We will be Recognized

Happy Birthday Skylar! Love you girl. Make sure Dad takes you to
Orange Leaf. Eat an extra bowl for me will ya? Of course, it's gotta be
peanut butter or birthday cake. ;) But really, I want to see pics and
hear all about your day. Wow! 10 years old! Guess how old that makes
ME feel.... ahhhh. Also, Mom- I really think we need to find a way to
freeze Texas Sheet Cake and ship it here. Or maybe just a recipe, I
guess.

Speaking of packages. I got the package you sent Mom, with Peanut
Butter and Honey Nut Cheerios. Unfortunately, I opened the package at
our Zone Meeting and the Elders went CRAZY- it's fine. One bag down, 2
still left in the cupbard. We´re good. Can I just tell you that was
the greatest day of my life? LOVE YOU.

Funny story. We hear all the time, via the MTC, Preach My Gospel, e
tal e tal e tal that people will recognize us before we open our
mouths. It's true. Last week we were walking to the church with our
Bishop and a Postman yelled out the window at us to stop. So he pulls
over and Bishop basically says, ``what's up... how can I help you?``
The postman pulls out a package and says you´re from the Mormon
church, right? I have a package for you. We all nearly died laughing.
It's true- people know who we are. But they also know who YOU are. Even
when you don't think people are watching, they are. It reminds me of a
recitation from freshman year in seminary.

Someone is watching, this is a fact
Someone will copy the way that you act.
So make this your motto and put it to use
Be an example, and not an excuse.

Haha cheesy? Sure. But it's true. More importantly, people who don't
know the gospel yet know that YOU represent it. We are missionaries
through our actions, and only occassionaly with our words. But you are
all already fabulous, so keep it up, eh?

Awesome week here in Brazil. It's starting to get hot. I didn't know
people could actually sweat at 9 o´clock at night. Thank heavens we
have 4 fans in our apartment. It's fine. Is this a new weight loss
program? Hope so.

Anyways, last week I talked about potential baptisms- the 2 kids,
Cleberson and Iris, that I taught with Sister Alves that are now
working with Johnson and Sciam. Yes, they were baptized! It was just a
weekend full of baptisms, we had 4. So Saturday Cleberson was
baptized. It was easily one of my favorite experiences thus far on the
mission. The 4 sisters sang Teach Me to Walk in the Light for the
closing hymn and, naturally I bawled like a baby. I looked at
Cleberson and he started to cry! Ahhhhh so then I cried harder, I
couldn't even sing anymore. Pathetic- ridiculous. And then Bishop
started to cry! Wow it was cool. Anyways I am so proud of him. I am
stunned that his mom finally gave us permission- but I KNOW it was
because of His faith. It was really cute. We were walking down the
street a couple of days before the baptism and Cleberson passes by on
a bus and screams out the window, ``SISTER SEAL!!! VOU ME BATIZAR!!!``
Which means I am going to be baptized! Wow. Love it. Just miracles,
every single day. Other miracle: Jaqueline! I LOVE her. Yep, she went
to church with her kids last Sunday and was baptized yesterday, and
her two sweet kids want to be baptized next Sunday too. So crazy. That
family really was prepared.

Ok. Cool scripture: Luke 6:46, ``And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and
do not the things which I say?`` I like this verse. A lot. Why?
Because it's so true! The idea here is praying with real intent. When
we pray for answers, we need to be already determined to act in
whatever way God wants us to act. When we ask for direction, are we
doing so with a desire to actually follow it? Even better. I really
believe that this played a role in the First Vision. Joseph didn't
merely pray to know which church to join. He prayed with every
intention to then JOIN that church- whichever church the Lord
commanded.

The church is true. I promise you it is. I don't have any doubts
whatsoever. I testify that Joseph saw the Father and the Son and that he
truly was a prophet of God. I know this for a lot of reasons, but most
of all because I´ve SEEN and continue to see here what this message
can do. I have seen and continue to see the way the message of the
Atonement really heals people and am convinced it is the only thing
that can heal us. Jesus Christ is everything. He really is. I am so
blessed. Really, we all are. I don't know why God keeps blessing us
with all of these miracles- but He does. We see miracles every single
day. The work here is humbling and rewarding, and there is nothing
else I´d rather be doing. I love being a missionary. I love each of
you. Stay strong. Be safe. Have a wonderful week.

Skylar- I love you so much. You will always be my favorite twin. :)
Have a great birthday. I´ll be home around the time of your next
one... and we will definitely go to Trafalga. LOVE YOU.

Love,

Sister Seal