News flash: Northeastern Brazil is currently in an epedimiological crisis that has put thousands in the hospital on a daily basis- mosquito and fly season. I´m not sure if you all have been watching the news about this whole Zika virus runnin around the world but apparently some of the world hotspots happen to be.. here! Wohoo! So, wouldn´t ya know it, I´ve spent the past two weeks extremely sick - some days with fever or chills, others with terrible pains in my whole body, and every day spending a few hours in the bathroom. Everyone we talk to here on the street has gotten sick or are waiting for the day, but the good news is that here in a month or two it is predicted to calm down and people won´t be getting so sick! But don´t worry I´m not bedridden, I´m still a happy missionary :)

Yesterday I hit 1 year and 1 month! The mission is flying by...

This week we had interviews with President! He always gives a training to the district beforehand, and then conducts interviews, and it was really great to get some insight and to be spíritually fed! My interview was extremely short and sweet- I think a grand total of 7 minutes. He asked me how I was and gave me some inspired counsel about our area and then closed the interview. "By small and simple things are great things come to pass" (Alma 37) It was everything I needed to hear! 

This week in my personal studies I learned more about the sacrament that I want to share with you all. In 3 Nephi 20:8-9 Jesus Christ established this sacred ordinance among the nephites and why it is so important. There are ome beautiful promises contained in the sacrament prayers, and these verses expound even more blessings! Christ promises us that when we take the sacrament, our souls will never hunger nor thirst, but be satisfied. Not only this, but we will become FULL of the Spirit. There is no better feeling than that of being filled with the Spirt, in my opinion. He gives us power, direction, guidance, comfort, and the love of God. We really can commune with Heavenly Father. Sunday, I was able to take the sacrament and remember what I learned, and I was filled with the sweet spirit that touched my heart and gave me power and strength for this week. What a great blessing we have to be able to take the sacrament and participate of this ordinance WEEKLY! 

So Cleberton has progressed SO well this week - we finished teaching him all of the lessons, and he has constantly shared his testimony with us how ever since he met us his life has changed. However, saturday night we brought the elders to do his interview, and he wasn´t at home. We resolved to try and figure things out on Sunday. Sunday morning came around, and we got in touch with him, just as he was about to leave the city to work for the day. We spent a good amount of time trying to talk him out of it, but he continued to tell us how he really needed this money to support his kids and his life, and that God was blessing him with this job. We told him that of course he was being blessed but that this was a test to see if he could sacrifice this job on sunday to keep a commandment of God. Unfortunately, his mind was decided already and told us it would never happen again. It´s so hard to see people giving up a long term reward, an ETERNAL reward, for a short term gratification or settling for less. Of course this job was a good opportunity for him, but imagine if he had just trusted in the Lord a little more, had made a sacrifice and had gone to church, the Lord would have probably blessed him with an even better job! That´s how obedience and sacrifice work. But when people don´t understand the gospel well, they don´t have this eternal perspective. Sometimes in my own impatience or spiritual blindness, I can´t understand things. But the mission is all about helping people develop and open their spiritual eyes. Hopefully this week we can help Cleberton do just that. But this is a great lesson for us all - we mustn´t lose sight of our eternal perspective, and compromise our standards and covenants for something momentary or earthly. The Lord will reward us in full for our sacrifice as we follow His will.

So, Cleberton isn´t baptized yet but it´s all in the Lord´s timing :) 

That´s all for this week, I love you guys and know that this is the Lord´s work. I know that I needed to serve HERE in Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil, at this very time. The Lord prepared me beforehand and gave me spiritual strengh thanks to what I passed before I left for the mission. I love you all, have a great week!

Sister Brown