Celestial

I´ve decided- Brasil is getting to be pretty celestial. You know how the celestial kingdom is compared to the light of the sun? Well here, I feel like we are almost living on the sun. haha (Let´s go sun protector and umbrella!)

This week was kind of difficult with our investigator, Sabatião. That one man I spoke about a week ago... well I guess his daughter said some things to him which made him turn very very Wishy washy, and not wanting to promise or even DO anything. He went to a baptismal interview, but refused to even say a prayer. He told us that he likes church, but doesn´t want to promise anything. Practically what he said was "you can keep visiting me, but I´m not going to progress." And well, it was very sad, but yet again, we have to let people use their free agency.

We had a 10 year old girl come to church yesterday (picked up by a member!) and to tell the truth, she LOVED sacrament meeting! What can I say? I love it too!

Guess what happened!!!! Wednesday, someone clapped at our portão and guess who it was?! SISTER COSTA AND SISTER SOLIS!!!!!!! My old companions!!!! (we were in a trio together) and they were here to do divisions (they are the sister leaders trainers!) So I spent all ay with Sister Solis and it was heaven!!!!!! I learned so much (be more persistent in the contacts and have more patience with recent converts, etc.) It´s amazing what kind of love you develop in the mission. It´s incomparable.

I believe I am understanding more clearly the significance an importance of the atonement in the mission. Every time I teach the Plan of Salvation, talk about Adam and Eve, think about repentance, I feel my testimony of the atonement grow. It makes so much sense and really was an act of true love. Love on the part of Heavenly Father and also Jesus Christ. I doubt I will ever have the capacity to understand it completely, but I am just so grateful. It gives us strength in moments when we are weak.

Out of time. Love you all tons.

Sister Eliason

 

 

We're famous!

This week ended up being super awesome!

But first things first:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE ONE THAT GAVE ME LIFE!

OK, THAT´S A LITTLE WIERD. 

HAPPPPYYY BIRTHDAY MOM! STEPHANIE ELIASON,  you are my best friend and my best teacher and my biggest support. Thanks for EVERYTHING! Love you tons. Hope tomorrow is a very special day. <3

Ok, now let me tell why this week as so aweosme!!!!

Well one day we taught a family (first blessing!) and they were super interested. Well he mother of he mother was entering in and out of our lesson, and at one point, she old us that she goes to an evengelica church and the pastor told about us on the pulpit last Sunday. WHAT?!?! We asked for more details:

Apparently, he told about how one day during the week, 2 young mormon female missionaries clapped at his door and asked for water. One was from Portugal and the other from the United States (state of new jersey... (wrong, but whatever)) and the American had very very red cheeks! (I can´t believe he told a congregation of 100 about my cheeks!!!!!! ) Anyways, he told about how impresse he was with out dedication o be deciples of Christ. It was 100+ degrees tha afternoon, and nobody wanted to be outside, yet there we were, doing the lord´s work. 

He didn´t promote the church or anything, he jut gave an example of how we should be proactive in what we believe. 

Other AWEOMSE MIRACLE!!!! One day we talked with a man in the street named Sebastião. The next day we tauht him, and he is AMAZING. he has so much faith. he is looking for a church, a pathway, and felt lot. He told us that one day, he prayed for a light, and that day we talked with him. He has lived through an operation with a 4% survival rate, was told that his left hand would never move again, and less than 2 days, it´s moving. He is a living miracle. He came to church yesterday, and love it. We cried together during one of the talks in sacrament meeting. He told us that this is the road he wants to take in his ilfe.

He´s preparing to be baptized this week. Please pray that all goes well!

I love you all so much! Hope you are doing well!

Love,

Sister Eliason

 

 

summer

HEYYYYY family!!!!!

This week was kind of uneventful... but HOLY COW!!!! It was SO HOT! these past couple of days it was ridiculous- and saturday night, NOBODY slept well. We were all waking up in the night because of the heat. Even with the fans fully on. Oh well, yesterday was good (I love church!!!) and in the afternoon, some investigators gave us some mangoes, so I´m pretty excited to eat them when they are ripe. And then last night, the rain came! 

OH GLORIA!!!! We yelled for delight!!! But the joy lasted for a couple minutes because it started raining SUPER HARD! And we were so blessed to be inside! But then the water started to come in under the door of the balcony.... at least we lived on the second floor- off the ground! So at least we had a head start on our weekly cleaning! Have to think positivly!

Did you know there are 852 factories that produce food and beverages here in the city of Marília? Including Nestle and Marilan, and other major Brazilian brands. Fun fact.

We taught one young couple the other day the Plan of Salvation. And I´ve never had a lesson where the investigators were so interested. They understood everything (this couple is very smart) and it was so AWESOME! I think we responded many questions that they didn´t even know they had. The only problem was that they still havn´t come to church. :/ Which is difficult. Because we are here to help people make covenants of salvation. Principally baptism. And they can´t do that until they come to church. 

and to remind all you ex-missionaries:  NO CHURCH, NO BAPTISM!

But anyways, that´s what´s been happening. I am so grateful to be here, to serve. Study your scriptures EVERY day! and PRAY! and never lose faith or hope!

Sister Eliason

 

 

2015: It´s hard to write.

I keep writing 2014- like it happens EVERY year. 

So on new years eve, we did.... nothing.  Went to bed at 10:30, but then we woke up at 11:55 to watch all the fireworks. and it was CRAZY!!!! So we live on the edge of the city, and have a balcony where we do laundry which has a view of the center of the city, so it turned out to be super AWESOME! After about 5 minutes, the fireworks died down and we went back to bed. Good thing I have earplugs- I was able to get some sleep. 

This week the water went out again; we´re back to using the last drops. And we take a shower from a bucket every day. oh well. I´m learning lots. And not just spiritual things, but things about living too. This is very good :)

There is a new sister here, and that´s always fun to see their new excitedment! Hey tyler, she´s from Rio Grande do Sul, but from Santa Maria, so you wouldn´t know her.

I´ve made some goals for this year (ok everyone does, but this is new for me) and I´m going to finish out my mission great!!!! Not that I´m counting down, but it´s going to happen this year.

Woops, out of time! ove you all!

A igreja é COM CERTEZA verdadeira! 

Sister Eliason

I didn´t get the chance last week, but I took a picture when talking to Elder Eliason on Christmas!

With a recent-convert who is well-aged- ha, she´s pretty funny :)

Transfers are today, but I´m staying here in Marília with my companion, Sister Moreira. Which is good- I like her :)

Well not a whole ton of stuff happened this week, just that I absolutely LOVED talking with you family on Christmas!!!!!!! Oh man, I am so grateful for Skype!!! I think it is every missionary´s best friend. Do you know what?! The next time I see you all will be IN PERSON! not even by skype! that´s weird to think about.

I am learning a ton- a lot about how to save water, how to eat mangoes correctly, how to teach better, and how to be a better disciple of Christ. I am so grateful that I could pass yet another Christmas in the mission field. I think it really helps me focus more on Christ and his perfect love. Christmas morning, I read during my personal study Lucas 2 (the birth of Jesus) then I continued reading reading where I normally am at in the New Testament, and it just so happens that I read about the atonement of Christ- when he suffered for us- for me, for you- in the Garden of Gethsemane and also on the Cross, and I realized that Christmas is not just about the birth of a baby- but it´s about the life of our Savior. WE celebrate his life and everything he did for us. And oh how I am grateful.

I hope that you all have a wonderful day, week, new month, and NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!! woooohoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! 

 

Love you all!

Sister Eliason

 

taking photos with one of the young women here :)

 

It's a Christmas Miracle!

MERRY CHIRSTMAS!!!

This past week was suuuuuuuupppppppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrr AWESOME!!!!!!! 

On Tuesday we had our Chirstmas conference in Londrina with the whole mission! Oh, man, it was realllllly good- President Genaro gave a very spiritual training in the morning. Then every zone participated singing a hymn which we had preprapared. It was very enlightening, and I love conferences. It really boosts your spirits. After lunch, we had a zone talent show, and I don´t want to sound proud, but I think that our zone really had the best presentation- we did a skit of street contacting. 

We returned to Marília that night, and oh I slept well :)

Wednesday and Thursday and Friday were pretty normal. We taught our investigator Carlos every single day, and tried to teach many others, but this week, we had a ton of appointments fall through. Oh well, you just have to keep going.... 

Ah- last week, it rained (thunderstormed) EVERY SINGLE DAY. And this week, it´s been more than 100 degrees EVERY SINGLE DAY. and unfortuently, we live in a neighborhood where we had a lot of lack of water. For example, Wednesday, the water went out. Thursday, we got enough to save a couple buckets. Friday was drier than Africa. And Saturday, we took showers in the house of a member. I´m learning a lot about consumation of water. 

HEY YOU! YES YOU! WHEREVER YOU ARE- DON´T WASTE WATER!!!! It is very precious.

I´ve been thinking a lot about that one talk by president Utchdorf where he teaches to be GRATEFUL in your Circumstances. I am grateful for the little water that came out of the showerhead this morning- even if it was almost nothing and ice cold. 

NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Carlos was BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!

It´s been really good to teach him, and he was super excited and ready and willing and is now so happy! He will receive the gift of the holy ghost this next sunday and he told us that he is anxious to receive a calling. 

I´ve been very blessed with miracles in my mission.  

Love you all! Have a very merry Chirstmas, and family, I´ll see you this Thursday!!!!!

Love, 

Sister Eliason

 

 

Confessions

Confession: I haven´t eaten a panetone in a very long time. I hope to break this soon...

other confession: I am a very judgmental person. I guess the Lord wants me to learn humility and love for all of his children. And he blessed us with a miracle despite of my imperfections. Here´s what happened:

Tuesday night one of our appointments fell through, so we were walking in the street and saw a man near his house. When we approached, he tried to shut his gate, but we are persistant and speak loudly and he eventually came out to talk to us. He told us that he didn´t want to talk to us, but it must seem that God wants him to listen to us.... that´s good, right? But he smelled like beer and acted/talked a bit slowly, so we assumed he was drunk... ok, he probably was. Anyways, we invited him to come to church. And honestly, I didn´t expect him to, but guess who was our ONLY investigator in church yesterday? Carlos!  It completely blew my mind, and I feel ashamed that I was so quick to judge. 

 

I was so convinced that we have a ton of other investigators better- some references from members, some part-active families who are returning to church. these people promised us throughout the week that they would come to church- but NO SHOW. 

And so Carlos is really part of God´s plan. When church ended, he turned to us, and began thanking us a million times for inviting him. He told us that he wants to learn everything. He told one of the counilers in the bishopric that he decided to switch religion. It turned out to be a great day.

TOMORROW IS OUR CHRISTMAS CONFERENCE FOR THE MISSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE WHOLE ENTIRE MISSION IS GOING TO LONDRINA TO THE CONFERENCE! And so right now, we are in the center of Marília with our zone  (practicing a song and a show for a a talent show) and in a couple of hours, we are going to board a bus with missionaries from the city of Bauru and go to Londrina. And guess who is in Bauru? SISTER SOLIS AND SISTER COSTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you remember when I was in a trio for the first time1??!?!?!!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!? Well they are companions again (as sister leading trainers) and this is the first time in a VERY long time I´m going to see them!!! It´s incredible how much love I have for the sisters here in the mission. I didn´t know this kind of love existed outside of my family and (of course) the love of God.

Mom, to answer your question: have I seen the video "he is the gift?" Only EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our days now revolve around this video- for every person we talk with in the street, we give them a little card inviting them to watch this video. And we show it to like alllllll of our investigators. And yes, I love it :)

hey love ya all! 

Sister Eliason