Happy Birthday Taylor!! April 28, 2014

So to start off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAYLOR!!!! I know it´s not until Saturday but I hope you have a great birthday week :) I´ll be thinking of you on Saturday :)

So, this week was pretty great. We had a baptism yesterday which was really great. Hermina´s daughter in-law, Priscilla was baptized. So, another crazy story with this story. We got to church yesterday morning and I went to go start the font. You just turn the knob and shut the door and obviously it just fills up...well...normally it just fills up. Well, I don´t know exactly what happened but there´s a switch that you flip to drain the font and I think someone actually tapped it because another member said that during church he saw that the font was draining and filling up so he stopped the drain. Well, it´s 11:30 after sacrament meeting, we look at the font and there isn´t even a foot of water. Also, the chapel was low on water as well. (This happens every so often where you just don´t have water and the font uses the reserve water but it comes out slower.) So Sister Cameron and I just started scrambling to try and find a solution. We thought about going to a pool near by but everyone said there are just a bunch of drunks at the pool on Sunday. We thought about going to the beach but Priscilla didn´t want to be baptized at the beach because she didn´t want everyone to see her. haha, so what ended up happening, we left the font to fill up a little more and she just sat in the water with her legs out in front and she was baptized laying down in the water. They had to repeat the ordinance two times because the first time her legs popped up and the second time her hand was out of the water. But, in the end, it all worked out and she was baptized :) haha, but at least she can say that she was baptized laying down. I´ll attach a photo of how shallow the water was in the font. But as we always say... "Só batiza!" "Just baptize!"

Well, it was great to hear from all of you guys this week and I´m so excited to talk to you all in just two weeks! I think this time it will work to Skype as well because the internet is a lot faster here but I´ll get more details and I´ll let you guys know. Good to know that Church is 1-4 there. I think I`m 2 hours ahead of you guys, but I´ll have to double check.

Mom: Hey Mom, sad news, we just got an email today from President Nogueira and he said that we´re not allowed to respond to emails if we receive them during the email time. So, sounds like we won´t be able to "talk" back and forth. Bummer but rules are rules, maybe I just didn´t understand the email haha but I think this is what it means...

But, thanks so much for putting some more money in my account. and for sending the chacos! You are little the best :) And I´ll try and think some more this week of what I need/want. As of right now, I think just more of those tooth pick things, (I don´t need them right now but in the future) and really for my birthday I would love some photos of everyone. It´s expensive to print photos and I especially would love a photo of our family from Thanksgiving when we took the group photo. I have one but I wanted to put another in my Book of Mormon that I carry with me. :)  And, I love all the snacks that you send. Just oreos, gold fish, candy of any sort :) Sister Cameron loves you and your snacks that you send too :) haha

haha, I laughed out loud when I read the story of Greg talking to the people door to door when you guys were collecting the food, haha, I remember when we did that last year with Bryan and Kimball, haha good times. Oh and by the way, Sister Cameron already loves Greg from all the stories I´ve told her. Let´s just say you talk about almost everything when you´re just walking in the street :)

Dad: Sounds like spring is really kicking in. I´d love to see some pics :) I´ll have to read Alma 30, sounds like a great chapter.

I´m excited for Taylor to go to spain. Sounds like it will be a great experience :)

And I love that talk from Pres. Hinckley as well. We got a little binder when we arrived in the field and it has that talk in it. I love the 10 things that you should bring home from a mission :)

Bryan: I was able to watch Norah´s talk and I just LOVED it. I really can´t believe how much she is growing up and her language skills are incredible. Thanks for sending it. It´s easier to watch videos when they´re embedded in the email, and not links.

I´ve heard about using cups as well to teach the Apostasy and I´ve actually done it. Works really well :)

Lindsey: I sure do remember that carnival that we went to last year. It´s crazy to think that it´s already been a year since I was out there with you all. Glad to hear it was a little bit cooler than last year :)

Aah, I love hearing about Norah and Alice. Sounds like Alice is just growing up so fast as well. haha, that´s so cute that she always says "yeah" haha you´ll have to send a video when you can :)

And the child´s pose crying, haha I laughed when I read that as well :)

Oh and congrats Kimball on the new calling, haha early morning seminary teacher! Wooho! But really you´re gonna be great Kimball!

Taylor: I´m super excited for you and your study abroad trip. Take a bunch of photos, sounds like it´ll be really exciting! And good luck on all your finals and final projects! Woohoo! The end of the semester already!

Oh sad news, so when I sent the photos last week, I think the computer I used at the internet cafe had a virus and it erased a month of photos from my sd card. Sister Cameron said this has already happened to her and she sent her sd card to her parents and they are going to see if they can restore the photos. I think I´ll have to do the same thing. But I emailed almost every photo that I had to you guys and Sister Cameron has almost the same photos as well. But it would be great if you guys could send a USB drive and I´ll start saving my photos onto the USB drive as well just in case this happens again...thanks :)

Well, this week, like the photos showed, Sister Cameron and I took a trip to the hospital. She hadn´t been feeling well, heachache, sore throat, diarhera, the works...so we went to the hospital and let´s just say that we waited and waited and waited. Well, I don´t remember what we were talking about but Sister Cameron and I were laughing and the guy next to me turned to this other lady and I heard her say, "They´re Mormons." haha, I guess that was the explanation for why us "Mormons" were laughing in the hospital. Also, they had to draw some blood and I almost died, haha everyone was laughing because it wasn´t even me that was getting the blood drawn. Let´s just say that serving a mission has prepared me, even if it´s just a little bit, for the future with sick kids and husband. haha, oh how I don´t like hospitals. I was counting, I think I´ve already gone to the hospital about 7 or 8 times with my companion or another companion in the same house. haha, you definitely face your fears in the mission field.

Oh, I went to the dermatologist with Sister Cameron this week as well because she has some weird spots on her leg and I showed her a few of my moles as well because the birth mark on my arm looks like it´s changing colors. Well, she looked at it and said that for right now it´s ok but I have to go back in two months and they might have to take a biopsy. It was really fun, she just looked at me and said, "Well, you have a lot of moles." haha, yes, yes I do. And I think I have more now after being in the sun. But don´t worry, I´m using lots of sunscreen and I´m keeping an eye on the moles. :)

Well, nothing else too crazy happened this week. Just know that I´m super happy, healthy, and safe!

I love this work and I´m so grateful to serve in an area where the field is truly ripe, ready to harvest.

I love you all the MOSTIEST!

Love,
Sister Hicks

Feliz Pascoa!!! April 21, 2014

Dear Mom, Dad, Family, and Friends,

Feliz Páscoa, Happy Easter :) I hope everyone had a great Easter sunday yesterday. We had a great weekend this weekend and the fun news, we had a baptism this morning! Woohoo! 

So I´ll explain the story quickly, so there is a less active, Eduardo, that lives just 2 streets behind our apartment building and we knew that he had a son that hadn´t been baptized. Well, his son Gabriel, lives with him here and also lives with his mom in another neighborhood. Well, we were able to finally talk to Gabriel Saturday (he has already been to church at least 2 times) and we explained that his baptism was going to be yesterday. Well, last night we went to go get him for the baptism but his dad wasn´t home and he didn´t want to be baptized without his dad there. Well, we waited and waited but we had to leave because it was almost curfew. But, we got up this morning, cleaned the house, and went to go have the baptism. haha, we got to his house, (it was POURING down rain) and we got everyone to go, Eduardo, Gabriel, and Eduardo´s other son Leo, and we went to the chapel. There are elders that serve in the other ward in our chapel and they came to help us out and he was baptized! I sent some pictures as well. haha, it´s always an adventure here but it was great :)

So...I loved the pictures that you sent Mom! Baby Guy is so adorable! Could you print some pictures of you all and send them to me because it´s pretty expensive to print pictures and I want to put them up on my wall. Thanks you´re the best! But, I´m glad to hear that your trip went well. you look great :)

Oh, and I got the two packages FILLED with goodies! Thank you sooo much! We had interviews with President Nogueira and training with the APs and they brought mail and packages. I even shared the oreos and some Reese´s with the elders, they went crazy :) They were very grateful for some good ol American goodies :) But really thank you so much Mom! And I got your card of encouragement as well, thank you, thank you, thank you :)

I´m glad to hear that the sisters in Kimball and Kelsey´s ward are having success. That´s so great. Is it still elders in the Brambleton ward? It would be so cool to have sisters in our ward :)

I´m glad to hear that Heather emailed you as well. They emailed me last week and it seemed like they were doing well :)

Oh and talking about my hair, no, I haven´t cut it, the last time I cut it was in November, Sister Shirts just trimmed. Haha, I don´t really feel like cutting it and it´s always just in a ponytail anyway because it´s so hot... :) And it´s lighter too, the sun is doing it´s job here

Bryan: I laughed out loud when I read your email about Norah saying that it´s really just Santa that fills the Easter baskets. hahaha, she´s so funny

Lindsey: I wasn´t able to hear Norah´s talk but I was able to see a part of it, aah, Norah is growing up just way too fast :) But I´m glad to hear that everyone is doing well :)

Dad:

Glad to hear that you all had a nice Easter. Nothing like giving a surprise talk. Oh, I almost forgot to write, I gave a talk in Stake Conference, Saturday night, yes, you read right, I was asked to give a talk in our Stake Conference adult/youth Saturday night session. I was so nervous, even President and Sister Nogueira were there. I sat next to Sister Nogueira and she was very sweet. She kept saying, don´t worry it´ll be great :) haha, it went pretty well and seemed like at least a few people understood what I was saying haha, a few members came up to me and said that they were able to understand :) Of couse, it was on missionary work. All of the Sat. night session was on missionary work. It was actually a pretty great session :)

Oh and I know what it´s like being asked to give a talk when you walk in to church. A few weeks ago, Sister Cameron and I got to church and the bishop asked me to give a talk in sacrament meeting, completely unprepared, haha, but it turned out ok.

So funny stories from this week:

The second counselor in our stake, President Clayton, lives in our ward and we had lunch at his house on Saturday. He and his wife had just gotten back from the US. They went to watch conference and spend time with President Hall, the ex-mission president. President Clayton was one of his counselors. So we were eating lunch and all of the sudden they got the rice out and it was in a rice cooker! Oh the memories that flooded back, haha, Pres. Clayton asked, "Have you ever been to Costco?" ha, have I ever been to Costco?! It was pretty funny, he just kept going on and on and on about how amazing Costco is. The hot dogs, the free samples, the never ending ice from the soda machine, I think the part he loved the most was the ice from the soda machine.  haha, the little things that we take for granted.

Funny story #2:

So Sister Cameron and I were teaching a lesson about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I was teaching about the Holy Ghost. So, we have two little laminated cards, one has a picture of Jesus being baptized and the other side has an image of a boy receiving the Holy Ghost. The other card is picture of Pres. Monson (to show investigators when we teach the Restoration) and on the other side has a picture of the Book of Mormon and the Bible. Well, I was teaching and grabbing the little card at the same time and I grabbed the card that has the pic of Pres. Monson and without looking, showed the pic of President Monson and said, "And this is how we receive the Holy Ghost." Sister Cameron just looked at me and started to laugh, haha, I just lost it and broke out into laughter. Let´s just say we had to explain receiving the Holy Ghost again. 

Funny story #3:

So, during the second session of stake conference, in the afternoon, the first few talks went a lot faster and we were left with a little more time. Well, the first counselor got up and just started talking about so many random things. He talked about giving missionaries lunch for about 10 minutes. "We need to feed the missionaries, they need to eat a lot, we also have to feed them." And literally, no joke, the next phrase he said was, "And remember that Jesus atoned for our sins." It was literally the most random transition ever. Sister Cameron and I just looked at each other and began to laugh. I don´t know if our investigators understood anything haha, but it makes for a good story.

Funny Story #4:

So stake conference was in the stake center so our ward rented a bus and we went to the chapel that is in the neighboring city (only about 10-15 minutes away). Well one of our investigators that came with us yesterday is Larissa, she´s 17 years old, and has a baby son. So, it was already hard enough to take care of him for two hours during stake conference and finally we got on the bus and we were heading home and all of the sudden the bus just stopped. yah, that´s right, the bus broke down, the poor baby was crying his eyes out, we were giving him Oreos (yep, those little snack packs are great that you sent mom). haha, so we ended up just going to the bus stop and caught a normal bus. The funniest part is that the exact same thing happened at the last stake conference I went to when I was serving in Queimadas but at least that time they got the bus to start again. Let´s just say it was an adventure.

Well, I´m doing great here, I love you all so much and miss you all!

I love you the MOSTIEST!

Love,

Sister Hicks

Happy Easter !! April 13, 2014

Dear Mom, Dad, Family, and Friends,

 

Well we had another great week here in Prossind. We had two baptism, one on Satuday night, Andre, and one on Sunday after church, Danilo.

 

So I´ll explain the stories of these two baptisms. So Andre is Kamila´s (a member in our ward) boyfriend. Our first Sunday here in the ward (Sister Cameron and I), Kamila referred him to us. She said that she wanted us to teach her boyfriend. He lives in another city but he is always here on Sundays and during the week as well so we can teach him. Well it was slow going and there were a few times when we stopped teaching him for a while but then he went to church so we started teaching him again. He´s really timid but he´s a really great guy. So Andre was always in the back of our minds as a possibility to baptize. Every time we visited him he said that he wasn´t ready for baptism or that he had drunk over the weekend or drunk coffee. But things started to change last weeked. Kamila said that he had bought milk to substitute coffee and that he had started to change more. I think what really changed is that they begun planning their wedding (they going to get married next May) and he realized that he really needed to change his life. Well, we finally were able to visit him on Thursday night. He explained that he had been reading, he hadn´t drunk coffee and he was changing. So in that moment we asked him all the baptismal questions and the last question is something like this, "Do you feel ready to make this convenant with God and obey the commandments?" He sat in the chair silent for a long time and Kamila started to say, Just do it Andre, just be baptized!

 

Well, we just waited and I was praying my heart out silently and then he said, Ok, I´ll be baptized. :) So we hollered for Kamila´s parents and they told him how happy they were and Kamila´s dad ended up baptizing him :) Kamila´s parents are adult converts as well. The baptism was very small but was really great. He didn´t want a lot of people there. His other request is that he wanted cookies. haha so we made cookies and brought milk too, because you have to have milk with cookies. Well one of my funniest experiences in the mission. So after the baptism we brought the milk and cookies out and every single person, literally, just came up to the counter and said, "Milk, why is there milk here?" haha here the custom is to have cake and soda, no one, absolutely no one has milk and cake or milk and cookies. haha, it was the funniest thing ever to see everyone trying milk and cookies for the first time. The first counselor in the bishopric said, "I think I prefer soda with cake and cookies." Maybe it doesn´t sound too funny but in the moment it was super funny :)

 

And Danilo, the other baptism, so Danilo is Hermina´s son (Hermina and her daughter were baptized last week). Danilo smoked but he was finally able to stop which was great (let´s just say we fasted and prayed a lot) But the baptism was great and he said that he felt so great after the baptism. haha I think one of the best things is that it´s so hot here that after the baptism almost everyone says, "Aah, it was so nice to cool down in the cold water..." haha, yah that too and you were cleansed of your sins :)

 

 

Well...to start off, thanks Mom for sending more packages, haha you are literally the best mom in the world. And I won´t lie, all the other missionaries always say, "Really, Sister Hicks got another package!" Thanks Mom for all the love. In response to your question, I got the package that had the Ensign, the other with saddle soap, and the other with the shorts and bug lotion :) Thank you! And thanks for sending two more! I love you!

 

Oh, and the Fourth Missionary is a pretty length talk, I don´t know who gave it (I think it was given in the MTC) and it talks about the four types of missionaries that one can be. Sister Cameron doesn´t know the name of the general authority that gave the talk but it´s amazing. I don´t know how else to describe it but this week I´ll find out who gave the talk. If you find it, it would be great if you could print it out and mail it to me :) Thank you thank you thank you! Oh and I absolutely loved reading your conversion story. I always use Mosiah 18:8-10 with my investigators and I explain that this is the scripture that helped my mom make the decision to be baptized :)

 

Oh, thanks for writing Elder Allred as well :)

 

Yes, you have to re-watch Elder Bednar´s talk it was amazing! haha, Sister Cameron think it´s so funny that so many members in the US nap (accidently on the couch) during conference, haha, I don´t know why but she said that all the American missionaries said it´s just normal, which is kind of true, haha :)

 

haha thanks for fixing my typo in the email :) It´s so hard to write well in English and especially when I´m trying to type fast :)

 

haha, and runaway jury, oh the memories...

 

Dad:

It really is amazing how things start to just click and it really is one of the best feelings ever!

I loved what you wrote about Moroni 8 as well. I think I know what verses you´re talking about but I´ll make sure to go and re-read them. Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. I know that I truly need them and that I am supported by them. I love you Dad!

 

Wow, I can´t believe that summer is already arriving there! That´s crazy!

 

Lindsey:

I´m glad to hear that you and Bryan got some time to yourselves and that you guys got to go to Target together, haha woohoo! and...CONGRATULATIONS! I can´t believe your guys´ 8th anniversary is tomorrow! wow, Congrats!

 

So the normal time for an investigator:

We contact them in the street, invite them to go to church, be baptized the next sunday, and visit them in their house the next day.

 

We teach them about baptism and the Word of Wisdom before church. They go to church (well this is what we hope for) and then we teach the Restoration and the other baptismal questions and they are baptized the next Sunday. Sounds crazy but it is amazing how many people the Lord is preparing here.

 

Well, I have to go but I love you all soooo much!

 

Happy Easter!

 

I love you the MOSTIEST!

 

Love,

Sister Hicks

CONGRATS KIMBALL and KELSEY!!!! April 9, 2014

Aah!!!! Congratulations Kimball and Kelsey! Baby Guy is sooo adorable! I am so excited and happy for you  two! I hope all is well with my lil nephew :) You´ll have to continue to send tons of photos! aah, he´s just so cute :)

Well, to inform everyone, Sister Cameron and I are still companions here in Prossind. We were both really happy that we stayed and weren´t transferred. I think the third transfer together is always the best, the third transfer was definitely the best with Sister Stolk. :)

Oh, and I hope you guys liked the photos I sent. I´ll definitely start sending more photos now that I´m in an area that has fast computers :) 

Well, Sunday we had two more baptisms, Hermina and her daugher Vitoria. It was really great :) We just met Hermina in the street Friday before church, they went to church, we taught them this past week and they were baptized Sunday. This week, her son Danilo went to church and he´ll be baptized this week. Please pray for him that he´ll be able to stop smoking, he doesn´t smoke very much and he´s already quit but we would love the prayers :)

It is truly such a blessing to serve here in Brasil and especially in the Northeast region. The people are so humble and it´s just a standard that your goal (and it´s actually really possible) is to baptize weekly. It´s not always easy but I know that it really is a promise from our mission president that we can baptize weekly :) I love my mission, Brasil João Pessoa, A Missão Celestial :)

So, Sister De Paula and Sister Cavalcanti were transferred. Sister Marschall (my trainer) and a sister that was in my district in Campina Grande will be taking their place, kind of funny that I´ll now be living with Sister Marschall again :)

So this week was great with General Conference. I absolutely LOVED conference. We got to watch it in English which was great. We set up our own little watching room in the RS room and it was great. It was the two of us and three elders and even Sister De Paula watched one session in English. It is such a blessing to be able to actually hear the words of the prophets and apostles. It´s really different to see the prophet speak but it´s translated so it´s not his voice. Oh, and we got to watch the Womens conference as well. That we watched in Portuguese because it was at the stake center this past Saturday morning. It was absolutely amazing! I especially loved the videos they showed as well :)  I can´t wait to get the Liahona of General Conference! Woohoo! 

Oh Mom, funny that you asked last week if I had been sick lately. I really hadn´t been too too sick after that time in August. But as always, after you say something, something happens. Friday after lunch I didn´t feel so well and I didn´t feel like eating anything. I woke up in the middle of the night and felt like I was going to throw up and sure enough, I got up, grabbed a bag and threw up everything that I had eaten that day, yah, it wasn´t too fun but the best part about throwing up is that you always feel better afterward :) haha, I´m totally fine, I think I just ate something that didn´t sit well, I don´t know what but it´s normal :)

Oh and Mom, could you get Jason Allred´s address in Brasil? he emailed me but I can´t email him back, thanks :)

Dad;  I loved all the quotes that you included from General Conference. I really liked the talk about our four minute race in life, I also think of that as our mission too, it passes by so fast and I can´t believe all the things I´m learning and how I´ve had to grow and develop. 

I also think it´s absolutely perfect that Kimball and Kelsey named their baby Guy, he´ll definitely have a great legacy in that name :)

haha, sometimes Sister Cameron and I talk about what it would be like to be a missionary in the US, I am just so happy to be here and so thankful for how humble the people are here :)

Kimball: Baby Guy is absolutely adorable! Congrats, haha I´m sure it was definitely different to watch conference as a dad :) that´s so cool kImball, you have to take lots of pictures :) 

Kelsey: Congrats Kelsey! I am so incredible excited for you and thank you sooo much for sending all the pictures! You´re the best! 

I am definitely way more courageous than I was in the start of my mission. It´s just normal now to do a street contact, "Will come to Church? Will you follow Christ´s example by being baptized next Sunday? Ok we´ll pass by your house tomorrow to talk a little more..." Don´t be scared! haha, I know it´s a little intimidating but just invite everyone you know! :)

Lindsey: I absolutely loved the photos you sent of Norah, haha she is so adorable! I wasn´t able to watch the video but I can just imagine how adorable it was :) I hope you guys are well :)

Oh and Mom, I got the packages! The Ensign, saddle soap, BASKETBALL SHORTS, and bug lotion! Thank you thank you thank you! 

Oh, have you guys ever heard of the talk the 4th missionary? Sister Cameron is reading it and it´s an amazing talk! If you guys get a chance, could you mail it to me, it´s a little long but I would love to read it! Thanks :)

So, crazy story of the week, so Jeremias´ cousin Milena (15 years old) went to church with Milena to watch conference. She had already listened to most of the lessons with Jeremias as well and wanted to be baptized. Well, we marked her baptism at church for this coming sunday. Well we go to her house on Monday night and this lady opens the gate, granted I´ve never seen her in my life. We asked if Milena was home and she just said, "She doesn´t want to be baptized." We were like, ok settle down, we just want to talk to Milena. And she just said, "No, she won´t be baptized." Well long story short Milena finally came to the gate (her dad forced her to talk to us) but this annoying lady (I think it´s her aunt or something) wouldn´t even stop talking. She kept saying "You need to respect our religion" and all this stuff. I said "Of course I respect religion, I just want to talk to Milena because SHE had talked to us." This lady wouldn´t stop talking and long story short said that we were insisting and that she was going to call the cops...we weren´t even doing anything, then after saying that WE  had to respect her religion goes on to say, "And everything that Joseph Smith said was a lie, it wasn´t true." I just thought to myself, how can you say to me that I need to respect your religion when you´re not even respecting mine. Well, in the end, game over with teaching Milena but it just strengthened my testimony. It really is amazing how many times in just a week that people say rude things about the church, that it´s a cult and all this stuff, but it really just strengthens my testimony.

Well, I know, without a doubt, that this is the true church. I love you all so much and miss you so much!

I love you the MOSTIEST!

Love,

Sister Hicks

Ygor, Jeremias e Edison foram baptizados! March 31, 2014

Dear Mom, Dad, Family, and Friends,

This week was literally insane but it turned out so well in the end. So as the subject suggests, Ygor, Jeremias, and Edilson were baptized yesterday, it was so cool!!!

So let me tell you all about their stories. 

So first, Ygor is a recent-convert´s boyfriend. He smoked for a long time and also drank coffee. This week was really hard for him but he was able to stop smoking and stop drinking coffee. It was not easy, that´s for the sure, he wanted to give up a few times but Sister Cameron and I saw something different in him and we didn´t give up. It was pretty funny because yesterday during testimony meeting a young man bore his testimony about how the sisters in the ward never give up on their investigators and Ygor turned around and just looked at us like, "Yah, that´s right."

It was Saturday morning and we went to his house to go to the baptismal interview. First off, he told his sister to lie to us because he didn´t want to go. But then, we figured out that he really was home and that he just didn´t want to talk to us. So we talked to him and he said, "No, I don´t want to be baptized..." but he helped him to understand that it was just because he was afraid to make mistakes after the baptism. After that, the zone leaders also talked to him (they came to do the interview) and they were able to help him understand his fear. 

Everything went fine in the interview and he was baptized yesterday. Last night when we visited him he said that he was doing great. I almost cried when he was baptized because I think it´s just that much more special when you give your all to help that particular person. 

So next story, Edilson, Luzinete´s husband:

So it was Monday night and he said that he still didn´t feel ready to be baptized and all this stuff. But his prayer that night after the lesson was really spiritual. He prayed that Heavenly Father would show him some sort of sign to know if he should be baptized or not. Well, the next day we went there and he said that he had a dream that Jesus Christ was baptizing him. Yes, the Lord does answer our prayers. And so he decided to be baptized.

And Jeremias:

Well he is just an elect of the Lord. He is so cool and after church last week he just said, "Yes, my baptism is next Sunday" and the entire week we just followed up with him and it was one of the easiest baptism ever, he was truly prepared before we met him.

This week was truly full of miracles.

Yesterday, there were so many angels that helped us, angels as in members. We ended up having an investigator (that I thought wouldn´t actually come to church) say on Saturday night, "No, I´ll definitely go." But she needed a ride because she´s a little bit older. well, we had to scramble last minute but so many members pitched in and helped it was absolutely amazing. 

Oh another cool story from the week, on Friday, the YM president took us to a restaurant that is literally just yards away from the beach. I was actually a little afraid because I knew we would eat fish but it actually wasn´t that bad and the shrimp was amazing too. And after, just like Jesus, we gave the message on the beach, sooo cool! But temptation too, I just wanted to jump into that cool blue water! haha, but I´ll send a picture of the picture that they took of us :)

Another cool story, Rayssa, Fatima´s granddaughter, started her Personal Progress yesterday with us and then she went to New Beginnings! Definitely brought back a lot of memories! I never thought while I was doing Personal Progress that one day I would help my recent-convert do the same thing! Sister Cameron and I got Personal Progress books from the bishop and we´re going to start too! 

Oh, I wanted to ask all of you to send me an email of your conversion story or a strong spiritual moment in your life, I want to be able to share them with my investigators. Especially you Mom, I always use Mosiah 18:10 with investigators, isn´t that the scripture that helped you to decide to be baptized?

Anyway, this week was amazing and it is so cool to see the hand of the Lord in missionary work!

Dad:

That´s so cool that you gave a talk in the Spanish group, I remember when Mom and I visited Bryan and Lindsey in the Spanish ward at BYU. 

And that´s so great that you´ll be travelling less as well, woohoo! 

I can´t believe it snowed again! That´s crazy! We´re going to enter the rainy season in june (I think)

Mom: 

So we´re actually going to watch the Womens Broadcast on Saturday morning, I´m really excited to watch it and our bishop said that we´re going to be able to watch in English. I think this conference I´ll watch in English again and in October I´ll watch in Portuguese! They speak really really fast during the translation during conference. But the language is coming along really well, it is such a help to live with other brazilians, I feel soo much more comfortable with the language now :)

Knock on wood, I haven´t been sick again after that time in August, every once in a while I may feel a little sick after lunch but I really haven´t been sick after that one time. 

Oh, and thanks for sending the package as well! I got your letters as well! You´re the best! Thank you!

Lindsey: LOVED the blog posts! They were so cute! I can´t believe how fast everyone is growing up! Keep sending them to me! You´re the best!

Kimball:

Wow, I can´t believe how little the baby is weighing, but everything will turn out just fine! Wow, I can´t believe that maybe Kelsey will have him this week! That´s crazy! Yesterday during church a baby was blessed, it was so cool, it was the first time that I was able to see a baby blessing here :)

The closest temple is in Recife and it´s a different mission so no one is able to go to the temple during the mission. I miss going to the temple sooo much! It´ll definitely be one of the first things I do when I get back :)

Well, nothing else really big is happening. Oh Mom, thanks for forwarding that email from Ms. Breinig, I actually had wanted her email address for a long time! I´ll definitely email her soon!

Well I love you all and the Church is true!

Enjoy conference! 

Love and miss you all the MOSTIEST!

Love,

Sister Hicks