Baptisms and future revelations

KETTLIN WAS BAPTIZED!!!!! she is so awesome! shes had 8 missionaries pass through and teach her, and was finally ready when we got here! we left her a chapter in the book of mormon and some pamphlets to read so she could think of questions for the next lesson and when we got there the next day she was like ``i dont have any questions but heres what i learned`` then taught the lesson to us. haha it was so cool! but wow there is no better feeling in the world than when someone you love comes out of the waters of baptism. the spirit is so strong at that moment!! and we went into the bathroom after to help her with everything and she came in from the font and was just crying. ah its the best. then the next day her less active neighbor, jorge, came to church with her and he was talking to us and then randomly says ``i really wanna go to the temple. theres some things i have to take care of but i really want to go.`` WHAT!!! it was so cool. kettlin will help him so much!! 

also this week we were walking on the road and then this car drives by and yells ``OI GATINHAS!!!`` (basically, ``hi little foxy girls``) but we couldnt see who it was cause the passenger seat had a tree sticking out the window, but then the car turned into the chakara (kinda like a farm but without the animals... just a lot of land...) that one of the members own so we figured it was her (thankfully) and then she called us and told us to come there so we did and her car was full of trees and grass.... so we layed grass.. in our skirts. haha but i went to put down this one piece of grass and there dog was standing right where it needed to go so i said in the gentlist little voice ``excuse me`` and then the members daughter, morgana, yells ``GET OUT OF HERE!!!!`` at the dog and then we all started laughing. hahaha

then we taught this member and her less active husband about how they need to put God first and stuff and we turned from missionaries to marriage counselors in about .5 seconds. they started yelling at each other and she was crying and he was laughing and wow. it was such an awkward situation. but we drew them a cute little picture and told them to talk with love and it got a little tiny bit better. so when we got home sister pence and i started writing down everything we learned and everything we dont want to happen with our future relationships!! but they were both at church yesterday and his arm was around her so thats a good sign :) 

also this week we taught this lady that lives with her sons family and theyre all members, so we taught her about the restauration and she has SO MANY doubts and questions and we were there for 2 hours and then finally it all clicked and she said ``does this mean my church isnt right??`` ah the spirit was so strong and it was such a good lesson!! she told us about when her son joined to church she prayed for his salvation and basically asked that he would be a member of the church that would guarentee his salvation and then she said ``and to this day hes still a member of your church.``

thats all :)

-sis lloyd  

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March 23, 2015

This week I ran into a tree branch and almost had a heart attack. Then
after that we were trying to find Eliane's house and we were on the
right road but WAY too far north, so we walked passed these two guys
cutting tree branches and one of them looks at us and says ``doing
visits?`` and so we just say yeah and keep walking, then we realized
we were too high, so we turned around and walked passed these guys
again and the other one yells out ``are you guys looking for Senhor
João?? he´s right here!!!`` then the one that talked to us the first
time ran over to us and just started preaching super animatedly about
fire and how we are the church and that it doesn't matter our religion
because the church of God is in us. It was super strange.

Also, Sister Pence made a goal to not eat sweets for the rest of her
mission. So naturally this becomes my goal too. BUT as soon as we made
this goal, we visited Taynara and what happens?? her husband, Saulo,
gives us each 4 pieces of chocolate cake and a glass of coke, and
Saulo's mom gave us each two candies. So I think our next goal will be
to eat ONLY sweets. haha kidding BECAUSE- I also weighed myself this
week. Bad, bad, BAD idea......... I've gained 8 kilos... which is 16
pounds.......... so we´ve also taken on a new exercise program. haha

BUT also!!! this week we taught this girl, Ketlin, and we taught her
about baptism and the spirit was so so strong and we asked her to be
baptized and she was like ``um...I'll give you an answer on Sunday``
so Sister Pence asked her what her doubts were and she was like
``okay...... if I get baptized... am I gonna have to serve a
mission?? cause I really don't want to.`` hahaha so we assured her
that she doesn't have to and she's getting baptized this Saturday!!!!!
wahoo!!! but also she was taught by Elder Leao (who also taught
Taynara) when he was in this area about a year and a half ago and now
Taynara and Ketlin and both getting baptized. So really missionary
work is about loving people and helping them build their faith and
testimonies in Christ. It's not about baptizing or how many
investigators we can get to church that week. A lot of the people that
we teach probably won't get baptized while I'm here, but at least I'm
planting seeds :)

Thats all :)

tchau tchau

Sis Lloyd

March 16, 2015

TAYNARA WAS BAPTIZED!!!!! It was the greatest day ever. She was so
excited and had us go with her to try on her cute, one size fits all,
baptism jumpsuit and it was super huge and she's super tiny and she
didn't know what to do so Sister Pence rolled up the ends by her feet
and then she asked me to braid her hair and she looked like a little
girl. haha it was so cute. Then during her baptism the spirit was SO
strong and wow, when she came out of the water it felt like the spirit
punched your heart (for lack of a better way to describe it.. hahaha)
and so then we went back into the bathroom to help her change and
everything and she was just sobbing her eyes out and saying she was so
happy. Then later she asked us if this meant we were going to stop
coming to her house to teach her, but I thought she was asking if we
were going to come to her house to eat food so I said ``yeah! I think
so!!`` and her face was horrified so I was like ``wait... what'd you
say??`` hahaha yeah Portuguese is great.....

Also this week we taught one of our investigators, Giselle, and we
talked about faith and baptism and whatnot and then we talked about
cake. and how we made THE BEST cake in the whole entire world but to
know it's the best cake in the world SHE has to try it herself. we
can't force her to eat it, we´re just presenting it to her. Then we
asked her to be baptized and she said ``I don't have enough faith``
and then it was quiet for a minute and I just stopped thinking about
myself and about my Portuguese and I just opened my mouth and started
talking and I'm not really sure what I said but the spirit was super
strong and then Giselle said ``I will eat it`` (talking about the
cake. hahaha) and then we left her house and Sister Pence turned to me
and said ``ummm... WHAT WAS THAT?!!! THAT WAS AMAZING!!`` and so now
I'm never ever going to think of myself ever again. because when I do
nothing makes sense. But wow I learned that I am seriously nothing
here and that the spirit really does do all the work!!!

and our other investigator, Eliane, has two daughters that are recent
converts so every lesson with her is so awesome!! and every time we
leave there Sister Pence and I say that they feel like our family and
we could stay there forever!! ah and Eliane said she always gets so
excited when she knows were coming so she always has food for us
(which is a bonus. also the picture I attached of them, you can see a
spill on my shirt from the food she gave us. hahaha)

Also this week for district meeting, our zone leaders taught and the
night before they called us to bring 3 cups and 3 knives, so in the
morning as we were leaving we shut the door and then I turned to
Sister Pence and whispered ``did you get the knives?`` then we started
laughing because it sounded really creepy like we were going to go
kill someone.

and that's about all I can remember from this week...

TCHAU TCHAU!!!!

-Sis Lloyd