January 20, 2009 Just when I thought it would get a little easier

Wow, I have lots to tell. But first of all thanks for more cards. I received a card from the Lee´s and from the Buckner´s, glad to hear and read that everyone is doing well!!
Sister Souza and I closed our area today. We planned on having four baptisms this past weekend, but I wasn´t feeling 100% about the baptism of the three cousins, and neither was Sister Souza. We called their uncle to invite him to baptize them and he replied "I´ll be at their house at 4 o´clock today, meet me there". When we got their the whole family was very upset about some drastic rule breaking that the girls had done that week. The spirit had touched us that their baptism was not happen anytime soon. The girls initially cried and said that the changes would come after their baptism, we disagreed. We studied the next day and left a message about how we become new creatures of Christ due to baptism but that we first have to show Him that we want to take upon us his name by making changes in our lives and repenting of our sins. The girls broke a few more rules this weekend, and now they are in the hands of the Elders who are opening our area.

HOWEVER, João Bosco was baptized on Saturday. He is one of the most amazing people I have gotten to know in my mission. After his baptism he was asked to bear his testimony. He thanked "the Sister (me)" and "her colleague" (Sister Souza) for having entered in his favela full of drugs and crime to help him understand and learn about the Church of Jesus Christ. He bore his testimony about how he had read and prayed to know if the church is true and in a dream one night a "missionary" all in white came into his room and told him that everything that we were teaching him is true. It was an amazing experience.

After the baptism Saturday we had an activity "the Iron Rod". We left a message about Lehi´s vision and during the message a few members and the Elders who were helping us pulled members out of the cultural hall one by one and lead them down the hallway blindfolded. They had to hold onto a rope. There were three "obstacle" rooms- the first had a radio and "things of the world" the second was "hell". An Elder threw a bunch of trashbags of the floor and lit a fire in a pan. It was so funny. The third room was the Celestial Kingdom where all the food was!! It was so funny to see all the members get so confused, and the Bishop ended up on the "Terestial Kingdom" (the room with the radio). The members were talking about the activity on Sunday and I think the members that didn´t go felt like they really missed out!!

Sunday we bore our testimonies in Sacrament meeting as we knew we would be closing the area and the two of us would be leaving the area. The only thing I can say is that there was a lot of kleenex involved between Sister Souza, me and all the members and investigators. We had an amazing turnout of investigators on Sunday. Anderson finally came to church with Patricia for the first time, and Claudia and Jackson came as well as Adriana!! I LOVE(D) my ward in Parque Dorotéia!!

Later that night Ivana invited us over to her house, only she had planned a suprise Birthday Party for the two of us (Sister Souza´s birthday was last Thursday) and invited all of our investigators and a bunch of members. It was so much fun, and so sad to have to say goodbye to so many incredible people!! Sunday night we received our transfers. Only we had played a joke on our District Leader earlier that week. We expected that he would try to get us back and lie to us about the transfers. He initially told Sister Souza she would stay in the area. LIE. Then he said "Sister Tittelfitz, you will train and you will open the area São Caetano". Me, "Elder, I know you´re still bitter, but don´t lie to me about the transfer, I need to know where I´ll be going".
"No, Sister, I´m not lieing"
And he didn´t lie. I am training Sister Brito. She is from Cabo Verde, Africa!! She is amazing and very talkative, so I´ll think we´re going to get along just great. She studied in Brazil for three years, so her Portuguese is perfect and she has a Brazilian accent. We are also opening an area where there were Elders. We arrived here a few hours ago and the house is in complete disorder and the Area Book has nothing. WOW, the President really must trust in me because this is going to be a bumpy ride. A lot of fasting and praying will go into this transfer, but I know the Lord is on my side. We don´t have time to work today because we have to go back to São Paulo tonight to spend the night with the Sisters. I have to renew my visa and have to arrive at the mission office at 7a.m.

Let the work begin tomorrow!!!
Have a wonderful week everyone!!
Sister Tittelfitz