(:

Hi! (: Here's some stuff that happened this week:

This week, I left my watch on an exchange and I'll tell you what, it's relieved some serious stress not knowing if we're running late and I'm wondering why I didn't do that a lot sooner.

This week, I got a cold sore. Stress? What stress?

This week, one of the Elders in our mission lost his mom in a car accident and President Farnes united our mission in a special fast for this Elder and his family. Have I told ya'll lately that I love you? (:

This week, we reached a new level of "talk to everyone." We pulled over a bicyclist.

This week, we made some huge progress with Andrea.
 - Andrea: 35ish years old. Wife of Alfonço. Mother of 3 girls. Nurse and Info Tech in Sorocaba's leading hospital. Die-hard Catholic. Bakes a mean corn cake. Fantastic, impressive, intelegent lady. I found her on an exchange asking for directions. So we taught her the first time and felt something really special about her. Now Andrea: Studies the Book of Mormon, mórmon.org, and conference talks on her daily bus rides and with her girls. Quotes the BoM and recent talks in our visits with her. Stinking love her.

Ok rewind and pretend that you don't know she studies like a missionary: Ok so this week, we get to her house with a neighborhood member to follow-up from our first visit and about her experience at church. She started thanking us, "But I really am really Catholic. We're all involved...blah..." Wait just a minute; Why don't we just start our little conversation with a prayer. So we started asking her a bunch of questions and unfolding the mysteries of the Kingdom to her. The spirit was so strong you guys.

She'd read the Book of Mormon and when she prayed about it, she described pretty much exactly what Alma says about the seed of faith - that it was the same thing she felt in the church and when we are with her. We just let her talk and talk until she reached, hesitantly, carefully, the right words. AND I QUOTE/TRANSLATE: "I know.. after having gone to see the church, and having read and prayed for myself, and studied a little on the Internet (uhh..?!)... that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints..is.. the true church." Hey, I was excited that she remembered the full name of the Church. (;

You know, that's like the coolest thing. How inspired questions change a lesson into a spiritual experience. We are preparing her and her family for baptism. But we're asking for some prayers from you guys! Like she said, we met her when we was happier than ever in her church - she's not looking for anything better and she has a lot of doubts about how she is going to completely change everything in her life to do what she now knows Christ expects of her. We're going over with Bishop João and his wife tonight so it's going to be great. (: But you'll pray for them right? (:

Her doubts have remind me to reflect on a principle we learn in Doctrine and Conventants 25:10.

"And verily I say unto thee, that thou shalt lay aside the things‍ of this world, and seek‍ for the things of a better."

This is a commandment! Trade the good for the great! The Gospel of Jesus Christ invites us to lay aside our fears, worries, desires, inclinations, weaknesses - ourselves - to seek that which we could not obtain on our own. We must have the faith to leave the good for the better, the great for the excellent, and the now for the eternally significant and essential.

I just love you guys a whole ton! We're doing our best and having the best time! (: Have a great week!

Love, love, love,
Sister Vaughn