Bea and Vini's Baptisms! - in a Troubled World.

Hello from Brazil! Wow. What a crazy and eventful past three weeks. I had a gun pulled on me and my companions, Sister Araya and Sister Resende, the first week in August - an interesting way to start the month, I would say. I am so grateful that we had the blessings of protection and safety from Heavenly Father and angels from heaven. I know that the prayers of many members of the church, family and many others for all the missionaries throughout the world were answered that day! Also, we had some awesome baptisms on Sunday the 11th and Sunday the 25th.  Vini was baptized on the 11th of August and his friend Bea, was baptized on the 25th. Vini and Bea are so great; they both have strong testimonies of the Savior and his Gospel. I know they are going to be a great strength and both will be a solid example for many as they share their testimonies! Prior to Vini being baptized, I told Vini that he would have many approach him and say to not be baptized - not go through with it, for whatever reason, or he would have things that will come up that will try and be in the way of him being baptized - and of course all of those things happened. To make it even better, the baptismal font wasn't ready and full of water as it needed to be - so my companions and I grabbed any container we could find and went back and forth from the sink to the font to help it get full as required - it was filled just in time and Vini was baptized!

(Left to Right) - Sister Araya, Bea in the black long sleeve, Vini next to her, Elder who baptized Vini, Sister Smart, Sister Resende far right.

Bea's Baptism to the left of Sister Smart - I am so happy for her! Vini is far left.

(Left to Right) Sister Smart, Bea, Sister Resende - what a wonderful day!

Guess which one is me? Vini is an awesome artist too!

Also, Vini drew a picture of the three of us (he is such an awesome artist!) - maybe you can guess which one of the four of us is me - haha - also, notice the missionary name tag he is wearing in the drawing - I definitely can see him being a full time missionary some day in the future! - he will also play a huge role up to that time with the sharing of his testimony and his great example!

All our investigators are doing well. Sister Resende, my companion, stayed in Rudge Ramos again this past transfer. Sister Araya was transferred out to a different area - so no longer a trio. Sister Resende and I were recently doing street contacts. We saw a man at his home; his name was Rafael-  walking to his car to drive to work. Sister Resende had a feeling to go and talk with him after we had passed by. We went back and talked with him. He said he could not talk then but accepted our invitation to an appointment at a later date. We were able to teach him at that later date and he came to church with our other investigators this past Sunday!

This past week beginning Sunday, the 18th of August, we had lots of meetings. The first part of the week we had a meeting to welcome the new missionaries, then a  Leadership Conference, then a mission conference with a visiting authority, Elder Carboni which was awesome. To make it even better, we had Bea's baptism this past Sunday, the 25th of August  - we are so happy for her! I know it was hard as she too had many things try and get in her way of being baptized. This coming week, beginning August 25th we will have the opportunity to hear a satellite broadcast of our Prophet and President of the Church,  President Russell M. Nelson. Then this coming Sunday we will meet in a very large soccer stadium to hear him speak to 10's of thousands of missionaries and church members! Wow - so excited for this. He is currently on a Latin and South America trip to visit several areas. What a blessing for all members and missionaries!

So I am not sure if I mentioned this - I had a previous trio companionship a few months back with a Sister Leal who was waiting for her Visa to go to her mission. I found out she is going to the same mission as my brother who will be leaving on the 24th of September - Mexico, Villahermosa! Crazy to think of that! Time is winding down for me - I will miss this mission and all the awesome people and memories. I will miss it tons - for many reasons! In two weeks, I will be be able to travel with a member of the church, a young woman, who is also a dear friend, Isabel Bastos who lives in São Paulo. She will be my companion for a day as we travel to my old areas to visit many wonderful people the last day before I fly home - what a blessing that will be!

Time is short until I finish this awesome, crazy and worthwhile mission here in Brazil - I am working hard right up to end - I am so grateful that President Acosta allowed me to extend a few weeks. My parents said I would  not want to come back home when the time came; that I would love the mission and the people of Brazil that much - I did not believe them prior to leaving just over a year and half ago - now I do. What a blessing this mission has been and is for me!


( © Copyright 2019 Facebook: Missão Brasil São Paulo Sul 2017-2020: Presidente e Sister Acosta  @missaosaopaulosulcesso)

Full mission photo taken Aug 23, 2019 with visiting authority, Elder Carboni.

Image by Fabio Auri Stratmann Fauriman from Pixabay