Sprinting in Bertioga - Dateline 30 March 2015

Our choir of missionaries. Santos Mission Tour 2015. "Vinde A Casa do Senhor"

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How is it going? wow, WHAT A WEEK! I LOVE BERTIOGA! So Sister Arthur and I have been sprinting all week long to make high goals and reach them, and oh the Lord pours down miracles when we give all we have. It's so beautiful what happens. We give EVERYthing that we have. Every last bit of energy to Him and then His strength replaces our own and miracles happen.

Last P-day we had a goal to teach 5 lessons. It was 8:30pm and we still had 2 lessons to teach...so we said a prayer explained our situation to the Lord and humbly asked where He wanted us to go before heading home. My companion was inspired to go to the beach (ps. the Spirit is so smart to inspire her and not me because I'm pretty sure if He told me to go to the beach I would toss out the thought quickly because I LOVE going to the beach and would think it was just me wanting to do what I love). We go and teach a couple security guards who weren't all that interested and then we saw a man sitting on a bench by himself smoking. He saw us and then quickly hid the cigarro. The first thought that ran through my head was.."hmm....if he's hiding it, it's probably not just a regular cigarro..." but my worn out blistered and bug bite full feet kept walking towards him and Sis Arthur hesitantly followed. We sat on the bench with him, taught him a quick lesson and arranged to meet him at his daughter's mother's house the next day.

Next day: we ran late after helping a member do something and missed our appointment with U and B, but decided to pass by anyway. He wasn't there but she was and hesitantly let us in. After about 2 minutes of talking to her, I felt like she was my long lost best friend and we just hit it off. We taught a short lesson and arranged to come back the next day to teach her and U together.

Next day: taught them both and gave them the Book of Mormon. (oh by the way, she doesn't like him because he has a little "growing up to do" and he is still in love with her but won't admit it)

Next day: We decide to teach them seperately and teach U a 15 minute version of the Restoration on the bench on the beach where we found him.

Next day: we teach U at his house in front of the beach and he told us that he prayed about what we taught him. He said that very night he ran down the beach to his favorite place to sit and think and he kneeled and prayed asking God if what we had told him about Jospeh was true and he had a Remarakable answer that I'll wait to share until I get home because of the sacredness of it, but God told him that it was all true. And he was extremely happy to tell us his answer. And is super excited for his baptism THIS Saturday!

Next Day: He and B went to Church and it was ADORABLE because they sat together to be with thier daughter and they were happy and smiling the whole time! I absolutely know that the gospel is going to change U'forever and B too (she's ready to be baptized too btw, she is just waiting for an answer. She has already read like 20 pages of the Book of Mormon and LOVES it! so I'm praying that she can be baptized this SAturday too) My secret wish is to watch the gospel change U into the man of God he has the potential to become and then B is going to want him back and they are going to become a family again and be sealed in the temple a year from now :) I can see it. They are so perfect for each other, the only thing missing is the gospel.

Also, we have this AWESOME member in our ward, R. He is a recently returened missionary who hasn't founda job yet and he LOVES coming out with the missionaries. He spend half of his night with us and the other half with the other dupla of sisters here. He went out with us on Saturday and thank goodness because he ended up giving two priesthood blessings to help 2 of our investigators. I LOVE the priesthood! It is so REAL! One woman we were teaching was very sick and could barely walk when we got there, he gave the blessing and by the end of the lesson she was walking perfectly and even kneeled for the final prayer! whaaat? :)

Also, I gave a talk on Sunday, President Melo, called me and my companion up last minute. haha i love being a missionary. #semprepronto

Anyway, I love being a missionary and having an area and getting to WORK! there is nothing greater in this world than the work of Salvation.

Oh! And DON`T FORGET!! This week is General Conference! :D yayyy!! I'm super excited to hear the words of the prophets on such a special weekend;...EASTER! Prepare your heart to recieve revelation and I promise that the Lord will speak to each of us individually through His prophet and apostles. I LOVE CONFERENCE!

Love ya'll. Have a great week!

Sister Byrne

I got to go back to Santa Rosa one last time. I LOVE THAT PLACE. What a tender mercy from the Lord that I got to see so many of the people I love so much, including H!! :D He is doing great! faithful and happy :) he has a ton of friends in the ward now and he lost 10 kilos! i told him he needs to take better care of himself and eat more...(oh, no I'm turning into mommy) haha anyway, my heart will always have a special place for Guarujá! ahhh :D