When we are diligent, the Lord blesses us! 11/30/16

Hi family and friends!!

First off, I'm writing on a Wednesday because we wanted to take a tour in a rainforest park/zoo, and unfortunately it's closed on Monday, so we asked permission to switch our pday for this week. But it was super great this morning! Love the rainforest so much! (I'll send pictures later..) We went with Sister Stasevskas, had lunch at her house and helped her set up her Christmas tree! Love her so much!

This week was full of miracles. Honestly, I'm not sure I have ever been so happy in my life--I LOVE my area, my ward, and my companion! Sister Dustin is one of the most dedicated and obedient people I know--and this week we really saw the hand of the Lord in our lives, blessing us for our diligence. I don't think I have ever taught more people in a week than this one--at the end of every day we were ASTOUNDED with how the Lord helped us to teach so many people (especially since our area is one hour away from our house), and even more astounded with how our investigators are progressing! Marlon was baptized on Saturday (he is so golden! It was amazing to see his smile from ear to ear when he went into the water!). Thelma was traveling in the southern part of Brazil the WHOLE week, but we started to teach her sister, Carol, and yesterday when we taught Thelma, she told us that she wants to be baptized and that she wants to do a fast. (And we had planned to invite her to do that, to be ready for her baptism next week--pretty neat!). Also, a recent convert, Claudio, introduced us to his friend, Hamilton, who is also just golden! We taught him for the first time on Saturday and when to Marlon's baptism that night, to Church on Sunday, and to a family home evening on Monday. And he already bought a case for his Book of Mormon. So adorable.

Also, we had another MIRACLE happen on Wednesday. We have been teaching a woman, Sílvia, and her three daughters: Letícia (12), Laisa (12) and Bianca (9). The girls have been going to church every Sunday for THREE YEARS. They are so amazing!! They read the scriptures every day and ask every night in their prayers that Sílvia would give permission for them to be baptized, but she never wanted to let them. We felt that it would be a good idea to fast for them and then to teach a very special lesson about the importance of baptism. At the end of the lesson Sílvia signed their baptismal form! She said that she saw that it really was the desire of their hearts! The girls started jumping for joy! :) I really saw the power of fasting and prayer to touch hardened hearts that day. :D

Lots of more things happened this week, but that will have to be it for the day! REMEMBER: GO TO MORMON.ORG TO PARTICIPATE IN THE "LIGHT THE WORLD" CHRISTMAS INITIATIVE--There is a short video and an idea to light the world through service every day!! We are all doing it here and I know that you all (and every one around you) will be immensely blessed!! Let's bring a little more light to this world through our beloved Savior Jesus Christ!

Have a great week!!

Sister Dickerson

My crazy week! 11/21/16

So first off, I discovered that the craziest time here in Belém is when there's a mission conference. Since our mission is huge (and the missionaries in Santarém, Macapá and Marabá don't even come), we had 16 sisters in our house Wednesday night, and about five on Thursday that would only be going back to their areas on Friday. It was pretty nuts--we had sisters sleeping on mattresses on the floor, in hammocks... but it all worked out it the end.

The mission conference was absolutely AMAZING. Pres. and Sister Stasevskas gave trainings about the importance of batism, the new Christmas initiative the Church is putting on (IT IS GOING TO BE SO AMAZING), and obedience. A few other missionaries also gave trainings about taking upon us the name of Christ and revelation. All in all, I loved it so much! Also, two days before the conference Sister Stasevskas called and asked Sister Dustin and I to do a special musical number... She played the flute, Sister McKinnon played piano, and I sang, I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go. It all worked out in the end! But I got so nervous that I was shaking all over. Also, I was feeling super creative this week since we are making a skit for our mission Christmas party in our zone--it is going to be Elder Scrooge. Super excited! And other news... I'm the ward's pianist now, so that's been fun.

As for the work, it's still going very well!! One of our investigators, Marlon, is absolutely golden and will be baptized this Saturday! (Pray for him!) He loves the Book of Mormon and is progressing very well. The only problem is that he drinks coffee like... five times a day. But when we taught him the Word of Wisdom he accepted it super well and said that he would drink something else instead. He really is the perfect investigator. I love seeing how the Lord prepares His children for the gospel. :) 

As always, I'm out time, but I love you all so much!

Praying for you daily,

Sister Dickerson

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11/14/16

Hello everyone!!

At the beginning of this week, we were a little bit nervous because all of our golden investigators were disappearing! We called, knocked on doors, talked with the neighbors... and nothing. Where did every one go? So we kept praying that the Lord would help us to find them again (and the other people that He had prepared for us), and that they would remember the things that we taught them, and that they would be protected from temptation. On Sunday we had only brought four investigators to church. I felt soooooo surprised when, in the middle of sacrament meeting, when I looked behind me and saw three investigators that we hadn't been able to talk with the whole week sitting in the last pew! Eleitos!!

This week we had a lot of experiences teaching about repentance and various commandments--it was so special to see people wanting to change and trusting in the Savior to be able to make those changes happen. Ruth, one of our investigators who had disappeared but showed up at church on Sunday, cried during Relief Society and bore her testimony that God lives, loves her, and has a plan for her. Alcides, a new investigator that we found this week, came to church and told us that he had prayed and felt an amazing peace and calm, and that he new that what we had taught was true. I love these little moments and blessings that we see every day--the gospel of Jesus Christ is so true! It really does change lives. If we are worthy, the Holy Ghost really is our constant companion.

On Wednesday, we had divisions with the sisteres in Entrocamento. I went with Sister McKinnon, from Idaho! (I'll send pictures next week). It was really interesting, and I learned so many things! We were able to teach a really special lesson with a woman who felt so much desire to repent. We invited her to repent and be baptized, and she accepted, but cried, saying that she didn't know if she would be ready before the 19th (the day of her baptism). I felt the Spirit so strongly as I testified that I had unshakable faith that through the Atonement, she would be ready by then. It was very special for us.

Please pray for Thelma and Andriano to have strength to keep the commandments!

I love you all so much! I pray for you daily!

Sister Dickerson

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Companheiras de novo!!! 11/7/16

Wow, so, as always, time is short! But this week was great!!! Sister Dustin and I are companions again, and we are giving it our best! (Endure/enjoy to the end, ya know?) But honestly, this week I only saw miracles!! Canudos is an area with lots of rich people and lots of poor people, but nearly all of them are receptive! The members gave us lots of referrals and all them are golden investigators! I honestly feel so grateful to be able to see God's hand in my life! 

At the beginning of the week we started with a teaching group of three people, so we prayed, with faith, that the Lord would show us His children that were prepared to hear us, and then we went to work. We found forteen new people to teach, and in every circumstance we saw how the Lord had prepared them to receive us. All of them have a great desire to be baptized and to become closer to the Lord! I would honestly love to write the story of every one of them but... time... But really quickly!! One night, when we were walking in the street, we stopped to talk with two young women who were seated by the side! We ended up teaching them the Restoration right there and when we invited them to pray, one of them, Bia, said that she had felt something that she had never felt before, and so listening to the conviction in our words, she felt that it was true, that God called a new prophet and restored His Church. It was so special for us to see the Spirit carrying our testimony to her heart. 

I love you all so much! I pray for you daily. 

Sorry for the rush, maybe next week will be more calm?

Sister Dickerson

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Transferência 10/31/16

Yesterday I received a phone call that gave me the shock of my life... I was waiting for our district leader to call to tell us about the transfer (I was pretty sure I would be sticking it out until the end in Providência), when I saw that it was President Stasevskas. I started shaking all over. He told me that I was being transferred to Canudos (near the center of Belém), to be sister training leader with Sister Dustin (one of my MTC comps). In our mission there are only four sister training leaders, so we have to visit and divide with all of the sisters in the mission.... It's going to be a lot of work, but I know that the Lord will be there to help me! I did NOT think that I would be called to do this since I only have six more weeks here... but Pres. Stasevskas assured me that he received a revelation that I need to be here, so the Lord must have something for me to do!

Sister Lima (love her sooooooo much), was also transferred, going to Satélite, so yesterday we had to hurry to leave everything ready for the new sisters that will be coming. I felt super happy to see that we have two people ready to be baptized 11/12--Laiane and Marimar, and this week they will be able to marry Ana and Esmeraldino. So the field is white for them. :D Pres. Stasevskas is going to let me visit to be able to see the baptisms. :D It was super hard saying goodbye to everyone in the ward--they really are like family! Especially Lília, Gleyson, Fernanda, Vitor (a in-active that is returning to church) and Ana. Love them so much. I took pictures, but I forgot my cord, so I'll send them next week.... Gleyson bore his testemony this week in sacrament meeting!

This week, we saw lots of miracles. But I don't have time to write them all! One that was pretty neat was Saturday night when nothing was going right, and an elderly man invited us to come in, Sabino. He told us that he was a Jehovah's Witness. I was a little apprehensive, but I never met someone so humble and willing to learn! He happily said that he would pray and be baptized when he receives and answer. We found lots of new people this week who were prepared by the Lord. I love being able to see the Lord's hand in our lives. 

I'm running out of time, but I love you all!! Happy Halloween!

Sister Dickerson

Vitor!

Ana, Esmeraldino, y Kailane!

Marimar!

Best acai ever!

Bryan!

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Stake Conference, Lília's prayer 10/24/16

Yesterday was stake conference here as well! We were blessed to have Elder Markus Aidukaitis and Elder Moroni Torgan of the Seventy visiting us to reorganize the stake presidency. President Oliveira (who is pretty much our best friend here haha) finished up nine years of service as stake president. The new presidency is made up of very young individuals, and when they all bore their testimony we felt very strongly that they really were called of God. The talks that we heard were full of faith, hope, and happiness--how when we build on the rock of Christ (Helaman 5:12) and keep the commandments (Mosiah 2:41) we are blessed true happiness--a taste of what is to come in the eternities. :) Our mission president, Presidente Stasevskas, also talked about the power of faith and the plan of salvation. I love him and Sister Stasevskas so much! They are just like parents away from home. :) Also, sidenote: Elder Aidukaitis's laugh is hilarious! And afterwards, when we met him, he told me that he had been to Minnesota twice, and both times it was 20 degrees below zero. haha

Lília was asked to give the closing prayer a few weeks ago and she was so neverous! But wow, when she prayed, I felt the Spirit so strongly that I started to cry! And many other people told her the same thing--including Elder Aidukaitis. She thanked God for the Atonement, for a living prophet and apostles, and asked for strength and guidance to share the plan of happiness with others. :) Gleyson also received the Melchezedek Priesthood afterwards, which we were able to witness. I know that I talk about this family alllllllll the time, but honestly, I don't think I have ever felt more love for someone on my mission. Seeing their conversion was one of the greatest miracles I have ever witnessed.

As for the rest of our week, we had a few ups and downs, but the work is going forward! Ana's birth certificate has been delayed (AGAIN), but hopefully it will be ready the end of this week so that we can start the process of her and Esmeraldino's wedding. Loren started to read the Book of Mormon, Marimar as well (AND she confirmed her baptismal date). And the rest of the crew as well. On Wednesday we had divisions and Sister Colussi came and spent the day with me (she was one of my comps in Paragominas last year--love her so much!!).

I hope everything is going will!! I pray for you all daily! Remember that it's the small and simple acts of faith that bring miracles--scripture study, prayer, obedience, etc.

Love you bunches!

Sister Dickerson

The Lord answers prayers 10/17/16

In the beginning of the week, we started out a bit discouraged because none our investisgators were progressing. We had to stop visiting nearly all of them actually... So we started the week with basically nothing, praying really hard, and trying to have lots of faith that the Lord would lead us to those of His children that would listen to us. We also prayed that He would guide us to families--preferably already married. Since marriages are so difficult to do here. And the Lord blessed us!

One day, we were knocking doors on a street that we had never entered before when we heard someone calling us, "Sister!! Siiiiissttteeeer!" Turns out it was Lília's cousin, Loren, that we had met at her wedding! When we met her the first time, she hadn't shown much interest, since she has a calling in her church and is pretty involved. But afterwards Lília started telling her about the church and about the gospel and she started to feel super interested. And her daughter, Sofia, loves us. :D So she called us, and we marked another day to come back. It was soooo amazing when we taught her about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon! She is a history professor and is extremely intelligent--she understood everything so perfectly about the great apostasy. And when we told her that the Book of Mormon teaches about when Jesus visited here in the Americas after her ressurrection, she got soooo excited! She said that she had always had questions about the "pre-colombians" and had always thought something like this was possible. :)

I'm not going to be able to talk about everyone we found this week (ou of time...), but we started teaching one woman, Brenda, that lives right in front of the church. She is wonderful! Already received her answer that the Restoration happened. :D And she keeps all of her commitments. #so nice We also had the surprise of seeing an investigator, Geronimo, come to Church on Sunday when he hadn't committed to go. Pretty neat!

And, yesterday, our President Stasevskas gave us permission to have lunch with Sister Lima's aunt, who lives in Belém (small world). It was super fun! Also--lots of good food and açaí. :D

Love you all so much!!

Sister Dickerson