:)

I´ll apologize right now because this email may not be very long because I don´t remember a whole lot of what happened this week but I will do my best,:) 

First off, I´ll start with Eduardo......... This week was a little tough with him. We spent a lot of time going over the restoration because he had a lot of questions and was super confused. So we had a lot of lessons with the members with him which helped him out a lot. But he still had the other pastor visiting him a lot because the other church is literally right in front of his house..... tough to compete with. But Eduardo has a very strong testimony of the BOM. So we are focusing a lot on that. But I´m almost 100% positive that he was baptized in the other church last night. We haven’t had a chance to visit him yet but we are going to continue to visit him because he really wants to know which church really is true. So wish us luck and keep him in your prayers!

This week we didn’t see Raimundo at all. He was working a lot and wasn’t home. But he called us a couple of times during the week so that was good. We visited him yesterday and he is still reading the BOM and everything and still wants to be baptized. He just needs a little bit more time. So we set another goal with him to be baptized on the 29th! So cross your fingers that everything will go right!!! 

This week we tried really hard to find some new investigators but we didn’t have much luck. But, we found a ton of less active members!! We really did see some miracles this week finding these people. My highlight of the week would probably finding Irmã Edina, :) So one day we were just walking down the street trying to find some people to teach and we had made a list of less active members and ex-investigators to try and visit. So as we were searching for a house this man walked by and we decided to make a contact with him and talk to him. So we got talking to him and he started saying, "Ya, I know about your church. The men would pass by my house all the time and my wife used to make lunch for them!" I turned to my comp and kind of gave her the look of well this isn’t normal. So we asked if we could meet his wife. So he took us to his house. On the way he explained to us that his wife has lived here for about a year. He still lives in the other city for work. But she moved here about a year ago because she had a stroke and came here for treatment. So we walked in and introduced ourselves to her and she just started crying. She was so happy to see two missionaries in her house! So she explained her situation to us and that she hasn’t been to church since she moved here because it’s too far for her to walk. So we were instantly like well we can have a sister pass by here on Sunday to give you a ride to church. She agreed to that and was so happy that she started to cry again! But then we got talking a bit and my comp was talking to her husband when she turned to me and was like, "How did you find my husband?" So I just explained to her that we were searching for some people close to her house and met him in the street. Then she turned to me and said, "Well, you found who you were looking for." And I lost it. We were all in tears at that point. We truly found who we were supposed to find. The spirit was so strong in her house. It truly was a miracle for us. Up to this point it has been a little difficult for us here in Guará. It’s a richer area so it’s harder finding people who are open to our message. So we haven’t been having a ton of success and vie been really questioning if I have been doing my part and if I am making a difference here. And in that moment with Edina, I knew that it would be ok. I knew that we were doing our part and the lord will put people into our paths. Just my tender mercy of the week, :)

This week I also got to see some of the members that I met while I was in Cristalina so that was really cool! We also went to the old area of Sister Alves and she got to watch one of her old investigators get baptized so that was also really cool! Well that’s about it for this week! Love you all! Hope you all have an awesome week! Remember to always read your scriptures and say your prayers!

Com Amor, 

Sister Steadman

Team Justic and Mercy

Well what a week it was! Everyone told me that after 9 months in the mish, it all flies by so fast. For me, now is when it really is starting to fly by! I seriously can’t believe where the time is going! But it seems to be Monday before I know it! But, here´s a little bit about our week :) Let’s see how much I remember ha...

Here in the mission we are really trying to strengthen the church here. Strengthen the members and help reactivate the less active. So, this week we tried to really put that into practice and it seemed to work out well :) We have been trying really hard to get the members more involved in our work, and they are slowly helping ha. But it was better this week.

First off we have Raimundo. We taught him in the church this week with a member and it went really well :) I was really surprised with this member because he is a quieter guy but he has such a strong testimony and the spirit was so strong. He was asking him all sorts of questions. It was so perfect! Then another night we taught him about the BOM with another member and once again, it was awesome! He really was progressing! But, unfortunately he wasn’t in church yesterday. So in the middle of sacrament we went to his house to see what was happening and we ended up talking to his mom a bit. Turns out he has been drinking a bit. But he called us later and explained a little more as to why he wasn’t in church. But he is still preparing to be baptized. So we will meet with him tomorrow to really see when the best time for him to be baptized is.

Jerffeson..... Sometimes I just don´t know what else I can do to help him. He made a goal with our District leader to be baptized on Saturday, but he is still smoking. So we are still in the battle of the cigarette. But we have hope, ha. One day it will all work out.

This week we also taught Eduardo in the church with a member. We planned to teach him with one of the sisters but she wanted to practice the piano, so we taught him with her granddaughter who is 9, ha. But it was an awesome lesson! She helped a lot! She has a huge testimony and told him about some Mormon messages that he could watch that would help him, ha. It was super funny! But Eduardo is still having a lot of doubts. He has a date for baptism in our church this Saturday and on Sunday in the other church. And in our lessons he is kind of wanting to teach us. So we are really focusing on helping him understand that there is only one true church.

But yesterday in church we had some of our less active members there so we were happy about that!

This week we are noticing that sometimes we really have to be very blunt with people and straight up with them. And my comp sometimes has a hard time with that, ha. So she tells everyone that we are team justice and mercy. I’m the justice and she’s the mercy, hahah! But it’s true. And everyone tells me that I look like someone who would be straight up with the investigators, ha. But someone’s got to do it!

Well that’s about it for this week! I hope you all have a marvelous week! Here´s a scripture for you all too read this week Mosiah 2:41. One of my favs. Well always remember to read your scriptures and say your prayers! Love you all!

Com Amor,
Sister Steadman

4 Transfers Together

Well last night we got the phone call of the transfer and luckily..... we are staying together here in Guará! And we are very happy about it, :) so we will spend four transfers together! So today I left my planner at home so I don’t remember much from this week but I will try.

So we’ve got a couple of investigators who are really progressing and we are super excited!!!! First off Raimundo who has a date for the 15th! We taught him this week and he asked us, "So when is my baptism again?" ha, so he is doing well! He was in church yesterday and he is really liking everything!!

Jerffeson is doing well. I learned this week that I have been spelling his name wrong, ha. But he is lessening the smoking which we are super happy about and is continually preparing for baptism! So just keep praying for him please!!

We have also been teaching a man named Eduardo. He is super awesome and really interested in our message but he still has his doubts. So we are really trying to explain everything to him very simply and really trying to help him understand the basics. So we will see how this week goes.

We didn’t do any splits this week so it left us with more time to really work more in our area. Which was nice. But the splits should be starting up again this week.

Well thank you all for your emails and updates! I hope you all have a wonderful week! Sorry it’s short I’ll be better next week! Love you all! And remember to always read your scriptures and say your prayers!

Com Amor,
Sister Steadman

Guará

What a wonderful week is was here in Guará! Here’s what happened:

This transfer we have been trying really hard to get the members to give us referrals and we haven’t had much success. But this week we received a ton!!! Not from the members but from other missionaries so that was a huge blessing! We were super happy about that, :) 

This week Jefferson was able to talk to our district leader and he set a goal to be baptized on the 15th of August! So please keep him in your prayers that he will be able to stop smoking and be baptized this date! He really has a desire to be baptized and everything, he just needs to stop smoking! So please remember him in your prayers!

This week we didn’t get to visit Maria a lot because she wasn’t home, but we visited her one time with a sister here and it was sooooo perfect! We were only able to teach her half of the plan of salvation because she talks a lot but she loved it! She lost her dad when she was little so she never understood why. She also never understood why life is so hard and why we have so many trials. It was seriously the coolest thing to answer her questions and give her a different look on life. I love it when this happens!!! She also has a beautiful Huskie named Céu. Which is heaven so when we visit her we also play a bit with her dog. But seriously she’s the most beautiful dog I have ever seen! 

This week as we were making contacts in the street we met a man named Kleve Eduardo. He's about 25ish. So we went to visit him and Saturday and he was super happy to see us and a bit surprised because he didn’t think we would actually visit him. Well when we first met him we just gave him a pass along card about the Book of Mormon. So when we arrived in our appointment he started off right away asking about the Book of Mormon! We were super excited! So we taught him the first lesson explaining everything to him and he understood it all really well!!! And he kept saying, "Ya, that makes sense", ha it was so perfect! But during our lesson a drunk man kept trying to talk to us and kept interrupting us, it was a little annoying but it didn’t seem to budge Eduardo. So we were super happy about that! And he even was in church yesterday! He only stayed for sacrament meeting, but he really liked it and was asking a lot of questions and making a lot of comments! So please keep him in your prayers as well!

A couple of weeks ago we made a contact in the street with a man named Raimundo. At the time he was drinking so we just made a quick contact and left. We tried to visit him again but in the end we started to visit his neighbor who we are still visiting. But we found him again in the street and set another time to visit him. That same day we found him again so decided to teach him in the street really quick and invited him to church. Well out of the blue he was in church yesterday!!!! He stayed for all 3 meetings and really liked it! At the end he was asking our ward mission leader about baptism and what he needs to do to be baptized!! We were super happy about that! Finally our hard work is paying off, :) 

This week we did splits in Cristalina which was super cool! I loved being able to go back to the little town and seeing everyone and everything again! I got to see some of my recent converts and one of the people I was teaching I think was baptized on Saturday so it was super cool to see that!

Well that’s about it for this week! Thank you to all of you who continue to email me and give me words of advice! I really appreciate all of the love and support you all give me, :) I know my time is short here in Brasil, but I’m working my butt of till the end! I’ve still got Children of God to find, :) I love being a missionary. :)

Well I hope you all have a wonderful week! Remember to always say your prayers and read your scriptures! There you will find the things you are needing. :) Love you all!

Com Amor,

Sister Steadman :) 

Miguel and Bea