The Spirit Changes People!!!

For one, it was a lot cooler this week....so it gave us a break from the heat. And that was much needed.

I also finally saw the eye doctor....and I’m sooooo blind! But it’s ok, now I can buy the right contacts and stop squinting!

But here is the good part of the week. We knocked into a Family my first week here, and when we first talked with them they didn’t seem too interested, but we kept going back. So on the third visit (3rd time really is a charm) this couple, Maria e Ciço were totally diferente! We talked about the great apostasia and then watched the Restoration movie. The whole time during this lesson my comp and I were praying that they would feel the spirit and that they recognize that the spirit was testifying of truths. After the movie was over we asked them how they felt and what they thought. They said it was amazing that one could have so much faith and how we now have the truth!!!!! YES our prayers were heard!!! They told us that they want to visit the church but this week wouldn’t do because they were going out of town. But they are totally open now!!! And then we asked them if they were married (this is what makes baptizing hard...few couples are married) and they have been married for like 40 years!!!! And it’s a legal marriage!!! Oh, Sister Rotela and I were practically jumping for joy...on the inside!! So the lesson we learned here....sometimes it takes people a while to recognize the spirit and they seem uninterested...but they are just waiting to hear the right words!! So you can’t just give up on people super-fast.... and you have to be so in tune with the spirit that you know exactly what to say that will trigger their feelings!!

Something awesome I read this week..... Mosiah 23: 10-11....Alma the younger is recounting his conversion story where he changed from being a wicked person who fought against the church. Clearly the Lord knows of the things we need, the things we desire....and he hears our prayers....but that doesn’t mean we are going to get the answer after 2 days of praying. In verse 10 it says "after many trials" not just 1 or 2...MANY, before the Lord finally responded. My question was "why after a lot of time". Well if you read on it says that Alma was pretty much being prepared to be an instrument in the Lord’s hands....and then after his trials, Alma brought many to the truth. Ok, so we go through hard things because the Lord is shaping us into the perfect sword (only cool thing I could think of to compare an instrument to) but it takes time and sometimes it hurts. We just need to be patient and like it says in verse 11, be THANKFUL and give praise to our Lord.

I’m still loving what I do every day....and I’m going to keep on swinging that sickle (the field is white already to harvest)!!!

Te amo,
Sister Robyn Perez

Novo Horizante, Jundiaí

Well the beginning of this transfer was a huge adventure.....when Bishop came to pick Sister Moura and I up, we didn’t have enough room in the car for my bags....so I only brought one...and it was the wrong one to bring! Then I found out I was going to Zona Jundiaí and that my comp would meet me in the Rodoviaria there. It was all good getting there and meeting my new comp, Sister Rotela. She just finished her training and she is super chill! She is from Paraguay! I’m also in the dreaded house to live in......I live with 5 other sisters!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah it’s a party every night, well, not really, but you know what I mean! How we all take showers in a short period of time in the morning is a miracle! I have no clue what the name of the ward is that I’m in...but, there are 4 of us sisters that work this ward...the other two work in the other ward. Oh man, our chapel is HUGE! I’ve never seen a chapel this big in my life! We don’t live in centro like in Jag, but our town has just about everything. But the Centro here in Jundiaí is like Campinas! Ha, ha! I feel like I’ve been in a small town for too long! Ha! Our area is pretty cool...it’s sorta country and only one neighborhood is close enough to walk too. We also have a few investigators...but I really don’t know them that well yet. Our zone is crazy! We are the funnest and busiest zone....that’s what they say! So yeah, IM real happy to be here!!

One day this week we went out and knocked on some doors....every door we entered we came out with a new investigator! Seriously the best day ever! It was seriously a miracle!

For those who didn’t see the video, I also ate a coconut larva....it’s this little guy that crawls into the mini (it’s seriously a small coconut) coconut and eats all the coconut meat. Then you break it open and eat him...he has the flavor of a coconut! It’s actually pretty delish! hahaha! Yeah, the crazy things you do on a mission....

Last night (when our power was out) I was reading in Alma 17 and 18 (Book of Mormon). Wow, Ammon is a crazy sick missionary! The king wants to reward him and he is all like no....I want to be your servant. SO he becomes King Lamoni´s servant. And then the whole thing with the flocks and chopping arms happens and the king is just mind blown and wants to talk to him. Then, again the king is taken aback because Ammon is still doing his job and getting the horses ready. Then he tries to talk to Ammon and he can’t say anything for a while. But then it gets good because Ammon, who clearly has the spirit with him, starts discerning the king’s thoughts. Ammon goes on to ask awesome purposeful questions (what we talked about in Zone meeting) and then he teaches he king the gospel. What is the lesson learned here.....Well in order to be a good missionary, you need to serve! Then you need to be humble and do everything the Lord asks you to do....then you need to always have the spirit with you and you will be successful. That’s just a bit of my studies!

WELL until next week!!!

Te amo
Sister Perez!

My new comp, Sister Rotela

All the sisters I now live with

After 5 months I'm Leaving Jaguariúna…

So the worst call I’ve ever had to answer was the transfer conference call. It came way early and we were at a recent convert’s house when it came. So this is how it goes. Our ZLs call all of the missionaries in the Zone and then say all of our names and whether we stay or leave. We were the last area to be called out for our district and he said my name first and after he said "Sister Perez....vai embora!" I cried! I mean I already knew I was going...but I’ve been here for forever, so it was a given I would leave. But I can say that I am comfortable leaving Jag 2 in the hands of Garibay.

Now onto the awesome week Sister Garibay and I had! So we've always had a rough time together but we FINALLY worked all things out! And that was perfect because our week was just amazing! We got 6 new investigators and we finally reached the Standard of Excellence for lessons for non-members. We worked super hard with a few young men to get them back into the church and get them excited to go on a mission!! Of the 3, one talked about making goals to start preparing and the other 2 are a bit slower, but that’s cool. Because one is finally doing his daily prayers and the other one is slowly reading the Book of Mormon!! We then had 1 awesome day with 2 Irmãs...and got to meet new people with them...they even enjoyed going out with us!! We decided to start getting the Irmã we have lunch with to go out with us after we eat because it’s so hot out and they have cars! Ha!

Speaking of heat...its crazy hot here!! You sweat so much that by the end of the night you are soaked in sweat. And it’s even hot in the house at night...And they say it’s going get hotter in the next month!!

For some reason I had a crazy craving for pizza and we told Irmã Beatiane about it so she went and bought me a pizza...and yes I ate almost all of it! And then she told me my shoes where ugly and needed to be shined so she made me take them off and she shined them for me! Her son is the less active talking about serving a mission. I seriously love her!

I’m going to miss this place like crazy...but hey we are disciples of Christ and just like him we can’t stay for long in one area! (there’s a scripture that says that but at the moment I can’t remember it...ha)

Well, Jag treated me well; and now it’s time to see more of Campinas!

Te amo!!
Sister Robyn Perez

Saying goodbye to my comp! (last morning in Jaguariuna)

My last dinner in Jag

Half-way --- 9 months

OK, when you first start your mission, you feel like you will never reach 9 months...and look where I am! I can’t believe I’ve hit the half-way point. It’s sorta sad, because as you truly get lost in the work you never want to stop being a missionary! It’s also a good wake-up call that you only have 9 more months left so you better "do it, do it right, and do it right now" as my mommy would say. These next months are going to be some of the best!

I hope you all loved conference! It was so good, so powerful, and so uplifting! I think the theme, according to me, was going back to the basics. The importance of scripture study, prayer, and church attendance, which was also cool, because all of the training we have been receiving has been on the basics também. Just like Mosias 13, when Abinadi goes back to the basics and talks about the 10 mandamentos. Just goes to show that we can NEVER forget the small and simple things! And it is by the small and simple things that we are made into stronger discípulos de cristo. Oh I loved, loved, loved the talk by Elder Godoy! Loved when he asked, "are we living on the pathway that will lead us to receiving all of the blessings promised in my patriarchal blessing? If not, we need to repent and realign ourselves" It was like are we doing everything possible to receive all those wonderful, promised blessings...se não...check yourself! I can’t wait to go back and read all these talks!

Well, meu povo, hope you are staying strong in the ways of the gospel! Keep on keeping on and be bold and share this maravilhosa gospel com tudo mundo! It would just be selfish if we all just kept these blessings to ourselves!

Te amo muitos!!!!

Sister Perez