I love the kids!!

 Hello hello, crazy that another week has come and gone here in Missouri (and wherever you all are at as well haha)!! This week was another busy one, and those are the best kind! So many things happen every day but there is so much good in every day!!!

The highlight of my week this week was an activity we did for the Primary kids in the Columbia stake!! Because of COVID, the kids have not been able to have any activities together but this Saturday we did a drive-up/drive-by activity!!! Each companionship of missionaries in the stake came up with their own little activity to do for the kids while they stayed in their cars, and then we set up in different places in the church parking lots and for two hours the parents drove around and we played games with the children!!!! it was so fun to see their cute little faces in person!! Hermana Gonzalez and I did Name That Tune with Primary songs! Seeing the kids eye light up when they recognized Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree or Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam reminded me of the JOY that kids find in anything /everything , and that we shouldn't lose that as we grow up!! Listening to primary songs all morning also reminded me how SIMPLE the gospel is! God loves us, His children, so He sent His Son Jesus Christ to atone for all our pains so that if we turn to Him, we can find joy and peace and happiness no matter the world around us!! SO GOOD!!!!

This week I was studying a little bit on the promises the Lord gives to his missionaries, and I found one scripture that I LOVE  is in D&C 84:88. Here there are some men that are preparing to leave on missions soon after the Church was restored by Joseph Smith, and the Lord is reassuring them that He will be there to help them. Verse 88 says "...for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your life, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you to bear you up." No matter what we are doing, whether that's serving a mission or moving away to school or trying to make friends, the Lord PROMISES that He will be with us!! If we are trying to have Christ be involved in our lives, if we are reading our scriptures and praying to our Heavenly Father and trying to live the way Christ did and has asked us to live, He will always be with us through the Holy Ghost!!!! I know if we make room for the Spirit in our hearts, that He will reside there and we can feel peace and comfort and hope even during hard times!! The gospel is so true and brings me joy and hope every single day to be better than I was the day before!!!!! AHH WHAT AN INCREDIBLE MESSAGE!!!! 

I hope y'all have a grand week and see the Lord's hand in your life such as the Chipotle at 9pm, a car with working ac, making traditional mexican food TWICE, reminding you to buy sandwich baggies and then forget them in the car so you have them the next night when you need a bag, and AMAZING PEOPLE!!!!! I love you but God loves you even more!!!

Te amo!!!

<3 Sis Mill

and sorry i broke my phone last week so i don't have any pictures currently, so sorry but don't worry there will be LOTS next week haha tchau tchau!

pps is anyone has good bug spray/essential oils mix/anything to make the bug bites less itchy, lmk :)

a GOD of MIRACLESSS

 Let me just say God is definitely a God of miracles!!! This week i was able to learn and grow and use the Atonement of Jesus Christ more than probably any other time in my life! i KNOW without any doubt that God has a plan for every single one of His children. Sometimes we don~t understand this plan or why things have to happen the way that they do, but there is always a reason! and a huge part of that plan is to have joy!!!!!!! Sometimes it doesn~t feel like that is a part of the plan, but the plan is to have joy, to learn and grow, and to one day return to live with God and Christ and our families again. Pretty incredible!!!

This week we were able to read parts of the Book of mormon with lots of our friends and wow, I absolutely love this book!!! I have only read the whole things from cover to cover a handful of times, but I KNOW that every page of that book contains the words of GOD!! and we have the ability to carry these words in our pockets, to read or listen to them whenever we want! What a blessing!!!!!!! i know the book fo mormon is true, i know the Christ lives TODAY!! he suffered and died for each one of us on earth, who was before us and who will after us, but more important than his death is the fact that he was resurrected and he now lives TODAY to help us return to His presence!!! How incredible!!! Words can~t describe how much i love being a missionary, focusing on trying to represent Christ every single day! I am not perfect by any means, but I am so grateful for this opportunity to try and to grow and to learn and to LOVE!!! I love the gospel, I love Christ, I love the people here in Brazil, my friends back in Missouri, and everyone else reading this or that has ever impacted my life!! don~t ever waste an opportunity to love someone :))

i hope you all have a wonderful week, see the tender mercies like waking up in the middle of the night but falling asleep again super fast, cold water, ripe mangos, friends that are like family, and hugs!!! I love you all so so much, but God loves you even more!!!!

te amo!!!

<3 sis mill

a weekend of miracles

 God is so good!!!!!! This weekend we saw so many miracles!!! I can't name all of them but I'll try to explain some of them 

-met one of our new members in person for the first time and got to talk about the temlple. i love the temple, I know it's the house of the Lord and it was awesome to help him prepare to go inside!!

-had an in person lesson with one of our friends Muzama and had one of jury friends in the church join over zoom and their testimonies are both so rooted in Christ the Spirit was so strong!!! MJZAMA IS SUPER LUMPED to receive the gift of the holy ghost in 2 weeks!!!

-the water heater for the baptismal font was broken, but it miraculously started working on Saturday for our friend Mauros baptism!!!!

-Mauros baptism!!!!!!!!!!!! He was so excited and beaming the whole time!!! 

-phone lesson with our new friend Suelen and she wants a Book of Mormon on paper!!!

SUNDAY

-Mauro received the priesthood!!!! One of the brothers the church even gave him a tie to wear while he passes the sacrament next week :') so tender 

-visited a family that wants to change their lives and get closer to God!!!! 

-got fancy pão de queijo from a friend

-had a random member of the church in another part of the city give us a ride to our next appointment 

-had a tender conversation with a new member about the temple!!!!

-taught a new friend about the plan of salvation!!!!!!

This is the Lord's work!!! I wouldn't  be in a new country spending every moment of my day trying to help other people learn more about Christ and how He can help them change their lives if He hadn't changed mine! This gospel is true and God loves each one of you!!!!! Look for the little tender mercies like pretty sunrises and random ubers and laughing until you cry and whatsapp and screenshots and free pizza!!!

Te amo!!!!

<3 sis mill

GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!

 Hey everybody, promise I'm still alive and I am LOVING life!! Being a Missionary is honestly thee absolute best thing on the planet!!!!! Comes with lots of heartache and tears, but more smiles and laughter and JOY than anything else!!!!!!

This week we were able to teach some of our friends and lots of recent converts about fasting and then were able to fast on Saturday-Sunday and WOW I have such a testimony of fasting!!!!! Not only 24 hour fast from food and water, but any sacrifice we make for God I KNOW He blesses us!!!!! Our Heavenly Father WANTS to talk to us and help us find answers to our questions and help in our lives, but He also wants us to grow so sometimes we get to learn the lessons of patience. I've had to learn that one lots, and I'm sure I'll keep.learningnit too haha :)

I hope you all have a great week, keep praying, keep talking to you Heavenly Father, and look for the tender mercies like beautiful sunrises and tight hugs and the Atonement of Jesus Christ that is so REAL!!!!! There's so much joy to be felt here guys, I love you all but God loves you even more!!!! If you need anything please email or message me on FB ;)

Te amo!!!!!

<3 sis mill