November 14, 2016

This week was crazy, but wonderful! 

We were able to visit a lot of investigators and are able to work more and more with the members! 

 Sister Pereira and I. We arrived here together four months ago and are both training a new sisters

 My new companion, Sister Muniz, and I

We were talking with one on our investigators who had cried during sacrament meeting on Sunday. She said her friend who was already a member was asking why she was crying and she said something like ``Are you even listening to what people are saying! It is so beautiful! I know that the things people are testifying of are true! 

One Wednesday it rained A LOT!!! We were walking on the sidewalk and a huge bus passed and we got sprayed with water (Like in movies where a car passes and the people get completely soaked). It was exactly like that. We were soaked! 

We taught another woman this week who realized how much she really needs the Gospel! We told her of how living the Gospel will bless her life and she is so excited to come to church and learn more! 

We were walking from the edge of the boundary which is quite far and we decided we would call an investigator to see if she was home before we walked all the way there. I called and said "Hey it is the Sisters!" She said "I already knew it was you when heard the phone ring! You can come over right now! Beijo! Tchau!" and then hung up. So we went right over. We taught her more about the gospel of Jesus Christ and she accepted the baptismal challenge! She said she would pray again but that she already knew and felt that the things we were saying are true! 

I saw Ether 12:27 in a new light this week that I had never thought of before. 

  27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

One of my favorite parts isn't that weak things can become strong, but it is that "if men come unto me." If we are realizing how many weaknesses we have it means that we are closer to our Heavenly Father and trying to rely and come unto Him. If we think we are completely okay and that we don't have anything we really need to change it means that we are farther from our Heavenly Father. We are always going to have weaknesses and we have weaknesses because it gives us the opportunity to truly come unto Christ and rely 100% on Him and His Atonement. AND through Christ and His Atonement he can turn our weaknesses into strengths. 

I love you all! Thanks for the emails and support! :)

Have a wonderful week! 

-Sister Hancock

November 7. 2016 Trainer and New Companion

On Monday we found out that Sister Ferreira and Sister Sousa were getting transferred and the Sister Pereira and I would be staying in Autodromo! On Tuesday morning we found out that Sister Ferreia, Sister Pereira and I were going to each be training a new missionary!

The rest of Tuesday we went and met with a lot of people that Sister Ferreira wanted to say goodbye to. Then on Tuesday night, our last night all together we didn't have any electricity or lights! We were without lights/electricity/hot water for about 4 days this week! 

On Wednesday we had a meeting with the new trainers and then in the afternoon met our new companions!!! 

My new companion is Sister Muniz! She looks like an American, but she is from Brazil Campinas. She is waiting for her VISA to go to her actual mission in Florida! She will probably be here in Curitiba as my companion for about one or two months! She doesn't speak much English but she will teach me Portugues and I will teach her English!

This week we visited all of the 15 investigators that I had at the end with Sister Ferreira and then spent a lot of time walking, knocking doors, talking to people on the streets and teaching people. 

One day we taught a lesson and the guy had TEN golden retrievers!!!! As we were walking out they all followed me and were jumping up on me. I asked the guy if I could take all of them home with me but he said that I couldn't... haha. 

On Sunday we were in Sacrament meeting and sitting at the front. A member came up and said there was a man at the back of the chapel that didn't know anything about the church. We rushed back to sit and talk with him. He told us that the night before he had a dream that there were two girls that were missionaries and they invited him to something but before he saw where it was he woke up. The next morning he left his house to go for a walk, not knowing where he was going. He walked by the church and for some reason felt like he should enter. He walked in and sat at the back feeling a little sad and confused. At that moment we walked over and sat on either side of him. He started to cry and a little later said that when we sat next to him he felt that there were two angels sitting next to him and he felt comforted. 

I love being a missionary! I have learned sooo much this past week! Each day as I teach and testify more and more, the more I realize that this truly is the one true church on the earth. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and our ability to be changed and become closer to Christ. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that he can help us with any challenge or weakness that we have!!!

I love y'all! Have an incredible week!

-Sister Hancock

October 31, 2016

Note from Emily's Mom - Sorry no pictures. Emily sent them in a different format, and I could not access them. We will work on that.
 

This week was pretty great! It will probably be the last week that the four of us will be together because we have transfers on Tuesday or Wednesday! We still don´t know what will be happening with transfers so I will update y'all next week! 

On our P-day last week I ate sushi for the first time!!!

Then after we ate lots and lots and lots of sushi we went to the Botanical Gardens. It was a beautiful day!

On Thursday we had a conference with an area 70, Elder Aidukaitis! It was wonderful!!!! The spirit was so strong and we learned a lot. He talked a lot about the Book of Mormon and how it is the word of God. The Book of Mormon is either of God or it is of the Devil, it can't be in between. If you read the Book of Mormon and ask yourself about each verse... Does this bring me closer to God? The answer is always yes. All of the chapters testify of our Savior Jesus Christ and the Love and Power of God for his children here on the earth. 

After the conference about 5 missionaries had the chance to talk to Elder Aidukaitis! I got the chance to talk to him one on one for about 8 minutes. He asked me about my mission and how everything is going. I know that he is a representative of Jesus Christ and is called of God. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ is true and that God calls Prophets and Apostles today.