campers! hahaha
These members are soooo talented! I will explain in more detail next week, but we are blessed to be here!
My District Leader is awesome and my Zone is great! Sister Whitehead from Salt Lake is in my district which is a blast! And Elder Benvenuto and his
great comp are my Zone Leaders! We are all excited and working hard!!!
THE LORD HEARS OUR PRAYERS AND ANSWERS! Our Zone was blessed with 9 baptisms this week!
I know that Heavenly Father lives and answers our prayers. I know
that His will will always be done and is always what we need even when
it hurts at first. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and changes
lives! I am seeing the hand of the Lord each day and His tender mercies
are endless!!! I am doing this because of Him. He is my strength, and as
we sang this week at J's baptism, I truly need Him every hour.
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| J's Baptism! |
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