Week 11: YOU HAVE......the GRIPE

Haha, a little Harry Potter reference for you all, when Professor Trelawney tells Harry in Divination class, "My boy.....you have...THE GRIM." I'll explain the Gripe (gree-pe).

The Ailments Continue:

You betcha, my body is having a rough ol' time out here. I've had a sore throat all week, headaches, and stomachaches. And here in São Vicente, the flu, or THE GRIPE, is flyin' around like it's nobody's business, so I think my companion Sister Fialho and I both caught it, and it WRECKED us. It's been difficult trying to figure out how to balance working and letting our bodies get the rest they need, you know? But I think we're getting better, WOOT WOOT!!

Érica:

One of our investigators is Érica. She is seriously one of my favorite people ever to live, but yikes she's got a tough head on her shoulders. Sister Fialho said that before I came, she and her other companion had taught Érica almost every lesson, and now with me here, we've definitely taught here every lesson, sometimes twice, AND we've taught her lessons that aren't supposed to be taught until after baptism because she asks. She is insanely smart and reads everything we give her and asks for every pamphlet, book, or even the Liahona, that we have, it's awesome! Haha but when we present new information to her, she's like, "I don't like, I don't get it, it doesn't make sense, I won't do it," and then she does it, it makes sense, and she gets it. First she rejects, then she accepts. We think she will be baptized on the 30th, she keeps telling us, "Talvez sim, talvez não," maybe yes, maybe no. But she knows how important baptism is, she just hates the idea of wearing a white jumper, the baptismal font, the fact that people have to come, and all these other little details she pulls out of her hat. But she knows it means progress, and she likes progress. I don't think she can help but to be baptized! She's so ready and is living the commandments, even though it's hard for her in some areas. She's a huge example to me, and in all honesty, the Church of Jesus Christ needs an Érica, because she's the kind of person that once she's there, she'll stay. And she'll do it right because she understands the POINT, even our Savior Jesus Christ. Keep her in your prayers for me, will ya?

BAPTISM!!!!!

WE HAD OUR FIRST BAPTISM!!!!! Our friend Zélia was baptized on Saturday morning and WOW it was so special!! She's pretty timid, but after she was baptized, she was just beaming, oh it was the BEST! And with the new thing President Nelson said in General Conference, Sister Fialho and I got to be the witnesses for it, it was so neat! She is so special and so awesome, I can't wait to see what the future holds in store for her!

Spiritual:

Oh my heavens, do I have a chapter for YOU this week!! Mosiah 4, what an incredible sermon from King Benjamin!! Please read it, I don't have a lot of time to write about it, but I love the phrase, "Are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same being, even God?" It's so true, and another big thing I took from that phrase is the fact that we all have been given so much, so we too must give. I challenge us all to find something to GIVE this week, whether it's time, a little more love to the people around us, a hug, a smile, a message, anything! And what a great time to do it with THANKSGIVING coming right up!!

Oh I love you all so much!! Go with God!! Keep blessing those around you!!

Love,

Sister Melo

PICTURES!

Am I in Heaven yet? Because look at this VIEW!!