Rapido Rapidoooo

August 20, 2014

Subject: rapido rapidooooo   [rapid rapid]

Oiiii!!!  [Hi!]

I read rapidinho [quickly] what Emily wrote and that’s super funny haha.  Pat doesn’t have to ask permission hahahah.  Tell him hiiiiiiiiii for me!!!! :)))

This week flew by!!! and already half the transfers gone!!!  It’s seriously soooo scary how fast it goes!!  I only have 2 more after this one! ))):

But anyway, I received an email that last week.   Aline, the sister of Felipe in Tiangua was baptised!! I don’t know how it happened, like her mom finally let her be baptized!!!!!!! And also one other man we were teaching who couldn’t be baptized because of his past, apparently, it got cleared finally and he was baptized!!!! Ahhhh!!!  I am so happy!!!

And Irismar and Francisco will be married and baptized the 5th and 6th of September!!!  I’m sooooooo excited for them!!! :DDDD

Dying of happiness hahah.  I love the mission!!! I’m super bummed I couldn’t be there in person, but just knowing that they’ve finally been able to make this huge step toward our Heavenly Father makes me sooo incredibly satisfied.  I feel like it would have been a mess if I was there, anyway.  Crying and all that nonsense... haha

This week started out really sad haha. We received training about discerning between friends and elites.  People who just like our company or those who truly are looking for the truth and real happiness through the evangelho (i dont remember the word for this.....)  [gospel]

so we cut a lot of people and started completely over.  It was a reaaaalll step of faith because we really don’t have a lot of investigators, tons of menos ativos [less actives], but it was tough to put the number 0 down so many times. haha.  But then the miracles started to happen.  We finally got to talk to this one contact on the street, Jo, and she’s seriously wanting to serve a mission, but wants the testimony first, that’s good … haha.  So she is truly progressing and truly looking for that spiritual growth.  Also, a couple we are teaching, Ruy e Brena, they had been meeting with the sisters for like a year.  All of a sudden they moved and lost contact.  We met them again and did a mini interview com eles [with them] and they want to be married and baptized!!!  It was a miracle, seriously.  They’re suuuper young, but we talked about what they want and a family eterna [eternal family] and they truly want this, but just don’t know how to get it.  It’s amazing, the hidden potential people truly have.  We just have to trust that the Lord knows and can show us who has it. 

Also, we were looking for a menos ativo [less active member] and she moved but someone else was living there and so we talked with him and he and his wife are looking for a church--why? Because since they were married (legally--miracle!!!) 5 years ago, they haven’t been truly happy. They want to be happy, but now they are looking for true happiness.  This is exactly what I was praying for -- those of God’s children who are truly looking for the complete happiness that Deus [God] has for them here, that can only truly be achieved through the Complete Evangelho de Crist. [complete gospel of Jesus Christ]

Every day I see that more and more our challenges are very specific to us, but also that we  have alllll the tools we need to enfrentar [face] these challenges.  Sometimes it’s the scriptures, prayer, and fasting, but sometimes it’s through other people--our lideres [leaders].  We have them for a reason and I know that I really needed to learn humility on the mission, to let others help me. They’re there for a reason and I know that I can ask for a blessing.  The mission isn’t just about teaching these principles, the power of God that we have in our church--the priesthood-- but to truly live these principles as well.  I am sooo incredibly grateful for this opportunity to be on a mission to be a missionary. This mission has seriously saved my life in so many ways.  I know that every second is precious and every person I meet has taught me a lesson crucial for my future.  I loooooeveee the mission!!!  I know this church is the only true church with all the keys and power and authority that Christ had when He was here on the Earth. I know there are so many out there who neeeeed this truth and we’re here to help find them!

Love you all soooo much!!!!!! 

You are all in my orações [prayers] daily !!!

Com muiiiiito amor!!!  [with much love]

Sister Yoshimoto