November 3, 2015

Weekly Update

Got a letter from Sister Cannon from the CTM! Two weeks! 

Correction from lasts weeks update- ter bom ânimo- Mosiah 24:13-14 

Yesterday was a holiday here Day of the Dead. A few weeks ago I was excited because I thought day of the dead here was like Mexico- uma festa! Mas na verdade it´s a super sad holiday here everybody visits the cemetery and cries. So yesterday all of the missions in São Paulo went to the cemeteries to pass out little passouts that talk about the Plan of Salvation and to make contacts and referrals during the morning. It was super interesting- how am I going to talk to this person who is visiting their  family member who´s passed away- especially when the companion pulls out the "So how was the death of your Father for you?" @_@ But we only talked to one man in the cemetery because we got kicked out after not very long because it was a private cemetery. So we made contacts in front and it was good. Our P day got switched so today is Pday.

In truth this week was a bit of a doosy. The mom of Matues finally said she would talk to the dad of Mateus that day and so I was super excited and really thought I would get to baptize Mateus, but the mom said that the dad said no and got angry and so the mom won´t support Mateus because she´s afraid the dad won´t allow her and her daughter to continue coming to church. It was a bit of a blow, we´ve been visiting Mateus for 4 months. This among other stuff made this week difficult. But really God loves his children. Yesterday we got to teach Julia another lesson. We taught her the Restoration and she is super great, but the next week she gave birth to her son and we didn´t find her em casa and so 20 days after we visited she´s still great and wants to come to church :) Also we have a miracle family. The mom, Elani, knows a friend who is Mormon and came to church all by herself and loved it. She is reading the Book of Mormon and is loving it. She read what we marked for her and the introduction and started reading from the beginning. She has a husband, Alexandre two little girls, one will turn 8 on the 22nd of November- perfect timing for baptism! Also we had another miracle within the family because when we visited yesterday a cousin of 16 yrs moved in with them, Emily. Emily is super excited about the church and visited the church when she was younger! I´m so happy to have the opportunity to share the gospel and my testimony with this family. They will be baptized probably at the end of the month and so I will most likely be transferred to another area at this time because the transfer is on the day 17 and it´s my 3rd transfer here, so I will probably leave for another area. I´m sad I probably won´t see them baptized but happy to teach them and prepare them. I´m really trying to learn more patience and perseverance and more faith to have more confidence in myself! A mission is really trying at times, but I´ve never had such opportunities to use the Atonement in my life to become a better person.

Beijos e abraços

Sister Haggard

with Sister Marques

Divisions when Sister D Sousa came back 

October 26, 2015

Weekly update (in 5 minutes :))

We marked Luana for baptism- she is very adventista (they´re tricky ones) but super sweet and very open minded. We will see! She likes to cook and has baked me a cake 3 times! Woo hoo!

Also This week we taught Gabriela and Pat more (fofas de mais!) It´s a little sad because they really want to be baptized, but their mom doesn´t want them to be until they´re much older, but I´m so grateful for the opportunity to know them and share the gospel with them. The video of the talk Elder Costa gave at the CTM was shown in every ward in Brazil and portuguese wards in the US and there are a couple unflatering moments where I am shown hahaha mas tudo bem. 

This week I really learned the importance of patience but more about having a good atitude. (If i remember right) Alma 17:11-12 (ter bom ânimo)  has really helped me. God wants us to be happy. He has given us his son, the gospel, our families, and all the tools to be happy but we have to choose for ourselves! Changing your atitude to a positive one not only changes your self but everything around you! 

3 more weeks until Sister Cannon hits the pavement here in São Paulo Oeste! 

Also this week was the birthday of Miriam, we made the brigadeiro and it was a great surprise :)  

Abraços e beijos,

Sister Haggard 

Foto Entrevistas com Presi - Ferreira

October 19, 2015

Weekly Update.

God really loves his children! These past couple of weeks have been a little tricky for me but this past week I have been really appreciative of all the opportunities I´m having to learn and grow. 

One day all of our appointments fell through and I was standing on the sidewalk thinking what we were going to to when an elderlyish woman walked by and I talked with her and asked her if she was busy and had time for a message. She said yes and that she was walking to the house that we were standing near. We entered the house and there was Gabriela who has 14 yrs. We taught about the plan of salvation. The woman was Seeda, grandmother of her. Gabriela said her older sister was a member and when we talked about baptism she got very excited. At the end of the lesson her mom and sister came in the house so we got to talk with them. Gabriela is underage and so we need the signature of Clarice the mom to teach and baptize her. Clarice was resistant at first because she also has another son who is baptised but doesn´t go to church any more and she didn´t want Gabriela to be baptized and later not want it anymore. I´m so grateful for the Holy Ghost because I said exactly what I needed to say, that baptism will bless the life of Gabriella and recieving the Gift of the Holy Ghost will help guide her and make the right choices in life. I asked Karen, the older sister to share her testimony about the Holy Ghost and at the end Clarice signed. Gabriela also has a younger sister Patricia who is 8 and super super cute. Both went to church this Sunday and loved it. It´s still early but I´m so excited we found this family. 

Another moment that was a miracle was also when we didn´t have any appointments. I was standing on the street thinking what were we going to do and I saw a house and went to knock on it. There was a little interphone box and when we interphoned up a person asked who we were and I said we were looking for Maria (because Maria ia a common name) and that we talked with her and she said we could share a message. The door buzzed and opened! A man was leaving and said Maria was upstairs. He was super nice, said he was baptised and now was catholic. We entered the house and met the elderly couple Maria Rosa and João. They are super nice and hadn´t been to the church in many years. I´m not sure how else we would have found them without the Holy Ghost.

I also had a very tender moment yesterday. Two weeks ago Denisse and Maria Rita were supposed to be confirmed, but they had to pick up a friend at the airport. So this Sunday they were confirmed and received the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the bishop. I felt the Spirit strong and felt so happy in that moment. They really are so special to me and such a miracle. Two weeks ago Arthur was also confirmed by his dad Jussario too and it was also great. 

This transfer I will learn a lot and grow too. Growth has a lot of pain involved, but I´m learning to develop my relationship with my Father in Heaven and one day I will laugh about it some of the challenges I have now. Oh this week Sister Garcia had a division with Sister D. Sousa so it was fun seeing her and we ate pizza with crust stuffed with chocolate. So good and so terrible for my body! Also we are teaching a "scorpion" in missionary terms or someone who likes to flirt a lot. The first time we talked with him he said he needed a church because he was looking to get married. He is very funny but I really think he will like the church and he has a real desire to know more about Christ so we will see. We also had interviews with the president of the mission. President Del Guerso is really a cara- he is super awesome. Very very smart and funny and he always has good advice. 

That is about it 

Beijos e abraços

Sister Haggard 

October 5, 2015

Hey!

This week went by really fast! We worked in front of the temple- making contacts and referals- with Sister Carovana and Sister Sanchez. We also had trainamento dos novos! I gave the theme and our purpose. This weekend was also General Conference! It was so nice, what a testimony builder to listen to the Prophet and Apostles. I loved the talk by Elder Holland compairing the love of a mother to her children and the sacrifice of Christ. 

Tomorrow Sister D. Sousa will be transferd to Ferreiera! She will be Sister Training leader! We were both surprised because she only has 7 months in the mission, but it will be a great experience for her. My new companion will be Sister Marques! I have only talked to her once or twice but she seems really great, I´m excited.  Ali Cannon will enter the CTM in a day! Woo hoo! 

My Sister Grace finished her mission in Costa Rica and returned home! I know her work there changed the lives of many people and she served the Lord will all her heart. Parabéns Grace! 

Abraços e beijos 

Sister Haggard

Last day with Sister Carovana

Trainamento dos novos!

Presidente and Sister Guerso

First planejamento I made for myself

September 29, 2015

Weekly update!

This week was very intresting. So Sister Tesser Sister D. Sousa and I were in a trio this week and Sister Tesser "passou mal" last Sunday because she has stomach problems and she drank soda. She continued to have problems and so we were in and out of the hospital a few times and we din´t leave the apartment until later in the day becuase of the heat for Sister Tesser, so the work this week was a little slow, but we focused on our baptisms. Sister Tesser is better but we think her problems are psychological too- she has a lot of home sickness and stress.Now Sister Garcia returned and we are back in our duplas. Next week is the transferência  and so Sister D. Sousa will for sure be transferred because she trained me for two transfers. We worked really well together and Maria Rosa A and I will definitely miss her.

But this weeek we had baptisms!!!!! Maria Rita and Dennis were baptised! Arthur the son of Mirriam and Jussario was baptized too!! Andre from Maria Rosa B from Sister Tesser and Garcia was baptised too! It was really great. I really feel that the Lord really prepared our investigators and I just came along for the ride! It was really such a blessing and miracle to have found Dennise and Maria Rita and Felipe the cutest baby ever! 

This week I really recognized the love I have for the members here and the people I teach and how much my mission will help me improve myself. 

Beijos e abraços,

Sister Haggard 

Anniversario de Jussario

Just us and Jesus!

Last zone conference of this transfer!

P day no templo hoje

September 21, 2015

First things first a couple weeks ago I got a letter from Sister Boatman! I loved it thank you! Also I got a couple letters and some very chique brazilian flip flops from Camila! I love them!

This week flew by. Last Monday we had a Family Home Evening with Irmã Zilda (everyone goes by their first name here) and her husband, sister and niece who aren´t members. We brought the Lambert family too and played a game about prophets, it was good! At the end when we were eating the refreshments, the little girl Monique Lambert puked everywhere! Everybody helped and continued eating! It made for a memorable Family home evening :)

This week Sister D. Sousa and I worked hard! I love spending every minute working and finding new people to teach! Dennise and Maria Rita came to church again and so they are on track for their baptisms this Domingo as well as Arthur! We ate lunch with Dennise this week too. Her house is fun because there is always a different neighbor kid there every visit from the street. We had a lesson with the Bishop with them and he said he really enjoyed coming out with us. This next week will be very busy with preparing for their baptisms and finishing teaching, but we´re so excited, they really are a miracle. People are really being prepaired for the Restored Gospel! 

This week was also MultiZona which was really fun. Our President of the mission is really the best. He is funny and very very very smart. He´s a lawyer and I can see it. He gave a talk about the Sabbath day and a conference talk given last general conference by Elder Russel M. Nelson about the Sabbath. It was intresting because as Missionaries we still work, especially in the morning rounding people up for church, but The Sabbath Day and keeping it Holy is so important. We really want to find, teach, and help families and keeping the Sabbath Day Holy will bless families so so much. 

Sister Del Guerso also gave a talk about having a mind like Christ and the process of becoming better. 

Also, the stake president of Ferreira- President Leite gave a really good talk and after he sang! He gave an example that missionary work sometimes appears like we are pushing against a huge rock that doesn´t move and has no effect. But, when we push against the rock with all our strength even if the rock doesn´t move our muscles are strenghthened! We become stronger better people and this is something I´m strivng for everyday too. 

This next week Sister Garcia will go to a different area and sis Tesser D Sousa and I will be a trio- this will be interesting!

Beijos e abraços

Sister Haggard 

Camila sent me chique havaianas! Amei!

Multi Zona

September 14, 2015

This past Tuesday our mission returned to the CTM! Elder Costa, the general authority of Brazil, gave a talk for missionaries, but the focus was for people deciding or preparing to go on a mission. It will be shown in every stake here in Brazil and the Brazilian wards in the United States. Pretty cool. I was in the second row woo hoo.  It was very good and really fun to return to the CTM for a little bit. This past week was very rainy and cold! But this week is supposed to get hot so I will miss the cold. Today we had p day with the President because our specified group of zones reached a goal of baptisms, so we went downtown to Parque Vira Lobos to talk, play volleyball, and ride bikes! Our President is really the best. In two days we also have Multe Zona- zone conference, so muito corrido which is fun. 

A couple weeks ago while walking down a really big hill I saw a girl sitting on the terrace of a house and I stopped. Sister D. Sousa and me made a contact- introduced ourselves and made an invitation to the church. She said she didn't live there, but her friend´s mom did and we got a reference. When we followed up this week, we met the reference- Dennise who is a single mom with an 11 year old and a 1 year old. She said her mom had passed away 3 months before. We taught her the Restoration and marked a date for baptism.She asked us which version of the Bible we used and brought her Bible down. Her mom had given Dennise her Bible and when we opened the Bible, there were a few photos and on top of the photos was a message card we pass out and on the other side was Sister D. Sousa´s handwritting with the church address and hours! It was a shock! Dennise started crying and showed us a picture of her mom. She looked very familiar, but I think we arrived in Maria Rosa right after she passsed away. Maybe the first contact we made put the card there, I don´t know, but it was pretty cool and we know we are supposed to teach Dennise.

 I think if we do our part we will find the Lord has already done his!

Also this week we had a day where all the appointments at an apartment we had fell through. As we were walking back we passed the house of Mateus, which is in the same street. We have been praying and fasting so that we can meet with the father of Mateus because Mateus´s mom is a recent convert, but the dad still doesn´t know and we can´t move forward until his dad knows about the church and us.But every time we are at the house he isn´t home or upstairs and because of the situation we have to be patient and subtle. And who did we see leaving the house but Senhor José himself! We introduced ourselves and he was super nice. We made a compromisso to talk with him more this week!

Only 3 more weeks in this transfer! This second transfer has gone by super fast. I will probably stay in Maria Rosa and get a different companion. But you never know transfers are exciting! 

Beijos e abraços,

Sister Haggard 

I forgot! This week I also had a division with Sister Carovana in Ferreira! She is really so awesome! She only has three weeks left in her mission! Ferriera is a very shique area!

Almoco antes o CTM

In front of the metro

Sister Covey

Parque Vira Lobos

Sister Carovana

our Zone