Parelheiros!

I don´t have much to say this week, but it was a really good one! I got transferred to Parelheiros. It is way more jungle here--like the landscape--but still favela. Super green and right now it is way cold. August is the coldest month here. It is just really humid and cold.

My companion is Sister Soares da Silva. She is from Fortaleza, and she is 20. She is a hard worker and teaches really well, so I am learning a ton from her already.

We live with 2 other sisters: Sister Rodriguez and Sister Kaegi too --->
(S. Rodriguez, Kaegi, me, Soares da Silva)

This week we taught a bunch of part-member families. One recent convert brought her husband and sister to church yesterday, so we will continue to teach them. Last night, we taught Danilo(15)´s mom. We invited her to church and to learn more because she vented about how she went to church for 5 hours that day and didn´t feel the Spirit. She doesn´t want to go back because she went to church ``cold`` and left ``cold.`` We´ll see what happens there. We taught the Plan of Salvation and Temples and Family History work a lot to less active and  part member families this week. A couple times the spirit was super strong and they were really excited to go to the temple.

Yesterday we had an interesting encounter with a Jehovah´s Witness. He kept on having us look up scripture references, but it was all over the place so we just got confused. I realized that I probably confuse people like that at times, so I want to work on being more clear. It was interesting to hear him out. We gave him 2 pamphlets because he kept on asking about our doctrine. Maybe something will come of that.

Love you!

-Sister Sadie Bledsoe

Sao Paulo Interlagos Mission

Rua Comendador Elias Zarzur

#365 Santo Amaro

Sao Paulo- SP

CEP: 04736-000

Brazil

​leaving Jd. Campinas ;( E. Walhstrom, E. Lencini, Bishop Ferreira (seriously the best bishop in our mission), S. Salles and I

transferências

Bittersweet phonecall today-- I am getting transferred tomorrow. I will miss Jd. Campinas so much, but I am excited to meet new people wherever I am called next. 

This week of work was good. We had to drop a lot of investigators which was really hard, but there are still a few that will get baptized soon. Antonia wants to get married. Jennifer and Larissa are still coming to church and church activities. Renato is getting in contact with church employment to find a new job so he doesn´t have to work on Sundays. We are trying to teach families and really focus on the temple. We have been practicing teaching the Plan of Salvation and baptisms for our dead really effectively, and it has especially helped Renato and the family of Antonia/Gabi/Biel. I am grateful for President Dalton; he is really inspired! 

Yesterday a prospective elder gave his farewell talk and he said something I really liked. He was commenting on the talk by Elder Holland about the Atonement and Missionary Work, and he said, `´We often wonder why people don´t just walk into our church building wanting to get baptized? This is the truth!`` Then he talked about how it´s not supposed to be easy. He said, ``Our job is to open doors.`` People can choose to come in, but they won´t come without us inviting and following up. 

I don´t have much time this week but thanks for your love and support and prayers! 

Te amo!

Sister Sadie Bledsoe

fotos with our fan club--Bea and Camilla!

zona casa grande!

and Elder Wesley Silva who will be serving in the Georia Atlanta North mission where he will get to teach in Portuguese!

vai Brasil!

lockdown party. Brazil vs. Mexico day

favela yo

Perus e sapatos

so the world cup is over. People on the streets here call all white people Germans (``Alemão``), so lots of people don´t like us. Tudo bem! The day after the Brazil vs. Germany game was interesting. People were quite bitter and everyone was embarrassed saying, ``que vergonha``(like how embarassing) that they lost 7-1. When we would contact people, some would tell me, ``I´m really mad with you guys``(thinking we were German), and lots of people told us to go back to our country. The joys of living in a foreign country... It has calmed though and it's only with the people on the street. Our members and investigators don´t seem to care that much about the world cup, which has been good. 

This week we taught a 13 year old named Thaimires. Her mom is really nice but is pregnant and sleeps a lot so it´s been hard to get her involved in the lessons, but we will be persistent. We taught Thaimires the Restoration and she is super absorbant. I think it was the only time that I taught the Restoration(and I´ve taught that lesson a lot) that I really felt like my investigator understood like everything that we said. Sometimes you just connect with people and they really get it. Anyway, we began to teach the First Vision we were all tearing up because the Spirit hit us like a wall. Sister Salles was in the middle of the first vision (``I saw a pillar of light exactly...``) when our phone went off really loud because the other sisters were calling us. This goes on the list of 1st vision distractions. Thaimires really liked the message and we gave her a Book of Mormon. The next day, we saw her on the street at night and she ran up to us and told us that she read some of the Book of Mormon and she felt something really strong. She told us that she would go get it because she thought we were just letting her borrow it. We told her it was hers. She came to church with us yesterday, and she liked it but said it was way different from any other church she has been too. She goes to a church called ``Assemblia,`` where she said there is a lot of yelling and it´s only like an hour. Some of our other investigators have commented on that--kind of saying that our church isn´t as fun or interesting because they don´t get all ``riled up with the Spirit``(I can´t think of a direct translation but its like how you feel at an intense sporting event). 

Also this week we had interviews with President Dalton. He gave a brief training before, and then the assitants gave a training again on the Plan of Salvation and the Laws and Ordinances lessons because we need to practice them a lot in order to really help people understand how families(for generations before and after them) can be together forever through temple ordinances. I really liked 2 stories that were shared that day. 

1. Story about turkeys. There once was a turkey who told all his turkey friends that he knew how to fly. The turkeys didn´t believe him because they were fat and they thought it was impossible. However, one night they decided to trust their turkey friend and try to fly. It worked! They flew all through the night and visited a ton of cool places. When they landed in the morning, they talked about how incredible their experience had been as they walked home. President Dalton said, ``We do the same thing after really spiritual meetings/conferences. We fly and have incredible experiences, but we walk home. Why? We need to apply what we learn. Practice what we learn, so that feeling doesn´t go away.``

2. Story about President Packer. He was a mission president or a seventy--I think he was a 70. He held a conference with a mission, and the missionaries were really excited to hear from a 70. President Packer began to talk about how to shine shoes. The missionaries left confused. Then they had another conference with President Packer. They were really excited to hear from a 70 because this time he would teach them something great. He came and taught them again how to shine shoes. These missionaries were amazed. Why have we had 2 trainings with a 70 about the same thing? Then they had a 3rd conference with President Packer, who got up and said, ``Today we will learn how to shine our shoes.`` A missionary who was quite frustrated said, ``But we already learned that twice.`` President Packer said, ``Look at your shoes. I don´t think you understand how to shine your shoes.`` Our assistant said, ``Lots of times we hear the same things over and over and over again. Why? We must not be understanding it because we aren´t doing it. That´s why we have heard over and over and over again that we need to read our scriptures daily, say personal prayers daily, share the gospel, have family home evening, do family history work. We aren´t understanding because we aren´t doing it.`` That was pretty powerful for me. 

Other than that, we stayed inside for like most of the week due to the world cup so I don´t have much more to say. Oh except one morning, Sister Stephens and I had like 2 hours before lunch to contact people together. We tried to teach soem people, but our Portuguese was really failing us. We invited a ton of people to church though! I´ve gotten pretty good at that. I think its funny whenever I teach/contact with her because our vocabularies are both really limited, but somehow we found like 7 new investigators so it was a testimony to me that the Lord works with the weak and simple! 

Te amo! 

Sister Sadie Bledsoe

Bemvindos Daltons e meu anniversario!

This week was pretty eventful--the Daltons arrived and they toured the mission. They are awesome!!! President Dalton is a really big man(he´s like 6'6" and very large), and Sister Dalton is adorable but doesn´t speak like any Portuguese. President Dalton talked a lot about his focus being the temple. He wants us to be missionaries that help everyone get to the temple because we will baptize and retain more families(instead of individuals) that way. He also wants us to teach all 5 lessons before and after baptism for every person. He told us about his experiences in California in his stake with effective baptismal services. Normally, we have a talk about baptism and the Holy Ghost, and we sing hymns while we are waiting for the person who got baptized to change clothes. He told us that instead we will have a spiritual thought before the baptism about temples, then the baptism, then while we are waiting the missionaries will teach the 1st discussion-The Restoration, then the person who got baptized will bear their testimony to their friends and family(this requires some motivation because usually they are nervous to talk in front of people but practice with them before). He said that when his stake did this baptisms soared. Baptisms are one of the most special and spiritual meetings we have in the church, and we should use them as effectively as we can. 

He also talked about how all recent converts need a friend, to be nurtured by the good word, and a responsibility; often that responsibility won´t be a calling right away, but every member has a responsibility to do their family history work. He said, ``We will save baptisms and retain our converts if we will teach and help them understand their responsibility to save their ancestors. We will teach them about the temple and what we do there. We will teach them about the plan of happiness. We will teach them about the spirit world and where their ancestors--their moms, dads, grandparents-- are right now. Their ancestors are waiting for them. They are waiting on the other side of the veil. They need the ordinance of baptism to be saved (John 3:5). They need help. Your investigators are perhaps the only people in the world that can help them. When they understand their responsibility to help their ancestors, their immediate family, and future generations, they will keep commitments. Baptism will be about more than just them. It is just a step, a very important step, in getting to the temple and saving their family.`` We practiced teaching lesson 5 about the priesthood, temples, and family history using the My Family pamphlet. The doctrine needs to be taught simply and clearly (like 1 Corinthians 5:29). 

This week we also taught our investigators Rosalia and Valmir. We brought Gabriel(Biel) our 12 year old recent convert. He is awesome! He has like no fear to contact people on the street, and he is epic in our lessons. He asked them if they have prayed yet for an answer. They said no. He then bore his testimony about his experience when the sister missionaries began teaching his family. He told them about his first prayer on his knees. He said he didn´t receive an answer right away, but he kept praying, reading the scriptures, and going to church. He bore his testimony of the change that happen in his home. His mom stopped coming home drunk. They have such a stronger relationship now. He can feel the peace and they are so much happier. He committed them to pray and told them that he wanted to come back with us(the Sisters) and follow up with them. 

They came to church this week too! We had a very powerful fast and testimony meeting where both Sister Salles and I bore our testimonies and cried at the pulpit. Rosalia was in tears when we came back to sit next to her. She told us that she has difficulties praying, but I know for sure that she felt the Spirit at church yesterday. 

Also our invetigator Antonia (Gabriella and Gabriel´s mom) told us that she hasn´t drinken coffee since we saw her last (like 2 weeks ago) and she wants to get married and baptized soon. We hadn´t visited her in a while because she wasn´t progressing and was never home, so we were really excited for her. 

Other than that, yesterday was pretty uneventful. Today is Sister Costa´s birthday--I am only 1 day older than her ;) 

Love you! 

Sister Sadie Bledsoe

Youth!! 6-30-14

I am still here in Jd. Campinas and the work is going well...well that is when we can work. We had to stay inside two days this week due to the World Cup. Brazil keeps winning, and they have a game this Friday too. Our Brazililan companions get really trunkie during the games, and they are praying that they will be allowed to watch the Finals of the World Cup because they say that it is sacred for Brazilians. Other than that, we are still teaching some cool people and  trying to work with the youth here because they are so awesome here. 

One night this week we were waiting outside of the chapel because no one had keys to the building. Bishop whipped out some pass-along cards and we split up with the youth to invite people to church and offer pass-along cards. It was so cute! There was like no one in the streets, but the youth would go in like a pack of 6 and run down the one person in the street. I´m pretty sure it was the most effective contacting because they could stop everyone. 6 youth would surround the person like every time, and they would all introduce themselves. It was adorable! My favorite was the bishop´s 10 year old son; he would go up to people and say something like ``I know that this church is true. I feel it in my heart every time I go on Sundays. Here is a card. You can call this number and get a Book of Mormon--another testament of Jesus Christ. You can come any Sunday; you will be received really well there.`` Ah it was so cute! All the youth--recent converts, investigators, etc. all were super pumped. 

Then the next day was the ward activity ``Hot Dog Night.`` We invited Rosalia and Valmir (our investigators who are an older couple with no children). We stopped by a few hours before the activity to also invite them to a baptism that was going to be right before the activity. They said they would come. I was a little skeptical because they hadn´t been to church yet and we were asking them to go by themselves(we weren´t going to pick them up). We got to the church for the baptism, and I had a feeling that we should unlock the gate for the parking lot in case they actually came (they have a car which is rare). Minutes later, they walked in and I almost died. SO happy. They were all dressed up. Ah it was just so cute. The baptism was cool and Rosalia is really enjoying all the singing we do. Valmir made some friends who also love soccer (Valmir had expressed to us earlier that it´s hard to make friends when you´re old, and I was like ´´not here`--the ward is so great). Anyway, next was the hot dog activity and the Relief Society room was packed! It was epic. By the end of the night, our investigators were so happy and telling us that they would be at church the next Sunday! Activities are so important, especially for missionaries. It helps our investigators so much to feel like they are a part of a family. It´s pretty sweet to see them getting integrated into the ward. 

Rosalia still has some doubts because she was raised Catholic and doesn´t have too much of a desire to get baptized. We did have a really good lesson though with them and a recent convert, Renato. Renato is pretty shy, but when we were trying to resolve her doubts about baptism, Renato shared his testimony. He opened up his Book of Mormon to 3 Nephi 27:8 where Jesus says, `` And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel.``

He is really soft-spoken but his testimony brought the Spirit so strongly. He testified that this Church really is the church of Jesus Christ. It literally is His Church. It was so simple, but so powerful. 

I know a lot of people think that it´s weird for missionaries to prosylete--for example, yesterday I talked to a very hostile man who really hated Americans and said some choice words(Sister Salles told me after) about us as missionaries. Knocking doors, talking to people on the street, etc. seems strange to a lot of people in relation to religion, but our message is just that important that we have to share it in whatever way we can. This really is The Church of Jesus Christ. 

On Sunday, we had ward conference. The youth were going to perform two musical numbers. Jennifer, our 14 year old investigator, really wanted to participate because she has really enjoyed being a part of the youth choir and the youth activities like seminary in the ward. We saw her in passing before our gospel principles class, and I noticed that she looked sad--you know when someone has tears in their eyes. She said she was fine, so we let it go. As we entered gospel principles and sang a hymn, I had a feeling that we should go talk to Jennifer. I told Sister Salles and we went to go find her. After some prying, she told us that she wasn´t going to sing because she didn´t bring the right clothes. I looked at Sister Salles and we decided to help a sista out. We ran home and got some options for her. She ended up singing in their choir and it was beautiful. They sang ``Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing`` in Portuguese and ``Joseph Smith´s First Prayer`` in Portuguese but to the tune of ``If You Could Hie to Kolob.`` wow it was so good. This ward is so cool. I want to stay here my whole mission! 

happy 4th of July! love you!

Sister Sadie Bledsoe

Sweet is the Work-6-24-14

Happy world cup week!...again... Brazil won yesterday so we will be housebound for at least one more day. Since I emailed last, we had two days where we couldn´t leave our houses--yesterday was one of those days so we got to email today. 

This week we taught an older couple, and I think that they are really going to progress! We found Rosalia one day when we were walking. We invited her to church and she said that she had been once before. She then started to cry as she expressed some discouragement about her home situation with her husband and their relationship. We tried to visit her, but a week passed before we found them home. Our first visit was a bit rushed so we didn´t get to teach much but we left a pamphlet about the Restoration. We returned like 2 days later and Rosalia had read the pamphlet. It was so cute she said, ``I read it and I really liked it, but I´m sorry I just didn´t have time to answer all the questions in the back.`` Then as we taught the Restoration she recognized the vocabulary from the definitions in the back of the pamphlet, and she asked lots of questions. Valmir, her husband, was there for the lesson, but he just read the scriptures that we asked him to read. At the end, we committed them to get baptized. They had already been baptized in the Catholic church, but after some explanation and testimony, they accepted a baptismal date. We asked Valmir to say the closing prayer. I just helped him with the outline like addressing Heavenly Father, thanking, asking, and closing in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. He said a beautiful prayer and he even asked for help to be baptized in the Mormon Church--it was so cute! I was shocked because he seemed mole to me. The next day we visited them they had read together from the Book of Mormon and discussed the chapter. They had more questions about baptism, but we talked about the Book of Mormon more and gave them another chapter to read. I am so glad that I am able to teach a family! They don´t have kids but they are just so cute and are learning the gospel together. It was a testimony to me that you can´t judge who will accept the gospel and who won´t. It is also so important to invite everyone in the house to hear our message because it is so powerful when families learn and accept the gospel together. 

Jennifer is the only one in her family that really wants to learn about the gospel right now, and her mom still won´t let her get baptized. Her mom says that Jennifer still needs to change before she will let her. We gave Jennifer the For the Strength of the Youth pamphlet and we will teach her more church standards. She is rapidly reading the Book of Mormon though; she is in Mosiah. She will read for like 4 hours a day, and she goes to seminary everyday. 

Larissa also needs permission still to get baptized, but her mom is more willing. However, they have a pastor who tried to convince Larissa that we are liars and our church is too. We talked with Larissa after and she said that she didn´t listen to him. She really likes the church and doesn´t ever hear anyone at our church talk bad about other religions, which she likes. 

It´s interesting to me how many people know of the Church, have been to church, have a copy of the Book of Mormon, have heard the lessons from the missionaries, etc. We talk to tons of people on the streets, in houses, etc. and lots of people still aren´t interested or they are inactive. I believe that the prophecy that the message of the Restoration will sound in every ear is being fulfilled (``The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; … the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”)

On Sunday, a member of the high council asked our ward to look around and ask ourselves why our chapel is not full? This is the truth. We know it. He asked us if we are really doing our maximum because this work is just that important. 

I like this quote by Elder Holland about our responsibility to prepare the world for the second coming: ``Because ours is the last and greatest of all dispensations, because all things will eventually culminate and be fulfilled in our era, there is, therefore, one particular, very specific responsibility that falls to those of us in the Church now that did not rest quite the same way on the shoulders of Church members in any earlier time. Unlike the Church in the days of Abraham or Moses, Isaiah or Ezekiel, or even in the New Testament days of James and John, we have a responsibility to prepare the Church of the Lamb of God to receive the Lamb of God—in person, in triumphant glory, in His millennial role as Lord of lords and King of kings. No other dispensation ever had that duty.`` 

I have also been thinking about what stops us from preparing the world for the second coming and on my mission I have met many people who have distanced themselves from the church because they dislike the ward leadership or the members. Jesus himself prophecied of this in Matthew 24:10. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. He doesn´t say that many shall offend--he says that many shall be offended, making it a choice. He also said that many will betray one another; you have to be close to someone/friends in order to betray someone. Then he says that we will hate one another. Hate is the absence of forgiveness. Jesus taught, But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you;. The work will hasten rapidly if each member applies these principles and we learn to love and forgive. It is hard to forgive, others as well as ourselves, but I have seen it in my own life. The sweetness of forgiveness is hard to describe. Such a weight is lifted when we use the Savior´s atonement--we shouldn´t let that great sacrifice be in vain; we must use it to change and become more like Him. I hope that I am becoming more Christlike on my mission. I want to learn to love people the way that he did. I am grateful for his life, his ministry, his atonement, and his resurrection. I am grateful to be able to participate in his work. It is so sweet. 

I hope you all have a great week! 

Te amo, Sister Sadie Bledsoe