Sister Shelby Lynn Dana: This week was WOW.

New Hair

She thinks she looks old aka...like her mother!

So, I really don´t even know how to start with everything that went down this week. Like really, it has been the most amazing week of my whole entire mission. I had to write a list of all the stuff to tell you guys so that I could even remember! Ok, here it goes.

So first off, we started out with a shopping trip last Pday. I picked up some seriously high fashion clothes to be pimpin´ during Carnaval when we can´t leave our house after 5pm,starting on Friday. Anyway, pictures shall be included. Also, we had a family home evening that night with some of the girls in our ward and tried to do this game where you cut this thing made of flour....idk, it was Sister Rodrigues´s idea. Anyway,the girls took it a little far and we ended up in a flour fight. Pictures will also be included!

Brazilian clothes...holla

And the fight starts

We be white girls.

So. Now I have got to tell you about this miracle that happened this week. Really, it is a miracle and I have a newfound testimony of prayer. Remember Maria with a son in prison from last week? So last Sunday, we had a lesson with her that was awesome. She totally loved the Restoration and the Spirit was super strong. We came back on Tuesday to teach her again, and found her daughter Natecia at home all alone, very very worried. Turns out that on Sunday after we left, Maria had a really bad stroke. She is only like, 55! But it paralyzed the left side of her body and she couldn´t talk or anything. She was in the red zone in the hospital, which is where they aren´t sure if you are going to leave alive or dead. We all couldn´t believe it, so we knelt down in prayer and asked Heavenly Father to bring Maria home safely, that He would comfort the hearts of this family, and that it would happen quickly. Natecia was really touched, and we marked to come back and teach her again on Thursday. When we returned, the door was open and a bunch of people were in the house surrounding our dear Maria. She made an incredible recovery and was returning home at that moment! She was able to walk and even open the door for us! She was speaking too! Slowly and with a lot of difficulty,but she was completely coherent. And the most amazing part--she had been asking for us ever since she had been able to talk again. She was soooo happy that the American and Paulista had come back to see her! She remembered EVERYTHING that we taught and knew that it was all true. We just sat there and cried. She recited the whole Joseph Smith story to us and kept asking when she could visit her church....I was seriously just blown away. She has to go to Brasilia to undergo some treatment, but she wants the address of the church there so that she can visit and be part of it. Guys....Heavenly Father really listens when we pray. These prayers, they aren´t just jokes. He loves His children so much and is just waiting for us to ask for the blessings that He has waiting!!!

In other news, we did a division with Sister Seidmann!! She has grown a ton on the mission and is really the most spiritual person that I know. We found a woman with her that has two kids and when we blessed her house and family, she just started crying because she had prayed for Heavenly Father to send her someone last night...and we showed up asking what we could do to help. She was at church yesterday too with her tiny little baby and 3 year old. She walked about a mile or two in the hot sun to get there too...I was really surprised, and super grateful. She loved it, and I can´t wait to go back and teach her tomorrow!

We also had some serious inspiration this week with one of the less-actives we have been working with. About 2 weeks ago, we just got the feeling to pass by her house. We did, and out of the blue I felt like we needed to teach the law of chastity. Awkward, and we didn´t know why, but we just followed it! So on Saturday, a million of our plans fell through and we passed by her house again and decided to go in. She was super uncomfortable and wanted to talk to us, but not really...know what I mean? Anyway, we pried the problem out of her and it turns out that her nasty 35 year old boyfriend (she is 18) has been pressuring her to do some baaaad stuff with him. And he was going to visit her that night. She was super scared because she knew that it was wrong and she didn´t want to, but she just felt like she had to. We talked to her a longggg time about the commandments and consequences of sin and repentance, and left there feeling super nervous. She still didn´t know what she would do that night; We spent the whole night worrying and praying, we rushed back over as soon as we could yesterday. She was strong! She said no! But then she told us that she felt like she owed it to this guy, because she said that without him, she probably would be dead. She feels like she can´t trust anyone anymore and really can´t see the point of living anymore. My heart broke and we taught her about individual worth and all the potential that she has. We will continue teaching her, but it was a testimony to me of how important visits from members and friendshipping is. This is a girl that the ward forgot...and the consequences are so so sad! But she will be ok, because we are going to help her realize how much Christ loves her and all the potential that she has:)

On a higher note, the mission handyman came to our house and fixed everything!!!!! We got new beds!!!!!! And also, the washingmachine was fixed! Annnnddd....the toilet! Know what this means?! NO MORE BUCKET! But the saddest thing was that the toilet wasn´t even broken. The guy just looked at us like we were the stupidest women in the world, reached down to the side of the toilet, and turned a nozzle. And it started filling with water like a good little potty. I died. The sisters have been using the bucket for years because the others always thought it was broken! This is what we call "wicked traditions of our fathers."

The useless bucket:)

The other bucket we used to fill up the toilet...it is the gross water from the washing machine....

Finally, today is transfers. Sister Patino will now be in our zone, companions with Sister Butler! This means that all of my companions are together! How cool, right?? Also, I will ask for your prayers, because Sister Rodrigues and I have just been called to be the Sister Training Leaders, and that is a reallyyyyy hefty responsibility. I´ll explain more when I know exactly what we have to do.

But that is about it for this week! Love you guys to pieces, have a good one!

Love,

Sister Dana