OLA MINHA FAMILIA!!!

This week was a great week! A week full of work, work, work, work!! This week we have been encountering a lot of people to teach--a lot of young people and families. I am so excited. Our president wants us to focus more on teaching young people and families and teaching more with the Book of Mormon in our contacts with people on the street.

We have seen many miracles this week. On Sunday we had a lot of people come to church with us. We had a whole row of people in church with us--less actives and our investigators. I almost cried with joy. I KNOW the Lord is with us in every moment and knows what we need. Sister Flora and I did our part and the Lord did his part. I am so grateful for the gospel in my life.

In this area the members are sooooooo good at sharing the gospel! I am so grateful for the help of members! We missionaries can’t do this alone. It is important that all us are united and working together in the work of the Lord.

Also, this week I have learned a lot about enduring to the end. There are a lot of people here who are baptized but don’t come to church and don’t endure to the end. IT iS SOOOO CRUCIAL to endure to the end. We need to always have goals and plans to grow and be better.

I am seeing a lot of people here not doing the small and simple things God asks of us to do. HE will bless us if we do the small and simple things like going to church, praying, keeping the commandments, being an example, serving others. WE have a chance to start new every single week because of the sacrament. These little things are sooooooooooo important. I am working on being better everyday and doing the small and simple things. I know the Lord will help me according to my works and my faith. I know he can help everyone!! 

I hope you all have a great week this week!! I am trying to figure out how to send photos--I am sooo sorry!!

I love you all. Thanks for the support!!! 

COM AMORRRRRR

Sister Erickson 

Capao da Imbuia

Hellllllooooooooooooo Family and Friends!!!!!!!

This week has been a very good, wonderful, fantastic, week! Yolanda was baptized this Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am soooo happpy! My heart is filled with so much joy!! I have so much love for these people I have met here! They will forever have a place in my heart. The gospel is perfect! The gospel changes lives. I am so grateful to help these people here learn more about our savior Jesus Christ. I have learned so much and have felt my testimony grow!

My investigator Luzia wrote me a letter--in half English, the other half in Portuguese. It was the sweetest thing ever!  

I don’t have very much time this week to write but we had transfers and I am in a new area called Capão da Imbuia. It is a smaller area than Bom Retiro and my companion is American—wahooooo. Her name is Sister Flora and she is from California. I am so excited for this next transfer. I was really sad to leave Sister Cordeiro. She and I cried this morning leaving each other, but that is just another part of the mission, right? I will make sure to send more pictures next week. 

Eu sei que o evangelho é perfeito. Não tem outra caminho. Eu sei que Deus conhece cada um de nos. Ela esta feliz quando nos estamos feliz e ele esta sofrendo quando nos sofreemos. Eu sei que essa igreja do salvador não tem duvida neguma. Lembra deus sempre esta conosco. Nunca afasta dele porque ele nunca afasta de nos. Te Amo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Com muito amor,

Sister Erickson 

HELLO HELLO HELLOOOO FROM YOUR FAV SIS MISSIONARY 

This week has been a really good week! So many things have happened I don’t even know where to begin! This week we have been teaching an 80 year-old woman named Lolanda and her granddaughter, Luiza! They are both soo sweet! Lolanda has come to church with us the past 2 Sundays! She will be baptized this Saturday!! I am so excited for her!! We also set a baptisimal date for Luiza but her mom doesn’t want her to get baptized! We are trying to talk more to her mom about baptism and all the good things that come from it! We want her to be baptized with her grandma this Saturday because it would be sooo special! We are having a hard time bringing people to church with us! People say they will come and we even go to their houses before church and they either aren’t home or they make up some excuse! It is frusturating but we have to accept their agency! Last week Sister Cordeiro and I went to Lolando and Luiza’s house to wake them up for church. Lolando was already ready to go to church but Luiza was sleeping. I went up to her room and tried everything I could to get her to wake up but nothing was working. I TRIED FOR 30 MINUTES STRAIGHT to wake this 10 year-old up!! I didn’t try dumping water on her-- I will remember that for next time! hahahha just kidding!! It was my companion’s birthday this week and we bought her pizza and made her a yummy chocolate dessert.

 A couple weeks ago in church I was sitting in gospel principles class with our investigators. We were learning about Service! There was a phrase that the teacher said that has been stuck in my mind ever since and I want to share it with you guys: " Servimos a quem amamos Desenvolvemos amor por quem servimos" This phrase really caught my attention! We need to serve those we love and develop love for those we serve. This is so true--sometimes we have a hard time loving people around us but the best thing we can do is serve them to develop love. I know the Savior served everyone around him even those who rejected him and spit upon him. He served them anyways even if they may not have deserved it. I invite you all to remember this phrase this week and serve those around you just like the Savior did!

I am sooo grateful for the chance I have to be on a mission serving the Lord every single day! I have seen a growth in my service and for the love of my Savior Jesus Christ! I know the gospel is true without a doubt in my heart. I know we have a living prophet on the earth today to guide and direct us on the earth. I know the Book of Mormon is the most correct book on this earth today and was translated by the power of God! I know service is the way we can be like our Savior Jesus Christ. 

I love you allllll!! Have a great weekkkk!

ABRAÇOS 

Sis. Erickson 

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