Genival, our miracle :)

We had an absolute miracle this weekend with Genival. Interview went great, he PASSED like we knew he would, we had everything ready and planned for Sunday.

Saturday night we didn't get the chance to visit him, so we just called him to check and make sure everything was ready to go, that he was feeling good about everything. He said "Irmã, I dont feel 100%... I'm not ready and I need to wait."

We were scared. Because we knew 110% that he was ready in THIS moment, that he had been prepared by the Lord for this special time in his life. He couldn't back down now, fear comes from the enemy.

We told him to PRAY with all the power in his heart, that God would sincerely answer his prayer the same night if he prayed with a sincere desire to know if he should really be baptized on Sunday. We told him to read Galatians 5:22, and that after he prayed, to listen. To ponder.

He said he would. After we hung up the phone with him, we called the Sister Training Leaders and our District leader and asked them to pray for us that Genival could get his answer and choose to be baptized on Sunday.

Sunday after sacrament meeting (the first meeting now), the first thing he said to us was:

'What did you two do after we hung up the phone last night?'

We explained to him that we had been praying for him really really hard and that we had asked the missionaries in our district to pray for him, too.

He told us that he did what we told him to do, he read the scripture and then said his prayer. And he knew that he should be baptized the next day.

He then told us that God had confirmed his answer to him in a dream he had the same night. 

And he was baptized!!!! it was a true miracle. God DOES hear our prayers, especially the prayers of those in his service. i have a true testimony of that.

It was such a wonderful celebration for his baptism, the entire ward came and brought a feast <3

I know that the Lord truly prepared him!!!!

Sister Fidelis and I are working hard, shes a super hard worker <3 she only has 2 more months in the field than I do, so we're learning a lot together :) i love her tons and tons! We're working on helping her with English, the highlight of our day is reading the Missionary Handbook in English everyday during companionship study... she laughs through the entire thing <3

Still here loving the brazilian food. :) we're working on finding new people to teach, pray that we can recognize the people in our paths this week!!!!!!

HUGS from Brasil!! I'm doing great, I'm loving my mission. Had an interview with President Lundgren the other day, to hear him say that he's super proud of me and happy with the work I'm doing... idk, it's like receiving a handshake from the Lord and Him telling me that He accepts my work. Something super special to me. <3

Had a scary experience with about 10 bug bites this week, everything is good nowl... but some weird mosquito bit me on the back of my thigh, and it swelled up like a BALLOON i'm not even exaggerating. my knee was the size of a small water balloon. it was ugly, it was hurting to walk haha but bought benadryl at the pharmacy and now its all good now, just little perks of a foreign country ;) received a priesthood blessing from a member of the bishopric, i know that helped a ton <3 im so grateful for priesthood holders willing to help us as missionaries!

im super happy here. i feel like im really doing some good here, i love this ward so so so so much and never want to leave here. <3 <3 <3

im grateful every day for the fact that we are sealed together as a family. <3 Sister Fidelis's dad isn't a member, and her mom has never been through the temple. her and her brother (that are both on missions) are the only members of the family who have made temple covenants... i'm so grateful for a family who i KNOW will be together forever <3 <3

pray for me and Sister Fidelis!! im still talking with Sister Alvarez through email, shes liking her new area even though its super different <3 <3 <3 i know we'll be best friends forever <3

love you lots!! write me letters ;)

Love you all, never forget your potential and what you are capable of! With God on our side, we can do anything. <3

Beijos e muito amor,

Sister Hill

Milagres são real! Singing for the House of Representatives of Brazil.

Olá, pessoas queridas :) This week has certainly been interesting!!

Tuesday night our district leader asked if we would be willing to sing in a group of missionaries on Wednesday for a meeting, of course we accepted! We went there on Wednesday to practice... there were only about 15 of us that would be singing! We practiced the hymn Have I Done Any Good in the World and it went well and we were ready!

A new American sister brought her violin and she was going to play her solo. While she was practicing, somebody called me over and asked me if I could play the piano. I can normally pick up something so I said yes, and I saw the music and realized that they had asked me if I could play for the performance... we would be performing at a debate of Brazil's House of Representatives, this was big time and it had to be good. It was an arrangement of If You Could Hie to Kolob, by Marshall McDonald. #noteasy a couple hard key changes, some weird chords that Im not familiar with. But I practiced it through about 7 times, 20 minutes... it wasnt perfect. I changed some stuff. But it turned out alright. I and Sister Huff practiced together until it sounded good. I was praying in my head that the Spirit could help me because I wasnt capable of doing this on my own.

We got there, I was super nervous... but when we went to play, I wasnt nervous at all. In fact, I felt super good about it. And it went perfectly. It was a little weird on a keyboard instead of a nice piano, but it was good. I felt so grateful that Heavenly Father fulfills His promises. He will truly MAGNIFY our gifts when we give them to Him. And He will multiply them by 20. When we ask for His help.

The debate went well. The APS said some words (the debate was about youth, helping them in the community and the world to grow up and be good citizens) and President said some words too about youth and the Family! It was great. All the members are telling me they saw it on Facebook, I feel famous lolol

Genival will be baptized this Sunday!! Our first visit was with him last Monday, he has definitely been prepared by the Lord. He turns to the Lord in prayer in everything in his life, its truly a sign to me that the Lord will answer our prayers! We just have to ask Him. He is just waiting to bless us and give us revelation.. we just have to ask. And it will be given unto us. :)

I am grateful for the restored gospel. I know that the knowledge of Joseph Smith and authority given to man on the Earth today is a knowledge so precious, something I take for granted sometimes. Im immensely grateful!

Tenha uma boa semana!

Sister Hill

Public Hearing For Youth - Go Sister Hill!

Sister Hill had the opportunity to sing and perform during a public hearing for the youth...



https://instagram.com/p/2pCUK6BNC-/

20 Years Later...She Was Finally Baptized!!!!

Oi gente! Espero que todo mundo teve uma boa semana...

Eva was baptized yesterday, FINALLY!! We were worried about her after she fell and coudn't be baptized last week... we were super happy to see her at the Mother's Day Activity on Saturday night, she was super happy and getting to know the members!! And she was finally baptized on Sunday. Jeferson (the son who is now returning to the Church, served a mission) is coming every week to church in a white shirt and tie. He's super happy. And for him, seeing his mom be baptized was a real miracle in his life that he owes to his mission. <3

Eva isn't one to cry, she's passed through a lot in her lifetime... but after the service she was crying and kept saying to us that it was from happiness not sadness <3 Beautiful baptism of somebody we care about a lot. :)

Transfer. :( i hate transfers. Ugh. Sister Alvarez left me today :(((( We were super sad, we passed through a lot these past 3 months... I was super grateful we got to skype our families together yesterday, I got to talk to her mom (Sis. translated in spanish) and it was super wonderful. <3

My new companion is Sister Fidelis from Rio Grande do Sul!! Gaucha :))))) #barbecue #churrascobrasileiro actually she says she doesn't know how to do barbecue... people like to assume that all Gauchas barbecue :)

Super excited for this next transfer, we have tons of plans... and I'm excited because my mission mom Sister Alves (trainer) was called as the Sister Trainer in my zone!!!!!! I'm soooooo happy.

I got to talk to Sister Miranda today at transfer!! She told me the best news I've heard in forever... remember Rodrygo and Andreia??? Rodrygo received the priesthood and now has a calling in the quorum, and Andreia is secretary of the Relief Society. I was super super super happy to hear they're going strong <3 #myfirstconverts

I am so grateful that this is the Lord's work!! I know that we are His hands, that He will always see us for what we are capable of becoming... not what we were or what we are. It's our duty to see every one of His chidren as the same thing: what they are capable of becoming.

Eu amo todos de vocês, tenha uma ótima semana!

Muito amor,

Síster Hill

3 mais almas ao Senhor :) I love baptisms!!

We had our miracle baptisms :) Ângela, Larissa and Giovanna passed their baptismal interviews, we were so so so happy for them!! We were super sad that Gabriel didn't pass, he has law of chastity problems that we're going to work through with him, but he was super happy at the baptismal service too. It was great to see him smiling, since he almost never smiles. :) 

It was super great, the same day as Larissa's birthday :) definitely a birthday she's never going to forget. I love this family sooooo much, Geralda (the woman on the far right) was just glowing because she's been the only member in her family for months now <3 She was glowing as she saw her daughter and granddaughters in white <3

Eva fell this week and hurt herself, it wasn't too good...we went there the day after she passed her baptismal interview to find her with this huge elastic brace around her stomach... we offered her a priesthood blessing and she accepted, we called some members and they came to give her a blessing of health. Made me so grateful for willing priesthood holders who help those around them that are in need. She'll be baptized next week with Leonardo.

Highlights:

-Geralda gave us one of the many guitars in her home

-buying açai in the street all the time <3

I've decided I want to learn Spanish! Ask for El Libro de Mormón from the mission office, reading it every night with Sister Alvarez to correct my pronunciation... I'll only have the gift of tongues here, I'm going to make the best of it. And there's the promise of the Book of Mormon that if you read it ALL in another language, you'll learn it. :)

Relief Society yesterday was about Family Home Evening, it was such a good reminder to me about latter-day revelation... I'm so grateful that God loves us enough that He still talks with us. I know that we have a living prophet on the earth today, who speaks with God to give us direction. I'm immensely grateful for Jesus Christ, that He will never give up on us, even when we turn away from Him. He's always there with extended arms. Patiently waiting for us to try again. <3 <3 <3

Tenha uma ótima semana! Amo todos vocês <3

Muito amor,

Sister Hill