Why Angels Don't Convert People 8/22/16

We started teaching a really nice family this week. One of the daughters, Eliane, is less active, and her mom and her sister, Stefany, never were taught by the missionaries. Her mom told us a super interesting story about the Eliane's confirmation. She had opened her eyes and saw an ANGEL with his hands on her head as well, with the other priesthood holders.

When we left from that lesson, I began pondering about this, if she saw an angel there, why didn't she ever come back to visit our church? Then I remembered various people in the scriptures who had the priviledge to see angels but still were not converted. For example, Alma was called to repentance by an angel, but later in his ministry he said that he had fasted and prayed many days to receive a testimony (Alma 5). Miracles can strengthen our faith, but they won't produce faith.

Also, I don't know if you all remember Maria das Graças that disappeared before her baptism in June, but she came back!! She has been breaking the word of wisdom, but we are teaching her again!

Also... Vani and Ricardo are doing well, we helped them clean up their house after reforming this week and also tried our first tacacá (a typical soup of Pará). It was delicious, and has a leaf that leaves your whole mouth tingling!

That is just about it for this week! Love you all!

Firme e forte!

Sister Dickerson

Minha semana LINDA 8/15/16

Right, so I'm going to jump right to the best part--FERNANDA WAS BAPTIZED THIS SATURDAY! It was sooooooo amazing. Just to explain a little bit, because I never remember what I have already told you all, but Fernanda has been coming to church every Sunday with her parents (Lília and Gleyson) since June. She is 19 years old. In the beginning she was very sceptic--she didn't even believe in Jesus Christ. (Gleyson also didn't believe in anything), but, bit by bit, we saw her faith changing. One day she commented that she believed that Jesus is our Savior. And last week she told us that she believes in the Restoration and that Joseph Smith was a prophet. She still had some other doubts, but she was always willing to keep learning and trying her faith. We challenged her last week to read in the Book of Mormon every day and ask, every day, if the book is true, and consequently, if this gospel is true. On Tuesday of this week we read the questions of the baptismal interview with her and responded to many of her questions. When we had finished, I told her, quietly, "You passed on all of the questions. I think you are prepared to be baptized. But it's you that has to decide if you are ready." She hardly let me finish my phrase, when she said, excitedly, "I want to be baptized!"

The baptism on Saturday was so wonderul. One of the most spiritual meetings that I've been to. She was glowing! After the baptism, one of the conselours in the bishopric was looking at my planner, and decided to read a quote that I had put there, about how we need to see people through the eyes of our Heavenly Father--that it is so then that we will be able to see the true worth of one soul. Sister Lima and I sang "I am a Child of God" (except we modernized it a bit and sang a part in English), and at the end of the service, every one was crying. Even Fernanda's grandma, who always said lots of horrible things about the Church. In the end, she hugged me and Sister Lima and thanked us profusely for bringing her family to the light. It was so beautiful. On Sunday Fernanda told us how good she was feeling, having received the gift of the Holy Ghost and how she felt that she was learning much quicker. I feel soooo grateful to be able to see the conversion of a beloved daughter of God. :D

I had other stories I was going to tell about the week, but my time is up! Love you all so much! You are all in my prayers!

Sister Dickerson

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Depois das tribulações vem as bênçãos!! 8/8/16

First off, this week we had transfers! And I'll be staying here in Providência com minha filha Sister Lima! Whoo-hoo!! I love Sister Lima--every day is a party with her. :)

This week was a bit of a roller coaster! It started out great on Monday with a zone p-day! We all went to a member's house that is literally in the middle of the jungle. :) We explored a bit, had churrasco, played uno... it was a good time. Except that I was swinging in a hammock that one of the elderes had brought and the cord broke (whoops! I fell pretty hard, but it was pretty funny as well). And that night we had a family home evening in the house of a member and she invited all of her friends! (None live in our area, but it was super neat! We taught about our divine nature, being children of God :) ).

The rest of the week was pretty difficult. We got a lot of doors in our faces, met a lot of crazy people and atheists, and saw a lot of our investigators not willing to keep commitments (chatooooooo). HOWEVER, after the trials come the blessings!! Lília and Gleyson fasted for the time on Sunday, Fernanda is reading the Book of Mormon and praying every day, and the Lord blessed us SOOOO MUCH with new families to teach!! (I LOVE TEACHING FAMILIES). We found two that are legally married (WHAT???) Cris and Cleberson, and Amanda and Wendeson.

Teaching Amanda was one of the most beautiful experiences on my mission. She has two daughters--Sofia, who is seven and has Down's Syndrome, and Lívia, that is 18 months old and a little firecracker. We had just sat down and started to talk with Amanda when Sofia entered, gave me the sweetest kiss on the cheek and started to hug me and wouldn't let me go. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I felt so much love for that pure, beautiful little girl. Amanda was very surprised, saying that she usually doesn't take to strangers so quickly. The Spirit filled the room; I knew that the Lord had told that little girl, His daughter, that we were there to help her family. We taught Amanda the message of the Restoration and left feeling that we had truly been instruments in the Lord's hands.

We also started teaching a young man, Flávio, that was taught about five years ago. And remembers nearly everything. That doesn't happen! He recently lost his mother and it seemed that he was waiting for us to come. He was sitting just inside the door, and when we knocked he imediately welcomed us in. We taught him about the Plan of Salvation, and once again, it was wonderful!

This is what I love most about being a missionary and about the gospel--seeing the Lord bless the lives of His children and being the means by which He does it! This gospel is so wonderful. It really is the gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ!!

Love you all so much! Praying for you daily. :)

Sister Dickerson 

Vamos ter um casamento aqui!! 8/1/16

That's right!!! We FINALLY managed to get Lília and Gleyson's wedding in the process!! We went to the cartório three times with them--the first time there was a problem with the money, the second the didn't want to accept Lília's birth certificate, and on the third it all worked out! They went to a cartório (sorry, I'm really not sure how that word translates--it's the place where you work out birth certificates and marriage licenses...) in Belém super early on Friday to get a new birth certificate, and about 10 AM picked us up to go to the cartório in Ananindeua. The first available date was September 10--but I think I'll still be here in the area on that day to see the wedding and baptism! I'm soooooo excited! I love this family so much. I don't think I have ever met a family so dedicated and so prepared to hear the gospel. And the best part about it all with them is that they know that baptism isn't the end goal. They are already making plans to go to the Recife temple in November next year and be sealed for all eternity. :D (Here's a great quote from Gleyson this week: casamento eterno = festa eterna). The bishop gave them a few pictures to hang in their house on Sunday--one of Jesus Christ, one of the Recife temple, and "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." Needless to say, they were very excited.

Fernanda (their daughter), went to an encampment this week and loved it! She also saw a baptism there. She is finally starting to pray with real intent (I even saw her praying during the sacrament), and I have no doubt that she will receive her answer soon. :D

We found lots of new investigators this week, and slowly but surely we are finding those who really have interest in hearing about the gospel. My favorites were one young man, Jordan, who always asked himself why there are so many churches and so many different doutrines. His eyes lit up when he heard the message of the Restoration. Also, we started teaching a family, Vánia and Ricardo, that have two young sons. They are such a special family! They contacted US in the street and asked us to teach them. Needless to say, we love them very much. :)

I love you all so much and pray for you daily! :)

Sister Dickerson

Fotos--I made the most delicious brownies of my life last Monday, and here are some pretty flowers that grow EVERY WHERE here. They brighten up my day. :D

Aprendendo a ter ESPERANÇA 7/25/16

So on Wednesday in our district meeting, Elder Rocha was feeling rather inspired and asked all of us to choose a little piece of paper--each of them had a different Christ-like attribute for us to study during the week and seek to develop in our lives. Everyone was praying not to pick patience... and it was Elder Rocha that ended up with that one. Haha... But I picked hope. And I thought, hey that's good because when I was in Santarém and nothing was going right I studied hope every day. And things got a lot better. I had already put a little check mark in my mind next to hope--só que não!! This week I saw that the Lord really was trying me--to see if I could endure trials and setbacks well while trusting in His timing--that His promised blessings will be given when He decides that the time is right.

For starters, Jacqueline disappeared for a week, and her baptism was supposed to be on Saturday... It was hard to remain positive and hopeful in her case when we tried so many times to talk to her and weren't able to... but yesterday night, as we passed her house, we saw Jackson, her twin, that likes us (unlike her mom...) and called her for us. She seemed super happy to see us and said that she had been missing our visits so much. But also, seeing that a week had passed without being able to follow up with her, she hadn't been reading the Book of Mormon or praying. And so, obviously, she doesn't feel ready to be baptized. We read 1 Nephi 1 with her (to help her start from the beginning), and expressed our love for her. She was so calm when we left, knowing that we visit her to help her come unto Christ--to be converted to Him. Maybe this will need a bit of time with her. Everything has to happen in the Lord's timing!

A similar thing happened with Fernanda. She's been going to church for two months with Lília and Gleyson and still doesn't feel ready to be baptized--but considering that she didn't even believe in Christ when we met her, we're counting it as progress. This week she almost gave up on everything because of the pressure of friends... but Lília and Gleyson kneeled down together and prayed to know how they could talk to her to help her continue coming to church. And she's still coming. She'll even be going to encampment this week. Sincere prayers really are answered. Especially in the response to loving parents praying for their children.

Just a quick side note, we started teaching two brothers, Leon and Cristiano, who are the funniest people on the planet! It is super hard to stop laughing with them. But the best moment teaching them was when we were explaining the Book of Mormon for Leon and he told us what his true idea of happiness is. He said that he wants a family in the future--united, well structured, and centered on Christ. He said that he has already visited many churches and has never found one that centers with his idea of happiness. It was such a special experience to testify of the eternal nature of families and the restored Church on the earth today.

That's about it for this week, folks! Love you all so much; I pray for you all daily.

Love,

Sister Dickerson

pics: my new journal and the hair skills of Sister Lima. :)

Why Church movies are so great 7/18/16

So, as you know, I always love to talk about Lília and Gleyson!! We ran into some problems with the cartório, but we should be able to straighten them out this week and get their wedding all ready for August! They are reading lots and lots in the Book of Mormon and loving it! (I think Lília is just about done with 1 Nephi, Fernanda is in chapter 14 and Gleyson is still in the first few chapters). They all started to ask lots of questions about Joseph Smith's life, after the first vision. So... we decided to borrow "Joseph Smith, the Prophet of the Restoration" from some members. Lília couldn't contain her excitement and watched it during the week (they watched it as a family yesterday after church). She said that she couldn't stop crying throughout the whole movie. I feel so blessed to know this amazing family!

As for the rest of our week, it was a little rough... a few investigators decided that they didn't want to hear any more, one of our investigator's moms expelled us from her house... but that's just the way it is sometimes!! Sister Lima and I are super excited to find lots of people this week that are going to want to hear about the gospel! (Side note: Sister Lima is awesome. Love her so much!!)

Sorry I don't have too much news this week! Love you all so much!!

Sister Dickerson

And I almost forgot: Yesterday we were almost kidnapped! A woman stopped us and asked about the church, and asked if we could talk more in the shade; when we got there, there was a car waiting (WHAT??), but inside there was a family from Paragominas that I love sooooo much! (I call them Mom and Dad and they call me daughter. :D) They were pulling a trick on us! Yep, now that's all I've got. :)

Loving Golden Investigators! 7/11/16

Just the highlights this week because in a bit we are going to the cartório!!!!! Whoo-hoo!!! Lília and Gleyson are going to get married, so we'll be going with them to enter all of their documents and such. Soooooo excited!!! :)

Right, so this week we had a mission conference which was super great!! Wow, I think I had never heard a talk so good like the one Presidente Stasevskas gave. He spoke about the Atonement and how it perfectly overcomes the barriers that we faced in the pre-mortal life and because of the Fall, so that we can one day receive all of the blessings that God wants for us (to be with him, to learn/progress, to live forever, and to have our families). It was great!

We also started teaching a friend of Lília, Jacqueline. She is AMAZING. We all felt the Spirit so strongly when we taught her the Restoration. She was crying throughout the whole lesson. And we we asked her afterwards if she had prayed about our message, she said that she did, but she already KNEW that it was true before she prayed. Annnnnd when we gave her the Book of Mormon, she got so excited! She had always asked herself why Jesus had only visited in Jerusalem and not in the other parts of the world. And why there weren't other witnesses of Him. We left her with 3 Nephi 11 to read and a pamphlet of the Plan of Salvation, since she had some questions. The next day she called us, soooo excited, because she now knows that she lived with God, why she is here on the earth, and what will happen afterwards. #ELEITA 
I am honestly overflowing with happiness right now because of her. Even if some other things didn't go so well, just teaching Jacqueline made the week perfect! God really does prepare His children. 

And sidenote--Lília invited her because she loves her friend. She didn't know that Jacqueline would embrace the gospel with open arms, since she already had a church--you never know who in your lifes God is preparing! But you have to do your part and invite all to come unto Christ! If your feeling a little timid, pray and ask our Heavenly Father who He wants you to invite. I promise that there are people that you know that need to hear about the gospel in this moment!


Love you all bunches!
Sister Dickerson


Here in the pics I have lots of my past companions-S. Lima, Barth, Dustin, Packard, Colussi... quase the the whole gang.





Here's some pics from an activity we had yesterday--we set up some tables with lots of materials about the Church and invited everyone in the praça to come and find out more! It was pretty neat!