A miracle…that you could eat!

So if I’m being honest...it was another rough week. But my studies were way awesome and so I will not focus on the negatives and share a positive with you all!

I was thinking "We are working super hard...why is nothing working!" We were not including the Lord in his own work....yeah that was a slap in the face. Then, we just started having more faith and acting in faith. And then I read 1 Néfi 7:12.....if we show (act in faith) the Lord will help us. And then the miracle happened....ok, not exactly a huge one....more like I made a torta from scratch, without a recipe and it came out perfectly. I started making this torta for the baptism of Josmar (husband of Maurica) and well for one, I only ever watched Pontes make it, so I knew the ingredients but not the measurements. And then I’ve made mousse a bajillion times...except this time it wasn’t turning out right...so the whole time Moura and I were silently praying and when we left for the baptism the torta was questionable. But when we ate it...it was perfect!!! And the ward members were asking for the receita and I couldn’t even give them one. So, lesson learned....every day we get to see miracles!!!!

I wish I had more time to share but Im running real short on time!!! But just keep the faith meu povo!!!

Te amo!

Sister Perez

I've been doing this thing call preaching for 38 weeks!

Josmar got baptized! 

jumpin' trains

Starting from zero

Sister Robyn Perez – Week 37 – received 09/22/14

In Jaguariuna, Campinas, Brazil

Wow, so this week was a bit discouraging. When we came into this area we had 15 people with a baptism date. Right now we have 2, but only one went to church and she is waiting for the right time. And the other persondidn’t make it to church. It’s even harder because our Zone Leader thinks we are fubecando (slacking) because our first 2 weeks were good…but as we met with each of the investigatores we realized that they don’t have the desire to get baptized and we had to drop them. So this past week we really started opening this area. Then one morning as I was reading in Matthew I read a perfect scripture.

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is 
thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of  men.

When I read this I was like "what does this mean". I did some deep studying and came to this conclusion. Many are called but few are chosen. There are a lot of members but only a few are super strong, only a few are trulyconsecrated and converted. Like you only need a little salt to add a flavor...the few that are chosen are good enough to help build the kingdom of God on the earth. Then I thought; well Sister Garibay and I were chosen to help this area grow. We are qualified! But we need to be truly converted to this great work. If we show that we want to find os eleitos, the Lord will put them in our path. BUT we need to show our worthiness. We need to constantly be exactly obedient. And we need to be the salt of Jaguariuna. So yeah, missions are tough, but it’sonly to help prepare us to be better members of Christ's church. This work isn’t meant to be easy, but it’sdoable. 

Eu amo vocês!  

Running, running and a tad bit of sleeping

Sister Robyn Perez – Week 36 – received 09/15/14

In Jaguariuna, Campinas, Brazil

 

I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired. I probably said that last week...but seriously it’s true!! Every day Sister Garibay and I say that we will get home at 9 so we can be in bed by 940....it never happened. We would always be teaching or walking home from a lesson and then we'd end up getting home at 9:15 or later. But this isn’t a bad thing. It’s actually and oddly a good thing! It means we are working! And working we are! We've found a good teaching pool and now we are just trying to really focus on these people. We are also trying to knock some more doors to find even more. The only thing is that it’s HOT! It starts getting hot at 8 in the morning anddoesn’t cool down till like 6pm. We have to apply sunblock like 20 times! And we are always running to the bathroom because we drink so much water! And it’s supposed to get hotter!!! Ha, winter here should be fun!!

 

Sister Garibay and I are now really good friends! It’s almost like me and Sister Johnson…almost, but no one will ever beat my "mom". It’s true when you have a really good relationship with your comp, the teaching goes way better! 

 

Jaguariuna 2 is so blessed! Why, because the members in this part love working with the missionaries! One of our recent converts took us to her friend. Then one member had us talk to her co-worker, and the co-worker took us to a neighbor. It’s awesome because these people have friends who are already members or about to be members and it’s easier to teach them the gospel! 

 

Something sad...I had a dream that I was already done with my mission. I woke up in a panic and was like,"NO!!!! I still have a ton of months!" ha, yeah not totally. Time here is flying so fast and soon I’ll be at 9 months. After I had that dream I promised Heavenly Father that I will work with all my might till my last day! Ican’t think of anything better than sharing the gospel with the people here in Jag 2. I’ve never been happier and as tired! Ha, ha, but for real! This gospel is true! I know we have a living profeta que guides and directs us. And I know that my Savior lives!

 

Te amo!

Sister Perez

 

                                    

       

                             

          

Hello jaguariuna

Sister Robyn Perez – Week 35 – received 09/08/14

 

¡Seja Bem Vindo Ao Jaguariúna 2!

 

What an exhausting and awesome week! I was a little nervous to white wash Jaguariuna 2 and when I got to theRodoviária to pick up my new companion I must have asked my Zone Leader a thousand times if I was really senior. I even went up to the AP...by now that I’ve been doing this for a week it’s not really that bad....ha 

My new comp is Sister Garibay, from Peru. We are pretty much twins..shes the baby of 5, she’s 20, and we’ve both been out for 8 months. I’m "older" than her by 1 day…ha, ha We think a lot alike too...so this transfer is going to be awesome!!

 

Since we both really didn’t know a lot of the investigators in the area, we visited a lot of the recent converts, menosativos, and the members in our area. We attempted to see the old investigators, but we don’t really know their schedules. With our Menos Ativos, RC, and membros, we started the Book of Mormon challenge. I have a cool reading chart with all the chapters, and Garibay and I went out and made like 30 copies. Then I downloaded the "Safety for the Soul" talk by Elder Holland (it’s super good and crazy powerful and about the Book of Mormon). When we visited the MA, RC, andmembros we showed them the talk and then talked about the importance of the Book of Mormon. It’s working prettygood, because they all get excited about the reading chart and they all get competitive with their family. We are also using the American candy I got in a package to pump them up. So whoever reads 10 chapters first gets a candy bar. Our area is golden! The people here are super humble and willing to listen! Our job will be just to work extremely hard to find all theeleitos!!! I’m super excited to see this area explode!! 

 

Sad note...I miss Sister Pontes like crazy!!! And now I don’t have anyone to do my eyebrows!! 

 

I’m so blessed, really, to be in Jag 2...even if I just moved to the other room! I know that this is the only true church and Iknow that Christ lives! It’s awesome knowing that every day I get to bring this gospel, this happiness to people!

 

te amo!

Sister P

 

That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

 

Thess. 4:12

 

                                  

          

         

              

            

         

I got transferred

Sister Robyn Perez – Week 34 – received 09/01/14

 

I finally got transferred!!!

 

I’m trying to think about all the things that happened this week...but my mind is so blank and I’m so dead!! This week was good...but I’m just super worn out! This always happens at the end of the transfer! But we finally had a baptism!!!! No it wasn’t Alex...it was Mauricia!!!!!!!! We just focused on her this week really hard and we finally got her into the waters! It was a stressful day for her because her husband could have gotten baptized...but he just wasn’t ready. I told her that women always know what they need to do to help their families and the men are just a little slower, but she will be such a strong example for him!!! Then on Sunday we didn’t see her at church and we were running around like crazy looking and calling her....she had called Alberto e Ariane for a ride and got to church on time!! AH! I love her!!! Then that evening we went and saw her mom and step dad and gave them a quick lesson! She helped us teach. And I repeat…I love her!! I was getting sorta sad because its transfers…Mauricia said, “I just want you 3 to say and the other 2 to leave”....well, her wish came true. Pontes and Ttupa are leaving and Mitillo, Moura, and I are staying....yep...I’m staying. I got transferred to Jag 2...and I’m opening the area or in other words I’m white washing it...its next door to my old area but I have no clue what or where anything is! But I’m super stoked to get a new comp and work in this new...neighboring area!!! I’m super sad I’m getting separated from Pontes...but tudo vai da certo!

 

Keep the faith meu povo!

 

Te amo

Sister Perez

 

P.S. I make 8 months today!!!

                                    

You can do it!

Sister Robyn Perez – Week 33 – received 08/25/14

 

The Day Sister Perez got the "You Can Do It" Bug

 

This week was awesome! It was a week where you work so hard that the minute your head hits the pillow you are out until the next morning!

 

I spent two days with sister Moura in Mogi Mirim for exchanges with the sisters there. It was really fun...but really, really hot! And they don’t use the bus, so I walked all day with Sister Whitnah. All of our appointments fell through, so it was a "normal" day. That night was really funny. Sister Moura and I slept on the kitchen floor, on air mattresses....during the middle of the night I got super cold and woke Moura up and told her "moura, tenho frio!" so she got up and moved my bed next to hers and we shared the huge blanket. Right as I was falling alseep she said " We are just like the pioneers in the winter" (but in Português) ha, ha, ha. When we talked about that in the morning we just laughed. Then we had lunch at a chácara. This place was so pretty! Soon after that we took a bus back to Jag. We were pretty much dead when we got home...but I was happy to be back in my bed...and area!

 

We finally got to see Alex again. When we went in for the lesson Moura told me to start it. So I sorta had an idea in my head of what I wanted to say...but like right as I was about to start, the Holy Ghost smacked me in the head and was like " no you are gonna read this chapter with him and talk about being strong in keeping the commandments." It’s crazy how much the Spirit helps your investigators. We had a really good chat with him as we read 1 Nefi 2. We asked him if he was ready to give up all the things of the world to follow Christ like Lehi did...and then we recommitted him to dia 30 for baptism. I told him the first day we met him, Sister Becker and I saw him the way Heavenly Father sees him. Heavenly Father knows he is strong and we know he is strong...he just has to see that! But he’s super solid now!!

 

Sunday was like a huge day for me (according to Moura) she told me I finally got attitude to get stuff done and not be scared. It all started with getting Neuza to church. I called her house, but she was still sleeping...so I told Mitillo that we were going to walk to her house and get her to church. So we did. And we waited for her to get ready. And she went to church. And she loved it! Then we had to go pick up Mauricia (when I first called she didn’t want to go to church either). We ended up having 8 investigators at church! It was seriously a miracle! And then during Sacrament meeting there was a group of kids sitting behind me and a family. They would not stop talking. At first I was like just ignore it, but then something was like no tell them to be quite. Ha, ha, so I did. I told the Bishop’s daughter, and the other girls to have more respect for their Heavenly Father and the other people and stop talking so that the members and our investigators can feel the Spirit. Yeah...I was like "why did I just do that!!" ha, ha but soon after Sacrament meeting I told the Bishop that we need to talk to the youth about reverence in the Sacrament meeting. He agreed with me...ha, after I told Moura and she was like so happy I did that. I was like scared. Ha, ha

 

I’m excited for the last week of the transfer. I have a feeling ill be leaving Jag...but I’m ok with that. I feel like I’ve already talked to everyone in this city. So hopefully I’ll get a different scenery this next transfer!!!

 

Te amo!

 

love,

The bolder Sister Perez

Can't waist blessings

Week 32

Sister Robyn Perez in Campinas, Brazil

Received 08/18/14

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Communicate with Robyn:

 

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Or Robyn’s new address:

Rua Duque de Caxias 645

Centro-Campinas 13015-310

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This week was...well...it didn’t go as planned. But that’s ok! We've been working really hard onone of our investigators...and he is literally breaking my heart! One night he had his cousin over and shared the most awesome testimony! Then yesterday, we saw him in the street withcigarros!!! He was smoking one!!!! AHHHH! He walked up to us and of course we were all sad...he just smiled and laughed. I didn’t even say a word, and Sister Moura did all the talking. After we left him, I told Sisters Moura and Mitillo "this must be what it feels like when your child is choosing not to live the gospel." He had the potential to be such a strong member and this is why the adversary is working so hard on him right now. We just got to keep helping him see his true potential!

 

We had interviews and zone meeting this week too! My interview went well...I said more than 3 words! Ha, ha. And at our zone meeting I sang with a few other missionaries. We sang I am a Child of God, but it was a different version...and on the ukulele!!! :) Then our Zone Leaders did an amazing training. It was about the atonement! They had one Elder come to the front and he had us each write down a blessing we had received or needed. My blessing was the ability to speak Português. After he had gotten each of our blessings, he explained that in order for us to receive the blessing we had written down, the Elder up front would have to do 10 pushups. At the beginning it wasn’t hard for him, but as he kept doing more and more he got more tired. He also wasn’t a really liked Elder in our zone, so when my Zone Leader asked if we wanted our blessing, some would say ‘yes’ superfast. Others said no, and the Elder doing the pushups always said "no, I’ll do it for them." It was so hard to see him struggle for us. Because of course we needed our blessing, but we hated seeing him suffer! Towards the end he was doing like 2 at a time and we were all crying. The spirit was so strong in the room. The purpose of that was to show us that Christ suffered a lot for us, and we must not waste any of our blessings. That wemust do everything we can to show our gratefulness towards him. Our Zone left a lot stronger after the meeting. 

 

 Sometimes all our plans fall through...but we just have to keep working really hard. Right now all our baptisms are disappearing... but I just keep telling myself that it’s just a trail of our faith...Heavenly Father just wants to see if we are gonna keep swimming or give up...But we are fighters and when the rain comes pouring down we'll keep on walking!! (that seriously happened to us this week...) 

 

Amo vocês

 

Sister Perez

 

Scripture of the week:

 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.