6 months down!! wahoooooooo!!!

This week has been a somewhat normal week. I had the chance to go to the temple again and it was amazing as usual. I love the peace the temple brings. The weeks seem to fly by and I am having a hard time remembering everything that has happened. We invited one of our investigators to be baptized this week. She is 10 years old. She really wants to be baptized but the only problem is that her mom doesn’t want her to be. We are going to try and talk to her mom this week and see if she will let her be baptized.

Wilkens passed the sacrament this past week again and he is yet again an EXPERT. He also brought one of his friends to church with him. 

 

Our mission president asked the mission to read the Book of Mormon in 6 weeks this past transfer. Let me tell you, it is hard work but I am learning so much from it. 

I have a story to tell. Just a warning if you love cats, I suggest that you do not read this. If you don’t like cats then feel free to read. On Sunday after church my companion and I were at our investigator’s house. Reminder: our investigator is a 10-year old little girl. We were with her and a member in front of her house just chatting. When all of a sudden the member said, "What is going on with that cat?" I turned around and saw that a cat was hit by a car and blood was coming out of its eyes and mouth. The cat was still alive but was jumping up and down seizing at the same time. I have never seen anything like this in my entire life. I watched as it took its last breaths. Our investigator, the 10-year old girl started crying and was in complete shock. I’m sorry if this is too much for some of you, but don’t worry, I am sure the cat is in heaven now. We had to explain to Lousia that everything was going to be okay and that the cat had gone to a better place. 

 Also, this morning my companion passed out on the street corner. We had to rush her to the hospital. Don’t worry; she is okay now. It was scary in the moment but all of us are laughing now. It is a really good thing we had 2 other sisters with us when it happened because I didn’t know what to do. It seems in the moment of stress I suddenly forget how to speak Portuguese. This week definitely ended with a bang and started with a bang. 

Thank you for all of your emails to me and for all of the support.

 I love you all. 

 Sister Erickson 

Your Brazilian Missionary Daughter!!--July 19th

Hi Mom and Dad!!! 

Sorry I didn’t get to email you guys this Monday! We had pday today because we went to the temple! I don’t have very much time to email but this week has been really good and also hard--not many people have been very receptive but that is normal. We have an investigator right now who is really great. Her name is Louisa and she is 10 years old. We invited her to be baptized on the 30th of this month. Pray for her.

Mom and Dad, I love the temple so much! I think it is the one place I feel the most comfortable and in peace. I am doing really well. Thanks Mom for sending the package. Looks like you guys are doing really well. It is really, really cold here. I think winter has hit. Strange to think it is really hot there and really cold here.

How’s the family?? How’s Alpine?? Sounds like your trip to India went really well, Dad. What is India like--way different??

I love you both so much. Sorry that you didn’t know I would email today. Mom, I got my eyebrows done! I hope you don’t mind. My hair is growing. I don’t have a lot of new news for you but I will email again on Monday. I am really tired and I want to sleep but I don’t think I will have time. Missionaries don’t have time to sleep! Haha! Have a great week!! 

No NO NOOO!!!!

This week has been a week full of "No NO NO! I don’t want to hear your message, and No one is home!!" This week has been a hard week to visit people. Days seem way long when no one is home or no one wants to hear your message! It’s only a message of your Salvation, no problem! We have had a lot of noooos this week, but a few really cool yesses!:)

We had a really cool experience this week with our Investigator Ruy. Ruy right now is really concerned about his work and about being able to support himself right now. For the past few weeks he hasn’t been able to come to church with us because he works on Sunday. We had an impression this past week that we needed to teach him about Keeping The Sabbath Day Holy. The lesson went really well and the spirit was so strong. We made it very clear to him the importance of dedicating the Sabbath to the Lord and not working. I shared a scripture, Mosiah 2:41 where King Benjamin is talking to the people about keeping the commandments. This verse talks about if we keep the commandments we will be blessed both in spiritual matters and in material matters. I felt prompted that I needed to share this scripture for him to understand that if we keep the commandments God will help us. We left him with the invitation to keep the Sabbath day holy. The next day we returned to visit him and he told us he canceled his work on Sunday to go to church! S. Cordeiro and I were beyond happy. He truly understands the doctrine and principle of keeping the Sabbath day holy. 

Another great experience this week! Wilkens passed the sacrament for the first time!!!!! Let me tell you S. Cordeiro and I were almost in tears. It looked like he had been passing the sacrament for years. Wilkens looks so happy and he smiles every time he sees us. What a blessing the gospel is in our lives. 

Last night S. Cordeiro and I were walking home at about 9:30 laughing really loud in the streets. When all of a sudden we saw a drunken man sleeping on the sidewalk. I almost screamed it scared me so bad. After we saw him we tried to walk super quiet and really fast to not wake him up. We were afraid he was going to wake up and maybe rob us. Don’t worry he didn’t wake up!! haahahha Just a little funny story! 

Thanks for all of your letters and for all your support I hope you all have a really great week!! 

All my love,

Sister Erickson 

 

Hello from Bom Retiro!!

Hello friends and fammmmmmmmmmm!!!

This week has been really good! The weeks seem to be flying by! I am loving it here in Brasil! It is starting to turn really cold! Our house is FREEZING!!!!!! I sleep with about 50 layers at night. We also found out this week we are moving houses AGAIN! We have to pack everything up and move everything today. We are getting 2 more sister missionaries. The elders in my area got transferred! It is sad but I know this next transfer will be awesome! 

Our recent convert, Wilkens received the priesthood yesterday and he will distribute the sacrament next week! I am so excited for him and I am so grateful for the priesthood. The priesthood is amazing and has the power to do so many things--the power to heal, to baptize, to bless, etc. I have been thinking a lot about the priesthood. I am so grateful that my dad has the priesthood. I know that the priesthood has blessed my family in so many ways. I hope when I have a family my husband will have the priesthood and have the opportunity to bless my future family and those around us. 

I am staying with my companion Sister Cordeiro!! I am so happy because she is amazing!! I think I will cry when we get transferred. I am staying in my area--4 transfers in my same area. I think this will be my last transfer here in this area or I will stay here forever hahah just kidding. At times I think, “man, my call should have said:  You are assigned to labor in the Brasil, Cuiritba Bom Retiro Mission" hahhahhaah! 

I hope you all have a great 4th of July!! I am so beyond grateful to be serving a mission and for the chance I have to bring others closer to Christ every day. I know that this church is true. I know that Joseph Smith saw God the father and his son Jesus Christ. I know Thomas S Monson is a true prophet! I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that this book was truly prepared for our days. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and he died for us so that we could return to live with our Father in Heaven again some day. 

Thank you all for your support and for the love and prayers!

Until next week!!

Love,

Sister Erickson