4/21/14

Hey, so life is chugging along here. I hope Easter was fantasic for
you guys. I know a lot people don't like the non-Jesus parts of
Easter, which I understand, but in my opinion, chocolate can only make
things better, haha. Easter isn't really a big deal here, except that
they eat fish all week, so that's kinda stinky...literally lol. I know
it would be great if the focus was perfectly on Christ, but to be
honest, I really am grateful that there are so many American
traditions centered around Easter. Even if they aren't all directly
related to Christ, they all have a link that helps remind me that this
day is special. Christmas and Easter here in Brazil are kinda just
another day to eat a lot of food. I truly think traditions are such a
blessing to have. I want to have loads in my future family because
even if every single activity  isn't pin the beard on the Jesus (sorry
if that was sacrilegious, haha), it makes the day special and
meaningful. Then it's our responsibility to keep our own minds focused
on the true motivation. I guess what I'm trying to say is that
everything can be a blessing if we make it. I think we need to make
things special for them to really stick and have meaning. Think about
baptism. It's not like God really needs water to be able to clean our
souls, but he has us do it that way so that we make our commitment a
special event.
As humans, we are awfully flaky, and so many well-intentioned people
say they want to give their whole life to God, but then they don't
want to do something that really commits them. To me, baptism is like
taking something that we know God can do and doing something special
to commemorate and show Him its real to US. Even though we take baths
all the time, its OUR faith and mindset...and of course the proper
priesthood authority that really gives baptism meaning. God always
works this way. I think He really wants us to make things special as
much as possible. I want to make every Sunday, every family day, every
scripture study something special for my future kids so that they have
more opportunities to direct their minds to the ultimate source of
happiness: God.
People search for happiness in so many of the wrong places and in the
end, it really is just a hollow chocolate bunny, but when we direct
everything back to the true source, we can find even greater
happiness. Our circumstances have so little to do with our emotional
state. It truly is what we choose to believe, feel, hope for, and act
on that determines our overall joy. What am I trying to say? Haha,
that's a great question. I think, all in all, I am learning as I write
this that WE choose our happiness. We choose if our circumstances
around us promote or inhibit our happiness. We can choose to make each
day special. Let us look forward to each day with a new hope and
excitement. Let us plan on a better tomorrow, and if we are expecting
a bad day, then fit SOMETHING good into your schedule. Men are that
they might have joy, and sometimes we have to remind ourselves of that
20 times a day, but if so, then do that, because God wants nothing
more than happiness for us.
I was thinking about Job and how all of his trials came from Satan,
not God. God just permitted them because he trusted Job so much.
Really, we should take our trials as a compliment. It means God thinks
we are ready...no actually he KNOWS we are ready, even when we don't.
Right now, the work is.....not going too smoothly. We have had to cut
almost all of our investigators because, more or less, they just don't
want to change....and sometimes I feel like I came to Jaboticabal just
to get my heart broken over and over and over again. Oh..we also have
worms again.....hahahaha yeah. Me and Sperry seem to have that effect
on each other. That's really just a whole other adventure that I don't
have time to explain, lol. But at least I will lose those extra pounds
I gained last tranfer, lol. So there's that, but you know what, there
really are so many blessings that I need to recognize. And just as I
said before, my happiness really is my choice. My trials only mean
that God knows I can handle it, and its the same for all of us.

Thanks for all you do. Make this week a great one. Make it
special....and throw in some chocolate, lol. I miss ya'll, but we will
be together soon.

Beijo,
Sis Hunny