Thursday, November 9, 2017

Mission Week 48: October 30, 2017 Cascavel

October 30, 2017

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. 

J's Baptism!


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