Through the trial of our faith

BOM DIA!!!! Hey everyone! So this week was really good!! Through all of the crazy difficulties that we have had here the last 7 weeks we were finally able to see that through the trial of our faith we were brought where we needed to be!

This week we baptized Maria Eduarda and Eliana! They were prepared before we started teaching them a few weeks ago but we were able to see them take the most important part of the gospel of Jesus Christ which is accepting baptism.  These two young sisters are amazing and they both had experiences that helped them to accept this. Maria Eduarda is a young 9 yr old girl. She had a dream after she had prayed to see if this was what she needed to do. In the dream she received a message from a dove that said "Maria, you are the key to your family" This little girl’s faith was able to help the whole family. Her mom, sister and aunt are all returning to the church and by her baptism she will be the key to her family through many more blessings such as sealing for all time and eternity in the temple of the Lord and doing the work for their ancestors. What an amazing opportunity to have the faith of such a young child and to receive such special witness! I know, due to the spirit that was in the room that day, that God had sent that message to her and they are now all going to receive many blessings.

We were also able to have a little fun with participating in the ward activity this Thursday before Eliana was baptized. We had a big Churrascão and even Cotton Candy!! I got to feel like a kid again haha J But it really was awesome and we were able to get a lot of referrals too. We are hoping for more success with these new referrals and it is great potentially have more people to teach.

I would like to share with you all some things that I learned this week in my personal study. This week I finished 3 Nephi through Mormon and these talk from the teachings of Christ in the Americas until all of the Nephite people died due to their unbelief in our Lord and Savior. We can really see that if we aren’t careful here in our times we will come to the same destruction that happened to those who came before us. I know that the Savior lives and that we need him in our lives. What a blessing to know that even though we are sinners we can become clean through the Saviors Atonement. If we just try our hardest and come unto him with a broken heart and contrite spirit. I am needed here on this mission to be able to bring souls unto Him and as Nephi of old told his father "As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us" ( 1 Nephi 3:15) no matter how hard it is I know that the lord will bless each and every one of his servants!

3 Nephi 21:9-10

For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them; and there shall be among them those who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them.
 But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.

I love serving the Lord and I love being a missionary serving the people of Brazil. Thank you all for the love and support you give me.

I love you all!

Elder Stilson