já mais (already more)

This week... a lot happened this week, but it wasn't all the things that I wished would have happened.  First off, we had 5 baptisms planned for this week and all of them fell through and I think we are going to have to drop a couple of them as investigators because they're just not progressing.  Its really sad, and I don't like doing it.  But I still have hope for the other ones.  I have also been able to see the hand of the Lord in the fact that those baptisms fell through, because Saturday (we always have baptisms on Saturdays) I got sick and we were in our apartment all afternoon.  Its nothing to worry about - I haven't been sleeping too great (but I talked to Sister Vecchi about this and now I have medicine for it and its helping a lot) and I think I also had a slight cold, and my head would not quit hurting to the point where I felt dizzy. I felt really bad about staying in the apartment all afternoon (I hated it, to put it mildly) but I also know that my health is important.  But, the part where I see the Lord working in my life is that the missionaries always go to pick investigators up for the baptisms, and we don't have phone numbers for most of our investigators.  So it would have been really bad if we had had baptisms and not shown up to get the people.  Its a blessing.  Not the kind of blessing I wanted, but a blessing nonetheless.

Also this week we had Zone Conference!  I think there were 4 different zones there, which is wonderful because that meant I got to see Sister Forester and Elder Malloy!  They were in my MTC district and it was so wonderful to see them again.  We also learned a lot of things at ZC, and it was something I really needed this week.

People... right now I have a lot of hope for a man we are teaching, Acenildo. He has always read and prayed when we come to visit him and he came to church this past Sunday as well.  He has a bit of difficulty understanding the Book of Mormon, though, and we spend a lot of time trying to help him understand what it is he is reading. But he asks when our next visit is going to be, he has a baptismal date and we found out he knows someone in the ward, so hopefully that will help him as well.  I am excited about his progress as well because he is someone that I took the initiative to contact (I don't really like contacting, but I dont have time to explain why right now).

Another is Tamires.  She is almost 17, and we initially contacted her with her boyfriend, Lucas.  He wasn't able to be there for the last lesson, but we taught her the Plan of Salvation and I used the puzzle Emily gave me to help explain (by the way, thanks so much for that, Em!  its helped so much!) and after we taught she had some questions, which she answered, and then she asked to see the puzzle.  She just kept looking at it and reading it, and she seemed so much more.... I don't know the word for it.  But it made sense to her.  Which makes sense.  But to be able to see that in a person, that sense of realization... its wonderful.  However, we have a bit of difficulty because she lives with her aunt who is not a fan of the church at all.  So we will keep trying to figure that out.

I haven't gotten any emails from Sister Feist, which makes me a little bit sad.

I got the first letters from MT last Tuesday, the 2nd newsletter the next day, and I think I got letters from Luke and Bekah Saturday.  I couldnt quit laughing when I read Luke's letter =]

For the most part yes, Sister Freitas.  There are a couple of things that I still dont understand why we do them the way we do, but when I try to ask about them she doesnt really have a very good answer for why, and other times its because thats the only way she knows how to do things.  I have to remind myself that shes only been out for 2 transfers before I came, so shes practically new as well.  But she is really understanding and has a good outlook on things.  I think shes been a member for 4 years, too, so its pretty neat to me that shes serving a mission.  She does help with the language a bit, but Elder Fernandas and Elder Ponches help a bit more, I think.  Elder Fernandas is one of my ZLs and we have almoço at the same place many days.  When I talk to him, he will repeat what I say but with proper grammar, which is something I need.  Elder Ponches is in my Zone, so I don't see him often, but he likes to correct my pronunciation, which I like as well, because Portugues has some sounds that dont really exist in English. 

Oh! I forgot to tell you last week - I had my first churrosso!  Our zone got together and we all provided something, and let me tell you, I like bbq, but this was SOOOO much better!  Grilled pineapple is so good, and grilled garlic bread as well, and then all the different kinds of meat!  It was amazing.  I also played some futball with my zone, which is primarily Braziliaros.  There are 12 people and only 3 of us are from the US.  But everyone is so wonderful.

Love you all muito!

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Sister Petersen