``The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.`` Proverbs 16:21 Goodbye to Vila Prudente

Today is my last day in Vila Prudente. Translation- Vila Prudent. The name of this area describes my time here pretty adequately. I feel like I have learned SO MUCH in these last 6 months here in Vila Prudente. I´m so grateful to the Lord for the opportunity that I have had to be here. It will forever hold a very special place for me in my heart. I have learned soooo much from the members on how to truly serve the Lord with all my heart, might, mind and strength. I have learned from my investigators and recent converts how to have more faith. I have been given so much wisdom of the scriptures and the plan that Heavenly Father has for me through the hours that I have studied here. Heavenly Father has given me the experiences that I have had here to truly help me be more Prudent. I will forever be grateful for the time that I have spent here. I know that I was spent here for very specific reasons. To find the people that I have taught and helped enter into a covenant with Heavenly Father. Every single one of them where prepared by Heavenly Father, and I feel strongly that it was my purpose here on earth to find them.

Its wierd. I feel like I´m leaving home again. I feel like I´m leaving my family all over again. Words will never describe the amount of love that I feel for this area. It will forever hold a piece of my heart. 

Next Stop, Vila Esperança which is translation for Vila Hope... I guess Heavenly Father wants me to learn how to have more hope. Haha... 

``Wisdom is The ability or gift from God to judge correctly. A person gains wisdom through experience and study and by following God’s counsel. Without God’s help, man does not have true wisdom (2 Ne. 9:28; 27:26).`` (LDS.ORG)

Love you all!!!!!! 

Desi 

The Time Is Mine

This week I have officially been on my mission for 1 year... It seems like yesterday that I was entering the MTC.... Times flies so FAST

Last week was kind of frustrating because I just felt really unmotivated and it wasn´t a good feeling. 

This week I am going to choose to beHAPPIER, and BETTER..... 

 It should be a much better week because we have a baptism on Saturday and a baptism on Sunday.. :)

I am learning that the time to act is now. I need to take advantage of every minute left that I have on my mission. To be the Best I can, and to help as many people as I can tocome unto christ. In 1 year I have seen so many changes in myself and in others. I´m so grateful for this past year that has passed by. It has been such a rewarding year. I´m looking forward to these next 6 months as well!!!!!! THE GOSPEL IS TRUE

Desi 

Setting worthwhile goals gives direction to our lives.

So this week was SUPER BUSY.... A lot happened!!!! A LOT

Monday was our district meeting. And me and my companion put our new goal for 8 baptisms for the month of October.... We know that it is a high number, but we both felt inspired to put it as our goal. I have yet to reach a monthly goal on the mission, and this is the highest goal I have set, but I know that Heavenly Father will help me reach this goal with a lot of prayers and fasting, and obedience. 

Tuesday we had the opportunity to visit one of our Recent Converts in the hospital. She has lung cancer. It was the first time that I entered a cancer hopsital. It was really an eye opener for me because It made me realize how blessed I am to have the health that I do, and the life that I do. It also made me really sad to think of all the people that our nearing the end of their life, and don´t have the gospel. I´m really grateful that I do. It makes me want to help EVERY single person in my surroundings!!!!!!!!! 

Wednesday we had so many scheduled appointments we had to run from appointment to appointment!!!!!! And so it was the rest of the week. But we saw some awesome progress in a lot of our investigators. 

On Saturday was General Conference. One of our investigators before conference told us that She WANTS to be baptized. She has investigated the church on and off for 10 years!!!!!!!!! She is the cousin of a member. She still has her first book of mormon that was given to her by elders 10 years ago!!!!!! At conference she wrote down 10 questions and in just one session 9 of the 10 questions were answered. And the second question was answered during the second session..... It made me SOOOO happy. And now after conference she is 100 % sure!!!! I loved conference!!!!!!

Also on Sunday we had 2 baptisms of 2 girls. Geovana and Amanda. We met them 2 weeks ago. Their mom works for a member cleaning her english school. They went to church last week and loved it!!! This week we taught all of the lessons and they were baptized yesterday. Their mom wants to be baptized too, but its a complicated situation... She lives with someone that she is not married too, but she can´t get married because if she does she will lose the money that she gets every month for being a widow..... But I know that Heavenly Father will help her realize that it´s worth losing the money, to take part of the only TRUE church, and to make a covenant with the Lord!!!!!!! Anyways I don´t know how exactly she is going to feel that she needs to be married, but I know that she will!!!!!!! 

We have another investigator who has a baptism date for the 20th of October, and a lot of others that we have been teaching a lot and who have gone to church, so we know that our goal this month is definitely possible!!! 

I feel like goals are definitely something that I have been learning a lot about on my mission. It´s a way to help us progress. Our goal here on the earth is to prepare to meet God. He wants us to all be perfect like he is. Our progression in necessary. We can´t just stay the way we are, we always need to be progressing. Setting High Goals shows our Heavenly Father our desires, and when we have goals we are willing to work hard to reach them. 

Set your goals high, if you have not already done so. 

Desi 

``There is nothing so unchanging, so inevitable as change itself``

So this week was an interesting week. 

Tuesday was transfers, and me and my companion Sister Amaral were told that we would stay... So we were all excited about this new transfer and the great things that we would see together, because we have two awesome investigators that have baptisms marked for October, Marcos and Karina. 

On Wednesday we wrote goals for the transfer and talked about all the things we could do, to help our area, and we were super pumped to work hard!!!!!!

Then on Thursday, we got a call from the Assistants that there was going to be an emergency transfer because of a situation that happened with other sisters. When I first got the call I felt heartbroken. Sister Amaral went to a different area, and I stayed here in Vila Prudente with Sister Oborn. Sister Oborn is my second american companion. I feel sad that Sister Amaral left, but I already love Sister Oborn!!!!!! 

But ever since Thursday it feels like everything is changing in my area. We started working in a different area than usual, we have new investigators, we are trying new methods of working. The mission is wierd. I feel like in one day I feel up to 100 different emotions. Happiness, Sadness, Excitement, Discouragement all at the same time. I´m sad that Sister Amaral isn´t my companion anymore, but I´m happy that Sister Oborn is my new companion. Change is hard, but I know that it is for the best. I read a talk by Marvin J. Ashton that described exactly how I am feeling. Here is a quote he used from C.S Lewis, 

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace” 

And so it is, with us. Sometimes change is hard. But it´s usually for the best. I hope that I can learn to adapt quickly and see the sense in what God is building in my life. I hope that this week will be a good one for me and Sister Oborn and for all of you!!!!!!!! 

Love, 

Desi 

  

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If Ye Have Not Charity

This week was a really really really BUSY week. We had so many things to do and so many people to teach. We have been seeing a lot of work here in Vila Prudente. 

Tuesday was Zone Conference. It was a good conference. We did a lot of practices and studied a lot from preach my gospel. It made me remember how important the basics are in missionary work. 

This week we worked hard to prepare Valmir and Vinicius for their baptisms. They both were already SO ready for baptism!!!!!  

This week I learned a lot about the importance of charity. If we truly love the people that we are teaching we will do anything to help them. We put our own comfort aside and SERVE. This week we learned some really bad news, our investigator, Sabrina, whose sister I met in the MTC during TRC, called us and told us that her mom was back in the hospital and the doctors only gave her 6 months to live. After hearing this news I didn´t know what to do, or how to help. I felt like I couldn´t even breath. But Sister Amaral and I talked about things we could do to help and we decided that we just really needed to be there for her and show her how much we loved her. We bought her a get well kit because she was sick this week with a video of the church and a magazine with tea and soup and earrings and chocolate, and just listened to what she had to say, and taught her about the gospel and how much it was going to help her in her life. Her sister that lives in the US is going to fly down this week. As a result of listening to her and her feelings about everything she seems to be realizing the importance of baptism and she feels a lot better about the date we had set as a goal for her. From this experience I really learned that Charity is everything. When we have charity we do everything that we can to help others recieve the restored gospel. 

Would love to hear what´s going on in everyone´s life... Even if it´s just the latest picture you posted on facebook. 

Desi 

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