December emails

Guess what, you'll never guess... transfers again!  I am staying in Jardim Campinas! Woah, by the end of this transfer here I will have served in this area for a whole third of my mission. I love Jd. Campinas! Its really the best. The only bad news.. Sister Kuster will be leaving me. But the good news is that she'll be in the area next door so we're hoping to still have Christmas together.

The transfer was really great. Sister Kuster and I reached the goals we made at the beginning of the transfer, both in our area and in helping our sisters have more success, wahoo! Making goals, working towards them with faith and actually reaching them is one of the best feelings in the world. I am so grateful to have learned what I have about goals on my mission. And we ended the transfer with another special baptism, Aurélio. The members are so great in helping us make these miracles happen.

This week the whole mission is counting down the days- We will be having a mission tour with Elder Claudio R Costa (area seventy)

This week we had stake conference and it was REALLY GREAT! I have spent the majority of my mission here in the Casa Grande stake. I can't express to you the joy I felt sitting next to one of the recent converts from Parelheiros (baptized almost a year ago now), Guilherme, who will soon be serving as a full-time missionary. I saw another recent convert from Embu-Guaçu, Deyse- She gave me the tightest hug and with tears in her eyes told me her plans to be sealed in the temple a year from now to the member who first introduced the gospel to her. During the meeting, looking behind me I saw João with Dalva. Looking to the side, I saw Geraldo with Sandra. Looking to the front I saw the family of Margareth and Maria... This scripture comes to my mind- D&C 18:15-16. How humbly grateful I am to my Savior who has entrusted me with His most sacred, special work of the salvation of souls. It truly is the greatest joy.

My new companion and I Sister Mendez and I are working hard and already seeing the miracles. I just want to share one last thing I learned in the conference. Elder Mazzagardi spoke (area seventy) about prophets and the blessing it is to have a living prophet of God to follow. Without, we wouldn't know the true meaning of many essential principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He said that prophets prophesy, but it’s US that fulfills these prophesies.

  Tchau!   Love, Sister Katie Thornhill