Half way there!!

"Woahhhh OHHHH I'm Half way there!!! Woahhhhh ohhhh I'm living on a prayer!!"

But serio, I have 3 more weeks left!! This morning was sorta sad...my beloved companion left for the Brazil MTC! I'm so happy and excited for her!! Anyways once we found out she was leaving us, we tried to match EVERYDAY!!!!! We say it helps us teach better, and I really think it does! We aren't to sad about being separated just because I'll see her once I make it to Brazil! 

So last Tuesday we got the honor to hear from Elder Bednar!! Man was that an experience! I sang in the choir again, and the song we sang was so perfect and really helped invite the spirit! He talked to us about a lot of stuff. But one thing that he said that stuck out to me the most was about faith. We really get to exercise our faith while on a mission. Whether it be with the language or whaterever, your faith is put to the test out here. Elder Bednar said that usually we have to act before the power will come. And man that it so true!! I saw that happen this past week while doing TRC (you teach member volunteers). But Heavenly Father wants to see if you'll have the faith in him to act before he helps you. I love Elder Bednar!!

TRC was a totally different animal! You teach members about gospel topics. The tough thing is you don't know what you're supposed to teach them. You rely all on the Spirit to guide you! In the first lesson...I went blank! I could say anything and poor sister Dickson had to talk! I felt so bad I just wanted to cry right then and there! But then she asked me how my faith in Jesus Christ has grown and I had no choice but to bare my testimony about my whole deciding to go on a mission. On our feede Back (we dont just say feed, we add the e and then it de make the ji sound...funny huh??) He said my testimony really help him! Then right before we went to our second lesson, Sister Dickson looks at me and tells me I have to do all the talking! Well I did...and like Elder Bednar said, "act and the power follows" I had the faith that the Spirit would help me know what to say and the Spirit helped me know what to say and what to teach! So here's how it went: I asked him what his favorite scripture was. He read some scripture I had no clue what he was saying!! But then I asked him what makes him happy?(heres the awesome part, the scripture was 2Nephi 2:25, and I was guided by the spirit to ask him what makes him happy even though I didnt understand when he read). He said his family makes him happy and I asked if all his family members were LDS. He said yes, and then sister dickson asked if they were all active. He had one brother that is inactive. BINGO!!! Sister Dickson and I found the common ground! We all have inactive brother! So I asked him what about the gospel gives him comfort concerning his brother, he said the Atonement. I bore my testimony about the Atonement and how I know that My brother can some day return to Heavenly Father. And Heavenly Father will be so happy when David, my brother, finally returns to the right path. The Spirit was so strong in the room, I loved it! But it just goes to show how you have to fully trust that Heavenly Father will help us know what the person needs to hear!

We also had our last lessons with both investigators, Joao and Silva. We asked Joao if he would get baptized and he said yes, but he wouldn't marry his girlfirnd of 20+ year!!! We tried explaining all the wonderfully blessing he and Pricilla could recieve, but he wouldn't budge! The sad thing is the real Joao still hasn't gotten babptized. Silva on the other had was aweseom!!! We talked to him about the Restoration. He said he feels like he hasn't gotten answers and I told him that sometimes Heavenly Father wants us to exercise our faith and show that we are going to diligently search for an answer, and once we show him that he will answer us. He seemed to like that! But at the end of the lesson we asked him to be paptized and he said YES!! He asked when and I said this Saturday! He laughed and was like "seriously?? this weekend" Sister Dickson said yep, once we finish all the lessons! So the real life Silva got baptized and is a strong member of the church! When Irmao Barlow was teaching him about the law of tithing, Barlow said that silva said that he had already been "paying" his tithing! Silva's mom taught him about it and he put aside 10% every pay check! He is/was GOLDEN!!! that lesson I also had a big break through! I only used my dictionary once!! How awesome!! 

The language is coming along great! I fall asleep every night repeating the 1st vision in portuguese and then I sometimes dream in portuguese too!! haha! I noticed my progress when I worte my talk on sunday and I didn't copy straight out of my Preach my Gospel, I was able to come up with all I wanted to say!! But I know that I am able to learn this language because my Heavenly Father wants me to teach his children in their native language.

I have no doubt that this gospel is the only true source for TRUE happiness. I know that Joseph Smith was called by God to restore His Gospel on this earth. And from that we can see how much God really does love us. We are his children and he would not leave us with out a path to get back to him. I'm so grateful for all the missionaries and for their spirits. If it weren't for the missionaries that found and taught my parents, I wouldn't be here today. This is Heavenly Father's work and I am so blessed to be assisting him.

Amo voces!!!

Sister Perez