Trying acai

August 25, 2014

Hello family!!

This week was wonderful!  We worked so hard and I feel right now that I have never been so exhausted in my life.  I think this e-mail might be a little scatterbrained because my mind is really tired, but I will try my best to report on how things are going! 

We had such a great week in our area with our investigators and less-actives and members.  I love the ward I am serving in right now!  What a great blessing it is to be in Cidade Vargas.  We had another trial with Iara and her mom.  On Wednesday the bishop went over and talked to their family.  He talked with Iara’s less-active stepdad (William) about coming back to church and baptizing his stepdaughter.  William accepted the invitation and we were so so so excited!  The bishop marked the baptism for August 31.  However, when Sister Moscoso and I returned the next day, Fernanda told us again that they will be separating still and that she and Iara will leave Monday (today).  It was a bummer, especially because this family could use the gospel right now, but we still have hope things will work out and when we visit tomorrow they will still be there.  

However, like I said last week, even amidst the trials I felt such a sense of peace and happiness with the work I was doing.  Sometimes it’s stressful when the results aren’t what I want them to be, but I know Heavenly Father is pleased with my efforts.  Here are some tender mercies/funny things I wanted to share that happened as of late:

·         We are teaching a man named Carlos who is really awesome!! He came to church last week and loved it but the coolest thing is he owns a pizzeria here in Sao Paulo.  We meet with him in the pizzeria before it opens and teach him lessons there.  This week he gave us a free pizza too!  We seriously get to meet the coolest people here.

·         It’s funny because throughout my mission I have been able to see the attributes I develop from my companions.  With each companion I have, I acquire new phrases and habits I didn’t have before.  The thing I am learning most from Sister Moscoso is a love for pimenta!!  In the beginning of our companionship I thought it was gross that she put pimenta on everything...I tried it and I didn’t like it...but then I gave it a second chance and now I am addicted.  Also she says the thing she is learning from me is to trip on everything haha I am still the same old Sister Dixon.

·         This week we met a woman on the street and marked an appointment with her.  We went to visit her apartment with a member in our ward.  We buzzed into the apartment building and a man who worked at the front desk walked out.  He said she wasn’t home but she left little goody bags for us.  Sure enough, she had made little packages for us with our names and little Brasilian candies.  It was the nicest way of turning down the missionaries I have ever seen.  Also she wrote Sister Nixon on my goody bag which I thought was kind of funny.

·         I am officially understanding most of what I am hearing!! Still I have difficulties with speaking, but sometimes I end conversations with people and think to myself, four months ago I never would have understood what that person said.  It’s really cool to see myself progressing. 

I am really grateful to be here in Brasil right now.  I am learning so many things that I have never learned.  My mission has been full of new and exciting experiences and I will forever be grateful!!

Please pray for our investigators Karine, Iara, and Jaqui!

Love you all!!

Sister Dixon

p.s.  We went with an investigator to eat acai (it's famous here in Brasil).