Familia!! My beloved Valentines!!
Lots of good things happening here! The Lord loves Evora. :)
Antonio Junior is going to be baptized this Sunday the 16th. Everything is set to go. All he needs to be taught now is 10 mandamentos and seguir o profeta. He is very prepared and it is perfect timing that he has taken these steps right after Manuel, so they can be friends and support each other. Manuel continues to be great. He bore his testimony yesterday in church.
Luis and Luisa are still trying to stop smoking.
Ana is praying about how to find a solution to working on sundays and not being able to come to chruch. she really wants to be baptized. we promised her that miracles will happen if she puts her trust in the lord.
Cool miracle this week: Sister Rad and I have both felt a desire to teach FAMILIES. We included this in our fast this week and have been praying for it. We have plans to contact EVERY singly family we come across, NO MATTER WHAT. The Lord is answering our prayers. A scripture that has been a theme of my mission is Isaiah 65:24, "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." This has proved true time and time again. Last week we had bumped into a Brazilian couple Joao and Luciana, who want us to teach their children English. We scheduled to come by on Sunday. So yesterday, when we stopped by, they were all at home together. The two parents and 4 kids, ages 9, 12, 14, and 17. They all pulled up chairs and listened together to the first lesson. We didn't even get around to teaching them any English, which had been the supposed purpose of the visit. They are a united, strong, love-centered family. Next time we are going to bring the Family Proclamation to share. The Lord just gave us a family to teach! They are already planning on regular visits from us. We are praying they will come to Antonio's baptism this weekend and one of the two branch activities we have going on (both planned by the branch, not us! they are doing so great!). We are very grateful and are going to stay committed to our goals and plans to show our gratitude to the Lord.
Sister Radvansky is teaching me so much. She speaks fantastic Portuguese, teaches powerfully, and has such strong faith! I love working with her.
Love,
Sister Sandholtz
This morning I sang Sister Rad basically all of the They Might Be Giants songs I know because as we were walking out the door I started singing Dr. Worm and she thought it was funny.
My life is the best. Good things happening in Evora! :)
Some funny stories from this week:
When Antonio Jr. first hear the word "regozijar" (rejoice), he didn't know what it meant. He initially confused it with "regurgitar" (regurgitate). Ha! So he asked us one day what it meant. The next day, we had a lesson with him and Nazare, and she used the word "regozijar" like a BILLION times. Basically in every sentence. Sister Rad, Antonio, and I had to purposely not make eye contact. Ha! So good.
Sister Rad and I were talking about My Time one day and I said, "that would be a waste of My Time!" Sister Rad started laughing but it took me like 10 seconds to get the pun. Ha.
We have taught the Law of Chastity a TON lately. Dad, I loved your thoughts about the law of chastity this week. The more I learn about it, the more beautiful I think it is. There is this gorgeous excerpt on Sexual Purity on pages 102 and 103 of True to the Faith that almost made me cry this week even though I have read it before.
I LOVE this one line that Jesus says at the end of the parable in Matthew 20 about the servants all hired at different parts of the day that all ended up getting paid the same. The ones who were there since the beginning say to the boss, "hey, why are you paying them the same as us? we were out in the heat of the day!!" The master responds that he is paying them exactly what they bargained from the start, and it is his good pleasure to be merciful to the eleventh hour workers. He says, "Is thine eye evil, because I am good?"
I love that. Is thine eye evil, because I am good? Why should you be upset that I am merciful to your brothers? It has made me think a lot and I feel like it is just so true. We ought to rejoice at the good things that come to those around us. Comparing never makes anyone happier or better off.
Did you see Carolyn Carter in the Conference Ensign!?
Realization: everyone who has come to an activity or meal at Nazare's house has gotten baptized. She is just simply illuminated. I think I might name a kid after her. I wish she could come to my wedding. I love her so much.
She made her Chocolate Mousse for dessert after lunch yesterday, and Sister Rad and I both ate THIRDS. Yikes! Not helpful for my already-more-missiony-than-we-would-have-hoped waistline! But I am pretty sure it is my favorite dessert ever. She gave us the recipe. I will make it for you one day. :) Soon! ish.
I am going to paste in what I wrote to President Fluckiger so you can get the update on our people! Sheesh, guys, there is so much love in my heart for these people I am going to expLODE.
Also, you need to go to the Lego movie. I am excited to hear about it. Also, Joe's suit looks AWESOME and I'm sure you got a superior just because of the suit even though your playing was probably even better. Ben and Coby thank you for the emails too! You three sound stupendous.
sorry, worst email organization EVER.
Will you guys pray for Sonia and Marina? THey are still reading the scriptures and praying and stuff but have missed quite a few Sundays. We don't know exactly what they need. Sonia got a new job that works graveyard shifts daily and so it's really really hard for her to get up for church.
We met a cool kid fromt he Phillipines named Kenny this week and are teaching him. In English!! It's wacky.
WEll I gotta end this. I am including the updates on tjhe people! Prayers for ANtonio (he's getting baptized!!) and Joao, Luciana, Joshua, Wendel, Karen, and Nicolas would be greatly appreciated. :) I am excited to tell you more about them. we are going to organize a concert for them to perform at because they are way musical and talented. REminds me maybe of Mister Blackwell.
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!
Annie/Sister Sandholtz
Dear President Fluckiger,
Lots of good things happening here! The Lord loves Evora. :)
Antonio Junior is going to be baptized this Sunday the 16th. Everything is set to go. All he needs to be taught now is 10 mandamentos and seguir o profeta. He is very prepared and it is perfect timing that he has taken these steps right after Manuel, so they can be friends and support each other. Manuel continues to be great. He bore his testimony yesterday in church.
Luis and Luisa are still trying to stop smoking.
Ana is praying about how to find a solution to working on sundays and not being able to come to chruch. she really wants to be baptized. we promised her that miracles will happen if she puts her trust in the lord.
Cool miracle this week: Sister Rad and I have both felt a desire to teach FAMILIES. We included this in our fast this week and have been praying for it. We have plans to contact EVERY singly family we come across, NO MATTER WHAT. The Lord is answering our prayers. A scripture that has been a theme of my mission is Isaiah 65:24, "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." This has proved true time and time again. Last week we had bumped into a Brazilian couple Joao and Luciana, who want us to teach their children English. We scheduled to come by on Sunday. So yesterday, when we stopped by, they were all at home together. The two parents and 4 kids, ages 9, 12, 14, and 17. They all pulled up chairs and listened together to the first lesson. We didn't even get around to teaching them any English, which had been the supposed purpose of the visit. They are a united, strong, love-centered family. Next time we are going to bring the Family Proclamation to share. The Lord just gave us a family to teach! They are already planning on regular visits from us. We are praying they will come to Antonio's baptism this weekend and one of the two branch activities we have going on (both planned by the branch, not us! they are doing so great!). We are very grateful and are going to stay committed to our goals and plans to show our gratitude to the Lord.
Sister Radvansky is teaching me so much. She speaks fantastic Portuguese, teaches powerfully, and has such strong faith! I love working with her.
Love,
Sister Sandholtz
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