New Contacts

Winter in Brazil!
At the zoo with Jose's grandson, Pedro.

Folks, we had an awesome week!!

>

> We had a really great Family Night with Marcelo last week, but
unfortunately he went on vacation until the 30th, so he´s been put on
hold for a few weeks.

>

> We are teaching a few new families:

> Juliana and her husband Wilson and their two daughters. This is a
family that worked the hot dog stand at the Festa Juninha. They are
friends with some members and we were able to teach the wife, her
mother and her two daughters. She is looking for a church to raise her
two daughters and said she has always been "followed" a little bit by
members from the Church. She read a chapter from the Book of Mormon
already and said she was willing to read more and pray. They will be
going to church with us on Sunday and then to a planned Family Night
later that same night!!

Luciana and Islande is another couple that we found when we
knocked doors one night two weeks ago. They kept telling us to come
back time after time because they were always walking out the door or
didn´t have time, and finally it worked out and when we taught them on
Saturday they really liked our message and came to church by themselves
on Sunday!! They are looking for a religion to raise their 5 children
in !! We will have a family night with them on Thursday!!

We are also teaching the boss, Claudine, of a young women from the
ward. This young women (Tatiana) is an awesome mini-missionary. She
already talked to her boss all about the gospel and Claudine wanted to
receive a Book of Mormon. She says she already knows the gospel is true
and wants to be baptized, but she has to get approval from her husband
who wants nothing to do with the Church. She also lives in another
city, so we have to try to get her integrated with her appropriate ward.

José is progressing, praying about his baptism, but having a hard
time stopping drinking coffee and worrying about Malu not being
interested in the church. We went with him and his wife, Malu, today to
the Zoologico. It was great to see the two of them together, happy, and
to see Malu taking more of an interest in who we are and what we do. We
went with their grandson, Pedro as well.

We are also teaching Telma and her son Paulo Cesar and her
daughter Rute. Telma is the maid of a excommunicated member that we
taught at lunch one day. She took a sincere interest in the church and
the excommunicated member took her to church on Sunday. Telma said she
really like the church because it is family oriented. Rute really like
the young womens and is going to a youth activity tonight!! Telma is
super excited about the church, but not super excited about her husband
being against the church.

There always seems to be a hang-up and the most apparent one right now
seems to be spouses. But the Lord will provide!!
I love this work and love helping and loving these people!!

Have a wonderful week!!

Sister Tittelfitz

From May 19 - oops

I don't know how I missed posting this, but here it is - better late than never, eh?

Well folks, I have good and bad news. Today I lost one of my dearest companions. We stayed together only one transfer and I was completely astonished by the transfer we received. I will be staying in São Caetano this transfer again and Sister Zanella was transfered to another zone to open an area. We were shocked by the transfer and it was two days of straight crying to seperate the two of us. I am not bitter towards my new companion and I am already loving her (Sister Souza is here name, my 2nd "Sister Souza"). I obviously still have some work to do in this area and the Lord has left me here for what will now be 6 months at the end of this transfer. I love the area and have battled hard with two companions, and now the third, to help this ward grow. Baptisms have been in few and far between since I arrived, but perhaps what this area requires more than new converts is a loving heart and dedicated service. I´m still asking for revelation how to go forth with this transfer and have success with my new companion. I don´t like to admit it, but I know I´m learning a lesson in perserverance and staying animated and diligent in the face of many challenges and few but drastric changes. I have been extremely blessed as a missionary and there is no reason to complain. I have regained my health this past transfer, worked hard, loved my companion and loved the area even more! and now I have little time in the mission now to continue to see miracles, so I´ve got to battle it out and work hard and use every moment of time I have left!!

I know this Gospel is true, and I love our Heavenly Father. Until next week!

Sister Tittelfitz

July 14, 2009

(This is how we sweep and mop the house in one quick and easy clean-up!)

Well folks it´s been a great week. We have been super busy finding the Lord´s elite!! It has been so great to be teaching Sister Buckley and to be seeing her progress!!

This weekend we had the Festa Junina at the church, a cultural Brasilian festival. José went and took his grandson and they both loved it and it was great for José to get to know more members. He also went to church on Sunday and stayed for Sacrament Meeting again and took his grandson as well. He´s making progress, but has still got to give up coffee and be ready to jump into the church feet first without any hesitation!!

We are also teaching a really neat family that we met at the Festa Junina. They were a family hired to do the hot dog stand at the party and invited us to come to their home Sunday night. They really liked our message and said they are looking for a church to raise their children, and were really impressed by the amount of families at the activity!

We are also teaching a man named Marcelo. He was taught by the Elders ten years ago in another city when he was a young man. He was not baptized because of family/girlfriend problems, but said that he went onto the internet one day to look up the Church and found the telephone number of our Bishop. He gave him a call and asked if the missionaries could teach him again. He lives alone so we are teaching him in the chapel and yesterday we had a family night in the home of a member that lives in the same apartment building as him!!

We had a great Zone Conference last week that was totally focused on the Book of Mormon and how is the greatest tool in the conversion procress. We are reading the Book of Mormon as a mission in 62 days and I am already at the end of Alma. I know that this book is true, I know that this book answers many of the questions of the soul. I know this book was translated by a prophet of God. I know these things are true!!

Have a great week everybody!!

Sister Tittelfitz

July 7, 2009

I´m having a great time training folks. I love my new companion, she is so wonderful!! It´s a challenge teaching Portugese, but it´s so great to see her progress!!

I had a wonderful suprise on Sunday. As we were arriving in front of the chapel I saw a man that looked oddly familiar, I yelled out "João" and it was truly Irmão João Bosco that I taught and was baptized in Diadema in January!! The members from his ward had told him that I was going home in a few weeks and he took a bus to our area and then walked from the bus station to the chapel for 45 minutes to see me one last time before I go home!! It was such a nice suprise. He said he´s doing well and struggled for a few months to stay active because it was getting a lot of part time jobs and couldn´t go on Sundays, but that he wants to "stay strong" now!!

José actually stayed in Sacrament Meeting this week and liked it, but said there were a lot of kids running around and he couldn´t hear everyone´s testimonies very well :(

My time is running out folks, I have three minutes to send this email, so I´m cutting it short. BUT I LOVE THIS GOSPEL, I LOVE MY MISSION and I LOVE THIS WORK!!

Have a wonderful week folks!!
Tchau!!
Sister Tittelfitz

June 30, 2009

(My new "baby" Sister Buckley)


(Brother and Sister Morrill have been serving in this mission and are going home).



I am training again!! This time my first and only American companion in the mission, Sister Buckley from Idaho Falls, Idaho. I was not transferred from my area, so I will be staying in São Caetano until the end of my mission!!

I am really good, it will be a challenge to teach Portuguese, I will have to slow down my teaching routine, but it will all work out!! I will get a good taste of what it was like to have to train me!!

Love you,
Jenelle

June 23, 2009

Well folks, its been a great week. We worked and we saw some progress!! Hellen and Wesley will be baptized this Sunday, and Sonia we hope the following week. She is still smoking, but we didnt want to postpone the kids baptisms for weeks upon weeks because of Sonia. We are also praying and planning that the baptism of her grandchildren will motivate here to get rid of her bad habits so that she too can enter into the waters of baptism.

José Barba is doing well. He, unfortunately, didnt go to Church on Sunday as he battled with a bought of depression and is getting a little overwhelmed by the negative reaction his family members have friends are having towards him in relation to learning about another religion. He started to read Pearl of Great Price but got a little confused and told us yesterday that he wants to study the basics first and gain a testimony of the Church first. We bought him a triple today in the temple and told him to use it to accompany the Gospel Principles Manuel that he is reading, and nothing more. Profound Doctrine is overwhelming, even for members in the church 15 years.

The members in our ward are getting a little more excited about helping us out with Family Nights and passing references to us. It has been a little bit of slow battle to get members involved here in the ward, but I have found that if we focalize on a family that can help us and call and pass by the members house they start to see that we really want their help and that they are capable to helping out in the missionary work!!

I thought I would throw in here something interesting that happened to me. Yesterday I received a letter that Sister Ward sent to me. It was a letter that I wrote in Seminary 5 years ago that was addressed to myself. I wrote about the things that I wanted to have accomplished by June 2nd, 2009. It was interesting because all but one of the goals I accomplished in this time period (the goal I did not accomplish was have my own apartment). Here are some of the goals that I wrote, in case you wondered:
-Have graduated from a 4 year university with a degree in Social Work or Health Science
-Have learned a 2nd language
-Probably have served a mission, outside of the U.S. (this was interesting, because as I recall, when I was 18 I did not plan on serving a mission, hence the 'probably')
-Have not gotten married and am not planning on it (hahaha, i started laughing when i read this one!)
-Have a strong testimony of the Gospel and of my Savior Jesus Christ
-Have a strong relationship with my family and friends
-Have a strong testimony of the scriptures

Its interesting how well we know ourselves sometimes, but I was also proud that I had accomplished these goals and that I have a strong testimony of the Gospel and of the Scriptures and of course, of my savior Jesus Christ. I think I will write another letter addressing what I hope to have accomplished by 2014, lets see what will happen!!

Folks, today I went to the temple and felt so strongly the spirit testifying to me of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and I know that we have a living Prophet, Thomas S. Monson as the head of the Church of Jesus Christ. I love this Gospel and this work with all of my heart!!

Have a wonderful week everyone,
Sister Tittelfitz

June 16, 2009

The work continues to be great here in São Caetano. WInter has finally arrived and it really cold. I am using spandex legging underneath my skirt, using nylons, closed toed shoes, a jacket, the scarf that Belinda Baldwin sent me for christmas that I thought I´d never use, and´i´m looking around in the stores to find some gloves to buy!! Yes, it does get cold here in Brasil. And worse, it gets windy and it´s a humid cold, the type that chills your bones!! But it´s all good, beause it´s great motivation to teach a lot and spend more time in people´s homes teaching than on the street!!

José (Barba) went to church again on Sunday, but once again only stayed for Sunday School as he had to open his store. He making huge spiritual progress and yesterday asked us that if he were baptized, what would be the consequences with the members and with God that we would have if he left the church. It is a little strange sometimes how he asks questions, but he is really trying to make this decision for ETERNITY and not for a few months or only a year.

Sonia´s baptismal goal was postponed again as she was not able to stop smoking yet. Yesterday I took another package of coffee out of her home. She wanted it really bad, but I told her we had already bought Cevada for her and that she would survive. She´s a little confused about why we want her to stop, but we told her that with much prayer, reading the Book of Mormon and continuing to go to church that she will have a confirmation of these commandments. Yesterday her granddaughter came into the room with a cup of black liquid and asked what it was. Sonia lied and said it was Cevada, and her granddaughter said that it tasted strange. I told her to put a little bit of milk in it and that I would take a sip to see if the cevada needed more sugar. When I took a gulp I realized it was coffee!! The kids started to scream and said that I had sinned!! I explained that in innocence I could not have sinned and the kids decided I was right.


We continue to serve the Lord!! (and drink coffee on accident!)

Have a great week!!

Sister Tittelfitz

June 8, 2009

Folks, sorry I wasn´t able to write last week. We went out with the other Sisters to a really creative and different museum called "Sabina" that is focused on the "Meio Ambiente" or what I think in English is taking care of the earth. There were some really cool physics exhibits, a simulation of what a tornado would be like (it ruined all of the blow drying and flat ironing that the sisters had done that day) and a bunch of stuff about the big bang theory and we got to play with baby sting-rays!! It is a closed museum that only lets organized tours of schools come in, but we used our sisterly charm and the fact that three of us are Americans, and the other three are from far away states of Brasil, the fact that we´re missionaries and POOF, we entered with a tour guide for FREE. Yes, take that Elders !


Gildete and Pedro were married on May 30th in the church!! We got so caught up helping in the kitchen to prepare the food that Gildete thought we hadn´t come at all. They were so happy and thanked us so much for all of our help!! Gildete was lovely (see photo)!! We are now teaching her and she´s loving our visits but is having a hard time accepting that her baptism in her other church wasn´t "valid". She likes the church but has been in her church for so many years that a few hard transitions will be necessary for her to fully convert.



We unfortunately "lost" our investigators Sonia and João. We had some incredible lessons with them and really saw some break-throughs with Sonia. However, her lack of humility in sincerely praying and asking for a response from the LORD and her constant search for everything wrong with the church and persistent searches on the internet finding everything incorrect and completely apostate about the church lead her away from wanting to learn more. She invited us to come back to her house so that she could "teach US the TRUTH". I will keep praying for her, and know that the seed was planted. It just lacks water and a LOT of sunshine.

However, we found another Sonia about two weeks ago and her crazy and hyper-active three grandchildren. They went to church with us last week and are all looking forward to a baptismal goal of June 21st. However, Sonia has to stop smoking first. Her grandchildren- Wesley, Hellen and Izabelle (11, 9, 7) pick up on everything so fast and even the members thought that the kids were members visiting from another ward when they went to Primary because they were already talking about Joseph Smith and knew the books from the Book of Mormon. We are also teaching their mother, Adriane, but she unfortunately works every Sunday in a supermarket. We are going to see what we can do to help her find another job so that she can get to know the church as well, but it may take another few weeks.

We are also teaching "Senhor José" aka "Barba" (Beard). He is a crazy, totally hippy fun-loving man that owns a ice cream shop close to our house. Sister Brito made a contact with him nearly 3 months ago and Sister Zanella and I started to teach him. He was making little progress as he understands EVERYTHING but wants to take baby-steps in everything that we teach him, aka instead of ready the chapter that we give him he was ready verse by verse. He knows a bunch of members and went to the chapel one Wednesday night to talk with the Bishop´s counselor about some questions he had that he didn´t want to ask us (he told us later he has doubts about whether he can sell beer in his ice-cream shop if he were to become a member and how he can pay tithing if the store is part his and part his wife´s). His wife is super not-receptive, but we were able to teach her the first lesson. She told us she doesn´t want to read anything we left for her because she doesn´t want to confuse anything with the Bible. José tells us every day to pray for her because he want´s her to understand the same things he is learning. He has questions about everything and was afraid to go to church because he doesn´t want to have to use a suit and tie. On Sunday he arrived at 9:10 entered into the chapel and saw the Elders Quorom, everyone with tie and suit. He ran back to his car without anyone seeing him and stayed there for the next 50 minutes. He said he battled it out with himself for that time deciding if he should enter or not. When he saw a young woman enter into the chapel with a mini-skirt he decided that he could enter as well. The Bishop caught him in the hall and guided him to the "Gospel Principles" class where we found him. He loved the class, but couldn´t stay for Sacrament Meeting as he promissed his wife he wouldn´t be gone long because they fought that morning about him going to church. He took the Gospel Principles Manuel home, and yesterday when we went to teach he had already read the first 11 chapters and said that he´s loving how everything makes sense, using the Bible, Book of Mormon. He already wants Doctrine and Convenants and Pearl of Great Price so that he can look up all the other references as well. We have found an elect folks. Please pray for him, because it´s going to require a lot of bravery for him to take upon himself the decision to be baptized, to follow the strong answers he is receiving from the Holy Ghost!!

I love this work, I love the people we are teaching and the people we are finding!! I love being a missionary!! I just hope that next 9 weeks of my mission pass by so SLOWELY so that I can absorb every moment of this wonderful work!!

Have a great week everyone!!
Sister Tittelfitz

From May 26 - Patriarchal Blessings

I learned a lot this week. At the beginning of last week I was very
nervous because I became Senior again and not "co-senior" and felt the
responsibility fall on my shoulders again. My companion is a sweet,
little (5´0" tall) sister that hardly talks. It was such a drastic
change in companionship, but I am already loving her, and she´s
starting to talk more. She is from Rondonia and is in the mission for 6
months. We´re dividing the load more evenly now and we´re seeing the
work continue in this area.
We had the most crazy day and amazing experience on Sunday. Sunday
morning was a rough go. We
went to pick up some investigators that either slept in and didn´t want
to answer the door or left early and didn´t advise us because nobody
answered the door. At the chapel we waited for a few investigators who
said they would come by car, but never made it, and after a phone call
to their home we discovered nobody was at home too. Gildete came, the
woman who will be marrying Irmão Pedro on Saturday in the Church. She
has such a sweet heart and confessed to Sister Zanella and I that if
Pedro had invited her to the church 5 years ago she would probably be a
member today, but since he never said anything she went to find another
religion and was baptized in another church. However, we have high
hopes for her, and know that it is never to late to discover the Gospel
of Jesus Christ restored on the earth.

Right after
church there was a suprise baptism- Irmã Viviam´s children, who Sister
Brito and I had taught a few lessons to help them prepare. Viviam had
told me their baptism would be on the 24th, but I seemed to have
forgotten which Sunday was which. Viviam was totally unprepared and she
had not invited anyone to the baptism, neither asked people to give a
talk, but she had held onto a Baptismal Reunion Outline that I wrote
out for her and with the help of the Bishopric everything came together
at the last minute. Our lunch appointment fell through because the
Irmã´s blood pressure sky-rocketed and her husband rushed her to the
hospital. The Bishop invited us to have lunch with him at the last
minute and we literally ate a plate full of food in 5 minutes and left
running to Sonia and João´s (the couple who were assaulted in the
parking lot) because we made an appointment with them and the Patriarch
was going to meet up with us as Sonia met the Patriarch Lazaro when he
was hospitalized in 2006 after a heart attack. He is the sweetest and
most spiritual little man, I think I´ll name my first son after him. I
was super nervous because of the rush at church, I had eaten really
quickly and because I was expecting Sonia to put up a fight again over
the fact that she doesn´t believe the Book of Mormon to be true or that
there is a living prophet or apostles. Because the lesson started she
said she wanted to say something that she thought would make me happy.
The day before she had gone into the other city to leave here son at a
class and while she was waiting she ran into her sister-in-law that is
a member of the Church. She invited Sonia to go to an Institute class
with her, and Sonia absolutely adored the class. She finally understood
the purpose of the Book of Mormon and started to read!! I started to
cry, and she said she knew I would cry because she had put up a "good
torture session" with Sister Zanella and I many times of questioning
our testimonies and saying that we had been brain washed. She smiled
and said that she loved me.

We taught the Plan of
Salvation again to Sonia, this time with her husband present. She
didn´t even argue with us!! João understood almost everything and was
even teaching Sonia a few things based on the scriptures from the Book
of Mormon!! The Patriarch taught them about Baptisms for the Dead and
Sonia said she didn´t know how she had read the Bible so many times and
had missed out on the details about this sacred ordenance!! Sonia still
has a lot of questions and refused a Baptismal Goal, but we will be
passing there again tonight to teach them about the Word of Wisdom and
to help them continue to progress!!

Folks, the work
is hard, but it is so worth it. I will fight until my dying day to
defend the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that this Church is the true
church with the restored doctrines. I know that families can be sealed
to be together for all eternity. I know miracles exist, and always come
after the trial of our faith. Keep on believing, because it is simply
when we think it is impossible and want to give up that the Lord places
a miracles in our path.

Have a wonderful week,
Sister Tittelfitz 

From May 12 - blessings!

Our first wedding in the Mission! Pedro and Gildete!

Bowling with the Elders

Greetings to all! We continue to be working hard and helping a lot of people that are confused about various religions and why there exists such controversy between the various beliefs.

To leave a short email/story with you all:
We are teaching a couple, Sonia and Joao. They have two young adult sons (20 and 26) but they aren't too interested in hearing our messages and usually tell Sonia after we leave that she should stop receiving us. Sonia and Joao frequented another church for eyars, but stopped attending after they saw many things wrong with hypociscy between teh members. Sonia likes to "bible Bash" a little bit with us, and always offers food and a hug and kiss afterwards. Saturday night we watched "Testaments" movie with them and it started to poor. Joao Offered to get his car out of the parking lot close to their house where they pay to park their car, and he would return in 5 minutes to take us home with Sonia. I was running a low fever and Sonia didn't want me to walk home in the rain. Joao was taking forever and Sonia thought myabe he had got lost. It was already 9:15 at night and we had to get home soon, so she left to the parking lot. Five minutes later Sonia called and talked with her son briefly. He told us there was an emergency, that her mother fell drastically ill and that they were talking her to the emergency room. We tried calling a few membesr to see if they could pick us up, but no one was at home. We decided there was no other option and to walk home in the rain.

The next day at church Sonia and Joao didn't show up. We suspected her mother was still ill. At the end of the meetings a member came up to me and said "There's a man and a woman, Sonia and Joao, wanting to talk to you in the parking lot." When we went out there Sonia was crying and Joao said in a very serious voice "We came to tell you taht we lied." MY heart sank, and I had a terrible feeling they were going to say something horrible. Sonia's mother had not fallen ill, and they did not take her to the hospital. They had been mugged and helt at gun point in the parking lot. Miraculously Sonia convinced the muggers to let her call and lie to her son so that we would leave their house and not try to find them in the parking lot and held at gunpoint. as well. Nothing was taken, as they hadn't nothing with them, and the muggers moved onto other cars and ended up stealing 5 cars from the lot. Sonia was crying because she said she felt so sorry that I had to walk home in the rain!! What a sweetheart, my heart melted. I asked them if they would agree to receiving a blessing of comfort, and they agreed. After her blessing Sonia turned to us and said "I don't know if I'll ever be a member of your church, but you two are two lights in my life, followers of Jesus, and I love you both!"
We have a good feeling they bother be making more progress in the gospel, and maybe they won't be baptized, but we know that the power of the Priesthood was able to bless them.

I know the Gospel is true. I'm so thankful to be a missionary and to be seeing miracles here in my mission. I'm thankful to be so blessed by the Lord and to be able to help others come unto Christ!

Have a great week everyone,
Sister Tittelfitz

In the Soccer Stadium in São Caetano with Bete!

Bowling with the Elders:

MY STRIKE !!!

From May 5

Jenelle sent a lot of information about what our family needs to know when we travel down there, that this is what she ended up with enough time to say (and no photos this time either):

"...I´m doing great! We are working so much, I might not even get time to write an email to everyone or send photos. So if you don´t get any photos today, it´s beacuse I didn´t have time to send them. I LOVE my mission, let everyone know that I´m doing GREAT. My hair is hanging in there and I´m feeling great."

REALLY short

Folks, everything is going especially well here in the area. We are up to our eyeballs in work which leaves little time to have solid communication through my emails. We are finding amazing people in this area, fasting, praying, working hard, trying to be 100% obedient in all that we do and working to be instruments in the Lord´s hands so that His will can be done in this area.

I continue to learn amazing things with my companion each and every day. We had an amazing opportunity on Sunday to see how the light of Christ has the ability to literally change the appearance of a person that is depressed, that has been completely deceived by the enemy into believing that short-lived happiness is better than personally exerting oneself to find true happiness in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. After a harsh but straight forward lesson calling the investigator to repentance, we literally saw the light of Christ enter, a smile on her face, and hope and a desire to continue in her assemblance (I don´t know if this is English).

I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love being a missionary. I know that through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Church of Christ was restored to this earth in this latter days. I know that we have a living Prophet, and 12 Apostles, I know that THIS is the true Church of Christ. I know that the only way to find TRUE and EVERLASTING happiness is by following our Lord and Savior, excercising true faith in Him, Repenting of our sins and weaknesses, taking about ourselves His name, being Baptized with the Authority of the Priesthood, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the END!!

Have a wonderful week everyone!!
Beijos,
Sister Tittelfitz


Daniela and Felipe - 10th wedding anniversary celebration (members that I helped reactivate with Sister Brito and Felipe was now called to be our Leader of the Missionary Work in our ward)!



Cookie Night and the group of Cookie Makers!

Sister Zanella's chocolate and junk food!

New Scribe

Here is Jenelle's email from this week addressed to me. She apparently didn't have time to write a nice long email to send out to everyone else, but that's ok, I'll share mine with all of you! She has someone sending this to us who doesn't speak any English! It appears that Jenelle hand wrote a note and had her friend, Bete (Elizabete), actually type it out and send it. I didn't edit it because I think it's pretty cute the way it is!
(That is Bete in the photo above with Jenelle and her new companion).

I`m sending an email through Bete,my new scribe,because I did"nt have time today to write
and I didint want you to get womed.
We went to a historic city today called Paranapiacaba.I found a great place for us to like
and swim in natural pools and watesfalls in August when we all return.I`m send more
information next week when I have more time.
we are having a lot of sucess here in our area and are loving being companions .The
Gospel is astonishing in its ability to change lives and bring souls for Christ .
I love you,send hugs and kisses to everyone! Until next week..
Love,
Jenelle......


Jenelle and her new companion in Paranapiacaba with a new "friend".

Are our eyes open to see miracles?

This has been an incredible week. I received my new companion, Sister Zanella, that I swear was one of my good friends in the pre-existence. We have hit it off immediately and are loving working together. She came to the area and immediately recognized a lot of the weaknesses that this area has, and where I had fallen and become weak as well. She first was an example to me of how I could improve in a lot of things, and when I came forward and admitted a lot of my weaknesses she was eagerly excited to talk with me and work about how we could drastically change the area and see MIRACLES!!

We talked with the Bishop about the lack of activities in the ward and Sister Zanella originally had the idea that I would teach a cooking class about how to make Tacos. I knew the ingredients would be expensive, and instead suggested cookies. Agreed. We passed a list around in the Relief Society for the sisters to help us and everyone got really animated. We expect to see nearly 50 members tomorrow night, eager to learn how to make cookies!!

We will also be starting our English class (finally) on Saturday. There is an American in our ward that married a Brasilian that is going to help us teach, as he was helping the Elders nearly a year ago give the class and still has all of the materials that he used!

We are picking up on a few investigators who were getting lazy, and Sister Zanella called them to repentance and invited them to make a baptismal goal with Heavenly Father. Everyone excepted!! She is such an exemple to me of quiet dignity with an incredibly strong testimony. I hope to learn a lot from her in the next month!!

Easter was great. We received a suprise Easter Basket from the Sisters in our ward with an amazing amount of chocholate, and other goodies. I think dieting is out of the question for the next few weeks.

We also found an investigator on Saturday. It was a pretty funny experience. We were making a contact with her neighbor in the street, and all of a sudden this old lady standing in her door started to yell at us and ask us what church we are from. We went to talk to her and she invited us in to talk with her as she is extremely lonely. Her name is Maria do Socorro. She was baptized in the church "Avivamento Biblico" 50 years ago and is an active member. We hardly got through the first lesson as everytime we said the words "Heavenly Father" or "Christ" or "Bible" she started to chant things like "Oh Deus, o Espirito Santo" blah blah blah. Instead of trying to explain the Book of Mormon to her, we invited her to go to church with us. On Sunday we got a member to take her by car to the church. In the Relief Society I got up to conduct the hymn "Mais Perto Quero Estar" (I forgot the name in English). I sang the first line outloud to help the Sisters find the right note, but Maria do Socorro thought we already started to sing and burst out singing in the most off-key, loudest voice possible. The other Sisters looked shocked and extremely confused. Sister Zanella quiety reassured Maria that the hymn hadn´t actually started and that we would begin 'now'. During all of the prayers as well Maria would "pray" outloud. Overall it was a unique experience in the mission, but I think Maria liked the church.

Hope that it was a wonderful Easter for everybody and that everyone was able to focuse on the Atoning Sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Have a wonderful week everyone!!
Sister Tittelfitz

Our Easter Basket surprise from the Sisters in our ward!

General Conference

Sister T, Patricia and my new companion, Sister Zanella!



Chico Mendes with Patricia, Anderson and Family

Quick email folks, because my time is short!

This past week went well, I got hit hard with the flu and was bed-ridden for a few days, but all is improving now!!

General Conference was AMAZING!!! I loved all of the sessions (except Priesthood, because I wasn´t invited to watch). I know that we have a Living Prophet on the earth today, I know that Heavenly Father continues to have communication with his servants here on the earth. After all of the talks it is very clear that we all need to have more FAITH, HOPE and BE MORE OBEDIENT!!! We also need to plan more accordingly with our money, to attend the temple, and to be BETTER MEMBER MISSIONARIES!! I loved Elder Perry´s talk about missionary work, I love that he said that missionaries are spending more time finding people instead of teaching, it is so true and this has to change for the Lord´s work to progress!!

We received transfers today and Sister Brito was transferred to Santos. For the first time in my mission I stayed in my area instead of closing an area and opening another!! This time I get to share the work with my new companion, Sister Zanella. She is from Rio Grande do Sul, is such a sweet person and has an enormous desire and drive to get São Caetano into baptizing-shape!!

Patricia and her family came to São Caetano today to pass through the Park Chico Mendes, it was great to see them again. They stopped going to church for various reasons, but we tried to help them see that to progress as a family they really need to pray and read the Book of Mormon together AS A FAMILY!!

Have a wonderful week everyone!!
Sister Tittelfitz

March 31, 2009

I must confess that I have been a slacker when it came to getting Jenelle's blogs posted this month. It was spring break and I have been pretty sick - good enough excuses? Anywho....here they are for the month of March. -- Cindy


Lindalva´s Theater Group- Cantos e Contos!

So I´m pretty sure a lot of people were praying for us this past week, because we received a lot of blessings! We had an amazing week of finding new people and teaching with a new spirit of hope! I am already feeling better and am eagerly awaiting the results to my exames!

We started off our week with our adventure to watch Lindalva´s theater group perform on P-day. She participates in a small, 5-woman, theater piece in which each woman tells a story from her life. Their transition between each woman is a series of children´s songs that tell a story. Wow, we both loved it so much that we asked Lindalva to write down all the music for us. Lindalva and the group were so thrilled by our presence and said that we made their day, seeing two "youngster´s" in the midst of their audience. Generally they perform wherever they are accepted, which is generally rest homes or this past week was in a Catholic Convent. Sister Brito was afraid they wouldn´t let us in because of the fact that we are missionaries from our Church, but I played the "accent ticket" at the entrance of the church (gated, security system, speak through the intercom type of entrance) that our friend Lindalva invited us and that we are both foreigners, and they let us right in and showed us where the women would be performing. The nuns and all of the other older women really like the performance, liked it so much in fact that in their old age they started to make comments out loud without hesitation. One of the women´s stories was about her aunt´s secret sweet bean recipe, and one of the women in the audience shouted out "It´s not secret! because I HAVE the recipe!!" Another woman brought her stuffed dog that in the middle of the performance started to sing and dance to Shania Twain´s "I feel like a woman". It was an hiliarious experience, and we know it showed Lindalva that we care about her and are interested in her life and what she does and not in just teaching her about the Gospel and trying to get her to follow her son´s example and be baptized.


We also were able to get to know the members Aunt that is suffering from cancer and her two daughters, 11 and 13 years old. It was such a good experience to get to know her and her daughters. We shared a short message with her about difficulties in life and then sat with her and her two daughters and told funny stories and laughed for the next 1/2 hour. One of her daughters went to church the next day, as the other had to stay to care for her mother, and told us that her mom was so happy after our visit and said that she hadn´t laughed in such a long time, that is was very therapeutic for her. We are hoping that we can continue to have a positive influence and focus more on helping people in all of their needs, be them spiritual, physical or in home, i.e. washing dishes and sweeping. Surely one of the greatest parts of being a missionary is giving service and helping others. If we want to be happy people the first thing we have to do is forget about ourselves and focus on others and their needs.

We had a meeting with the Bishop on Sunday night and talked about a lot of goals that we want to see happen the next transfer and talked in detail about the difficulties of the area. He said he is well aware of the challenges that exist in this area, and sincerely thanked us for our dedicated work. He even asked for the President´s cell phone number so that he could call and ask the President to leave us in this area at least one more transfers to that we will be able "to see the fruits of our labors".

Folks, General Conference is this weekend. I sincerely invite you all to do your best to watch or listen all of the sessions. It is truly an amazing blessing to be able to hear the words of our Prophet and Apostles! Again, I invite you all to think of 5 questions that you would like to be answered in respect to the Gospel, and to pay attention during the sessions for your questions to be answered by the living Prophets!

Have a wonderful week,
Sister Tittelfitz

It's getting better (March 24, 2009)

Well folks, it´s been quite a rough battle the past few weeks. I was feeling incredibly tired and slow starting about a month ago and then my hair started to fall out and I got extremely emotional. Everyone told me it was stress, and to keep going along and things would get better. But after weeks of hair falling out and crying without cause, what woman doesn´t get a little worried? I called the Sister of the mission, and we´re in the process of getting blood work and urine work done to see if there´s not a problem with my thyroid. I´m alive and working, but as any missionary knows, when you´re not physically well, the work in the mission doesn´t seem to go all that well too. A lot of prayer and fasting has gone into this process, and I think I got a good reminder from my mother too this week too that often we need to share our difficulties with others in order that they can serve us and help us. She also reminded me that admitting to something does not mean that you are weak, but often that joy and relief can be found in confiding in others.

We had a particularly difficult week, as my companion and I seemed to be slammed with an amazing amount of "NO´s". I´ve never had an area in my mission where people were so brutally cold and rude in respect to not wanting to receive a message, or anyone from the Church of Jesus Christ every again. Sunday night during planning we literally cried over the week and over what we felt were our failures. We prayed and literally pleaded that the Lord might bless us in this area. We both woke up Monday morning, humbling trying to make the best of what looked like would be another day of 'no´s' and "0´s" in respect to numbers. We prayed and talked and planned about what we could do better. We started out teaching a short lesson to a woman who told us she was baptist, and that she was happy in her church, but that her mother had received the lesson from the missionarios some time ago and we could come back to visit her mother. We also visited a member who´s going through a stage of depression and she invited us to visit her aunt who´s dying from cancer and help her clean her house. We made an appointment for later this week. We also were able to teach the wife of a excomunigated member who is returning to church. They are really awesome people, extremely honest and humble about their mistakes and their desires to do better.

We are already seeing light at the end of the tunnel, and I know with all my heart that even in the darkest moments, the most important thing that we need to do is pray and have a hope that things will get better, but we also have to have a desire to get up everyday and do our best, because as we know, "faith, without works, is dead". Heavenly Father knows us, and knows our needs. He also knows our capacidades and our abilities to overcome our weaknesses. If we turn to Him in all that we do, He has the power to make our weaknesses our strengths and to see us through.

I found this talk particularly inspiring for me as well. It was originally addressed to Priesthood holders (men), but I know that it applies to all of us as well. It is from Elder James j. Hamula (Winning the War Against Evil):

While God’s kingdom has been established on the earth in times past, the people to whom the kingdom was previously committed were unable to keep it. This time, however, is different. The prophetic promise is that this time God’s kingdom will not be lost but will overcome the world.

To ensure its ultimate success, the final restoration of God’s kingdom has been commenced with unprecedented spiritual power and is being sustained by that same spiritual power and something more. Reserved to come forth in these last days and labor for our Father and His Son are some of the most valiant and noble of our Father’s sons and daughters. Their valiance and nobility were demonstrated in the pre-earth struggle with Satan. There, “being left to choose good or evil,” they “[chose] good” and exhibited “exceedingly great faith” and “good works.” Such are the traits that are now needed to sustain the work of God in the earth and to save the souls of men from the intensifying wrath of the adversary.

Now, my young friends of the Aaronic Priesthood, you are these valiant and noble sons of our Father! You are the strength of the Lord’s house, His warriors! You are those who chose good over evil and who exhibited “exceedingly great faith” and “good works.” And because of your personal history, you were entrusted to come to the earth in these last days to do again what you did before—to once again choose good over evil, exercise exceedingly great faith, and perform good works—and to do so in behalf of the kingdom of God on the earth and your fellowman!

With God’s kingdom restored to the earth and your entry into the world, Satan knows that “he hath but a short time.” Therefore, Satan is marshalling every resource at his disposal to entice you into transgression. He knows that if he can draw you into transgression, he may prevent you from serving a full-time mission, marrying in the temple, and securing your future children in the faith, all of which weakens not only you but the Church. He knows that nothing can overthrow God’s kingdom “save it [be] the transgression of [his] people.” Make no mistake about it—the focus of his war is now on you—you who seek to “keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”


Have a wonderful week everyone,
Sister Tittelfitz


In the President's home


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açai na tigela- a Brasilian delight

Photos only this week (March 17, 2009)

At the temple with Elder Macedo (my awesome former District Leader that´s leaving for home in three weeks)



At the temple with Irmã Inês e Irmão Edson

It's a Shortie! (March 10, 2009)

It´s a shortie this week folks, due to problems with the internet. We continue to work and have found some new families to teach. We pray and fast for them that quickly they may progress. The rain continues to pore and then the sun comes out and quickly heats everything up again.

Michelle was confirmed on Sunday and received a chique "certificate" confirming her a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints, she says she´s going to frame it at home!!

I´m so thankful to be a missionary and to be part of this wonderful work! Have a wonderful week everybody!!

Sister Tittelfitz

...a few things learned...

So I feel a little more educated this week. Last Wednesday we had "Nova Força" or in other words a training for all the new missionaries and their trainers. It was a really quite humbling experience because I felt like I was learning everything all over again in the mission, and I think I came away from the experience feeling like I needed to improve more things than my companion. We did a lot of "practicing"- how to invite people to be baptized, how to make better contacts on the street, how to ask the right questions in lessons. It is always really good to practice these things because in the mission after so much time, we usually fall into the same routine and even the lessons we teach can get a little "memorized". It was a spark of energy and inspiration that I was needing in the mission!

On the way home we were going to catch a train back to our area, but it rained heaviliy that day and there was a flood on the railroad tracks. We were supposed to be at a Family Night at 7:30 and were supposed to pick up an investigator (Michelle) and her family. I called Michelle to tell her that we probably weren´t going to be able to pick her up, and that we would arrive really late at the Family Night, so that she should call her Aunt to take her (a member). Ironically at the train station we ran into the couple that were going to host the Family Night. They had been waiting for 45 minutes for the tracks to clear, with no hope. We all hopped back onto the subway, for another 40 minute journey to the nearest bus station, and another 30 minutes by bus to our area. During this whole process of transportation delays, my companion got extreme motion sickness and on the last leg of the journey hurled her guts into a plastic bag. Hold tight folks, because what I am going to write might make you nauseaus. We had eaten watermelon as part of our lunch in the mission home during the conference and her vomit has an amazingly powerful odor of watermelon and I couldn´t help but laugh over this fact, and later she had a good laugh too. When we got off the bus, she went to throw the bag away in a trash can on the street, but the bag didn´t quite make it and landed on the ground. We walked away very quickly. And no, we didn´t make it to Family Night.

Thursday we went to Michelle´s to ask for forgiveness and explain all of what happened. She accepted the apology and we started the lesson. She told us that she had read and prayed and that she felt really good inside. I asked her "What do you think these things you felt mean?" Her answer: "That I should be baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ". AHH! I smiled and said "Okay, let´s mark a date" Her reply "Can it be on Sunday?" YES!! We taught her all the commandments, but she said she already knew them and obeys them (she has gone to church on and off for the past 2 years with her cousins and aunt and uncle). She was interviewed on Friday, passed with flying colors, and was baptized on Sunday after Sacrament Meeting. All of the Young Women stayed for her baptism and they sang a song from the YW´s music book and a few of the girls bore their testimonies!! It was the greatest support I think I´ve ever seen at a baptism in all of my mission!! She will receive the Holy Ghost next Sunday in Sacrament Meeting. For now, we are still teaching her with the Young Women´s and her mom too. Her mom said that Michelle is "the seed" in her conversion process, but she knows she will take a little bit more time as she has to stop smoking and drinking first!!

I will send a picture next week as I left my cord at home on accident! We also received transfers on Sunday night.

My companion and I will be staying in the same area for the next 6 weeks, if not more time. We are excited to see more results in our work and to bring lots of souls unto Christ!! Keep us in your prayers!!

I was also studying Alma 26 today, in which Alma does nothing but THANK the Lord for all the blessings that they received in spite of all the hardships they had. I was inspired by a few versus:(3) Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work. (8)Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever.

Let us be instruments in God´s hands, bringing our bretheren unto him, feeding his sheep, and singing praises, for the Lord doth work righteousness forever!!

Have a wonderful week everyone!!
Sister Tittelfitz

Carnival

Bom Carnival do Brasil!
This week is Carnival, or the equivolant of "Mardi Gras". As we are in a wealthier upper-class city, everyone has travelled for the 5 day holiday weekend, and we are left super alone in the city.
We live below the Bishop, and the Bishop travelled and the other family that lives in the same quintal travelled as well. It is extremely quiet and peaceful for the first time in a month.
However, the work has gotten extremely harder. Yesterday we walked for nearly five hours and I think saw 10 people on the street. We tried to teach a few people, but no one was at home, and one contact that we returned to informed us that she didn´t want to receive anymore of our messages. It was kind of a depressing day.

On the way back home a ginormous rain storm hit the city. The winds picked up and my umbrella was violently ripped from my hands. We had not other choice but to run home because I pretty much took a bath in the rain. It was actually hilarious, it was such a violent storm that there was nothing better to make of the situation than to laugh hysterically and scream in the streets (no one was at home, so we weren´t bothering anybody). Sister Brito had a good laugh out of the fact that my skirt actually slipped down to my knees because of how much rain it absorbed (again, no one was in the streets, so no one saw). The ability to laugh in these kind of situations makes life a whole lot brighter.

Which reminds me of a talk we shared with the less-active Sister that we are teaching her children (remember the story of the 5 kids, yeah, that family). It is Elder Wirthlin´s talk "Come What May, and Love It". In the talk he talks about various things we can do to react positively to the difficult things that happen in our lives. In it he says:

"The first thing we can do is learn to laugh. Have you ever seen an angry driver who, when someone else makes a mistake, reacts as though that person has insulted his honor, his family, his dog, and his ancestors all the way back to Adam? Or have you had an encounter with an overhanging cupboard door left open at the wrong place and the wrong time which has been cursed, condemned, and avenged by a sore-headed victim?

There is an antidote for times such as these: learn to laugh.

I remember when one of our daughters went on a blind date. She was all dressed up and waiting for her date to arrive when the doorbell rang. In walked a man who seemed a little old, but she tried to be polite. She introduced him to me and my wife and the other children; then she put on her coat and went out the door. We watched as she got into the car, but the car didn’t move. Eventually our daughter got out of the car and, red faced, ran back into the house. The man that she thought was her blind date had actually come to pick up another of our daughters who had agreed to be a babysitter for him and his wife.

We all had a good laugh over that. In fact, we couldn’t stop laughing. Later, when our daughter’s real blind date showed up, I couldn’t come out to meet him because I was still in the kitchen laughing. Now, I realize that our daughter could have felt humiliated and embarrassed. But she laughed with us, and as a result, we still laugh about it today.

The next time you’re tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable."

I loved the story about his daughter. In the lesson we all sat laughing about the situation and talking about ridiculous situations that had happened in our lives, and how we could have gotten angry or bitter, but how we decided to laugh and make the best of it.

We have also found a wonderful 12 year old, Michelle. She is the cousin/niece of an active family on our ward. We taught her the first lesson and afterwards when I was talking to her grandmother (that didn´t sit to hear the message because she was cooking) her grandmother informed me that Michelle is wanting to be baptized, but is a little embarrassed to say something "so soon"!! We will be visiting her tomorrow to talk more and see how her reading assignment and prayer assignment went!!

Have a wonderful week everyone!!
Sister Tittelfitz

Contacts on the street...Feb 17, 2009

Well folks, I wish I had some incredibly stories again, some amazing results, etc. but sometimes the work goes at a slow and steady pace.
> Jessica, the 17 year old, did come to Church this week and said that she really liked the Young Women´s program. She will be going to the equivilant of "Girl´s Camp" this weekend (because of Carnival, a holiday week here in Brazil) and we are hoping she has a great time and get´s a lot of support from the other young women. She is working to keep preparing for her baptism, which we remarked for March 1st.
>
> We had some interesting first lessons again this week, but we spent most of our time on the street making contacts and trying to find the Lord´s elect here in São Caetano. Sister Brito is learning a lot about patience, i.e. standing on the street with me for a half hour listening to people talk about how they are looking for Christ in their life, how they have witnessed miracles in their lives, or how they can´t seem to get away from the booze, etc. We listened to a man for nearly 25 minutes as he cried and told us how Satan is working against him by placing beer bottles in his hands (??-- I´m pretty sure he was already drunk--??). We gave him some pass along cards, and wrote down the address of the chapel and invited him to come. He didn´t show up on Sunday, but i´m pretty sure he already forgot he talked to us. We also talked to a woman that is Bipolar and she told us her entire life story, she also assured us that she was in her "normal state". Her mother then walked out to the street, told her daughter to return home immediately, and apologized for the inconvenience. It was a little strange.
>
> Sister Brito and I are studying all the talks from the General Conference Liahona. It is amazing how we are able to adapt these talks to the necessities of our investigators and we are sharing with them how modern day prophets and apostles are teaching and telling us how Heavenly Father knows we can improve our lives!! I especially liked the talks about "So Simple, even a child can understand" another talk about "Testimony" and Jeffrey R. Holland´s talk about Angels, and that sometimes the angels here on earth are everyday people!! Read the Liahona, and I know each one of you will be able to find a talk to can be applied directly to your lives!!
>
> Thanks for the continued support everyone! and Thank you Jim and Gail Christensen and Yvonne for the inspired thoughts and counsel!
>
> Sister Tittelfitz

February 10, 2009

Well, I would love to write a super exciting email about finding 50 new people to teach and having 20 baptisms, but let´s face reality folks- the work is hard, and if it wasn´t then it wouldn´t be the work of the Lord.

But yesterday we had a particularly "jolly" day. We had made a contact with an elderly woman on the street a few weeks ago and I misplaced her address, but yesterday found it in a bag of things from Zone Conference. We passed by her house and she welcomed us in and she and her elder sister talked a lot about how they respect our work as missionaries. We offered to teach the first lesson and they initially rejected because they didn´t want a compromise to have to attend our church. We assured them it was a lesson that was informative about our religion and what we believe in. They agreed and during the lesson she made many comments that made it appear that she had already been a member of the church for 50 years. However, when we got to the part about the First Vision and Joseph Smith, she couldn´t accept the idea that our Church is the same Church that Jesus Christ organized while He was on the earth. She accepted the Book of Mormon, but made no promises to read or pray. Everything that she said in respect to rejecting the invitations didn´t seem to stop us from inviting her. Even afterwards Sister Brito and I commented on how we felt something special with the two sisters. Perhaps we have planted a seed that will grow down the road.

Bete (member) was also with us during the lessson and aftewards the two sisters offered us a snack. They had bought pudding bread from the bakery (which was horribly dry and stale). Bete was offered an enormous piece that she couldn´t deny. She tried to hide it in a napkin in order to avoid eating, but when one of the Sister´s offered a fork she looked at Bete´s plate and screamed "oh my goodness, you already ate everything! You didn´t even wait for the fork!" We burst into laughter the three of us, and the sisters joined us in laughing. Bete was so embarrassed that she had to reveal that she hadn´t actually eaten all of the bread, but had hid it. We had a good laugh on the street afterwards.

Later we went to visit a less-active member who has two children that are 9 and 8 and still haven´t been baptized. She is also looking after another member´s 3 young children while she is away taking care of her mother-in-law. We tried teaching a short lesson about the Book of Mormon, but in the midst of belching, yelling out answers without waiting for a question to be asked, sitting on each other´s heads, looking at each other´s reflections in the window, passing gas and then screaming, and asking me and Sister Brito how old we are we barely scrapped through a lesson. The poor Sister sat on the bed with a dazed look on her face. May Heavenly Father bless her to survive these next few days!!

I had a wonderful experience reading the Liahona this week and feeling an enormous warmth and love that comes from learning the words of our Prophet and Leaders. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true. I know it with all my heart. I will never deny the great power that exists within the Gospel, and I will continue to spread the Gospel to all those who are willing to hear it here in São Caetano!

Have a wonderful week everyone!!
Sister Tittelfitz

Feb 3, 2009 Finding the Prepared

First of all I have to announce something really exciting because I´m literally squirming in my chair! I have a beautiful nephew now!! My dear sister-in-law, Becca, gave birth to the most beautiful baby boy! His name is Micah Jeffrey Tittelfitz! I received some photos from my mom and my brother is literally glowing with fatherly pride! Parabéns!!

Thank you Sister Ward for your birthday card!!

This week has been slow, but we are really working off of our faith in this area. We are teaching the same investigators and met a few new families this week who accepted the invitation to hear the message of the Restoration. It is always difficult to judge how well the person understood until the second lesson when you return and the person either kept their invitations and read and prayed, or did absolutely nothing and doesn´t remember that you even spoke the words "Joseph Smith" or "the Restored Church of Jesus Christ". We are praying and fasting for a lot of miracles in this area.

A benefit is that our ward is extremely organized in it´s leadership that I am a little overwhelmed with how many Sisters gave them their numbers and told me to call them to go on divisions. However, everyone can only go out with us after 7 p.m., which gives us short time to teach, meet back up and get home on time.

We are also very low on references and people to teach in the Area Book. We took a new approach this week after some wise encouragement from our Mission President in the Zone Conference to focalize on the members and getting references from them, as references from members are the likeliest candidates to progress and be baptized. This last week in all of our lunch appointments we shared a message about how the hearts of God´s children are being prepared to learn about the gospel, and what we need to do is seek out these people by inviting all the people we know to hear about the gospel (Alma 16:16). I also have a DVD that I received in the mission that has a short video that shows a teenage girl giving a Book of Mormon to a friend. The friend initially threw the book on the floor in his bedroom and forgot about it. But one day he picked up it and read it, and prayed. The video shows him and his family received the lessons from the missionaries and then their baptism. The video has no spoken dialogue, just music that sings about "Healing Waters". It is a really beautiful film, I think I even cried the first time I watched it. But the film really helps the members and I think they get a little energized that it is possible to invite friends and colleagues to hear about the gospel. We left everyone with a "Address Card" where they can write all the people they know that we could teach, their addresses and phone numbers. I really love working closely with members and helping them see that every member is a missionary!



I hope that you all are doing your part in passing referrals to the Elders or Sisters in your ward and being a member missionary!!

Also, this Sunday was fast and testimony meeting. We have a family in our ward here that has twin 2-year-old girls. The husband bore his testimony about the healing powers of the Priesthood. He told a story about how he accidentally slammed the card door on the hand of one his daughters. Her hand swelled up immediately and he was sure he had broken her hand. He picked her up in his arms and wanted to give her a blessing immediately to help cure her. Only, when he looked down at her, he couldn´t tell which daughter she was (they are exactly identical). He ran in to the house crying even harder, shouting to his wife to help him recognize which daughter she was. His wife told him "I don´t think it matters which name you say, God knows you have authority to help your daughter, and he´ll direct his power to the right child!". I thought it was a pretty funny, and yet humbling story.

Have a wonderful week everyone!!
Sister Tittelfitz

January 27, 2009 - Looks like it's "do-able"

BOA SEMANA everyone!

Thank you all for the Happy Birthday´s and the best wishes, it is truly shocking to believe that I am 23 years old now, I´m not sure why, but I think the thought that I now one year older puts a damper on the fact that wrinkles and crows feet are that much closer!! I received a wonderful card from the Christensen´s and a suprise package from Sarah Londberg, I was really touched by your gift and card Sarah, thank you!!

This week was incredibly stress-full and -less due to a incredibly large area but a wonderful member who is the Ward Missionary in our ward. She has gone out with us everyday to get to know the area and help us find the investigators. We have a whole city to ourselves, with 17 neighborhoods, so it is a little overwhelming.

Sister Brito is doing wonderful and is so excited to teach. It really helps that she speaks fluently already and already had some experience helping the Sisters out on splits in her home ward!!

We are teaching a few families already. The mother of a recent-convert, Lindalva. She already obeys all of the commandments, except for attending church. She is a very liberal, post-hippy middle-late aged woman who has found her groove in life, but unfortunately most of the woman in the ward found another groove that doesn´t combine very well. We are trying integrate her into the ward and bring some of the Sisters in the ward with us to teach her and help her feel more comfortable and welcome.

We also found a woman named Maria José. We already taught the first and second lessons and made a goal with her to stop smoking. She said a lot of her questions about Joseph Smith were answered and that she would go to church on Sunday and already knew where the chapel was. However, she didn´t show up. We will be passing by tomorrow to help her out more with her goal to stop smoking.

We are also teaching Jessica, a 17 year old, who is the daughter of our Ward Mission Leader. He is a member who married a woman and gained three teenagers. His wife was baptized in November, and the teenagers are taking turns receiving the lesson from the Missionaries. So far only Jessica shows interest. We invited her to read the Book of Mormon and pray and ask God a few questions. When we returned last night to do a follow-up her Dad/step-father told us that she confided in him and told him that she already believed in everything and wondered if she still needed to pray to find out if it is true. We shared with her a scripture and invited her to prepare herself for a baptismal date of February 15th.

We have been reading a lot from the Liahon/Ensign this week as we have been planning special lesson for the investigators we are teaching. I read a great Talk from the past conference today about "The Way" from Elder Lawrence E. Cobridge. I want to share a passage that I found very helpful and intresting:
One of the most popular and attractive philosophies of men is to live life your own way, do your own thing, be yourself, don’t let others tell you what to do. But the Lord said, “I am the way.” He said, “Follow me.” He said, “What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.”
Don’t think you can’t. We might think we can’t really follow Him because the standard of His life is so astonishingly high as to seem unreachable. We might think it is too hard, too high, too much, beyond our capacity, at least for now. Don’t ever believe that. While the standard of the Lord is the highest, don’t ever think it is only reachable by a select few who are most able.

In this singular instance life’s experience misleads us. In life we learn that the highest achievements in any human endeavor are always the most difficult and, therefore, achievable only by a select few who are most able. The higher the standard, the fewer can reach it.
But that is not the case here because, unlike every other experience in this life, this is not a human endeavor. It is, rather, the work of God. It is God’s work and it is His “glory … to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” There is nothing else like it. Not anywhere. Not ever.
No institution, plan, program, or system ever conceived by men has access to the redeeming and transforming power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Therefore, while the Lord’s invitation to follow Him is the highest of all, it is also achievable by everyone, not because we are able, but because He is, and because He can make us able too. “We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind [everyone, living and dead] may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.”

The Lord’s way is not hard. Life is hard, not the gospel. “There is an opposition in all things,” everywhere, for everyone. Life is hard for all of us, but life is also simple. We have only two choices. We can either follow the Lord and be endowed with His power and have peace, light, strength, knowledge, confidence, love, and joy, or we can go some other way, any other way, whatever other way, and go it alone—without His support, without His power, without guidance, in darkness, turmoil, doubt, grief, and despair. And I ask, which way is easier?

Have a wonderful week!!
Love,Sister Tittelfitz