Lots of Love and Pictures:)

Hey friends and family!

This email is honestly short but full of lots of love. This week was fantastic. Had lots of ups and downs, but lots of really high ups!!

The other day we were passing the lake, and Irmã Giann said to us four, "have you guys been to the lake yet?" and me and Sister Soares, who have almost 4 months here in Palmas were like "uh nope, we've never had any reason to go there.." so we went and put our feet in the sand and took some pictures :) Dad, remember when you said that there was this lake here but I had never seen it before? um yeah it exists ha! and it's huge!! loved it. pretty cool that it's sweet water not salty:)

We had a service project the other day, that's where you'll see some of the pictures with wheelbarrows and masks. Irmão Sebastião has a masonry in the front of his house where he hires people and he builds cabinets and stuff, we helped him for a few hours in the morning before Almoço, it was so fun! We wore those masks because you don't want sawdust in your mouth or nose. Smart idea, Irmão Tião.

Saturday we had Almoço at the house of some members, there's a set of twins and one of them had a guitar... long story short, I played the guitar for like 30 minutes with us 4 sisters and this family, and we sang hymns and it was the BEST day of my life.

And today I bought a guitar....... so this next year will also be the best year of my life. It's soooooo beautiful ugh I just die every time I look at it. :)

I love fast and testimony meeting too. Ours was amazing... there's a young woman in the ward Rita, she opened her mission call in sacrament meeting!! I can't say that I've ever seen a sacrament meeting like that. The pianist was playing Called to Serve quietly in the background... it was definitely something you'd never see in the states. But a mission here is a BIG DEAL because here a mission isn't something that everybody does. So this cute young woman opened her mission call for the ward, and it was beautiful! She's going to the Porto Alegre Norte mission. Tears and everything that comes with opening a mission call. <3

I spent a lot of time pondering in Ether this week. I love the brother of Jared, his story is incredible to me. In Ether 4:5 we learn that "there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared." He saw amazing things. And we only have a short record of some of the things that he saw. But we learn that he saw these things because of his FAITH, that was so great that he not only believed, he knew, "nothing doubting."

We have a very special promise in Ether 4:7;

"And in that day [our day, here, now!] that they [US!!] shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw,even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ..."

Us! Our day! As we exercise faith, we will see miracles! Maybe it won't be seeing our Savior in this life, maybe it won't be having the finger of the Lord touching 16 stones in front of our own eyes... but we will see miracles when our faith is perfect.

Faith is so important and crucial in our lives today!! I hope you all can strengthen your faith this week. Read your patriarchal blessing, go to the temple, pray for help strengthening your faith... pray for a missionary experience!! I truly believe that the Lord will always answer our prayers for a missionary experience. <3

All is well here in Palmas. Still BLAZING HOT but I love it :) #imissthecold #snowsoundssogoodhere

Hope you are all well, I love you!!