Mar 10: Oi!

Confessions of a missionary blogger's mom:  due to the crazy combination of several weeks of computer repair and replacement followed by setting up my business on a new computer and all new software followed by another few especially hectic weeks.... I have gotten woefully behind on Sister Greenall's blog posts.  Thank goodness for repentance and moving on. :) Here goes!

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Oi Familia & Amigos,

It has been another great week.

On Monday night our plans fell through. Sister T and I decided to try stopping by M and D's house. Sister S and I had met M just before she got transferred, and had taught her the Restoration, which she loved! We made a return appointment, but when Sister T and I went back, she wasn't home, but we got to meet her husband, D. We had tried making return appointments, but they hadn't worked out. So we dropped by on Monday night, M answered, let us right in. And then all 7 of her children came down!! About 3 minutes after we had gone in and met the family, the father gets home! So we asked if he would join us and the kids! M had been making dinner, but we asked if we could share a 5 minute message. They said yes! All the kids sat down on the floor around us, with the two parents next to us on a couch, and we taught the Plan of Salvation! It was probably one of the most beautiful moments of my mission!! Everyone listened so carefully! The kids range from 6 to 18. They have the most amazing names! We were planning on keeping the lesson short, but after we finished and asked if there were questions, the father said "Let's make this a game! Every single person will ask a question!" So we realized they weren't too worried about their dinner. Every single member of the family asked a question! They were everywhere from funny (Little 6 year old J asked a bunch, including "what if everyday was Christmas and God was Santa Claus?") to really good and thought out questions! When we were closing and taught them to pray and asked D if he would offer it, he said that every person would say a prayer. So we knelt in a circle and held hands, and every single person offered a prayer! It was the most incredible thing! I love that family!!

We continued to have a wonderful Monday evening and visited the Mo family.

On my mission I have learned more about the necessity of knowing sorrow in order to know joy.

2 Nephi 2: 13 and 15

Tuesday was the 6th month mark of my mission! And also probably the hardest day so far. But still a wonderful day. Every day is special.

On Monday night I woke up really sick. I got the stomach bug that has been going around for the last few months. It was bound to happen! Especially since it has gone around the missionaries and one of the sisters in our apartment had it a month ago. So the next morning- Tuesday- I was really sick and stayed in bed. The other sisters are so sweet! The Heritage Trail Sisters (the ward next to ours, and our housemates) got me some gluten free rice crackers, Gatorade, and some fever medicine). Sister T was so patient, having to stay inside all day would make any missionary crazy (any missionary who was more than half conscious... haha!). But also that day we got a text message from dear Brother M! ...He sent us such a thoughtful heartfelt message! It basically said that he has done several hours of study in the Doctrine & Covenants (...we told him about the word of wisdom and other baptism requirements. He had asked what was necessary to prepare for baptism...) and that he had decided he wouldn't be able to comply with all of them, due to a previous commitment he made to someone very special to him. He said it was among the most difficult decisions he has made in his life. But what really got me was the gratitude he expressed. He expressed the most sincere gratitude for the things we have taught him and the time we have spent with him. He said no one has ever helped him to come so close to peace before. He also mentioned that his "life clock" had begun ticking increasingly fast. He doesn't think he has a lot of time left, and I think that has influenced his decision to be baptized- perhaps thinking he doesn't have enough time.

But the thing that made me cry (it was the first time on my mission!) was the Spirit that touched me as Sister T read the message to me. I just felt again how much Heavenly Father loves Brother M. And the Spirit testified to me that every sacrifice made to be on a mission, and every sacrifice made to be waiting for my visa and be in Texas, and all the time spent with Brother M, and all the money spent in the visa waiting process, etc, -that all of those things were worth the sacrifice, even if Brother M was the only person I met on my mission - because Heavenly Father loves Brother M that much and desires his exaltation.

I'm so grateful to be a missionary of the Lord, Jesus Christ!

Every day I feel so blessed!

We ARE BLESSED! Somos abencoados!

Eu sei que esta Igreja e a igreja de Jesus Cristo! Sei que Ele ama o seu povo aqui na Terra. Sei que temos um profeta vivo. Sei que o templo e a casa do Senhor. Sei que a minha familia possa ser eternal!! Sei que podemos encontrar paz verdadeira por meio de Jesus Cristo, sua expiacao e seu evangelho restaurado. Sei que Jospeh Smith foi um profeta verdadeiro e chamado de Deus.

A vida e tao boa!!!

eu amo voces! Sou grata por seus oracoes e seu apoio cada dia.

(Sorry for the lack of correct Portuguese accents/etc.)

I know that this church is the church of Jesus Christ! I know that He loves his people here on the Earth. I know that we have a living prophet. I know that the temple is the house of the Lord. I know that my family can be eternal!! I know that we can find real peace through Jesus Christ, His Atonement, and His restored gospel. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet and was called of God.

Life is so good!!!

I love y'all! I am grateful for your payers and support each day!

Muito amor,

Sister Greenall