Faith and Testimony.

Hello from Brazil!
I hope everyone is doing well and life is fantastic!

I don't think I ever said it yesterday on the Skype call but HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!  I have the best mom in the world and she gives the best advice. It gives me strength! I loved talking to my family yesterday. I have the best family in the world and I am so glad we will be together forever!

Irmão Cuelio, a dear friend of mine here in Brazil said this quote to me the other day, "How  can you fail when you have so many people praying for you? You are on the Lords errand. He might let you fall but He will always help you back up." I am learning that the quote is true.

I feel that my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is stronger and grown a lot as I have been serving in Brazil. It was special to me to share it with my family on Mother's Day, May 13, 2018.
[Below is a link to a video excerpt via a Skype call of me sharing my testimony of the love I have for the Gospel of Jesus Christ; click the image or click here to watch the video clip.]

The other day we felt prompted to visit one of our investigators as we were walking to her house we passed a girl about twenty years old just sitting outside her house nearby. At the same time both Sister Lara and I turned around because we knew we had to talk to her. We taught her about the Restoration of the Gospel and she thanked us as we left. I really hope we can contact her in the future because we haven't been able to find her or contact her since our initial visit.

I learned this week that when we are trying our best to be righteous and obedient God will guide us. During zone conference with a member of the Seventy Elder Toledo told us, "If you aren't finding, teaching and baptizing you aren't serving a mission." So we feel a an urgency in our work.

This week we passed this guy riding a motorcycle dragging a piece of metal behind him. He had a roller blade attached to the metal expecting it to keep the metal from dragging on the ground...Obviously it didn't work people are really unique 😊.  On a more spiritual note:

There was this family we felt we needed to knock on their door. When we knocked we found a lady in a nurses uniform and a little bit after the lady that owned the house. She began to confide in us that her son had taken some medication incorrectly with alcohol and now he is unable to speak, walk or talk. He is kind of in a state of just existence but you can see how badly by his eyes he wants to talk and walk. The Elders gave him a priesthood blessing and I was hoping that somehow he would miraculously be healed but I learned an important lesson. God will only perform miracles according to our faith and according to His will. There is a scripture I like to use with our investigators (Book of Mormon) Ether 12:18. Verse 18, And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believed in the Son of God.

Eating lunch with some member girls.

Hands with Thumbs to Side mean Baptism - "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God," John 3:5.

Miracles are possible but we have to exercise our faith first and if its in His will He will give freely to him that asketh. 

Thanks for all of your prayers and support! - Sister Smart.