Alyssa and another Sister on the steps with the Book of Mormon
A very low-hanging power line over the sidewalk
Hey y’all, this is gonna be a short one, sorry. This week we had some incredible miracles and powerful spiritual experiences and I’d like to ask for your help in praying for our people who are preparing for baptism this week.
Mayara
Emilly
Maria Cristina
Lara
Teresa
I believe so powerfully in prayer. We are challenged and directed to be “mindful of [others] always in [our] prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that He, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep [them] through the endurance of faith on his name to the end.” (Moroni 8:3)
Sister Motuga hits the ping pong ball towards the camera
Alyssa and Sister Motuga enjoy ice cream in a restaurant
Alyssa knocks on a door with an umbrella in hand
A fancy set table at a dinner appointment that Alyssa had
Bom dia Pessoal, como vai? I hope y’all had a fantabulous week and an even better Sunday. I know my emails have been sub-par lately so we’ll try to make this one just 10% better.
This week had some birthdays and anniversaries!!!
Our beloved Prophet hit 100 years of life the same day I hit 14 months of mission!
My companion hit 7 months of mission the same day my sister hit 27 years of life!
I made it to the diamond league on DuoLingo!!
Christmas is exactly 100 days away!
The Macey’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is 73 days away!
And General Conference is in 19 days!
Now that we’ve gotten through all the numbers, let’s focus on the message. This week we had the privilege of teaching NTM families (families where there is at least one member and one non-member). In the past, these lessons have proven to be pretty frustrating as the non-member generally has little interest or even a strong dislike of the church and the member in the family often has already given up the hope of an eternal family. Yesterday we taught 3 of these part-member families and they were all outside the normal NTM stereotype but I’d like to focus on just one.
Yesterday we taught a man who has been investigating the church for 19 years. He’s rarely missed a Sunday, ward activity, or chapel cleaning. His wife is a lifelong member and constant supporter of her husband’s conversion process. When we finally had our first lesson with them yesterday we tried just getting to know them and find the why behind this extensive investigating period. He simply explained that he hadn’t yet “convinced himself to believe.”
That word “convinced” led us to have one of the most powerful lessons on the Book of Mormon that I’ve ever had. On the title page of the Book of Mormon, we read that the record was written “to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations” We aren’t meant to convince ourselves of the gospel or look for proof strong enough that we feel comfortable accepting the Gospel. We are simply meant to try, learn, and live it and let the conversion take place in our hearts and not our heads. Our rational minds are not capable of convincing nor possess the power that the Book of Mormon has.
I challenge you as we challenged our friend yesterday to read the Book of Mormon. Read to find answers not proof, read with your questions, not your doubts, let it build up your faith and not fear, let it show you the power of the Savior and instill in you the desire to have that power in your life.
As was mentioned earlier, General Conference is in 3 weeks, what a great opportunity we have to bring our questions and struggles to the Lord and receive guidance and counsel directly from His chosen servants. Prepare yourselves for this spiritual experience by increasing your spiritual capacity to receive revelation through a consecrated study of the Book of Mormon. It doesn’t matter how far into the book you get before conference, it matters what you put into it.
Alyssa and Sister Motuga where glasses for a selfie
Alyssa and Sister Motuga wearing some sick shades
Alyssa and Sister Motuga by a large graffiti wall that says “Unleach the Beast”
Parabéns Presidente Russell M. Nelson!!!
100 anos of discipleship and faith has been a great inspiration to me and millions of others across the globe. His example of pure love and unwavering obedience is something I strive for not only in my mission but personal life.
Sorry y’all, I don’t have to much motivation to write about the mission right now. Everything’s good, just progressing slower than I’d like. This week we had some adventures chasing after members and friends as well as deep cleaning our house. I found a ping pong and I am currently the reigning champion of the house.
Please message me during the week about your favorite conference talks, scriptures, or spiritual experiences. I’m looking for some deep inspiration, obrigada!!
Alyssa and Sister Motuga give a thumbs up in front of a blow up dog
Alyssa with a flower in her braided hair
Happy September!!! I hope everyone is winding down and getting ready for fall. I’m just getting ready for Summer over here.
This week we had so many cool experiences and miracles but even though my heart is full, my head is empty and I don’t feel like I can write adequately so I’m just gonna give y’all a week-in-review.
Tuesday: Divisão with S. Viana, it was pretty good we had some deep conversations about pre-mortal life and got car sick together.
Wednesday: Ate some delicious pastels for our Companionship study and studied some powerful hymns of Christlike service.
Thursday: Got sick and had to stay home. While in bed, I watched all the old seminary videos on Gospel Library including the 1986 Man’s Search for Happiness
Friday: Was still sick in the morning but got better as the day went on. Got to look at a potential new apartment.
Saturday: Did our reference secretary duties and attended a 2-hour meeting to plan a hopefully soon wedding
Sunday: 4 Friends came to church as well as some recent converts who haven’t been coming for a while
Scripture of the day is 1 Nephi 17:50-51: “And I said unto them: If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done. And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot instruct me, that I should build a ship?”
I love this verse because we can put in any of our challenges or obstacles in this formula and realize that God is here to bless and strengthen us. If He is the God of Miracles who has done such marvelous things in the lives of others, why do we sometimes doubt that He’s capable of doing them in ours? I promise that no matter the difficulty, God will teach you to overcome it.
