Week 42 - Goiana

Dear family and friends,

I love this area!! I'm so happy to be here in Goiana. The people are awesome! We had a great week this week! Yesterday was great. I got to meet a lot of the members at church. I don’t know why it’s a branch because it’s at least double the size of Boa Vista which is a ward! We are in the branch with the two other sisters that we live with. And then there is another branch in this city and it has two elders in that area. I still am pretty lost and I don’t think I could find many places on my own, but it’s getting better. My area has a Subway!!!!! I think we are going to eat there today. Also there is a lady in the ward that makes dresses really cute for all the sisters and she said she'll make one for me! And then also there is an artist in the ward. His paintings are amazing!! I want to buy one because he lowers the price a lot for the missionaries, I just don’t know how I would get it home. I think I want one anyways! Let me know if you guys know how or if I could take it on a plane.

About some of the people we are teaching…  We are teaching a family of three. The parents aren’t married yet and they have a 15 year old son. His name is Vinicius and he is on date to be baptized on the 16th. He is awesome - super smart and creative! He makes decorations for their house and they are awesome. I think I’m gonna try to make some of them actually when I get home. His mom has lupus--which I actually don’t really know what that is. What is that? I just know that it’s a sickness. They are super fun to teach because they have lots of good questions and super attentive.

Another family--Jerlane, Pedro, and Jessica. Pedro is the dad and he has problems with drinking. We’ve made goals with him and he is trying to stop drinking. He says he has a desire to stop anyways. They’ve been to church one time. They are an awesome family and have lots of potential! I don’t really have any experience at all helping someone with an addiction. I’ll be learning a lot!

And the last one that sticks out is Rosinha. She was a member like ten years ago but wants to come back. She’s been coming to church for the past month or so I think. She has three kids that are all active in the church. We visited her this week and she told us how she’s reading the Book of Mormon again and she cried telling us all the differences she is seeing in her life again. We read from Alma 7 with her about the atonement and how Christ can change us if we let Him. She’s definitely changing!

One of the sisters that I live with, Sister Roig, served in Boa Vista as her first area too. She was the one that taught Irma Rosa, Roberta, Thais and Emerson. Idk if you remember me talking about them. I’ll send a picture of them today. But anyways Irma Rosa is going to the temple to do her endowments this month and Sister Roig gets to go with her. I’m gonna call president and ask if I can go with her and my comp and her comp stay together here in Goiania. I think he'll let me! I’m so excited! I’ll get to see a lot of people from Boa Vista again including Alisom the guy who’s going to Georgia on his mission. He’s going through for the first time too. It will be a lot of fun!

One verse that stuck out to me this week in Alma 5:19... "I say unto you, can you look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?" The whole chapter is awesome, but this verse made me stop and think. I want to be able to look to God on that day without any regrets. I want to have a pure heart and to really know Him. Not just have talked about Him sometimes and have thought about Him a few times, but have actually served Him my whole life and know Him personally. I am so grateful for the scriptures and the Gospel that gives me that guidance in my life and that helps me have a stronger relationship with my Savior. And also I’m so grateful for the Atonement that allows us to change and be better every single day.

I have sooooo many pictures but not any from Goiana yet. I’ll take pictures this week and send them next p-day. Thanks for the pictures! I can’t believe Rae cut her hair!! But it looks really cute. I hope you all have a great week. Love and miss you guys!

Love,

Sister Bedke