Beer, Meat and Baptisms!

Hello family and friends,  its been a while I hope you are all doing well!!! Second week in the field and I am loving it. Although walking eight miles a day and the scorching sun and humidity is a challenge for sure. 😊

While walking you will see lots of Brazilian street art.

There was this family that we visited that were drinking a ton of beer and I mean a ton, like two Walmart (yes, Walmart is in Brazil) bags overflowing with beer cans. They offer me some meat and looking at how they prepared it, I was a little concerned. They offered some to me and of course I did not want to offend them mostly because of all the alcohol they drank; so I took it. Sister Lara motions for me to eat and I refuse, so she stands up to block me from their view and I stealthily and quickly throw the meat in a bag, they didn't notice a thing and I didn't have to eat it. #missionaccomplished.😌

Sister Lara and Sister Smart.

We had a baptism last week for a sweet girl named Thaissa. She is about thirteen years old and at the baptism the Spirit was incredibly strong! She wants to serve a mission in the United States so it's nice to be able to use a little English to help her learn, she loves it!

This week I learned that miracles only come after we exercise our faith. Miracles aren't the big things like seeing angels they are the happy moments each day that keep us going and the changes we see in our investigators. We had a few more people at church than usual. We answered a man's prayer that God still loves him; we talked with a man that said he had prayed and yelled saying that God didn´t exist because of the struggles he is having. Then a day later we show up at his door and he said that we were an answer to his prayer. I really hope that we can help him!

There is this cute little boy, every time he sees a picture of the Savior at church he points and says ´´Jesus, Jesus!´´ So during a recent sacrament meeting, before our baptismal service all of a sudden Dexter, the little boy points to the ceiling of the church and says ´´Jesus, Jesus!´´ I know, that the Savior is always with us and is there to comfort each of us.

We also have spent time this past week with one of my favorite couples, Gerlene and Dinho, two of our investigators and Dinho's brother walks in one hundred percent drunk and is just babbling, he points at me and says "beautiful"...we all laughed so hard because he was so drunk.😮

I learned this week that miracles aren't big but the really little things that happen everyday. I realized I need to learn and recognize the little things. We are planning on two baptisms this week! Thaissa's mom and brother (hoping to send a picture of all of them this week!)
The little kids hugs and smiles brighten mine. Miracles are in all of your lives I know it! Have an awesome week, I love you all!

Yet another Brazilian rainbow - Miracles do happen!