On the way to church...

Yesterday was such a good day :) Starting with church. We were going to `pick up` (= walk with) 3 pesquisadores to church but they invited 2 friends! I felt like part of a possy :) On the way there i looked back to talk to someone and ran face first into a road sign. Dont worry, we laughed it off. During church our LMA was released, and Joao, our recem converso was called in his place :) It was testimony meeting because we have stake conference next week. And the testimonies were fantastic! The ward supported all the youth in the seminary class to participate in the roadtrip to the temple. Theres 4 road trips each year. Its a week long and expensive for the members here. So that was really exciting when the bishop announced that theyd go. But they all came back and bore their testimonies :) it was really sweet to see all the spots behind the pulpit full of youth. Joao bore his testimony about missionaries, and that was really sweet. Our old LMA´s name is Pereira, and his family has been members for 2 years. all but the oldest son Samuel who´s 18. And theyve gone through tons of missionaries trying to get Samuel to enter so the family can be complete. The last progress report Pereira received from us had Samuel´s name with a baptismal date on it. And Pereira asked, is that date correct? and I smiled and said yes, and his smile was priceless :) it was a wonderful feeling. Leandro, the second oldest son who went to the temple bore his testimony and mentioned how grateful he was to find out that his brother accepted baptism and their family could be sealed together now. Sister Pereira and i looked at each other and it was the most fulfilling feeling that we did a good thing. 

After church there was a baptism for the other ward so our investigators got to see what its like :) After church one of our lessons was with irma katia, the sister who´s boyfriend Messias will be baptized. Her daughter Livia was one of the youth who went on the temple roadtrip and shared with us her experiences. Her experiences doing baptisms included doing the work for her grandma. Her testimony was so strong, it gave me the desire to go to the temple with preparation and gratitude. To prepare spiritually and have questions or desires so that they can be answered or fulfilled, and let my trips to the temple be as treasured as hers was. Even though when I´m home, its 30 minutes away. Knowing that I have 13 months ahead that wont include visiting the temple is sad to think about. So since you actually have a temple close by, dont let time pass by that you dont go just because it wasnt planned or convenient. I think the Lord gave me a mission without a temple to let me learn to be grateful and get hungry for temple work. Its a priority when I get home :) Imagine if all the 70,000 missionaries in the field got home and filled the temples? imagine if while they were out, just one person of their family went to the temple. God´s missionary work isnt just hastening in the mission field, its also in the temples. 

Yesterday night there was a fireside with the area 70, temple presidents of recife, mission presidents of fortaleza and fortaleza este about the temple and service and repentence. We took a new couple that we started teaching Jose and Ilsa and Boaventure. They really enjoyed it :) Afterwards we introduced them to our mission President and Sister Souza. Theyre from africa, and Pres told them that theyd be ambassadors for the church when they go back, and really strong examples. It was great seeing the genuine care President had for them. Boaventure has interest in serving a mission so I think meeting the president will have greater significance the more he understands. 

I hope your halloween went well :) last week i completed 5 months, soon ill be 1/3 of the way done :) I really like serving a mission, I like what its teaching me about service and i want to continue to be useful to the Lord when I get released. I love Him so I´ll keep His commandments, and repent a lot :p 

I pray for you :) I love you a lot! 

Sister Miess