Week 16

Olá!!!

This week was crazy busy!!! we are teaching SO many people. we did a division with two people in our ward two different days so we could teach everyone. sister Lee went with irmã nivalda and i went with tais. i rememeber reading the manual 6 months ago and reading about how we are allowed to do divisions with people in our ward if we dont have enough time to teach everyone and thinking "in what world do missionaries have so many investigators that there isnt time to teach them all?!" in brazil. in happens in brazil. we have just been running all over all week. and i dont think its going to slow down anytime soon haha. but it is so good to be sharing the gospel with so many people! it is so exhausting but i wouldnt have it any other way! 

on monday we had family home evening with our investigator robert at a members home. robert is only ten years old but he is super smart and  we watched the restauration and he told us that he admires Joseph smith´s "faith and courage." and before we left he came up to me and asked me to mark another part for him to read in the book of Mormon! he loves to read it. and yesterday bishop told us that robert came up to him during church and asked if he can serve a mission one day!!!! i cant even believe it i wanted to cry! i am so excited for his baptism!!! (and his mom gave him permission to be baptized!!!!!!)

on tuesday we taught this lady named ana. we met her last week because she was sitting on her porch with her neighbors and she asked us which church we are from. we talked to all of them for a little and they all gave us permission to come back and teach them one day. monday night we planned to teach whichever one of these neighbors that is home. as we walked up to their houses, ana was sitting on the steps in front of her house and invited us in. we taught her about the gospel of Jesus Christ. when i was explaining about the Holy Ghost, she shared a really cool experience with us: a little before we arrived, she was sitting in her house doing something, and something told her that we were on our way to her house (the Holy Ghost!!) and so she sat on the stairs just waiting for us! she has so much faith! and during our lesson she recognized that it was the Holy Ghost that told her we were coming! how amazing is that?!

on friday we did our second division and tais and i taught people in a neighborhood called "terra nova." we went to the house of carol and bea (who were baptized last month) to see how they are doing and to try and teach their older sister, cintia. when we got there carol and bea werent there, but cintia let us in and we taught her the restoration, and explained about the book of mormon. we invited her to read a part of it and pray, asking if it is true. she accepted and then she said that during our lesson she felt a strange feeling in her heart. she explained a little bit more that it was a warm feeling she had never felt before, and she didnt know what it was. i explained to her that it is the Holy Ghost touching her heart because these things are true and of God. she said that she wants to have that same feeling more and i explained to her how she can. the spirit was so strong! and it was amazing how much God helped me because i had never really explained in this way before, but the words just seemed to flow out of my mouth. the gift of tongues is real and i can feel God´s help evey single day with this language. i cant even believe how much i am already able to communicate with these people!

yesterday i gave a talk in church!! i was shocked when bishop invited me to speak because im still so new!! but i prayed and studied so much this week because i wanted people to be able to understand. during my talk i could tell that the Holy Ghost was not only helping me communicate, but helping all of the people in the chapel to understand. i am so thankful that God answered my prayers. i spoke on missionary work. as i prepared my talk it reminded me why i am here and i was so thankful! i am here to help my brothers and sisters return to live with our Heavenly Father. this gospel has blessed my life and my family more than i can even describe. i want to share this gospel so others can experience these sweet blessings. nothing brings me more joy than helping people become closer to our Father in Heaven. I am SO thankful for this opportunity to serve these amazing people in brazil. i love all of these people so much! it is so cool to feel the real love of Christ for others. 

com amor, 

Sister Jones

Pictures!!

1- the grafiti here is either "Jesus te ama" or a really high frog/turtle haha

2- just tranquilo little coat 

3- sister lee and i found a pretty tree

4- sister lee had an idea for a picture and she said "put your arms up" if you look closely you can see a man who put his arms up with me and said "opa!" i was cracking up hahaha

5- sister seixas and sister deschamps made us lunch today :)