Um dos batismos mais lindos de minha vida 9/19/16

That's right everyone, Lília and Gleyson were baptized this Saturday!! It was a much expected event--nearly the whole ward came. Jhennyfer, a little eight-year-old girl, was also baptized with them. Jhennyfer's mom and stepdad are members, but she lived with her dad, who is strongly against the Church, until about three months ago. When her mom, Inês, was finally able to get the right to have Jhennyfer live with her, she asked us to teach her the missionary lessons to prepare her to be baptized. She is really a special little girl. :) The service was so beautiful. I went into the bathroom to help Lília, and when I entered she was leaning on the sink, praying and crying. I went to the door and watched Jhennyfer's baptism and looked back at Lília. She had fallen to her knees and was crying more than ever. When she left the water she couldn't stop crying and we stayed there, in a big, wet, group hug with Sister Lima, Fernanda, and Amanda, a member that helped us a lot teaching her. It was so beautiful! She said she had never felt so overpowered by the Spirit in her life. And I think we all were. Afterwards, Sister Lima and I sang our own version of "Come Thou Fount" in Portuguese and English (I don't know how, we were all crying...). I loved the day sooooo much.

Ah, and transfers! So I'm staying here in Providência again. Fourth transfer, and the first time that I'll be staying with a companion for three transfers! It's a good thing that I love Sister Lima hahaha.

As for the rest of our week, we visited a pretty cool park on our last p-day with lots of birds and the Belém lighthouse--neat, right? And Sílvia finally went to church!! And said that she is going to stop drinking coffee, since "it's a sin." Love golden investigators. :) Also, we heard an AMAZING talk about the gift of the Holy Ghost yesterday. The best explained that I have ever heard in my life. Loved it!

I'm running out of time, like always, but I love you all so much and pray for you daily!

Sister Dickerson

Sou um filho de Deus 9/13/16

First off, sorry for not warning that I wouldn't be writing yesterday! We spent all day in Belém at a mission conference! Elder Antunes from the Seventy visited us. So our p-day is today this week. (Also, transfers are next week, so if I don't write, you know why). But the conference was sooooooo wonderful yesterday! Elder Antunes is a firecracker! One minute he was reading the scriptures, explaining doctrine, and crying with emocion. And the next he was running, jumping, and yelling! (He reinacted how it was when David killed Goliath!) We spent the whole day, laughing, crying, and being spiritually fed! I learned soooooo much. He taught about a lot of things--how repentance is the ESSENCE of life, our true purpose to be here, how we need to have a change of heart--through the waters of baptism and the blood of Christ, partaking of the sacrament each week. He also taught us lots about teaching skills--using scriptures better, inspired questions, etc. AND he gave us some advice in how to stay strong after the mission--always paying your tithing, and marrying in the temple. Which you can do ONLY dating people who love and attend the temple regularly. The last part was a bit trunky, but all in all, I loved the conference. Learned so much.

The rest of our week was super crazy and as well. Lília and Gleyson got married on Saturday!!! I was one of the witnesses. :D We spent the afternoon getting their reception ready--which was super nice. :D It was so beautiful to see the love in their eyes, one for another. I really have seen the gospel change these people! They hardly spoke with eachother before, and now they are looking into the eternities. :D Also, their ceremony was super funny because the justice who married them had the funniest voice ever. It reminded me a lot of the Princess Bride.

On Wednesday it was Independence Day here in Brazil! And we had a day in Belém with a lot of elderly people. We put on skits and sang for them! It was so great! And we danced with them, played games... I loved it! I think Sister Stasevkas put a video on FB of our song--Sou um Filho de Deus with the ukulele. :D

No more time! Love you all!!

Resgate é importante!! 9/5/16

Right, so my time is nearly up, so I'll have to be quick today! For starters, we had an AMAZING Sunday! Lília, Gleyson, Ana, Esmeraldino, Jéssica, Vani, and Ricardo all were able to come! And they all liked it, I think. :D Sílvia got sick, unfortunately, but she came to a ward activity on Thursday and loooooved it. Also, Max, unfortunately, moved out of our area! But we passed his address on to our district leaders, who went there. He said that he moved because I wants to be baptized like we invited him, and knew that he couldn't live with his girlfriend until they get married. So that was pretty neat! He is really dedicated to overcoming his addictions so that he can receive all of the blessings of the restored gospel.

This week we have been doing lots more work with reativation. Our bishop challenged everyone to do a bit more to help our friends who have fallen away from the church come back, to go after the one sheep that fled. So we decided to take that challenge as well! And wow did I love it! Six people that we visited came on Sunday, which was a joy just as big as our investigators that came! It was a little funny on Friday when we were knocking doors and, by accident, found Natalice, a less-active member. She was so happy to see us! After church on Sunday we had a family home evening with her family, and tomorrow we are going to have lunch with them. They were just needing someone to show them that they weren't forgotten. So keep trying, wherever you are, to help those who have fallen away. They are all children of God, and He wants them to live in His presence as well! :)

Also, we found a super cool new investigator, Fagner, that is just golden! But I'll write more about him next week!

Also--went to Belém to renew some documents this week and saw Eddy (Elder R. Mercado), it's soooo nice to talk about Minnesota every once in a while.

Love you all so much!

Sister Dickerson

8/29/16

I wanted to start off today telling you about a conversation I had with Neide, the bishop's wife, yesterday. Love her so much. She was telling me about some of the experiences she had on her mission in São Paulo years ago, and mentioned how much beautiful it is to see people through the eyes of our Heavenly Father. At home, I remember a few times in the temple when I looked at the elderly people serving there and thought, "Wow, they are so beautiful." Here, it's amazing, it seems that we can look at the people in the street and already love them, already seeing their divine potential. I really do love the people here. And I know that this isn't something exclusively for missionaries--we all can feel the pure love of Christ, if we try to see God's children through His eyes.

Right, but I had a few cool experiences that I wanted to tell you all real quick! First off, we started teaching Max, who is dating a less active member. He already had gone to church a few times in another ward and was taught by some elderes more that four months ago. Usually when you teach past investigators, they remember a few things vaguely, but not much. But wow! When we started to teach about the first vision, he interrupted us and told us everything he remembered, which was a lot. He was practically glowing as he told us. He said that he has some addictions (smoking, drinking), but he realllllllyyyy wants to get over them and be baptized. So that was pretty neat. :) We also started teaching his neighbor, Sílvia, one day when he wasn't home. She's from Mato Grosso (another state in Brazil) and said that her DREAM is to be baptized by immersion. Also, another tender mercy. :)

Also, every one here is trying to fatten us up and is constantly giving us food. No complaints here! On Sunday we literally didn't eat anything at home. Gospel Principles was about the word of wisdom and Neide prepared a delicious healthy breakfast for everyone, we had lunch with the bishop, the elderes gave us cookies, and there were even refreshments at ward council that night. #Blessed

Love you all so much, I pray for you daily!

Sister Dickerson

Also, if you are looking for something to study this week: Mosiah 14 and 15 :)

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

---

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