The Place of Becoming: Week 7 of Hortolândia- 1st Area

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Week 7 of Hortolândia- 1st Area - "What Flower"

It's Miriam's 20th Birthday today!!! I've sent her a few gifts but they got there a couple weeks early. She couldn't wait and already opened them so she has nothing to open today. 😂 However, while I was working at the lab today listening to General Conference I came across this talk. The Imperfect Harvest- By Elder Vern P. Stanfill Of the Seventy. I didn't pay attention to it the first time I heard it a couple weeks ago because I'm usually pretty sleepy by the very last session.... but this time, at work, it really struck me hard! I immediately felt like I needed to send it to Miriam because just yesterday she said that her biggest struggle is she's a perfectionist. She can be so hard on herself when she doesn't get things right or whenever she makes a mistake. It makes life such a violent rollercoaster. I know through time and experiences she'll come to understand how beautifully the atonement will help her with that. I sent her this link and told her that I really think this talk is the gift God wanted to give her for her birthday. The truths taught in it are a gift to all of us!!!

Here's the letter she sent yesterday! 👇

"Well, another week down.

And not much happened these past few days.

We had lunch with Ivonne [Sister Vera and her husband] again yesterday. This past Tuesday she sent her only son off on a mission, then made his favorite food for Sister Casperson and I yesterday, then got emotional while we were eating. Let's just say she's having a little bit of a rough week. 😥❤

I also managed to snag a absolutely killer carrot cake recipe yesterday from a member. The carrot cake down here is different, folks, and I dare say that it's superior. I will be making this once I return.

Friday we participated in divisions again...except the correct way apparently. This means that my trainer - who happens to be an STL as well - and Sister Batista's trainer - another STL - packed up and left me and Sister Batista for a day while they did the division in the Interlagos area. Sister Batista and I arrived in the field on the same day, so neither of us have much time out here. And what a pair we are. I don't speak Portuguese and she's only been a member for a year. And neither of us are very good at using Area Book. But our trainers left us to figure it out.

But it was a good time. She loves to talk, and she just enjoys everything. She's always finding something to laugh about.

I really admire her decision to come on a mission, because she really had a lot before she came out here, and she left it all behind because she recieved such a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon that she felt she needed to share it.

(I still need to get the photos we took from her)

But here's some other photos!"