To be changed to be more like HIM -- THAT is the purpose.

-We found lots of new short cuts this week on trails that we were really excited about and i feel like this is how i imagined brazil would be. 

  8-11-14

Dear Family,

Yesterday was Father´s day here in Brazil and this week is dad´s birthday so I´ve been thinking about you this week dad! Thanks so much for your wonderful example and being the best dad ever (I know we always say that, but it´s true!)

This week one of my favorite families in the world got baptized; One of the most special baptismal services I´ve seen.

 I think I told you about this family, but a while back I really wanted to visit this house and then it just so happened that the 6 yr. old daughter, Jovana, found us and well we became fast friends. We ended up teaching her mom and 2 siblings, and yesterday they got baptized! Now we’ve got to get their eye set on the temple. The changes in this family are amazing! During gospel principles yesterday Rosie shared about how much she has changed just in her relationship with her family and how she has become so much more calm and loving since we started visiting them. The baptism was definitely a testimony of that. Those kids couldn´t stop hugging each other and hugging their mom and when Luiz (the 11 yr. old) left primary he gave me a big hug and said "I love this church! I want to come here every single Sunday!" We´ll make sure he follows through on that promise. J 

But there really is a special spirit in that home and I feel so blessed that Heavenly Father placed us in their path to be a part of that! Also Sidnei received the Priesthood yesterday and it was so cute, he was just beaming from ear to ear with all of his books in hand and he just wants to do everything right and not mess up, it´s super cute :)

I had a goal to finish the Book of Mormon again before the end of my mission, so this week I was reading Moroni 7. I LOVE that chapter every single time. Something that hit me especially this time is where it says towards the beginning that "except he shall do it (give a gift) with real intent, it profiteth him nothing." In EVERYTHING that we do in life: yes we can accomplish many good things that can benefit many people, but if we don´t do it with charity it does absolutely nothing for us. It reminded me of a quote from Elder Corbridge I´ve always really liked throughout my mission: "Even if you give your body to be burned, lay down your life for the truth, if your heart is not right, you will not profit by it. Good will be done, the poor will be fed, and the truth defended, but the good that you do will do you no good, unless your heart is right, unless you have charity." So even if we´re doing our callings, going to church, reading our scriptures, doing FHE, etc. it doesn´t do us any good if we are just doing it because that´s what we´re supposed to do. Our goal is to change ourselves so that doing the Lord´s will is what we WANT to do, not what we HAVE to do. I really liked what he said about the scriptures specifically as well: "From the dawning of time there has never been a people as blessed as we are blessed with volumes of scripture. And yet all of it is only ink on pieces of paper bound together in leather. IT HAS NO INTRINSIC VALUE UNLESS IT BECOMES YOU. The purpose and essential blessing of life is to be changed to become more like the Lord, to realize the full measure of your potential." So that´s my invite to you this week; Don´t just do what you´re supposed to do each day, but let it become you.

I love yáll lots!

Love, Sister Lewis

-Oh and PS everyone always asks about how I'm feeling about going home. I do realize it is only 2 weeks away, but to be honest I don´t really feel any different. Sometimes it hits me and it makes me nervous and excited but in general I feel the same, maybe just a little more motivated because i know I have a time limit.

Photos:

-Had my last mission leadership council this week in Curitiba. All the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders of the mission

Love & Miracles for Sister Gear < 3

Dear Family,

This week I got my new (and I assume final) companion, Sister Gearheart. I think I mentioned last week, but I trained her in the states and she just got here with her visa and we are stoked to be working together again. We are laughing pretty much all the time, but still working hard :) There are now 3 companionships here in our ward: 3 Americans and 3 Hispanics.

Clearly I was way excited for my new companion! We weren´t at transfers because we are out in the boondocks, so I brought a sign to greet sister gearheart's van just to make sure she hadn't forgotten who I was :)

Miracle of the week: Leticia finally got baptized! I worked with her for a long time with Sister Moser, but she was struggling with some things so we put it off a couple times and one time we almost cut teaching her because she wasn´t progressing too well but her grandma (who she calls mom. She doesn´t have a dad and her mom died in an accident when she was really little.) called us one day saying thank you so much for helping her she has changed so much in even the little things since yall started coming her. She used to just stay in her room and be really angry all the time, but now she helps me clean the house and talks to me and i know its making a difference. It was one of the most beautiful baptisms I´ve seen here because I know how much she´s struggled to get to this point. She had a really really difficult first 16 years of life, but now she isready to be in the Lord´s caminho and she is doing great.

Leticia!

It was also so cool to see both Sidnei and Jonathan show up to church in white shirts and ties yesterday and they are getting ready to receive the priesthood next Sunday!

Another blessing of having Sister Gearheart arrive is that she has been with a few of my former companions and was able to share some cool miracles. A Less Active I worked with in the states went thru the temple, some of my past investigators were baptized, etc. In my first area here in Brazil I was only there one transfer and there was a woman that I taught, but who didn´t want us to teach her anymore. We were able to teach her mom and her mom got baptized the week I left but she still had no interest. Apparently she still had no interest and always hid away when the missionaries came, but a couple months ago she had a dream that Sis. Gomes and I were at her gate knocking and knocking and calling her to get baptized. Apparently she took that as her sign from heavenly father and she decided to totally change her life around. She and her boyfriend got married and a few weeks ago they got baptized. It was a tender mercy to see how so many times you don´t even know what a difference the little things can make! We are So incredibly blessed to be Representantives of Jesus Christ. Being the messengers of the gospel of Jesus Christ which truly changes the lives of these people! 

We had another wonderful family at church yesterday, Rosie and her daughters Bruna and Jovana. It was actually kind of a miracle how we found them too, because I passed there house wanted to go there but we didn´t have time, but Jovana (6 years old) found us and we ended up going back to that same house. Rosie also had a pretty rough past,but is so ready to change and follow the Lord´s path. Pray for her and her familyt that the can stay strong and prepare to get baptized as well!

Love you all lots!
Sister Lewis

We found what we thought was a giant avocado so we took it with us all day long and then when we got home it was just full of cotton which was super weird.

Don't get rabies!

I got my first real dog bite this week.

We spent basically all day thursday sitting at the posto de saúde because it was a street dog, so i had to get some shots to make sure i don't get rabies.. Just another reason not to have government healthcare because we were there ALL day.

So here´s a nice photo of the bite (not to mention i was wearing boots, leggings and 2 pairs of socks and he still got through)

Sitting in line at the p de s since 6:30 in the morning next to this dog who just came and sat down by me.