Oi Familia!!!!!! week 75... just ONE MORE!!!!!!

June 16, 2014

Boa Vista 

Oi Familia!!!!

This week went so darn fast!!! I don't know where the time goes every week! Haha we discovered that this past Saturday was Flag Day. So me and Sister Turner decided to be real patriotic. We sang american hymns all day in the street and in our studies and in our lessons we sang "high on a mountain top" (which in Portuguese the title is more like "The flag on the mountain" haha) and "the battle hymn of the republic". And we wore the most patriotic clothes we had. Haha. Our members all know how much we love our country now ;)

And our branch president went to Fogo and was married to Jackie- a member from Brava!!!! This week they will go to the temple to be sealed! We are all so happy and excited for them! And Boa Vista will have it's first temple marriage!!! 

Tchinha was baptized!!!!!! Oh my goodness he was so prepared! There really are just some people that you find who are completely 100% ready to receive the gospel, and you just have to help them find it. Tchinha was definitely one of those people. His baptism could not have gone better. We had a nice little service at the church before driving over to the beach. The construction in the church is ALMOST done finally! And the plaque with "A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Ultimos Dias" went up as we got ready to leave! So we were even able to take a picture in front of it and everything! (although there is still all the construction stuff with it... haha oh well). The beach was beautiful and the baptism was even better. Tchinha came out of the water looking happier than ever. And as he loves to say- he is clean now!

On Sunday, Ima and Tchinha both received the gift of the Holy Ghost. After church, we were walking with Ima and he very abruptly and a little worridly, told us he had a question. He said when those men put their hands on his head during church, his heart was just pounding like crazy!! He said he felt so strange- like he's never felt before!! He asked why in the world did he feel that way!? Well Ima... That was the spirit :)

It never fails to amaze me how the gospel truly does change lives. Nothing else in the whole world can do that. When we choose to follow our Savior, we really will receive a never ending happiness and peace. But that is just it. We have to choose. As missionaries, we are only the middle man. We bring the gospel to these people who do not know it. We do all we possibly can to teach by the spirit so that they can feel the truthfulness of our words. We invite them to make changes in their lives. But then it is up to them. We have to get out of the way, let the spirit work, and pray that they will accept and act upon these things. And there is nothing more rewarding than seeing someone do exactly that! Like the scriptures say "How great will be your joy!" I cannot express how much joy I have felt this past year and a half. It has by far been the hardest, most challenging year and a half. No one ever said a mission is easy. But I could not be more grateful to be here. I know that Christ is our Savior. I know that through Joseph Smith, He restored His own church on the earth today. I love this gospel, and I love my Savior. 

And I love all of you! Thanks for all of your love and support and prayers!

Love,

Sister Turley

P.S.(this was a side note Jaime sent me last week- she mentioned this branch president in this email!) 

We've already given out a ton of the shirts, and our branch president just got married in one of them last friday! Everyone is grateful to have them!!)