I'm 20!

Hey Family :) There is so much to tell you about!! 

First of all, this week Nayara (18) was baptized Friday and the couple Luiz and Maria Jose (68) were baptized Sunday :) They are each so special. A couple years ago Nayara´s friend gave her name as a referral and has had missionaries searching for her for quite a while and finally the timing was right for us to teach her and she accepted the invitation to be baptized. Maria Jose and Luiz have a lot of faith and a strong desire to follow Jesus Christ. Luiz has difficulty speaking but everything he says, he says with sincerity. Baptisms make me remember Jesus Christ. Especially during natal. Here not many people put lights up or play christmas music but remembering that Im here to follow Jesus Christ makes the work sweeter. 

Saturday I turned 20 years old :) haha, yay! It was my favorite birthday that I can remember :) Wednesday we have zone meeting in Jardim America, the church building of my old ward. and my old companions Sister Pereira, and Sister Ferreyra planned a suprise party after the meeting with the new members who were baptized while I was there, and people I taught and were baptized after I left. It was awesome :) Saturday was another suprise party! Planned by Sister Ferreyra and Sister Miles with the ward missionaries, Jessica, her dad and Karine :) I felt really loved. And ate the best cake ever. At night, Sister Miles told us not to eat when we got home... ;) an investigator, Lidia sent pizza over and said it substituted cake. Sunday at our meeting with our fabulous ward mission leader, Irmao Terra , he gave us a cake that he made that kind of looked like it melted in on itself but was really good :) And that ended an awesome transfer with the sisters in Rodolfo Teofilo because Sunday night we received transfers. It was really hard on us because we all grew really close to each other. I love the sisters I was with! I grew as a person because their example was really strong. Irmao Terra also. He´s the best ward mission leader ive ever met, and Simone his wife is really generous with her time too. I want to be the wife of the ward mission leader someday. I actually wanted to be the ward mission leader but i think thats a priesthood calling :p A lot of the times we talk with our companions, ``i had never thought about helping the missionaries before, and now we´re like, when i get home im gonna offer rides, call them and ask how i can help, what they need, who to visit, show up with groceries,`` ha :) we´ve got lots of ideas. 

You´ll never guess where I am! Ive been transferred back to Maraponga, my first area :) I didnt think missionaries returned to wards theyve served before, but I think the Lord has a work for me to do here and I just needed more training before I could do it first.  Sister Ferreyra my wonderful ex companion taught me so much about how to work hard. I was her trainer but she taught me more than I taught her. It was a little different last transfer because Sister Miles was my companion but we were never together because we each had a sister to train. This transfer the Sister Treinadoras are actually companions. Sister Jones is from Bountiful utah :) Ill send a picture soon. 

President said to ponder over the divine purpose we have in the area we´re in because the transfers are made by our Heavenly Father, President is just the messenger, so ill be keeping that in mind over the following 7 weeks. 

I received a card from emily and her family! :) Please thank her for me. 

Something I learned this transfer was that before we receive blessings, sometimes we´re tempted to get down about stuff, but if we work through it, the blessings come out even sweeter. Like when you climb a mountain and get to the top and catch your breath? :) Thats like how a mission is.  

Also, I love you guys :) Im really excited to skype for christmas. i wanna hear about the goals you have for the new year too! :) I really like getting your emails. It makes me feel loved and really happy to know youre all doing so well :) At the christmas conference Sister Souza had each missionary write 2 things we´re grateful for and put it in a box. I think that kind of tradition is awesome. The theme we´ve been working with is what are we going to give Jesus Christ for christmas? and we work on bringing people into his gospel through baptism and receiving the gift of the holy ghost. So, what are you guys thinking of giving Christ for christmas? :) You can talk it out in prayer to know what he´d like from you.

I love you! 

Sister Miess