Nov 14, 2016

Weekly Update:

This will probably be the last time I write a weekly Update!

How did this happen? The mission flew by.

Trump is President. When I found out there was disbelief. It is very strange for me because when I left no one was talking about elections and then bam people voted for Trump? Weird. But I feel better the second coming is much closer :) 

This week I gave a talk (my last) at church about faith in works. Yngridy received the Holy Ghost too :))))

Super High light of the week -  Elder Nielson visited our mission. I love him and his wife!! I loved every minute that they spoke! He is the executive seventy of the mission work. He showed us the new Christmas videos/campaign that hasn´t been released yet, really really good. 

Some notes about what he said:

We are here on earth to gain our bodies and be tried and tested. There are people who say they don´t believe in God because if God existed he wouldn´t let bad things happen in the world. But it´s why we´re here! If God took away our trials we would never find Him. We grow and learn through our challenges. Because of the Atonement we have power to become clean from our sins and we have the capacitating power to overcome our weaknesses.

Elder Packer always said where there is fear, faith and Christ disappear. But when Faith in Christ appear, fear disappears- the only emotion the quorum of the 12 have never felt together is fear.  

The oil in the lamp of the 12 virgins is not testimony, it´s conversion. 

Our investigator Ana is in the book of Jacob in the Book of Mormon. We read with her Alma 7:11-16 and 3 Nephi 27 and explained how the atonement is connected with baptism and she said when she receives her answer she will get baptized. 

Rapael decided to marry is girlfriend/wife. They´ve been together like 25 years. So we´re just waiting for the paper to get in to get him married and baptized. 

So Awana was marked to be baptized this Saturday but in her interview with the first counselor of the mission, it was determined she needed to wait just a little bit longer. She was so excited to get baptized, keeping all the commandments. The Spirit told me the decision was right but it was not pleasant. It was a make it or break it moment. Giving her a little more time would have given her the chance to really be firm. But she got very upset and angry and she said she didn´t want to be baptized anymore and that she would just go back to her old life. Dropping her off we explained about Michael Jordan how he was rejected the first time for the team, but it made him learn to work hard and so he became a much better player because of the challenge. We returned the next day with the first counselor of our ward and the young women´s couselor who are both really great. We read Éter 12:27 and it was a great lesson the Spirit was strong. We testified that our trials make us stronger and are worth it if we don´t give up. We marked our next visit for the next day, but when we returned she wasn´t there and she had drunk the night before. The next day she didn´t come to church and when we passed after we invited her to an activity later, but she said she would go to another church with her aunt. I love her and I hope one day she will return :) There are so many blessings the Lord is preparing for her. 

Normally I don´t give very many details about these types of things, but I shared porque tou indo embora mesmo! (Just kidding!)  because this experience at the very end of my mission made me reflect on how grateful I am for my testimony, my conversion. Having the Gospel doesn´t mean we will have less problems than any one else, sometimes more even. But it does mean that when we face the challenges we know that they have a purpose and we know how to overcome them because we have Christ by our side helping us. 

I am so grateful for my mission. I had the oportunbity to understand the atonement of Christ and recognize Him as my Savior and I have seen the love that the Lord has for his children. 

Com amor,

Até um pouco,

Sister Haggard

Elder Nielson conference

Nov 7, 2016

Weekly Update:

This week flew flew by. Monday Sister Cannon and I went to Av. Paulista.

Tuesday we did Yngridy´s pre interview for her baptism. I liked how she interpreted things. She said she didn´t want to buy things on the Sabbath day because it was disrepectful to Christ- the day we remember His sacrifice we´re buying stuff. Later that night we had a meeting with the liderança of the youth and I said a few of my opinions.  

Wendesday we went to the temple with Awana. We went to the waiting room and showed her the paintings and we took pictures in the garden. It was POURING tropical style but it was great. She loved the temple. Later that night we took one of the young women leaders to a recent convert’s house and we talked about goals and we helped Gabi the convert organize her day to read the scriptures and pray every day.

Thursday we taught Rafael with the Bishop. Good news- he accepted the 20th to be baptized. Bad news- we found out he is not actually married. In Brazil they have a law do inimigo that is called união estável that the couple sign a paper that gives them some rights of a marriage without having to be married. And complicated news, Rafael was thinking about getting married but now is thinking about "separating from the old hag" so that´s complicated. There is nothing in that relationship but this will have to be a decision with him and God what he wants to do. We are praying and fasting by the 20th it´s resolved aye aye aye. 

Thursday we had our district meeting and Yngridy had her interview and passed to be baptized. 

We are teaching a young man who is really cool and interested but his mom is of another faith so that is complicating things.

We are continuing to teach Ana who has read into Jacob in the Book of Mormon. She really likes it. I think she has already received her answer but wants a little more time. But she is really good. 

Saturday Yngridy was baptized. It was a great baptism. We invited the Pres and Sister Thomas and they came. Yngridy´s sister and her sister´s husband´s family was there who are members. 

Sunday she stayed in with her brother-in-law´s family so she will receive the Holy Ghost this Sunday. 

When we passed by Sunday morning, Awana wasn´t at her house and we were like where is she at? And she had slept at her step dad´s place (she had went there to watch a movie the night before and fell asleep) so we went there which is a couple doors down and we woke her up and she came to church :) She is very excited for her baptism this Saturday. We are really praying so every thing goes ok too. 

We also had a sweet miracle. We are teaching a great family Kaarina, Edivoldo, and Kailane. And they all came to church early and all fancy :) They really liked church. We had a sub in the gospel principles class and it was Irmão Roberto who is a very smart lawyer and he gave a great class on faith proved that Christ is our Savior it was cool.

Later that night we had a famly home evening that was super great and Karina and her family came. The message was how can we have more happiness in our family and after we played cat and mouse with ties. It was great. We taught Kartina and her family about the gospel Friday and invited all of them to pray about the 20th to be baptized and they said they would pray. 

Just two more weeks. We are praying for some big miracles. The Lord is preparing His children for this wonderful gospel. I know this gospel is true that Christ is our Savior 

Até mais 

Sister Haggard 

I made truffles

Last p day Sister Cannon and I went to Av. Paulista

Awana e a gente no templo

Can you find Sam?

Baking a cake for the baptism

batismo

Oct 31, 2016

Weekly Update real fast here.

Yngridy will get baptized this Saturday and Awana on the 12th. Awana is really changing her life. She still will hang out at a party but when people offer her alcoholic drinks she tells them, No I´m going to get baptized :))))))

We had our stake conference. President Thomas spoke. The first counselor President Valim also gave an awesome talk. 

Today we will go to Av Palista bc sister cannon never has been and to see cool malls and stuff there. 

We had interviews. They were good. 

I hope Grace will do my classes well... 

Just three more weeks ahhhh The mission passed by so fast. 

Ate mais

Sister Haggard 

Happy Halloween! We're elves bc that's all Sister Cannon had :)

Oct 24, 2016

Weekly Update

This week was good. I love being with Sister Cannon yay:) Monday we visited a non active and she gave us pizza and plants :) 

Tuesday we taught a bunch. Our investigator ended her homosexual relationship! There are a few problems with the word of wisdom but the Lord has the power to help us if we have a desire to change. This is the difficult part. Having patience and determining if a person has a real desire to change. We can´t give anyone a desire. That day Yngryd said she wants to get baptized! We have been working with her for a while but she had a couple fears about being baptized but now is the moment! 

Wendesday we had a division with Sister Hall and Sister Caleira. Sister Caleira came to Geovanni with me. She is super cute from Portugal. We went to Ana´s house and Ana had read the chapter we left for her 2 Nefi 31 and after had started from the beginning and had read until 2 Nefi 6! It was awesome! Later in the week we explained about Lehi´s dream and the iron rod. Ana said she wants to learn more and feel an answer before she gets baptized, but she is really good. 

Thursday at the very end of the day a member called us that she had extra pizza at her house mmmm.  Also we are visiting members and trying to implement Plano de Missão da Família where each family makes personal goals and plans. And this member is the stake president and his wife and family and they made awesome goals and so we were happy to see that people are getting into this missionary work thing :) 

This week we taught Rafael and he is really liking the church and had come 3 times already. He said he wants to wait a bit to get baptized so we´ll see.

We taught Lumarilza about the plan of salvation and I was pretty direct about picking out a date for her marriage so she´ll pick a date the first week of November. 

We had a funny experience. Ana got sick, Her throat was hurting so we stopped at a fruit store in the favela to buy her ginger. They didn´t have ginger so we went for the limes. As I was at the register an old man was to the side and insisted on paying (70 cents). I told him he didn´t need to but he insisted so he paid. After he asked me if I knew why he paid. I was like, why? And he said "Porque gosto de gorinhas, lindas, com óculos." Sister Cannon busted out laughing and we went correndo. 

Yesterday we had a family home evening with Cris Leite a sister in the ward with her family. I love Cris! She´s a dentist and is very nice. I was told her I liked her earrings and she took them out and gave them to me and I don´t even have my ears pierced. Brazilians are friendly :). It was funny because Sister Cannon says people always give me stuff ahhaha.  We gave a message about Christ and the plano de missão da família. 

This week we will have interviews with presi and tonight we will have a fhe at his house! Bc he lives close in a fancy apartment it will be top.

The stake centers here will also open self sufficiency centers. It is cool.  I like learning about this stuff. The Senhor and the church are perfect. It teaches us how to be self sufficient in all things - great great. 

Just a little month left :( The other day I was thinking Wow just 4 weeks till the transfer and then I was like wait no não vai ter transferência para mim :( But I will use all this time that I have working hard.

Áte mais

Sister Haggard