Purple Cows and Piojos

So. I found grape juice. Like REAL grape juice. Alcohol Free. I asked the casheir man like 50 times. Are you POSITIVE that there is NO Alcohol?? Yes. Okay. In Portuguese it says noa Alcohol or something like that. I assume Noa means No. :)

And I made a purple cow.

You will NEVER guess what I found in my hair this morning. :) Oh I have about 20 new little buddies called LICE.. I´m pretty positive that my companion had them and that since she sleeps on the top bunk they have made their way down to my head. I shouldn´t accuse her of that but it´s only logical cause I made her check too... and dun dun dun. She´s infected as well. So you BEST believe I bought some lice killing shampoo and spent an hour in the shower picking those ugly little things out of my hair. I think they´re all gone. Just pray that my companion uses the shampoo too.. She thinks it will be fine just combing them all out. aaaaahhhhhh. No.

My camera is in the shop. Hoping I don´t have to buy a new one. :)

And this week just FLEW by. Just incase you want to know, on Thursday I will be having my mission birthday. That´s not weird or anything. I feel like just yesterday I was blasting Brandi in the car on the way to the MTC. Sobbing. Anxiety attack. Begging you to take me back home. But at the same time I don´t even remember if I ever had a life before my lice. (Oh my hell I actually have bugs in my hair. It´s all I can think about. I almost passed out at the sight of the first one and by the 15th I just wanted to scream.)

Anyway. Happy mission birthday to ME!! :) Mom, this means I´m home in 6 months. :) I promise I´m not even the lease bit excited. Jajajaja.

But really the time is just passing me by and it´s kind of starting to freak me out. But luckily the Lord is giving me little reminders of how much I need to get to work. So I honestly have been working my bum off. I am really trying to not let a moment pass by me unused. So on Saturday when I waited an hour at the Familia Veloso´s house for Sergio I almost had another anxiety attack. We actually left and started contacting the neighbors cause I just couldn´t stay sitting and waiting.

I purchased a game of Jenga. The restoration is just not the same without it. Because our investigators can LITERALLY see that the Church of Christ fell and that through Joseph Smith it was RESTORED to it´s Original establishment. It´s incredible to see the light bulb in their brains turn on. oooooo. I get it. yes yes YES! The church is true.

Doctrine and Covenants is like chicken soup for the missionary soul. (Don´t know if I´ve used that reference with yall before or not. :)) But seriously it keeps me going. I love it!! I loved what I studied this morning in Sections 38 & 39.

D&C 38:39 And if ye seek the riches which it is the will of the Father to give unto you, ye shall be the richest of all people, for ye shall have the riches of eternity; and it must needs be that the riches of the earth are mine to give; but beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old.

Part of the difficulties of missionary life is the battle between the will of the Lord and the natural man. The TV is always on. The neighbor is ALWAYS blasting his music. My clothes are getting holy and I want new ones. My camera broke. We wake people up from their naps almost every day. I want a nap too... Sunday is not "sit around and talk with the fam all day" Not on the mission. And I never understood what a blessing it is to have a car. BUT my friends here might have new clothes but lots of times not enough time to remember to pray. He takes a nap but doesn´t even know his neighbor´s name. They have a car but no way to go to church. Watching the futbol game is number 1 priority and the Book of Mormon is collecting dust on the shelf. And I PROMISE you that the Holy Ghost does not speak to us through rap or dubstep.

The Lord knew what He was doing sending me here. So that I could learn to live without the "necessities materiales of life." So that I will be able to use the luxuries that life has to offer-- more wisely. :) May we all focus a little more on Heavenly things. Look at the eternal perspective. And inherit the riches of eternity. :)

This weekend we had stake conference. And basically it was all about the Obra Misional. Why do you think that the Lord has put so much focus on sharing the gospel? I´ve learned that basically there are 2 purposes to this life.

1. Saving ourselves.

2. Saving everyone else.

What is going to be of the most worth in the life to come? Think aobut it. and call your local missionaries.

We´ve got to share the love. One of the members of the Stake Presidency told a story about his friend from work. This friend always asked him why he didn´t drink or smoke or party. Why he didn´t work on sundays... Everything. Basically he had the perfect missionary opportunity but he didn´t take it. He NEVER told his friend about the church. And then.. years later, newly married, his wife took him to meet one of her friends. And guess who the friend´s husband was?? President Jarra´s friend. And guess what the ONLY thing he said was?

Why did you NEVER tell me?

The Sunday session was broadcasted. Elder Bednar spoke about repentance. If you´re not doing your missionary work. Repent. I loved his example about a surgeon. Would we ever be dumb enough to do a major sugery on ourselves? NO. Repentance is the same. We can´t do it alone.

2Nephi 31:13

Mosiah 4:10

Moroni 6:8

Our intentions must be real. We must always repent by having  true, real, lasting change of heart. Or else it doesn´t count.

I love the Atonement. I love the gift of Repentance. I love seeing the way it changes lives. Like with Diego.

I got hit by a ton of bricks this week. Diego is our new friend. He came to church on his own last week and at first I thought he was just some crazy kid from the street that I would never end up teaching. He asked a lot of weird contradicting questions and confused me a lot. But come to find out. He´s golden. He´s 14 and a recovering drug addict. Poor thing. But he has chosen to turn his life around and acercarse mas a Dios. He is repenting. He is using the Atonement. We have been so excited with Diego. He loves visiting with us. The youth in the world LOVE visiting him and everyone has just been babying him really. We all are so invested in helping Diego because we just love him so much really. He is so special and I only want the best for him and his family. Well his mom goes to another church. And of course, she takes her kids with her. This week the pastor confused Diego. Told him that the Mormons talk about God but that their teachings are the teachings of men. He told us that he was confused and pulled out a bunch of bible scriptures to try and throw us off. And honestly, my heart broke. It´s been a while since I have really so completely had a witness from the spirit that the church is true. As I testified to Diego of the truth of the gospel. The truth of the restoration. Of the Book of Mormon. and of all that I believe. I know that the church is true.

Jesus Christ is REAL. Our Heavenly Father is REAL. The Holy Ghost is REAL. Christ lives. and He loves us each and every one.

Hermana Rupe