That mermaid picture is me...haha!! (mom note: Natalie always told Genevieve that she really was a Mermaid - G still wondering if it is true (:). That´s
so funny that baby g is still thinking about that lol!! but yeah mother´s day
is in 3 weeks...I don’t know where we will go to do skype or what time, but the
rule is to only have one ligação (call) but we can do a conference!?? what
would be easier for you guys?? what´s your guys’ schedule, like what day will
you guys leave and what not?!
But yeah this week was a great week! Sister
Lerner and I have been praying and fasting to find families and men to teach
and to strengthen the branch here is Sousa. SOO MANY MIRACLES HAPPENED this
week! just recognizing the Lords hand in our work! One day, for example, we
were heading back from lunch and our plan was to go home for about 1 hour to do
some paper work and what not, but what came to mind was to visit a less active
and his wife who isn’t baptized yet. When we got there the Less active was
there, José Carlos, and he was smoking a cigarette. So we stopped and started
to teach him a little...then after a little bit a man walked in front of his
door and José Carlos called him to sit and listen to us...hahah it was crazy!
His friend´s name is Paulo and minha nossa he was a talker and he had lots of
questions. He would ask a question and then before we even finished answering
him he had another question. haha it was like alright let´s go....in the end we
marked to go back and teach his friend and his family later in the week. When
we were getting ready to leave, José Carlos and us were outside of his house
saying bye to him and then out of no where he points to a man walking down the
street and he said you should talk to him. he needs God in his life haha...so José
Carlos called him over and we met Mariano! Let me just tell you that this was
the turning point of our week. Mariano invited us to his house and we stayed in
the front to talk to him and his son Mateus (18 yrs. old) who was baptized
about 6 year ago but not confirmed and we marked to go back the next day in the
morning so that we could teach his whole family!! LET ME JUST TELL YOU THAT THIS
FAMILY IS SO PRESH!!! I LOVE THIS FAMILY!!! we went back the next day and
taught The Restoration and marked their baptism for 24 of Abril, and then we
filled out their baptismal forms. This family we have Mariano as a single dad,
with Mateus (18) and Crisneyan (15) and Crystielle(11) and Isaac (10..the same
age as Genevieve so I feel really protective of him haha)...also Marina lives
with them who is 13 years who is the girlfriend of Crisneyan...the situation is
complicated! but all this week we went back everyday to see how they were, to
teach them a little more, to see if they read the Book of Mormon! the first day
no one read or prayed, only the dad...the next day everyone read and prayed and
they all are really excited to go to church, to keep learning and to ask
questions and read the Book of Mormon!! The changes in their lives is just
amazing!! I love this family. Saturday we taught the commandments and they have
some problem with the Word of Wisdom with coffee and cigarettes. Matues smoke
about 20 cigarettes each day, and some of the family drinks coffee. we let
Mateus smoke 10 on Saturday and then on Sunday when we asked him how many he
smoked he said that he only smoked 10 on Saturday and so far on Sunday only
1...on Sunday he only smoked 5...MIRACLES!!!! he said he doesn’t have that much
vontade (?) to smoke anymore!!! Sunday we got to their house and everyone was
all ready to go!! everyone LOVED church and they stayed after to see a baptism
that the elders had and Matures said that he felt something special in his
heart. Everyone we so excited to see the baptism and they all said that they
just felt so good at church and they loved every bit of it. Mariano said that
he LOVED church and it is just so amazing to see this family grow and grow.
Tonight we will have a Niote Familiar (Family Home Evening) with them and they requested that we talk
bout Temples...haha I just love this family...I feel like that I came to Sousa
just to find this family! Yesterday night (Sunday night) we visited them to see
how they were doing, to mark a part in the book of Mormon to read and to give
them Cevada to drink instead of coffee. we asked them if they read the part we
left for them to read (everyone read) and then Mateus started to explain what
he understood (3 Nephi 11) and when he was explaining everything he understood
I felt the spirit so strong. I felt like I was the investigator and that he was
a missionary teaching me and helping me understand when Jesus Christ came to
the Americas. I started to have tears in my eyes just thinking about how his life will be so much better and how much happier they all are because of the
gospel. After every lesson they all are like alright who´s going to say the
prayer and their prayers are just the sweetest things!! I just feel so blessed
to help this wonderful family...Iove them so much!!
we had so many other miracles happen where
the Lord just put people in our path to find and teach these people. I LOVE
BEING A MISSIONARY!! I love my Savior and I hope every one has a great week!!
Ask for miracles with faith and they will
happen!!!
-Sister Talentino
oh..i forgot to tell you that when i was in mossoro I had my first dream in Portuguese. It was everyone in my disrict at the time eating lunch in costco! hahah good times!! LOVE YOU
