Lots of Love Coming Your Way September 30, 2013

Dear Mom, Dad, dear family, and friends,

How are you all? I am doing just great! This week went a lot better and I´m starting to notice that the weeks are going by a lot faster.

Mom: We actually didn´t get to see the RS conference but I´m glad to hear that it went so well!

That´s so cool about Becca and her call! Wow, SLC! She´ll be great!

Thanks for your advice about the stress, I really do need to remember that it truly is a marathon and not a sprint.

That´s really cool about the RS lesson that that lady gave. I´m not surprised that she said that you always say hi to her.

I love that you emailed me to tell me about the sweater that you wore! Haha, I still can´t believe that I picked that out when I was three.

Dad: That´s cool about Brother Thomas being bishop! I definitely remember him! So cool!

Thank you so much for all the scriptures you sent me about faith. I really love studying faith too! I´m going to study the scriptures you sent me. I´m so glad to hear that Paris went so well and that´s so funny that they put you in such a big room. I really did love that trip we took to Paris :)

Taylor: I´m so glad to hear that things are going so well with the subbing oportunities and thanks for the advice about the stress. The other sisters have told me that too, that I just need to take it up with Heavenly Father. Thank you for your advice.

Bryan: Congrats on scout master! Thanks also for the advice about the stress. I will definitely remember that!

I think Sister Stolk and I have a pretty good relationship and I´ll remember that about the relationship first and then language.

I do definitely look forward to P-days still. But this week was the first week that I felt went by way faster than normal!

Kelsey: I´ll definitely try to write more to you guys this week :) I hope you´re feeling well!

So this week went really well!

Oh first questions from Mom:

Tell me where you go to send the emails? We go to an internet cafe place. What is your shopping like? Pretty normal, the shops are smaller here but they have normal sized grocery foods. What foods do you crave that you can't get there? Umm, really the only thing is peanut butter but we can buy that in Campina Grande.

How is the language coming and what is Sis. Stolk like? The language is coming along really well and Sister Stolk is great. She is really motivated and is such a great support.  Can you describe a typical day? So we have personal study for an hour, comp study an hour, training for an hour, language study for an hour, lunch, then we work from 2-9. We usually make contacts and just go to our investigators. I´ll explain more next week because I don´t have much time today! Aah!  How much walking do you do?  We do a LOT of walking and I actually brought a pedometer but I dont wear it. Maybe I should start wearing it! Want a pedometer?  I actually got over 10,000 steps three days in a row!  I've been taking walks again - yay! Congrats Mom! You´re the best!

So this week we had a really cool lesson with Luana. She was a contact that we made and during the contact she accepted to go to church and to be baptized in two weeks.

We went to her house and we were just getting to know her a little bit. She has three sons that are 5, 3, and 1. I thought she said that another son died but I wasn´t sure if that was really what she said. But then a little bit later in the lesson she said it again. So then we talked about the plan of salvation and the Spirit was so strong. Even though I never met her son I definitely felt his presence and she cried, I cried, and Sister Stolk cried. It was one of the coolest experiences ever! She didn´t go to church this week because she had to go to the hospital all of Sunday morning because she wasn´t feeling well but she still wants to get baptized in two weeks! It really was one of the most powerful lessons I´ve ever taught!

Well I don´t have much time and I really will try to write more next week! Please know that I´m doing great and loving this work! I love you the mostiest and miss you all!

Love you lots!

Sister Hicks