A Testimony Transformed

Family & Friends,

To my sincerest displeasure, I am being transferred! The tears have already been shed, because I am really sad about this one. Two transfers in one place just isn't enough. I will be transferred to another state here in Brazil; I will be going to Sobral, Ceara! My companion will be Sister Lucas, whom I love and it will be fun!

This week we had a celestial lesson with Tatiani, a young single mom. We taught her about the Plan of Salvation, and at the end of the lesson, we usually invite them to pray to know if EVERYTHING we taught was true. I felt inspired to say, "Tatiani, if you forget about Adam and Eve and what we taught about them, I won't even mad about it, I just want to leave here knowing that you know one thing … that your Heavenly Father loves YOU. We would like to invite you to pray today and just only ask Heavenly Father ‘do you love me?’” When I was saying these words, I just felt the love of HIM running through my bones. I felt the love that He has for me, but I just felt the overwhelming love that He has for her. We taught this on my one year mark of being on the mission, and my mind was drawn back to my patriarchal blessing, in the paragraph that talks about my mission, and how I am serving her to help people come to know the love that our Heavenly Father has for them. That moment was sacred to me.

This past week on was on exchanges with a new sister that is in training. President Melo called, and like every new missionary, she almost peed her pants answering the phone. She chatted with President Melo, and then the minute she hung up, just wiped out in the road in a huge mud pile. I asked her if she was okay before I laughed my head off, haha, (usually it is other way around, the biggest change I have had on my mission). One important fact that you all need to know is that here the sewers are open in the road, haha. I helped her up and started walking by her side. I just couldn’t take it! She was just rotting with the smell of raw sewage! I was just dying and I telling her I am sorry, I love you so much Sister, but walking next to you just isn't going to work right now. Every time the wind blew, I just got a huge fog in my face of that awful smell! It was hilarious.

We contacted a man in the streets and tried to talk to him about the church, and he tried to convince us that we aren't really Mormons. He looked at me, pointed his big finger in my face and said, "No, you are a Catholic". Haha, we tried to explain but he didn’t let us, so I shook his hand and said, "Senhor, have a good afternoon, and I’m not Catholic and neither is my companion, BYE!" Haha, it was crazy. Also we had two different days of exchanges with the new sisters. In their house they have a shower outside, of course knowing me, I was all for a good cold shower under the stars (don't worry had a wall)! Haha, come to find out the old granny that lives above made a comment, "oh, I see that you are liking the outdoor shower, eh?" Haha, I wanted to scream!

I was with Sister Semy during exchanges and we knocked on the door of an old investigator and she said that she probably wouldn’t be home because she never is. As she came to the door, I had the biggest déjà vu of the same situation. I walked into the house, eyes wide open, with just the strangest sensation. We started talking to her and she just started balling. We were able to help her … I know I am meeting and finding the people that are needing our message.

This past week was a little stressful; we had some problems to resolve with our zone and some sisters. Our hair is falling out and we were just really stressed this week. I have learned that I get more worried about how others are doing, and those that I am responsible for, than myself. As we were talking about some of the problems with the zone leaders, I was talking normal and then I just got really worried and stressed about the situation and didn’t know how I could help. I looked at them and said, getting choked up, "I don't know what to do, and I love these sisters so much and pray for them multiple times every day." I feel Christ expanding my heart to love so many people.

Fransica was at church again this week, and will be getting baptized. Unfortunately, I won’t be there to see it all go down. It was cute because, before we taught her about the Word of Wisdom, she looked at us and said that she would quit smoking because she wants to be baptized pure and feel pure. I know that in the gospel, when we truly are becoming converted, all of our decisions in life are based on what Jesus Christ would do. The right things to do just seem like the right things to do. She was talking to one irmao at church yesterday and he asked if Fransica was liking the messages and everything. She grabbed onto me and said, "I love this girl right here; up there in heaven when I am there I will search for her and thank her and tell everybody that she was the one that saved me." It was special experience for me and became even more special when I received the news that I will be transferred and won't be at the baptism. But that I was able to help my amazing friend Fransica. She is my favorite person! You all need to meet her.

This past week an inspired friend of mine wrote me an email. He asked me about how I was and what changes I have seen in myself this year. He asked so many profound questions that my head started spinning and this week was full of reflection. I can't even describe the ways I have changed because at this point I don't remember who I was before my mission. That person has become a stranger to me. My testimony hasn’t just grown, but it has been transformed. There is no going back now. I am obsessed and love my mission with all my heart. Sometimes my heart feels like it will burst, as there are too many things I want to say to describe my feelings, but I just don't have the words.

Love you all!

Sister Vance