Hello My Most Favorite People!
This week was a little crazy! But before I talk about the crazy.. Let's talk about the good. We had a baptism yesterday. We baptized Maria. She is 75 years old and kind of feisty (however you spell it) but is a sweet lady as well. Kind of reminds me of our sweet Grammys.. both Taylor and Abel. The Gospel turned her life around and now she is so happy and so grateful! She chose me to baptize her.. And it was a really cool experience.
I feel so blessed to have the opportunity of helping someone find the truth in the Gospel and then follow the perfect example of Jesus Christ by being baptized. When we were getting in the font I asked if she was excited and ready... She answered with tears in her eyes and a HUGE smile.. 'Of course!!' Super special. We have also been working with Alexandre and he is doing good.
So how about the crazy?! Before I tell you this I want you guys to know that the only reason I am telling you this is to show how much love our Heavenly Father gives to His missionaries. He truly watches over His missionaries and He protects His missionaries! I don't wanna freak you out or get you all worried.. But some pretty sketchy stuff happened this past week. They call it 'toque de recolher' which pretty much means 'call of take shelter'. This past Wednesday in a neighboring area (called Missionaria) a group of people started attacks on some busses. They lit busses on fire.. Threw homemade bombs on to these busses.. And started attacking with guns and such. I don't know why or to what extent all or this happened.. But this is what I heard. What happens in situations like this is our Zone leader calls us and tells us to report back to our houses as fast as we can and not leave until it is clear. In this case.. Stay all night. Pretty intense stuff! This 'take shelter call' is for everyone. It's like a call that everyone hears in a rumor or another source. They all just run to their houses and lock up. It's crazy! Then after Wednesday I thought it would be the only time that I would experience that in my whole mission because it was the first time this mission has had this in a long time.. But then came Friday. Friday a shooting/war broke out in another neighboring area (Vila Clara). The police got involved and I guess 4 people were shot and killed and a few injured. Some elders were near, but broke out before it got too sketchy. There was police everywhere in these areas with all sorts of types of guns. So then again São Paulo Sul was locked down in the same call.. But this time just our Zone. Soo.. again... I am not telling you this to worry you! I just want to say that the Lord really is aware of His missionaries and share with you my love that I feel being here. We truly are soo safe here!! I will be honest with you.. I am in the most dangerous part of the mission. People approach you and you just go with strength talking to them and have faith that you are being watched over. I have had a lot of different situations where I have really been watched over and protected. The missionary plaque has power. If I wasn't a missionary then I don't think I could be here doing this work. Really though... Despite all of these problems.. I have felt so comforted this last week.
A scripture has came to my head time and time again. Doctrine and Covenants 84:88 -
"And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand, and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."
This scripture is powerful!! It is soo true too! Heavenly Father is aware of His missionaries, He protects us, He keeps us safe by the Spirit, and He truly does bless us. I know that God lives! He lives and He cares about us. He loves us. He pours out His love to us in His many blessings. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who shows His love for us in everything we do. He supports us and is always there for us when it feels like no one else is. It blows my mind when people deny God and deny that He lives. Literally everything is a sign that we have a living, loving, Heavenly Father. I am so grateful for this opportunity to be a missionary. I know that I say it a lot.. but it truly is a privilege. We truly are a part of the only true and living Church on the Earth today. The Gospel truly is wonderful and is a message of pure joy!! May we show that joy this week in one way or another.
I sure do love you guys!! I miss you like crazy.. in fact... I miss you more than American Missionaries miss their Dr. Pepper. Now that's a lot of miss haha! Have a wonderful week and give each other some extra hugs this week... something I really miss to be honest! Thanks for being examples in my life. Have a wonderful week!
Love, your happy and blessed missionary.... Sky! Elder Abel!
I feel so blessed to have the opportunity of helping someone find the truth in the Gospel and then follow the perfect example of Jesus Christ by being baptized. When we were getting in the font I asked if she was excited and ready... She answered with tears in her eyes and a HUGE smile.. 'Of course!!' Super special. We have also been working with Alexandre and he is doing good.
So how about the crazy?! Before I tell you this I want you guys to know that the only reason I am telling you this is to show how much love our Heavenly Father gives to His missionaries. He truly watches over His missionaries and He protects His missionaries! I don't wanna freak you out or get you all worried.. But some pretty sketchy stuff happened this past week. They call it 'toque de recolher' which pretty much means 'call of take shelter'. This past Wednesday in a neighboring area (called Missionaria) a group of people started attacks on some busses. They lit busses on fire.. Threw homemade bombs on to these busses.. And started attacking with guns and such. I don't know why or to what extent all or this happened.. But this is what I heard. What happens in situations like this is our Zone leader calls us and tells us to report back to our houses as fast as we can and not leave until it is clear. In this case.. Stay all night. Pretty intense stuff! This 'take shelter call' is for everyone. It's like a call that everyone hears in a rumor or another source. They all just run to their houses and lock up. It's crazy! Then after Wednesday I thought it would be the only time that I would experience that in my whole mission because it was the first time this mission has had this in a long time.. But then came Friday. Friday a shooting/war broke out in another neighboring area (Vila Clara). The police got involved and I guess 4 people were shot and killed and a few injured. Some elders were near, but broke out before it got too sketchy. There was police everywhere in these areas with all sorts of types of guns. So then again São Paulo Sul was locked down in the same call.. But this time just our Zone. Soo.. again... I am not telling you this to worry you! I just want to say that the Lord really is aware of His missionaries and share with you my love that I feel being here. We truly are soo safe here!! I will be honest with you.. I am in the most dangerous part of the mission. People approach you and you just go with strength talking to them and have faith that you are being watched over. I have had a lot of different situations where I have really been watched over and protected. The missionary plaque has power. If I wasn't a missionary then I don't think I could be here doing this work. Really though... Despite all of these problems.. I have felt so comforted this last week.
A scripture has came to my head time and time again. Doctrine and Covenants 84:88 -
"And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand, and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."
This scripture is powerful!! It is soo true too! Heavenly Father is aware of His missionaries, He protects us, He keeps us safe by the Spirit, and He truly does bless us. I know that God lives! He lives and He cares about us. He loves us. He pours out His love to us in His many blessings. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who shows His love for us in everything we do. He supports us and is always there for us when it feels like no one else is. It blows my mind when people deny God and deny that He lives. Literally everything is a sign that we have a living, loving, Heavenly Father. I am so grateful for this opportunity to be a missionary. I know that I say it a lot.. but it truly is a privilege. We truly are a part of the only true and living Church on the Earth today. The Gospel truly is wonderful and is a message of pure joy!! May we show that joy this week in one way or another.
I sure do love you guys!! I miss you like crazy.. in fact... I miss you more than American Missionaries miss their Dr. Pepper. Now that's a lot of miss haha! Have a wonderful week and give each other some extra hugs this week... something I really miss to be honest! Thanks for being examples in my life. Have a wonderful week!
Love, your happy and blessed missionary.... Sky! Elder Abel!
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