Luana's Baptism! (May 27)

Hey family!!!

 

 BIG NEWS!!!!! 

Luana got baptized this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOO!

 

Okay, so a little on the history of Luana since I can't remember what I have said in my emails...

Luana is fourteen and has a friend named Axel who is a member but lives in another branch in a nearby city. She was interested in the church so he took her to church a few weeks ago. She liked it a LOT. 

Luana and Axel!!!

That week, we started teaching her and her family. Her mom lives with her stepdad, but they´re not married and not very interested in learning about the church (especially since her mom doesn't read or doesn't read well.... bummer). But, at that first lesson, Luana LOVED it and agreed to prepare to be baptized. We also have been teaching her sister Jaqueline, but she is not as sure.....

The night after we left the Book of Mormon with Luana, she FORGOT to read or pray about it..... But I guess Heavenly Father was willing to help her out anyways. She had a dream where she was dressed in white, inside of a church with the Book of Mormon in her hands....... She told us afterwards how she "felt the presence of God" and knew that the book was true. Then she heard a voice telling her to "never give up". WOW.

What better answer can you ask for??!?!?!?

After that, we´ve been teaching her a lot. Going by almost everyday to follow up with her and teach her. Every chapter that we´ve given her to read she read and understood super well!! And she kept thinking about baptism, and understood completely how she needed to be baptized.

Her biggest difficulty is that she is shy and didn't have people to go with to church..... One Sunday we went and walked with her to church..... all her friends that she invited had bailed, but she was there waiting for us at her door when we went by that morning!!!

This last week, we were able to take a couple girls from the ward to go with us to teach her..... Made ALL the difference in the WORLD.

Since that was her big worry, it was also one of the only things that was making her have doubts about her baptism..... This week, we are planning to take her to mutual so that she can keep making more and more friends at church!!!

Teaching her about the commandments this week was very cool. We taught basically all the commandments in just one sitting...... She is already living pretty much ALL of the commandments..... was happy to hear about commandments like the word of wisdom and law of chastity because she has seen a lot of the problems that happen when people DON'T live those commandments. Yeah, she is AWESOME guys....

As we were teaching her that night she told us that she has been thinking a lot about how she wants to be a missionary one day..... SAY WHAT??! She wants to go on a mission!!!!

Regardless of wanting to go on a mission, she still wasn't sure about her baptism yet.... So we just kept telling her to pray about it.... (she kept "forgetting" and putting it off....)

Finally, when we went by on Friday night, she had PRAYED asking SPECIFICALLY about baptism the night before..... She told us that she felt "something good" and it made her want to get baptized more. So we invited her again for Sunday and she said okay!!!! AH!!!

It was such an exciting moment. It was funny as well, because as we started telling her congratulations she interrupted us and was like "GUYS, I just dont know what I am going to do with my hair!!! It will be a MESS when it gets wet!!"

hahahah. Since she always straightens her hair, her BIGGEST worry was how to make sure she looked okay afterwards..... hahaha.

We had another member with us--- Renata, who helped her feel okay and not worry about all the people that would be there and such, and figured out a plan for her hair..... hahaha.

Saturday, she was interviewed for baptism and everything was set.

Sunday, we went by to pick her and her family up in the morning......... sadly, all of her family and friends that she had invited BAILED that morning..... so she went with us ALONE to church, for her BAPTISM..... and only her friend AXEL was there... Frustrating. Apparently a lot of her friends have been giving her a hard time for going to church and wanting to be baptized, but she didnt let it faze her and is staying strong!

 

I made brownies for Luana´s baptism!!! (GUYS, first time I tried to make brownies NOT out of a box!!! Turned out pretty well I think!!) Sister Menden decided that using a ladle to eat brownies was the most effective method.... not sure why.....

The baptism went well, was very special, and she was so shy and nervous about the whole thing!!! We had to practically drag her to take a picture beforehand..... and then practically drag her out of the bathroom after she changed to go into the room with the font for the baptismal service.

hahaha. Her friend Axel was SO excited.... So excited guys..... ahhhh.

Us and Luana at her baptism!!!

 

some other cool stuff happened this week, but that was the best of it..... =]

 

my companion -sister menden, was a rockstar this week, doing contacts, talking to people, teaching parts of our lessons and even gave an AWESOME message ALL BY HERSELF at our family night Saturday night!!! She´s a rockstar guys!!

And her accent is so good that it makes me want to just call it quits and go home!!! hahaha. nooooo just kidding... but she speaks VERY VERY well.

 

oh and some funny portuguese stories....

when I was trying to explain to Luana that she would wear a white jumpsuit for the baptism, I got confused with the word for jumpsuit "macacão" and the word for pasta "macarrão"...... well. I guess you guys can figure out the rest...... I tried to tell her that she would be wearing "white pasta" for her baptism...... OOPSSSSS. Everyone laughed at me.... and then Renata took over and explained what it would be like for reals.... hahaha

 

And another one..... Renata´s family was slow cooking overnight a GIANT hunk of pig leg for their special Sunday lunch with a bunch of visits and guests over.... This peice of meat is called "pernil" or something like that.... When they were talking about it, I kept hearing "pneu" which is a car tire...... So I asked them what they were talking about "cooking a tire..." hahahaha. They thoroughly enjoyed that one..... "yeah, we´re cooking a TIRE for lunch........ Dont worry about the BURNT RUBBER SMELL....... Would you like to try some TIRE??? I´ve heard its pretty tasty!!"

hahahaha. Welp. I guess SOMEDAY I´ll get this portuguese thing down...... 

 

This is my face when the jar of peanut butter that Sister Pedersen left ran out...... =[

 Alright.

Have a great week guys!!! 

Love you all bunches!

 

Sister Ward