(:

This has been an abnormal week! It started on Tuesday when we were invited by the Stake President to attend an Open House activity in the Stake Center and man a "Work o Salvation" room where we presented what we do and why we do it for, in total, 300 members and non-members throughout the night. It was a huge success!

Wednesday we had our Leadership Council Meeting. (Oh, background info: In last month's meeting, President kindly burnt us as leaders suggesting that our "exchanges have been full of good intentions and principles, but lack good results for our areas and the areas of those we serve." He invited us to prayerfully consider where our attention was needed and how we could effectively help other missionaries while we refocus attention on the work before us in our own areas. Hence, we had not done any one-on-one training last month.)

Ok, but after this meeting and various miracles that have happened this week, we are super confident that it's time to start up the crazy exchanges again.

Wednesday, as I'd mentioned last week, we split with the Sisters in Santana, Sister White from Pason, Utah and Sister Armijo from Chile. I was super impressed with Sister White and I'm pretty sure I got more out of the exchange than she did.

This weekend was Stake Conference. Minutes before the opening hymn, I was tapped on the shoulder by a counselor to the stake president and asked to give a small talk. It went surprisingly well and was one of the miracles of the week.

Brief lesson on Church History in the city of Sorocaba: The church is relatively new here, the very first family (grandparents of our Relief Society President) was baptized about 70 years ago. Since then, growth has exploded. To the point that the very first fully functional BYU outside of the United States operates in our Stake Center.

Our Stake President mentioned in the Saturday Night Session that we are awaiting a little more growth in two wards to be able to split and form a 3rd. With the creation of this ward, Our stake will then be able to split. When Sorocaba creates one more stake, we will then be able to open the Brazil Sorocaba Mission. And then we can start to think about fulfilling a prophecy made by President Hinckley a decade ago - the construction of a temple in the center of Sorocaba.

That makes me so dang excited! Isn't that...exciting?! And what two wards are almost ready to split the stake? The Trujillo Ward (Stake Center) and the Parque Ouro Fino Ward. kajuhfsdhfjksfsdnjkjkhfjhkfjhkjk (:

"Let them preach by the way, and bear testimony of the truth in all places, and call upon the rich, and the high and the low and the poor to repent. And let them build up Churches as the inhabitants of the Earth will repent." - D&C 58:47-48

Other sources of excitement: Vânia and family will be baptized on Sunday, June 22nd. You're all invited. (: Well, you're all invited to pray for her at least. (:

Have a lovely week!

Love, love, love,
Sister Vaughn