BRAZIL BOUND!

March 3, 2014

Interviews on New Years Eve

December Zone Conference, I got to sit by President! haha

Weeeeeeeell I don't remember much of my week besides Friday! Here's the story of getting my BIG NEWS! We got to Zone Conference and checked our car and all that fun stuff and the Mission President walked in and not 5 minutes later asked if he could talk to me outside. I was a little confused because I had a feeling he might wait to tell me but had completely forgotten for the past few days. He asked, "can you guess what this is about?"

"My Visa?" 

"Yes." 

"It's here?"

"It's here!!" 

"Really?"

"Really really!"

"Is this real life!?"

"This is real life! It came a couple weeks ago. You'll be leaving on the 11 of March!" 

That was about the whole conversation. 

Me and one other girl from my MTC district actually finally are in the same zone, we are also the last 2 from our MTC district still in the states so it was sad that she didn't get hers too yet. It was a little hard to focus during the rest of the conference but at the same time it didn't feel real. It STILL doesn't feel real. Like I used to think about it almost every morning as I ran but for the past few I just haven't, every time I try to my brain just blocks it immediately. I think my brain has a defense mechanism so it doesn't get too overwhelmed. I guess that's a blessing but I am scared for when it hits me. 

About 5 minutes after we found out there was a musical number, "If Ye Could Hie to Kolob" amidst the "there is no end"'s I thought to myself, how great is it that all good things there is no end, but to other things there is. Yes, there IS an end to patiently waiting!! 

At the end of the conference all the people going home bear their testimonies but President asked me to go up too. It was weird. I was like NO it's too soon to join that group. It made leaving real but still not Brazil. Anyways the bulk of the testimony I bore was that although I do not and might not ever fully understand my purpose, it is comforting to know that Christ does. He knows each of our purposes so perfectly. He knows exactly where we need to be, and who we need to meet, and the words we need to say. Thank goodness that he doesn't change plans according to what we think we want. If there's one thing I have learned it is that he is truly mindful of all his children, and loves them so much that he even gives them things they don't deserve! (like the opportunity to serve in 2 missions, I am sooo blessed to have been able to serve here) I also bore testimony that I know that the principles we teach are true. All of them. What a blessing to know that there is one God, and one path, and no end to the happiness and blessings that are ours if we are just obedient and follow him. 

We had Stake Conference this weekend and it was SO GOOD. Courtney was asked to bear her testimony and it was so good everyone was either crying or sweating by the end of it. On Sunday the Stake President told us she needs to hold a fireside/open house for her family and friends and he will provide a meal and everything. How great is that, she had a feeling this was going to open up doors for her. Hopefully we can do it this Saturday before I leave! 

We have been working hard despite the news. Sister White cried a lot at the Zone Conference, she was real mad at me for not crying at all. Pray for her, she is really nervous to take over the area and get a new companion and everything. Then we told Johnny and Toni last night and they were not happy! It is so hard because I'm sad to leave so I want to be sad with people, but at the same time, how can I be sad? I've waited 15 months for this. 
We told Mark too. It was funny this Elder turned around at Zone Conference and told me to think about what I accomplished in the last month that allowed me to get my Visa. Sister White and I looked at each other and said, "Mark." He was supposed to get baptized this weekend but we went over on Saturday and saw a bottle full of brown nastiness and found out he stopped smoking but not dipping! WHO DOES THAT? I told him I was leaving next week so he needed to stop so the baptism could happen next week when I'm still here. (He told us the story of how his son came up with like 10 pacifiers after they started throwing them away so I told him to throw away the last pacifier already!) Well it's not going to be that easy sadly. He finally got some custody of his son and really wants him there and doesn't get him till next weekend. I'm really sad about it. He is sad about it too, he's called me Sister Brazil ever since, and said that he selfishly hopes something comes up and I get a delay. Not happenin, but he did text us last night and said by the time I leave he will have completely stopped dipping for a few days so that I can at least see that he is all the way on the path. 

Hmmm the only other news is that we are teaching one of the producers of Duck Dynasty, been trying to get a hold of him for a long time. We are going for dinner Saturday and hopefully he will have my autographed poster.
We tracted into a kid with a bunch of questions about the Bible and millennium and when we went back to actually teach him one of the first questions he asked was, "You know how in the Bible it says young men will have visions, and dream dreams and stuff? Why don't that happen today? I dun see it no where."
I was just like, "is your name golden?" But I actually said, "That is exactly the message we wanted to share with you today! Let me tell you a story about a boy named Joseph Smith...."
Also we tracted for over 3 hours yesterday, it was actually really productive and fun. We taught 3 lessons.

Ok well that was the longest email ever but this is also probably the last time I ever get any more than an hour to write so enjoy!
Love y'all soooo much! Thank you for your prayers, I recognize how much they help me more every week.

DID I MENTION THAT I GOT MY VISA AND I'M REALLY GOING TO BRAZIL!?!?? I'M NOT EXCITED AT ALL!

TCHAU TCHAU USA!!!!!!!! 

Sister Stevens