actually August 12 e-mail

Hello Family and friends! Tudo bem?

another great week in Capanema! It was a week full of both challenges and miracles. I firmly believe that challenges are followed by miracles.

 

first example...

Monday night during a lesson my head started pounding and my stomach was really hurting. I brushed it off and continued the day. Then Tuesday morning it was much worse and I had a fever. I felt like my body was burning and the ice cold shower felt hot, but I wanted to keep working, so we did. Then wednesday it was still bad. The fever was gone, but my head and stomach were awful and I couldn't eat anything without feeling sick. We had a lesson at a members house that evening. I have become really close to this Family (then were baptized into the church 1 year ago and are incredible!) and told the mom about my problems. I told them about the "dor" (pain) and other symptoms. It turned out to be a stomach infection from the food. The mom quickly made me some cereal (baby grits) and gave me some magic medicine. Afterwards we taught our lesson and before we left I asked her husband (Douglas) and another member (Hanny) to give me a blessing. Thursday morning I woke up and felt great! Miracle! Stomach infection gone! My challenge turned into a miracle :)

 

second example...

 

We travel to Castanhal every Wednesday morning (2 hr bus ride) for a district meeting. This past week was a zone meeting. It went a little long so we arrived in Capanema late for an appointment with a member and less active member. We did not have his phone number so I thought let's go ask Hanny (owner of a computer school where we email). Hanny wasn't there, but an 18 year old Vinicius walked in. There was a Book of Mormon on the front desk and he started asking the other owner questions. Sister De Lima and I jumped in and ended up teaching a full lesson and set a baptism date. Challenges proceed miracles.

 

I think about the challenged we all face and yes, they are hard and we want to give up, but perserverance is so importante. Portuguese is a huge challenge for me and sometimes I want to just scream and sit down and cry, but that will not solve any problem. I have to work hard through this challenge and then the miracles will come. I will speak fluente portugese, but need to be patient and endure to the end. We all have diferente hardships and challenges in life, but the Lord gives us challenges to help us reach our full potentical. Remember to rely on the Lord. Through Christ all things are possible. He knows each of us. He has experienced our challenges. Turn to Him, Lean on Him, and He will carry us to the miracles.

 

"Behold, I am the law, and the light, Look unto me, and endure to the end and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life."

 3 Nephi 15:9

 

Have a marvelous week!

 

Love Always,

Sister Haley Sender