Everything Exciting Happens on Wednesday

Ola amigos!

Well, every week about a billion things happen, haha. Itºs always interesting to try to decide what is most important to tell you guys. Well, true to the pattern in the MTC, everything exciting starts happening on Wednesday :) Tuesday night Sister Garcia couldnºt sleep because she had a tooth bothering her. So, on Wednesday we went to the dentist and they told her she needs a root canal. She is flying to Mindelo tomorrow to get that taken care of, but it has been interesting. She is still throwing up, but she thinks itºs because she was sick for that week and so her stomach shrunk and now she just has to eat less than sheºs used to... but I guess we will see. So sheºs basically been miserable this week, but she is tough and doesnºt show it or let it stop the work. I hope we can get it all figured out! :)

 

Well, life is good. So, so good. I am really learning more and more every day about what I told you guys last week: having patience, especially with myself, and making sure I donºt take my mission too seriously but have fun while Iºm doing it, too. Man, I just love it here.

 

This Saturday we had two extra sisters with us: Sister Yerman (just for a few hours) and Sister Spolador (she is still with us). Sister Yerman flies home tomorrow, and Sister Spolador is on her way to São Nicolau, but there arenºt any flights or boats going there that have space... she might be with us for a week. We will have to see. She and another Sister got transferred there a bit early because the sisters going home this transfer leave this week, not at the end of the transfer.

While Sister Yerman was here, Sister Garcia and I did divisions with them. I was with Sister Yerman. It was so fun, and it helped me remember that I can take the lead and it gave me more experience with another companion. Then, yesterday we did splits again: me with Sister Spolador, who is from Brazil, and Sister Garcia with a member. I had a lot of fun that time, too. She is really funny, and it has been really good to have her with us and for me to do splits with her and kind of practice my Portuguese a bit more.

Okay, on to the exciting stuff: investigators! haha :) Dirce is just awesome. Technically, sheºs not an investigator anymore, but we are supposed to reteach all the lessons after people are baptized, instead of the wards or branches being in charge of that. One of the counselors of the district presidency is in our branch, and he has been asking to go out with us every time we teach Dirce... and he isnºt married. So basically he seems to have a big crush on her, and heºs super impressed with her testimony and all that she understands about the church, and she just seems completely oblivious.

We teach English class to Andreaºs mom and step dad, Bia and Francisco, a few days a week. And wow, Bia is just a miracle. She decided that she wanted to go to church, so when we invited her on Saturday she was totally up for it. Then she went to church, and when we talked to her last night as we were teaching English, she told us that she felt this peace and tranquility there that she doesnºt feel at home. And she told us she could feel the Holy Ghost (we had talked to her about that and prayer before) and that she knows that when the Holy Ghost touches her heart it is testifying of truth (which we hadnºt specifically said before... it was so cool!), and she wanted to get up and bear her testimony when everyone else was, but she got too nervous. But basically, she knows this church is true. We gave her a pamphlet about the restoration and the next time we teach them we are going to follow up on it, but they seemed excited to read it. Man, itºs so crazy. She was so cold toward us, and now she seems so interested and excited to learn more about the church. And she was so sweet and kept telling us how amazing we are for sharing the word of God and stuff. It was so sweet. Man, itºs just so amazing here. You never know who might be prepared to hear the gospel... or at least, to have more seeds of faith planted.

 

Oh yeah, and Iºve been teaching a member piano lessons every Monday since my second week here. Yeah, forgot to mention that, haha. I am the ward pianist for basically every meeting, and one of the members asked me to teach him piano. Itºs pretty much a guessing game, figuring out how to translate music jargon or explain things like beat or time signatures in Portuguese, but I have a ton of fun doing it, and he is so excited to learn. So Iºm expanding my Portuguese and Creole in lots of ways other than typical lessons, and figuring out how to teach things like piano and English. :)

Also, wow. There are so many menos ativos here! And I have yet to meet one who doesnºt want to go back to church. This week we were finally able to talk to Arlindo, who was one of the first members in Sal... or maybe THE first member here. He was super active in the church, married, had kids, and then his family basically fell apart and it broke his heart. And he kept telling us that he has faith that some day he will return... just not this Sunday. That is Satanºs most effective tool with these people, I think: delays. It is so sad to see someone who could have so many blessings, so much healing and peace, turn away from that because they have convinced themselves that they need to heal a bit or recover some more before they go back. Really, the way to find that healing is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and they can feel the power of the Atonement when they go to church and when they partake of the sacrament. It is so sad.

 

And then, on the opposite end, Andrea, Bia and Francisco came to church... yay! Andrea was so happy to be back, and Bia and Francisco loved it too. Iºm kind of repeating myself. But I guess Iºm going back to that example because being in this work, you see miracles and just plain amazing things right at the same time as you see people refuse to allow the Lord to bless them, so you feel this incredible joy and excitement at the same time your heart is breaking for someone, and you just want  to take them aside and shake them until they see what blessings they could have if they would just simply go to church, or pray, or read their scriptures.But wow, I just love this work so much.

Yesterday, we were also able to be the Lordºs instruments at precisely the time one of our members needed us. Every time that happens, it just doesnºt cease to amaze me! We just decided to talk to her, see how she was doing, and she told us that she was feeling stressed and that she felt like God had forgotten her. So we shared some scriptures with her, and told her that when she reads scriptures, it is an opportunity for God to talk to her. I think we were able to give her the support, love and strength that she needed, and the reminder that God hasnºt forgotten her, that He wonºt ever forget her... just like she would never forget her daughter. The Spirit was there, in just a really sweet and tender way. I am always amazed when He directs us when we donºt even expect it. He truly loves each of His children and is aware of each of us, always.

Olympic size track - they love to run

Today Sister Sharp, Sister Garcia and I are in Santa Maria (Sister De Pina and Sister Spolador didnºt want to come, so they stayed home together). We got permission from Pres. Mathews to ride bikes around, and it has been so fun! I am really learning how to be more easygoing while also being an exactly obedient missionary... I guess I am learning to let go of the things that I canºt control, and to stop worrying about my imperfections that I still have after I do my best. It is so much more fun and so much easier to be the Lordºs instrument that way!

Well, family, I love you so much. I am really figuring out how to love every moment and how to just be in the moment, because I am pretty sure that my mission is going to pass like a dream, just like Nephi, or maybe Jacob, said. I just love it here. I just love these people, and it has been nice to do splits with other sisters, because it has taught me a lot of how I can teach with Sister Garcia to make us even more effective and united. I love you all, and I love hearing from you every week! Sorry I donºt respond more... itºs always a time crunch, but I promise I read them and I WILL eventually respond. :) Love you all!

Love,

Sister Zimbelman