Baptism on the Beach!

This week in Paracuru :D 

We had a baptism at the beach!! Dreams come true :) Usually baptisms in the branch are held in a pool but there wasnt one available ;) ha President Bonini loves the beach and says we should baptise at the beach more often. It was perfect :) There werent other people and the setting was beautiful. Our friend Victor was baptisedsaturday and he was touched by the spirit :) Sunday he bore his testimony at church about how he believes and knows it is making a difference in his life. He knows the book of mormon is true and felt an answer when he prayed and felt the need to help his mom be saved. His mom died 4 years ago so we taught him about baptisms for the dead :) He´s at exactly the right place and time in his life to receive the gospel. I understand better that God really does have timing for things. I can see it here on the mission. I can invite people that arent repentant to be baptised and its like inviting a cat to dive into a pool, there´s no use, its unnatural for them. But when people are repentant the invite to be baptised or accept Christ is like leading someone thirsty to water. 

There were so many things that happened to get in the way of the baptism. Sis Gauna and I had divisions and we were in another city 2 hours away and couldnt get back during the scheduled time so we rushed and got to the church after Victor did :) He´s great, always gets to church before us haha. Then, there wasnt enough white jumpsuits for the 5 people that´d be baptised. Then, from the church to the beach where the baptism would take place was an hour walk, and we arent about to ask 30 people to walk for an hour to watch the baptism :p so we rented a bus. and 2 minutes before the opening and talks and hymns ended, the bus driver got fed up and left!! (dumb :p he got mad and left without getting paid. 2 more minutes and he wouldve been paid and it would have been worth it for him) so we finish the hymns lead everyone outside and there´s no bus. a member that was taking care of her baby outside said she saw him leave. But the President was there and took 4 trips taking everyone to the beach to watch :) and it all worked out in the end. Good things usually get opposition, or before or after to test each of us :p 

So my mission is coming to an end :) I have 2 more weeks in Brazil before I get home and sometimes I get sad because I´ve grown to love these people, and sometimes I get nervous because this is my life now, being a missionary and I feel like going home is like going to a foreign country now ha. But I can connect that to how my investigators might feel about the gospel, a little nervous starting their life over in a different way, following a path thats good for them without being able to see too clearly into the future. So I know the answer to my uncertainties is the same answer to theirs. I have to pray and trust in God that He´ll help me and teach me how to do it. I´ve been praying and I know its the only reason I still have my head on my shoulders :p He helps me know that he´ll go before me, he´ll fight my battles and strengthen me. I can feel it by the spirit that comes when I pray. I also feel the importance of family :) I am so glad that families can be together forever and that I´ll be able to see all of my friends again no matter what. I´ll always be able to be a missionary, even in the spirit world I´ll be able to share my testimony with my friends or make new friends there. This work that I´m a part of is God´s work, and he´s the God of everyone, not just who´s on earth ha. 

Last thing :) Reading the Book of Mormon on the mission is so cool, because I understand it a lot better. I know that the book of mormon is true and for that I have my feet firmly placed on a solid foundation. Any doubts or opposition doesnt waver me because I can always come back to; The Book of Mormon is true, and you can find out for yourself the same way I did. Read it and pray about it :) 

I love yáll. I pray you´re well and have a fantastic week! 

Sister Miess