Yeah!!!!!! It’s another week and it was great! We had a very special baptism this week and I want to tell y’all about it.

The first Sunday that Sister Villatoro got here, a missionary serving from this ward returned home due to health issues. He was reassigned as a service missionary but unfortunately, there are very few opportunities for service missionaries here as they are relatively new. We knew he was having a rough time adjusting and we decided to visit him.

As we visited him, we got to know his family (none of which are members) including his 8-year-old brother Eduardo. We invited him to church that following Sunday and he came. Little did we know that Eduardo had seen his older brother teaching, baptizing, and serving the Lord which left him with the desire to do the same. Sunday morning, before coming to church, Eduardo told his mother he wanted to be baptized. After church, he told us and we marked his baptism for the following Sunday.

Eduardo is intelligent, honest, and so anxious to learn the gospel. After our visits, he asked his missionary brother to help him mark the scriptures we had read so he could reread them before the next lesson. His brother happily taught and retaught whatever his brother needed in preparation for this day. 

Two days before his baptism, it started raining so hard that nobody could leave their houses due to the flooding. We prayed as a district that Eduardo would be able to make it to church Sunday for his baptism. Luckily Sunday is “Sun”day and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky all morning. Eduardo, his missionary brother, and his mother all came for his baptism. 

The last baptism that Elder performed in his mission and his very first confirmation was of his little brother. In his confirmation blessing, he said something that stuck with me. “Please always follow the example of your big brother, Jesus Christ.” Many people could argue that this 8-year-old was just doing what he saw his brother doing, but I know and feel that Eduardo was following the footsteps of our perfect brother, whose example will always lead us on the path of righteousness.

2 Nephi 31:9 – “And again, it showeth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, [Jesus] having set the example before them.”

That’s all folks, Tchau tchau for now!

Com amor, 

Sister Alyssa Grace

Jaboatão Dos Guararapes, Brasil

Saturday night, the Bishopric asked me to speak, and now that talk I scrambled to write is my weekly email. Enjoy!

>*Fast forward to introduction blabber*> I would like to start my talk by reading a story called “Too Hurried to Serve?”:

In his monthly ward newsletter, a young bishop wrote of a group of religion instructors at a theological seminary who were taking a summer course on the life of the Savior – one focusing particularly on the parables.

When the final exam time came, the students arrived at the classroom to find a note on the table stating that the exam would be given in another building across campus. The note said that the test must be finished within a two-hour time period that was starting at that moment.

The students hurried across campus. On the way, they passed a little girl crying over a flat tire on her new bike. An old man hobbling painfully toward the library with a cane in one hand, spilled his books on the sidewalk. On a bench, by the union building, sat a shabbily dressed, bearded man with a sign: “I need money to eat. Please help me.”

Rushing into the other classroom, the students were met by the professor, who announced that they had all failed the final exam.

The only true test of whether they understood the Savior’s life and teaching, he said, was how they treated people in need. Their weeks of study at the feet of a capable professor had taught them a great deal of what Christ had said and done. But nothing they learned in class was as effective as the lesson learned from the professor’s exam.

–Author Unknown

If we are true disciples of Jesus Christ we have to do what He did, not just know what He did. We know that Christ taught that we must first love God and secondly, our neighbors, that these are the two Great Commandments. But are we doing so?

The prophet Nephi in the Book of Mormon wrote: “He said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?” (2 Nephi 31:10)

Are we following Christ by keeping these commandments? How is our desire to love our neighbors? I’ll be honest, for my part, there are days that are very difficult for me to love everyone. As missionaries, people reject our message, mock our faith, laugh at my accent, and tell me that “no one wants you here.”

In these moments I want to scream “How come you don’t understand my love? I left my country, I left my family, and I learned your language, to bless your life and your family. Don’t you see my love?” But love is not something you debate or discuss, it is something you feel.

I think a lot about how I can “love my enemy, bless those who curse me, do good to those who hate me, and pray for those who mistreat and persecute me.” I also ask how is it possible to reach everyone when I am just weak and inadequate me? One answer can be explained in the story called “The Starfish”:

An old man was walking along the beach. In the distance, he saw someone who seemed to be dancing along the waves. As he got close, he saw a young man picking up starfish and tossing them back into the ocean.

“What are you doing?” the old man asked.

“The sun is coming up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they will die.”

“But young man, there are miles and miles of beach with starfish all along it. You can’t possibly make a difference.”

The young man bent down, picked up a starfish, and threw it back past the breaking waves. “It made a difference to that one.”

The young man’s actions represent something in each of us. We are all gifted with the ability to make a difference. Each of us can shape our own future, and each of us can help others reach their potential.

–Author Unknown

We don’t need to do something big or complicated, the small things we do will make a difference in someone’s life. 

 Alma 37:6 states, “Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.”

Christ taught us to love everyone, which is a process, it is a journey to get to the point where we can say that we really love everyone. Today, we just need to try to love more people, more sincerely than we did yesterday. How can you do that? You can:

• Write a letter to someone who is sick

• Invite a neighbor over for dinner or family night 

• Express more sincere gratitude to employees at the grocery store, at the office, and on the bus 

• Call relatives who live far away and show that you are aware and care about them

• For young people, start today by preparing to serve a mission. The best thing you can do to prepare is read and pray about the Book of Mormon.

• Participate in service activities in the Church and community 

• Help your children or siblings read and learn more about Jesus Christ 

• And visit the friend who didn’t come to church last Sunday, even if you’re not his ministering brother or sister

The big things we do, brother and sisters, are appreciated for sure, but it’s the little things we do consistently that transform our desires and change our hearts.

Let us be true and simple followers of Christ. Let us be disciples every day, through our thoughts, desires, words, and actions. Let’s make a difference for the one, and we will see the miracles and blessings that come.

I know that God is a God of love, that he is our Heavenly Father, who sent his son Jesus Christ to set the perfect example for each of us. I testify, brothers and sisters, “that the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;” and our own souls will be filled with joy and love for God as we serve and love our neighbors. Heavenly Father and His Son love us, and I love them. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

That’s all folks, Tchau tchau for now!

Com amor, 

Sister Alyssa Grace

Jaboatão Dos Guararapes, Brasil

To be perfectly honest, this week flew by. It’s all just a big blur in my mind that I’m not quite sure what to write about. I just asked my companion and she’s given me a few ideas. 

Music  

First, we had a lesson with a teenage girl who is very spiritual but for a few reasons, will not be able to progress, at least not with us. During said lesson, we saw the girl really open up, she started out very timid and then came out of her shell. By this, I mean that in the middle of a discussion about Joseph Smith, she realized that I was American and decided to show me her best Rhianna impression. She may not understand a single word in the song “Shine Bright like a Diamond” but she knows them all and now, I do too.

Secretary

Remember how I’m a secretary of media references? Well after next week I won’t be. Our mission just got a lot of new service missionaries who will be taking over the office and we’ll go back to street contacting. What was sad is that we had an hour-long meeting with the secretary of media from the Provo MTC, where we learned tons. Then the next day we learned that we wouldn’t be applying any of it. But oh well, it will really be a good thing for our area and our friends who are progressing.

Sacrament

We had 6 friends come to sacrament! This week was quite the surprise because we literally had no one to teach until Saturday but thanks to the power of Fast and Prayer, we saw miracles. We haven’t marked any for baptism yet, we feel they need a little more time, but they all have potential and are developing their testimonies steadily.

Now some final thoughts from Sister Villatoro…

De Hermana Villatoro: quien diria que iria terminar a mision con una americana jaja, Sister Grace é incrível, a maneira pela qual conseguimos fortalecer nossa Fé juntas é muito sagrado! Saibam que sua filha é uma missionária poderosa e sou grata por estar com ela nesta ultima transferencia! Saludos hermanos!!

That’s all folks, Tchau tchau for now!

Com amor, 

Sister Alyssa Grace

Jaboatão Dos Guararapes, Brasil

This week was long, difficult, and very stressful but, I’m not here to write about any of that. I’m going to tell you the story of Nilton!!

Once upon a time, about 5 months ago, before Sister Grace arrived in Jardim América, Sisteres Santiago and Tadje were working in the area. While being the diligent Sisters they are, they stopped to talk to the delivery guy on a bicycle outside of their lunch appointment. The man was nice but clearly uninterested in their gospel message. Knowing that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has something to offer to everyone, they invited him to the weekly English classes of which he became a consistent student.

After about 3 weeks of taking English class, and hearing the brief spiritual message at the end of every lesson, the man became interested in visiting the principal religious meetings of the church. Unfortunately, the man worked every morning, under a very oppressing and demanding boss. He would not be able to make it to the Sunday meetings. The missionaries, who could have easily judged the man as one who would not progress, overlooked his work schedule and saw his true potential. They started teaching him the lessons of the gospel and the man fell in love with the Book of Mormon.

As was mentioned earlier, the man is a delivery driver who uses his bicycle to get around. At least twice a week, the man would be going about his normal day-to-day routine when something would make him turn down a certain street or stop and walk inside a certain store when that certain path would not help him get to his next delivery. Every single time he followed the prompting, he would run into a set of missionaries. As of today, the man has run into 10 different missionaries, the names of which he could tell you without thinking twice. All of these “coincidences” helped strengthen the man’s faith in God’s plan and timing.

Once I got into the area, we kept working with him, praying, and fasting that he would be able to come to a church service. On Sunday in April, he showed up to church unexpectedly as his boss decided not to open that day due to illness. He stayed 4 hours in the church, talking to the 2 wards that meet in the building, and loving every minute of it. Immediately after the service, he asked us how and when he could be baptized. Unfortunately, a person needs to visit the church at least twice, before becoming eligible for baptism. We left him without a date but not without hope.

Yesterday morning, he texted us that his boss was running late and wouldn’t open until 10 am. He came over to watch the meeting at 9 and left at 9:50 with a date marked for his baptism. His baptism was that very same day, just a few hours later. It was well-attended by the ward but even more so by the Spirit. He cried, we cried, all cried and now, our friend Nilton is seeing even more blessings. He just got accepted into a new job where he will have every Sunday free!!

I know it was long but I just had to share.

That’s all folks, Tchau tchau for now!

Com amor, 

Sister Alyssa Grace

Jaboatão Dos Guararapes, Brasil

We did it! Another week, another P-day. This week felt really long and had its ups and downs. We had lots of success in some areas and lots of perseverance in others. Shall we jump right in? We shall!

First, we had a pretty normal start to the week. Mon-Wed was just the usual preach, teach, and be trying not to choose the streets with the most sewage flooding (I’m very bad at that). More than once this week I’ve made my poor companion, who just wants to finish her mission in peace, walk through blackwater puddles because we were running late to a lesson. She was doing ok with it until we saw a rat run through the very same puddle we’d just gotten out of. After a few moments of her speaking in tongues, the only word of which I understood being “Ratatouille,” it was agreed no more plague-puddles and I bought her a pastel to make up for my poor route-planning. 

On Thursday, we had ZONE CONFERENCE! It was really inspiring about uniting with members, more effective planning, and magnifying our eternal callings. We had a great family night afterward and felt so empowered to work so diligently the following days.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. My comp ended up getting sick, she blames it on the rat water but I’m confident it’s got something to do with climate change. We ended up staying home all day Friday doing references, then most of Saturday in the hospital. It meant we had poucas pessoas in church this week but we still saw miracles. For instance, more than 15 people answered the phone, accepted return visits, and 2 of them accepted to be baptized!! I might not be the one to baptize them, but I’m a part of their conversion story.

Today my companion is having a P-day with President and Sister Martins because she’s in her last transfer so I’m here with Sister Lima e Sister Santiago. They say they have some crazy ideas planned for today so I’m pretty excited but also have no idea what we’re doing. Because of this I’ll end soon with a quick scripture from Come, Follow Me.

Romans 1:16

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;”

Don’t be afraid of what you live and know to be true, it’s God working His powers of salvation in your life. 

That’s all folks, Tchau tchau for now!

Com amor, 

Sister Alyssa Grace

Jaboatão Dos Guararapes, Brasil

Let me explain. Our house of 4 Americanas has the affectionate title of the White House, for obvious reasons. This week we had transfers and we were all so worried that one of our quad would leave us. When they finally sent out the mission map it was discovered that not 1, not 2, but 3 of the White House would leave for Garanhuns leaving only a very sad Sister Grace behind.

Anyway, I am still here in Jardim América, and my new companion is Sister Villatoro from Guatemala. This is her last transfer in the mission so my first kill. She says she’s tired but we’ve worked so hard this week that I don’t believe her. We’ve got 2 friends preparing for baptism on the 25th and lots more with potential for June.

The other two Sisters in the house are Sister Santiago and Sister Lima, both from Brasil. The whole house dynamic has completely changed and I’m just here for the ride. They all have more time than me and I’m learning lots. 

Before getting broken up, me and sister Tadje were able to take one of our recent converts to the temple and it was so special. I loved helping him find out who his family was so he could take their names to do their baptisms. There is so much about a mission that is hard that we sometimes forget just how good it is too. I love meeting new people, learning about them, and then getting to share what I love with them. When they don’t accept it’s their choice, and when they do accept it’s everyone’s happiness.

Anyways just a quick scripture from a great conference talk by Elder Bednar that I studied this week. 

Psalm 46:10 

“Be still, and know that I am God”

How will you be still and know Him this week?

That’s all folks, Tchau tchau for now!

Com amor, 

Sister Alyssa Grace

Jaboatão Dos Guararapes, Brasil