Photos of Briana's apartment.
Hey Family!
This week was pretty wierd, physically tough, and spiritually inspiring.
It was wierd because it was actually cold! I´ve taken to wearing socks at night! It´s been raining all day almost everyday which is nice because then it isn´t so hot, but bad because no one wants to go to church in the rain.. not even the members..
But, we literally had miracles this week. Not the kind where you´re like, ´´Oh, I felt sad, and then Heavenly Father helped me be happy!´´, but legit ´´I cannot believe that just happened´´ kind of miracles.
The first was Thursday. President called at like 11 o clock that night and said my comp had to be at a meeting in Belem the next day, but that I would be staying in my area, teaching with member. Usually, I teach with Dani, the stake president´s daughter who got back from a mission last year, but this time, the only person we could find on such short notice was one of the young women from our ward. Technically, I wasn´t even allowed to teach with her because she´s only 15, but the president made an exception... thanks. I was terrified!! A lot of old, bad feelings of inadequacy came back, and, not going to lie, I had a little 5 minute pity party for myself in my bedroom, door shut, music loud. I prayed the whole way back on our bus ride from Belem that Heavenly Father would help to understand every word, that I could receive revelation for our investigators and not ruin everything we´d been working so hard to build up here. No, not everything went perfectly. One of the lessons was pretty bad, but I really was able to understand almost everything, made contacts on my own, taught a lesson in the street and set him with a baptismal date, but best of all, I really felt like the Heavenly Father was there with me, helping me know what to say- something I haven´t really felt in a long time now.
While it was a truly terrifying experience, I know now that I really can be effective on my own (and with HF) here in Brazil- I´m not totally dependent on my companion to be able to do anything. Little self-confidence boost for the week.
On Saturday, and actually all week, all of our appointments fell through. It was 8 o clock at night, no one was home, everyone was having a festa, and we had no one to teach. With Sunday the next day, we really wanted to find someone to invite to church, but we were having no luck. Finally, as it started to rain, my companion and I looked up to the sky and starting yelling,´´ Why?? We have been fasting and praying all week! We´re trying to do everything right! Please, don´t forget us!´´ I was yelling in Portuguese, my companion in pretty bad English, haha. Literally 15 seconds later, a lady from the side of the street yells, ´´Hey Sisters! Why didn´t you ever visit me?´´ She was a street contact we´d made before Christmas, and after explaining that we´d tried but that she´d forgotten to give us the apt number, she said, ´´well, do you want to visit now?´´ WHAT?! My comp and I were just dumbfounded. Miracle?! I feel a little bit bad because in our lesson with her, I was just so awe-struck with what had happened that I forgot all my Portuguese, and my comp ended up teaching most of the lesson. It went well, though, and she and her daughter came to church on Sunday!
Everything´s great, and I´m really grateful for answered prayers! I know He listens!
Love you all!
Sister Barkdull
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