Family,
I love you so very much.
I have been praying for you and thinking about you a great deal. While I am very far from home, I have felt very close to you this week. I hope you are all well and that the funeral was beautiful. I want to thank you for your sweet e-mails. I love you so so so much.
This has been a difficult, wonderful, hard, miraculous week. I have felt the spirit so strong. I have found myself calling upon the Lord in a very sincere and more powerful way. And He has been with me and has strengthened me. Something interesting about trials, is how they humble you and force you to your knees which then allows you to hear Him better and feel His love stronger. I love my Heavenly Father and I love my Savior.
I have missed you extra this week, and that has been hard in the sense that I want to work hard and focus all my heart, might, mind, and strength. I asked my bishop if he would give me a blessing. It was just what I needed. While he was giving me the blessing, I felt two tiny, little hands rest upon my head. I opened one eye to see that a member's daughter, Maria, the cutest, little 3 year old in the world, had climbed up on the sofa and had offered to help in the blessing. I giggled a little and her mom came over and snatched her off the couch. But I found it so sweet that little Maria recognized that something beautiful was happening and wanted to be apart of it. I am so grateful for the priesthood, for priesthood blessings, and for sweet little angels in my life. :)
Sister Granata has been so kind and has been buttering me up all week! She is awesome and I haven't even told you about my new companion, have I? She is from São Paulo and is hilarious. We make quite the pair. This is actually her very last transfer. Usually they put a new missionary with an old missionary, but there are so many older missionaries in our mission that they put us together! I wasn't so sure about it, but it's actually been awesome! I don't have to teach her anything and we just work, work, work, and have fun! :) I was also a very wise move to put two senior sisters together who can work hard since our ward has recently split and we are now taking care of 2 wards and it's CRAZY. That's a whole other e-mail. Ai ai. I have so much to say and no time to say it all! Ha ha! :)
And also, I have a new mission president! We were able to meet him and his lovely wife on Friday. They just seem so sweet and spiritual. They gave a lovely training and I was very impressed by their ability to speak Portuguese. I already love them so much and I know they will be fantastic.
We truly have seen miracles this week. A member in our ward, Aline, came up to us a few weeks ago and said, "Sisters, I need help. My mom and dad used to be very strong in the church; my dad was even bishop. But about 5 years ago they stopped going to church. They moved into our ward a while back, but they told us not to tell anyone from the church about them and where they live, but I feel very strongly that you should go there and see what you can do." So guess what we did. We went there. :) They seemed rather puzzled when they opened the door to see two sisters on their steps and before they could even say, "Boa tarde," they said, "How did you know we live here and who told you?" To this rather warm introduction, we just smiled and told them not to worry about it and asked if we could come in. They let us in. Edna and Jackson were a little cold at first, but as we began to talk to them, they warmed right up and we had one of the BEST lessons I have ever had on my mission. The spirit was so strong. Jackson said the closing prayer. It was apparent it was the first pray he had said in a long, long time, but it was so sincere and beautiful. Not one eye was without tears when we said amen.
As I was playing the piano on Sunday, I looked over to see Edna and Jackson come walking through the door in their Sunday best. What a beautiful sight! Jackson even bore his sweet, humble testimony and asked the ward for help in his desire to return to church. Again, he had everyone in tears. As I was playing the piano after the meeting, Aline came over to me and kissed me on the cheek and whispered, "Thank you for everything." God really does prepare people and work miracles. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a real thing and can help ANYONE with ANYTHING.
João and Talita were baptized this week! I am SO happy for them. They are just incredible. One day I will tell you the whole story about this incredible family, but currently, time does not admit. I'll have to give you the run-down. Marta and Cleber are engaged. Marta is a recent convert in our ward who was introduced to the gospel by Cleber who used to be in-active and because of Marta's interest in the gospel was reactivated. I will have to tell you their whole story one day. It's a miracle. Anyway, João is Marta's son and Talita is Cleber's sister and we've been teaching them for a couple weeks. They are the coolest cats in town and some of my best friends. Teaching them has been so fun. I LOVE THEM. The two are just packed with deep, thought-out questions and are so smart. When João prayed to know if he should be baptized, he had a dream that he was watching Nephi baptize thousands of people and he was waiting his turn and Talita received an answer while she as reading the Book of Mormon and felt the spirit so strong. They were so excited to get baptized! :) I am so happy for them and I just love them so much!
I testify that this is The Church of Jesus Christ. I know that. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. How blessed we are to have the truth! I have seen miracles and I have full faith that I will continue to see miracles. I know that God loves us and wants the best things for us. I trust Him because I know His love is pure and will only lead me to happiness. I trust in the Atonement of Jesus Christ which allows me to be happy and feel peace and have eternal life and an eternal family. This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I feel so incredibly humbled and blessed that I have the privilege to teach it. I love it. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I love you so very much, family. I pray for you. I fast for you. I love you.
All my love,
Sister Mann
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