TRANSFERS!!

(ps. i still havent taken any photos with the new sisters but heres a photo of a pretty sunset.)

 Transfers happened this week and Sister Nascimento and I stayed in the same area but we both got new companions!!! My companion is Sister Rocha! Shes super hilarious, shes 27 and from the North East of Brazil so she has a different accent. This is her last transfer so we´re ready to work a ton. 

Sister Nascimento is now with Sister Lopes (who also ended Sister Monteiro´s trainging... haha) Sister Lopes is from São Paulo and is really sweet. We all get along super well and are laughing the whole time were all together. 

This week was super good, we WALKED to one of the farthest neighborhoods to visit a recent-convert, Arthur. He´s only 9 and when we got there we were exhausted so he said he would teach us the lesson. He taught us about spiritual strength using waterbottles. The first water bottle was empty and he crushed it up and said that when our spirits are empty Satan has power to hurt us. Then he took the other water bottle and started filling it up with things we could do to ``fill up`` our spirits (ex. read scriptures, pray, go to church, dont drink coffee, etc.) then he tried to smash it up but could and told us that when our spirits are full Satan will try to hurt us but he wont be able to. It was a lesson we gave him awhile ago and he remembered all of it! hahha it was awesome :) 

which kinda reminds me of a cool scripture; Alma 36:17-20 This part is when Alma the Younger is talking to his son Helaman about his conversion with the angel visited him and he passed out for 3 days....

17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming ofone Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

 18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

 19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

 20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

Alma taught his son always about the Savior and about the gospel but Alma the Younger then tried to destroy the church of Christ BUT in the moment he needed it most, he remembered the things his father had taught him. When we share the gospel with others, friends, family members, children, etc. even when it doesnt seem like they´re very interested, ONE DAY they will remember the testimony you bore and the truths you taught... and those things will have the power to change their lives. That is something HUGE that i have learned on my mission. 

thats all for this week!

thanks for all of your love and support!! 

-Sis Lloyd 

More Rainy Days

This week was just as rainy, BUT we decided to try something new. We walked around in the storm (when it rains here, it dumps. theres no options of a light sprinkle) and found people that were stranded under whatever shelter they could find and we walked with them under our umbrellas until their destination! it was a super cool experience and we were laughing the whole day. 

Also this week we contacted one of our referrals, Marcia. 3 of her 4 kids are members (inactive) and she wanted to be baptized super bad too but was unable to because she wasnt married and her boyfriend didnt want anything to do with the church. SO we got there and she opened the door and basically ran to open the gate and said ``AHH!! COME IN SISTERS!!!!!!`` and starts talking to us about how much she loved the church and whatnot and just kept saying she doesnt know why they stopped going, then she told us about how much she wanted to be baptized too and that she broke up with her boyfriend!! She even shared with us her favorite scripture, 

Alma 32:28; 

Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, ifye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart,behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not castit out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of theLord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts;and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin tosay within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a goodseed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlargemy soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding,yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

Man, it was like finding gold. 

and thats all for this week!! 

Love you all!! 

-Sis Lloyd   

Rainy days

This week it rained every single day. So it?s been pretty hard because
no one wants to let us in or come out to open the gate, haha.
But we continued on and met some pretty cool people. We taught one
lady named Chirlene, that was SUPER excited when we gave her a Book of
Mormon and she told us at the end of the lesson that she felt like
everything we said was true. Then the other day we were walking down
the road saying ``hi`` to everyone and we passed one guy and as we
said ``hi`` he called after us and said ``what church are you guys
from?!!`` so we told him about the church and gave him the address and
everything and then he said ``I don?t live here but I?ll definitely
visit sometime because you guys are different.`` It is so amazing to
see how the Spirit touches the heart of others.

This week I was studying about the spirit and a read a scripture
mastery verse that everyone knows...

D&C 8:2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart,
by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in
your heart.

And I kept reading....

3 Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the
spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red
Sea on dry ground.

And the thought came into my mind that when Moses parted the Red Sea
it was because he thought to do it and the spirit confirmed to thought
in his heart... it wasn?t because a voice came booming from the
heavens or because an angel desended.

then in verse 5;

5 Oh, remember these words, and keep my commandments. Remember, this
is your gift.

As members of Christ´s church we all receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost. The Spirit talks to us in our minds and in our hearts but it
depends on OUR faith if we will act on those impressions or not.
Miracles still exists as they did in the time of Moses. But is our
faith as strong as his to be able to perform these miracles??

It was a WOW moment for me.

Thanks for all the love!!!

Love and pray for you all!

-Sis Lloyd

2016

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

I can?t believe I spent all of 2015 in Brazil.... that?s weird to
think about. Our New Years was super good! We ate dinner at a members
house and then watched fireworks from our window, then on January 1st
it was an added P-day, so we went to the church and an Elder made us
pizza and it was raining (as always) so then we played in the rain and
then we had a water balloon fight! It was super super fun!

Also this week we were knocking doors and the first house we went to
we said the name of the church and the guy said ``hey! That?s
interesting... just this last week we went to a wedding and 2 people
from your church sat by us... they talked a little about their
religion and about a book that you guys use.`` So we asked if we could
explain more about the book and he let us right in, and called for his
wife and mother in law to listen to our message too. They were all
super interested! It was amazing to see how that little conversation
they had at the wedding had sparked their interest.

We should never lose an opportunity to share the gospel. God is
preparing the hearts of many but it is up to every single one of us to
spark their interest to know more.

I love the mission more than anything!!!!!!!!!

i hope you all have a fantastic 2016!!!!

Thanks for everything!!

-Sis Lloyd