Paradise!‏

I think I´m finally starting to become Brasilian! I crave rice and beans, I shower 3 times a day, and I can predict the weather! When I first got here, everyone would look up at the sky into the hot sun and say "Vai chover." or "It´s gonna rain" What?? But I´m melting and there aren´t any clouds! And they would ask me "Can´t you feel the difference in the air? And the smell of the rain is so strong!" ???? Now I totally know. We can be melting in the hot sun, talking to someone on the street and then all of a sudden the air changes into instant humidity and duh "Vai chover!" I love it. The tropical rainstorms are pretty intense here. Plus I´ll take rain and humidity over just sun and humidity any day!!

It was just another week in paradise here as a servant of the Lord. We are teaching the coolest kid, Enrique, who reminds me a TON of my cousin Alex. He just giggles all the time! hahaha. He is like the Bizzaro Alex and just the Brasilian version! lol. He´s 16 and a lot of fun to teach. His baptismal date is marked for the 26th of this month. He has smoked for the past two years (yeah you can buy cigarettes and beer at any age here) so his goal is to be completely cigarette free by the 10th! Pray for him! We had kind of a cool experience this week with him too. Well two actually, one was that he hasn't been able to go to church yet because he worked on Sundays but he found a new job last week that only requires him to work Mon-Sat! What a blessing! We´re all very excited. He loves the YM activities but it´s important that he love the spiritual part as well! The other neat thing was recently our mission received new regulations regarding the baptizing of minors. It doesn´t really make much sense to baptize an 8 year old child all by himself, because who will take him to church/support him, etc. It really makes sense. The likelihood of him falling away is really high unless he has family support. Now we have to do everything that we can to get the entire family involved and see if we can´t teach everyone together. Enrique lives here in Sao Paulo with his sister as his family is in another state so we have permission to teach his sister, Fabricia, and her family. She seemed pretty skeptical at first but we taught a great 3rd lesson (or the gospel of Jesus Christ which is Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Holy Ghost) then we sang Asombro Me Causa, um I forget what it´s called in English, but anyway the spirit was so strong! Fabricia gave the closing prayer and asked to know if this is the path she should follow too (!!!!) she was crying by the end. It was a wonderful experience for all of us.

I know that our mission president receives revelation for us. If it hadn´t been for our new "rules" I don´t know if I would have given much thought to teaching his sister too. It really confirmed my testimony that when we receive council from our leaders it is our obligation to follow! My mission president holds the keys and privileges to receive inspiration for us as missionaries here in Sao Paulo North. Just like a father can receive revelation for his children, a Bishop for his ward, the Prophet for the world! We meet many people here of different faiths who believe that any person can receive revelation for, well any other person! When we know that´s not correct. We do believe in modern revelation, when under the proper organization and authority as well as personal revelation. I am grateful to have leaders to guide and direct us. Who literally receive the will of the Lord and pass it along to us so that we can know what to do. Just like prophets in the Bible, we have a prophet on the Earth today! He is God´s mouthpiece and he tells us what our loving Heavenly Fathers wants us to know. Our problems and challenges are different than they were in Biblical times (Internet, pornography, infidelity, etc.) so we need the same guidance that the people had anciently in our days! What a blessing to have a modern prophet. We don´t worship him, but respect him as a special man called of God to be our leader. I know he is a Prophet because I have gained a personal testimony for myself. And we (as missionaries) invite all to do so as well! No one needs to believe in our words, but we can all know for ourselves through sincere prayer and by a witness of the Holy Ghost. And I even will close that in the name of Jesus Christ amen!

Wow I just kind of went on an authority rampage there for a minute. Not sure why but I am learning really how to be receptive to the Holy Ghost and when I thought enters my mind, I act. Without hesitation. I feel so blessed to be a part of this marvelous work and a wonder! I love my mission and love my Savior Jesus Christ. Hope everyone has uma semana maravillosa! Até logo gente! Tchau!



-Sister Peck