Week 44 - Goiana

Hello everyone!

This week was the best. So many cool things happened!! Ok the first awesome thing...I was going through an iPod of one of the sisters that I live with and I saw in the artists Nicole Sheahan. So obviously I got excited and started listening to her songs. (Note from Malyssa's Mom:  Nicole is Jessica's sister-in-law.)  The first one that played was "I Am His Daughter." I LOVE THAT SONG!!!!!! I have loved it my whole mission and I had no idea that Nicole sings it!!! What the heck I’m still in shock. I’ve literally sung that song a million times, I know all the words! It’s been my favorite here on my mission. And it’s not just me, everyone here is in love with it. Even the people who don’t understand English love it because her voice is so pretty! I've written it out for pretty much everyone that I have lived with so they could sing along to it and then also I’ve translated it a million times too so they can understand what she is singing! Isn’t that coolest thing ever?! Sister Andrade was in love with song! One night she literally listened to it 20 times on repeat. Ahhh I still can’t even believe that this whole time it was Nicole and I didn’t know it!! Every time I heard it before it was on an mp3 player that doesn’t have a screen so I didn’t know who the artist is. I was so happy when I found out that I cried hahaha but it’s just so cool!!

Ok next awesome thing. Remember the family I told you about...Jerlane, Pedro, and Jessica. And the dad is an alcoholic but he’s so funny! Ok so last week President made a mission goal that every companionship baptizes a family before the year ends. So Sister Cariola and I have been praying and thinking about how we can make this happen. This family came through our minds, but we both felt like it was a little impossible because he drinks all day every day for like 30 years now. We’ve been trying to help him but it seemed like nothing changed. Anyways we started to include him in every single one of our prayers. And at night I don’t think I have ever prayed so sincerely that he would not have any more desire to drink. So when we went there last Tuesday, he hadn’t drinken (idk what the right English word is) in 3 days!!!! We kept visiting them throughout the week and he still hadn’t. He came to church with us and his family yesterday and he still hasn’t had a drink!!! Is that not the biggest miracle in the world? Like out of nowhere he said that he doesn’t want to drink anymore because he doesn’t want to die young and he wants to be a better dad and husband. If that’s not an answer to prayers then idk what is!!! I cried again I was so happy!!! haha I’ve been emotional this week.

Ok so idk if you remember but a while ago I think I talked about the baptism that we were going to have on the 16th. So we passed by his house like every day of this week and everything was fine and he was getting excited. He had his interview and everything. While he was getting interviewed we were talking with his dad, who is nice but isn’t really sure about us. More like the church I guess. Anyways yesterday we went to pick him up for church and his dad told us that he’s not prepared for baptism and that he’s not gonna come to church with us. So that was a big bummer, but for sure I think that they still have a lot of potential. We want to try to include the parents more where before we focused more on Vini because he was the only one interested. 

I got a box! The one with the music in it! Thank you so much!!! I love everything!!!! I was so excited!! This area is a lot easier to eat healthy. The members don’t give us food every single night like in Gravata. So that’s good. I’m gonna send a box in a few weeks. I haven’t used the rain coat once so I’m gonna send it home. It is sooooooo hot here. It’s really hard to work in the afternoon. Oh my goodness. It’s so freaking hot. I get headaches from the sun sometimes. We are super motivated to teach someone so we don’t have to be in the sun haha.

President also asked everyone to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover before our Christmas conference on December 17th. I’m reading it in Portuguese. It takes a little longer, but I can understand everything! He asked us to mark all the parts where we see how Christ and His doctrine changes the lives of people. It’s amazing to see how much we can change through Christ and living the gospel. I love the Book of Mormon and everything that it teaches us.

Ok but I think that’s it for this week. Thank you for the pictures. You guys are the best. Love you! Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Bedke