13 Meses....

OI FAMÍLIA!!!!!!  Courtney and Sister Lima A lot of things happened this week and I mean A LOT! We work super hard and definitely saw milagres happening in our area. We are seeing a lot of people´s lives being touched by the gospel each and every day. It's amazing to see how the gospel changes the lives of those that let it in. One day this week when we visited Carlos, and he started to tell us about how before he had the gospel in his life, his vision was very limited but with the gospel and everything we're teaching him, his vision has opened up and has a different perspective on life. I know without doubt that what I am teaching for these wonderful people in Brasil is realmente the gospel of Jesus Cristo. And that it changes lives. It is completely changing my life and giving me a perspective on life that I never had before. I am so grateful for this time I have to serve a mission and learn and grow so much. I can't believe that I already have 13 months here and only 5 more.....I don't like to think about it at all because I don't want to have to leave Brasil and all the wonderful people I left behind. But I still have 5 more months and will treasure every second of it.  Sister Lima and I are doing just wonderfully fantastic!! We are working superly duperly wonderful together and complement each other so well, it's awesome! It seems like we have known each other for much more than 4 weeks. I am loving training again and to be able to show her all the ropes in the field. She is an awesome sister and born to work, which is awesome! I love being her companion and learning more and more about her each and every day.  Sunset in the city This weekend was stake conference and it was awesome to hear from Elder Campos (one of the 70). He talked a lot about how we as members are a light for others and tithing and about all the blessings that are poured out on us when we pay our tithing. He started to talk about how the Lord doesn't need our money but that when we pay our tithing, it is an act of faith and obedience. And in return, the Lord just pours more and more blessing on us. But one thing that he said was that as members we can have an impact--whether big or small--on the lives of others as we live the gospel because there is this light that shines from us. As others see this light, they will become curious and want to learn more. And little by little, everyone will come to know about the gospel and have this happiness that we in our lives because of it. He told us to always be ready to share the gospel with qualquer pessoa(every person) that we come in contact with because never know who is really searching. We had a lot of investigators at stake conference and each one of them said that they loved it!  Well guys hope you all are doing super wonderfully well and always remember to be this light for other around you. I love you all so much! Have a week that is out of this world!! Love,  Sister Hilchie :)

Not My Will But Thine Be Done

OI FAMÍLIA!!!!!! TUDO BEM?! How's it goin?! This week passed by super-duper fast, and I can't believe that it's already Monday again! Feels like yesterday I was here in the Lan House writing to you guys....but anyways today I wanted to tell you guys about two very special people that we met this week--Carlos and Isaac.  Carlos was a referência that a member gave to us last Sunday. That same Sunday we went there and taught him with the member (Diego). Carlos has about 23 years and lives with his two younger sisters. His mom passed away some years ago and his never got to know his dad. He started to go to a church to find some answers, to feel at peace with everything that happened in his life but wasn't finding answers to all his questions. But now that we are there visiting him, he asks tons of questions because he has enough confidence that we will be able to answer them. So far we have had answers to every single one and this is just amazing. Truly the gospel has the respostas(answers) to qualquer(any) question that we may have. It's been really cool to see this as we have been teaching him. After we visited him on Sunday, we visited him two more days before he went to church Sunday. The last time we visited him, we asked him how he felt about being baptized on the dia 3rd of Setembro (in an earlier we have invited him to be baptized and then pray about it) and he said that he will! He is super excited and loving when we go there to teach. He says that he feels lighter and the pressures of world seem to be smaller. He came to church Sunday and Diego stayed with him all three horas, and at the end said that he loved it! When church was done, the choir stayed behind do practice a bit and Carlos asked if he could stay and watch. He did and as they were singing, he began to feel the spirit so strongly that he started to cry. It was a very touching moment for us all.  Isaac we met while leaving one of the houses of our investigator. He was counting beans when we stopped to talk to him. We taught him in the moment and talked about the Trinidade and baptism. It was a great lesson and at the end we invited him to be baptized on the 3rd of Setembro também. He said he would pray about it and read the pamphlet that we left with him that talks about the gospel of Jesus Cristo. When we went back the other day, before we even started to talk, he said that he read and prayed and feels that this is the caminho(change) he needs to follow and is excited to learn more!! We taught about the restoration and at the end, said that it all made sense, which it really does when you stop to think about it. He too went to church Sunday and loved it! In the principles of the gospel class, he kept answering all the questions and at the end volunteered to say the prayer! We are super excited to work with him and so grateful for our Father in Heaven for leading us to him. He has 28 years and lives with his mom and two daughters.  This week we also had Zone Conference with Presidente.....it was awesome!!!! We talked and learned a lot about how we can been the best missionary possível. One thing that I am really learning here and that hit me in the conference, is that the Lord's will is a lot simpler and better to follow. It's the smart thing to do really...to submit to His will and not your own. Things just seem to work out so much better and we end up being a whole lot happier. I am so grateful for Presidente Broadbent and all the advice he has to give to us. He really is a man inspired by God. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve my Savior and for everything I am learning here with everyone that I am around each and every single day. I know without doubt that this gospel is true and can change lives. I love it so much!!!!! I hope you all have a super fantastic week!! Love you all!!!  Love,  Sister Hilchie :)

Milagres Acontecern (Miracles Happen)!

OI FAMÍLIA!!!!!! 

Wow was this week just fantastic!! We were really blessed by the Lord in every little moment. From talking with people in the streets to teaching to finding new investigators, everything was lead by the Spirit. We have been fasting a lot lately to realmente find people who are searching for the gospel. Who are looking to change their lives and willing to do the compromissos that we are leaving with them and this week, the Lord answered our prayers. Some of our new investigators we found because we were impressed to talk with them in the rua(street). Others we found trying to find someone different. I remember earlier this week, we were walking down the street trying to find a certain house number when we stopped to see if we were close. Then out of nowhere, a little old lady walked up to us, stopped, and started to stare at us. We started to talk with her and asked if we could share a message with her. She said yes and we followed her inside. Once we got inside, we started to talk to her and her husband when their niece (Anne) walked in. Anne has about 30 years and was dropping by because she needed to pick up her daughter from school but lived a little bit longe so walks até her aunt and uncle's house to later go to her daughter´s school. So we started to talk to her too about Heavenly Father, Cristo and how They love us imensamente and are there to always help us. Man the Spirit began to fill the room and you could really feel this love. After we had left, the member that was with us said that that lesson was different than any other she had been to with the missionaries. She said that not only could you feel the Spirit but also love and peace. We went back another day to see if we could find Anne at her uncle´s again. Luckily we did and started to teach the restoration. She started to tell us that she wants us to go to her home and teach her there. She also started to tell us that she is trying to find peace and happiness in her life and that we are helping her do so. You could say we're a bit excited to continue working/helping her. 

We found vários people like Anne who are really searching for something but don't know where to find it. I know that this is because we had the companionship of the Spirit and this was possible because of jejum(fasting) and oração(prayer). I have come to learn that when we diligente seek for something that is pleasing unto the Lord, we will find it. It may not come at the time we want or expect it to come but according to the Lord's vontade(will) and time, it will come. We just need to keep believing and trust in the Lord that it will all work out because it will. The Lord's will is always better than our will. This has been a huge lesson that I am learning here in the mission. I know that Heavenly Father has a purpose behind everything He does. We just need to rely on Him and realize that everything turns out so much better when we trust in the Lord. 

Sunday we also had a cool experience with one of our investigators. It was the first time we had gone there to teach him and went with a few members that were his friends. After we had gotten to know him and shared a message, it was prayer time. One of the members did it and at the end, he was very interested in how we really talk to God while we were praying instead of saying the same thing over and over again. We started to explain how when we pray, we imagine as if Heavenly Father is in front of us and converse with Him like any other person. I know that He is always there and has time to listen to us. He has tons of children to take care of but has time to listen to us individually. I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. That He knows us by name. I am so grateful to have a Father in heaven who loves me no matter what just like my parents here on earth. :) I am so grateful to know that no matter where I am, I am never ever alone. None of us are. What a great comfort this is! I love my Heavenly Father and all that He does for me! 

I love you all so much! Have the most awesomely spectacular week ever!!!

Love, 

Sister Hilchie 

p.s. FELIZ DIA DOS PAIS!!! (Sunday it was father's day here...weird how it's different né?)