Brasil Week 32

Hi people!

So there was much craziness this week, and looking back over it, it seems like we hardly were able to work at all for all the running around we did. But Fátima got baptized, and that was simply amazing. She invited her whole family to the baptism (husband, son, daughter, son-in-law) and they made it to sacrament meeting as well. They don't live in our area so we can't start teaching them, but we're going to pass all the references and it'll be awesome. Fátima is so excited about the gospel; she wants her whole family to hear our message and invites literally everyone in her beauty salon to start receiving missionary visits, too. Her children are in their 20s and she wants them to have batter lves and reach their full potential, so teaching about the temple is going to bless them all so much. The baptism itself was a fantastic experience: when Fátima entered the water, she just started crying. She whispered something to Elder Paiva, but he says he didn't understand what it was. When she left the water, I just held her for a few minutes while she cried on my shoulder. She told me that this was what she needed to leave behind all the mistakes and problems of her past life and start new. She told her whole family about the importance of the covenant she had just made. Her whole countenance changed when she left the font. It was simly brilliant.

The only hiccup was that I had made a cake (Fátima's birthday was also yesterday) and left it in the fridge of the chapel, but unfortunately the blessed children of the other ward found it and ate the whole thing. The chapel has had some security problems lately and the bisop told us the just lock things in his office in the future. I was a little bummed, as was Fátima, but no one got more upset than the elders, who just wanted cake. 

In all, it was a fantastic day. In short, the rest of our week we had a bunch of meetings (Elder Holland was NOT at the sisters' conference, but he spoke with our president the night before). But we're going to have a lot of miracles this week. Transfers are coming up, but I think that for once I will be able to stay in this area more than six weeks and just keep working.

Thanks so much for the love and support! Love you all and see you soon!

Sister Anna Nielsen

Photos (I told you I'd send some):

Everyone at the baptism! From left to right: Elder Paiva (Recife), Daciane, Fátima, Dariane, Cesar, Elder Cerda (Chile), me, Sister Boulangger. Elder Paiva and Elder Cerda are the zone leaders; they split the area with us. The two girls were baptized by the elders at the same time. Cesar got baptised with his whole family at the beginning of this year and is preparing to leave on his mission soon.

The district! From left to right: Elder Solano (California), Elder Rosa (Goiânia), my companion, me, Elder Ribeiro (Minas Gerais?), Elder Guribalde (Peru)