Babies and Baptisms! Welcome, Ollie!

Let´s just start with the most important things that happened this week. Some one was born #Oliver #SouTia! #sobrinho 

And someone was born again! #batismo

Today just as I was waking up as missionaries do...(and we normally don't get up dancing and singing so you can probably imagine).. 6:30.

A few minutes later... the phone buzzes. Oo a message. What could it be? Presidente Cruz. uh oh What could it be?? 

"Dear Sister Hemmert (Hermet haha oh presidente). Yesterday your Sister had her baby and it looks like everyone is well. According to your family, everyone is happy. Congratulations!"

WOOOHOOO! 

The world became a better place when my nephewzinho was born! He is the most perfect and pure creature I have ever seen and I'm sooo excited to hold him!! 

This week we also had a baptism!! Woohoo! Patrick was baptized this saturday! He invited allllll of his friends and his family! There were so  many youth! It was so cool. It is with moments like these that I can see the Lord raising His children. Raising a generation resistant to sin. I feel very grateful that I can play a part in this act and be a part of this generation.

I know that I have more to say but I have a desire to just stare at photos of my nephew, deciding which ones I'll print out. I think that I just print... all of them! So I'm going to end here with a testimony and  video that Sister Cruz showed us the other day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-PC1C7m7HM

A Brand New Ending

As he explains in the video. We were not made to stay on the ground. We were not made to be just mortal, just organic material. As we can see, just from yesterday we were made for something more.

I witnessed the brand new life of a young man starting this week and the life a little baby too. 

The Lord made us so that we could live forever. A baby arrived from the presence of the Lord and a son of God entered the waters of baptism and, born again, is ready and working and living to enter the presence of God again. 

I know that this church is true. It is the Lord's Kingdom that I wait on and serve in and know, with every fiber of my person,that these things are true.

Moisés 6:60-63 

60 For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified;61 Therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment.62 And now, behold, I say unto you: This is the plan of salvation unto all men, through the blood of mine Only Begotten, who shall come in the meridian of time.63 And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me.

With all my love I testify,

Sister Hemmert

Rain Boots and Miracles!

Well, this week didn't stop. Not even for a second. I can't explain to you why. This was supposed to be the most delayed week of them all! 

Let me just tell you everything that happened

Last week I bought rainboots. Like super cute black rainboots with a white strap because my new area is just rain and sand and mud. 

Monday we were walking around the Center of Pelotas when I looked down and saw that one of the straps was missing! Oh No

We looked everywhere! We repeated every pathways every sidewalk every store that we entered! It was nowhere to be found! 

I just kept praying. Porque? Como? Por favor..

Sister Ampuero needed to buy boots because she's headed home. So we went back to the store where I bought my boots the other day. 

Prepare yourself. This is when the miracle happens.

The woman who was in the doorway when we arrived started to help us find boots for Sister A. She then started to tell us that her cousin was serving a mission in the north. As a non member she thought this was super cool! It was this moment that she noticed my poor boots. In her surprise she told me that maybe, just maybe, they had an extra strap in the store room! She would sneak back there and see!

I was praying directly at this moment.

By the time Sister A. was finished buying her boots I had almost lost hope. As we were leaving who stopped us in the doorway??? Um Anjo na Sapataria! The angel in the shoe store with a new boot strap!

Tender mercies. I wrote out a thank you note and left it with the sercurity guard for her. Inviting her to visit the church when she could. 

One lesson that I learned. The Lord hears our prayers. Even the simplest plea He hears and understands. It's more likely that today in this world we will lose much more than a shoe strap from a new boot. But it is just another promise that even with the little things He answers and even using us to talk with the stranger in the shoe store to invite her to church. 

He gives us chances and opportunities in our trials to help others. As we know our Savior came not to save Himself, but to save us. 

This week I bounced from area to area in Bagé. I traded companheiras every single day trying to help every single Sister that I encountered in the process. As I said a few weeks ago, I'm in charge of Bagé (which has three areas, Bagé, Laranjeiras, e Dom Pedrito. Also I'm in charge of Arroio Grande and Gotuzzo.) If you remember from my mission history these are all areas that I've served in and visited. To make matters even better, Sister Agurto, Sister Pereira, and Sister Aranha are in these areas. The only companions from the field who I'm not taking care of are headed home or already at home! So this week I basically relived my mission! 

Let me tell you though. It wasn't cheap! Bagé is a good 4 hours from Pelotas and Dom Pedrito is another 2 hours! Thankfully a mission pays for everything, but because of the Holiday the prices and bus schedules that we had planned were totally wrong! The money that I was given was completely different from the total. But I learned this week how to save money and plan better. The money stretched and finally the buses arrived and everything went better than planned. 

The Lord always has a better plan. 

For example, today we were headed to the Internet Place to talk with you all, when we arrived it was full! Like bursting with gente. So we had to decide, wait or go walking in the shops. We decided to pass by the stores. As we were there, someone called our name, "Sisteres!"

The young mens leader from another ala called us over and explained that a woman just on the other side of the bench had just lost her father. We got to chat with her for just a minute and offer to pass by her house if she liked. 

As I said, the Lord always has a better plan. And His plan is perfect. 

He planned and organized every single part so that we can live better than we live today. So that we can be better than we are today. So that we can find blessings in the little things and strength in the greatest act in history. 

Christ lived. He suffered. He was rejected and hated and hurt. The world, because of unrighteousness judges Him as something, someone without value. The world rejects Him and hates Him and Hurts Him everytime that the world rejects and hates and hurts us. But in His steps we are changed. Because He already suffered. And we know that He suffered so that we dont have to. 

I know that He died, but I know that He lives and I worship O Cristo Vivo. 

The Living CHRIST.

He is the King of Kings. The Prince of Peace. He calms the waters and cures the sick and broken of heart. Seek Him. & You. WILL. Find. 

My testimony,

Sister Hemmert

Look At Me Now, Arriving with Fire!

Wow. I can hardly believe it! Easter!

This time a few months ago, or one year if you want to be more certain, I was in the CTM. I've officially passed the year mark. One year ago I was just praying to arrive in the field! I was new to the game, big hopes, full of fire, ready to go. 

And look at me now. Giving it all I'm worth, hoping and praying, as my Presidente said to me this days, "Chegando com fogo." Arriving with fire in every área! 

How I love the mission. This week was amazing. Truly. We went to Porto Alegre and had a Leadership Meeting (? I don't know how to call it in English but you get the idea). I loved it! I had my nervous moments, but everything turned out great! 

I want to just tell you all that I love you. I dont have much time. I know, I know. I'll do my best next week to write a super long letter! haha

But anyways, I want you all to know that this week is one of the most important weeks in the history of the world. This week was the birth of the Lord and the following weekend we will remember His suffering, His death, and His ressurection. 

He is the Prince of Peace. He gave His life for me, and for you. He lives. You have heard His voice and you know it. Look to Him. Remember Him. Don't let this week pass by without Him in your thoughts. Take a moment. Think. Feel. And His strength will come to you. I know it is hard. He knows as well for He gave His life for you. 

Just remember His promise, 

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

With all my love and strength,

Sister Hemmert

How True It all Is

So this week I took a road trip and stayed a few days in Gotuzzo. 

As an LTS, every few weeks I plan a visit in a new area. I take care of Bage and Gotuzzo. So this week I headed to Gotuzzo to see how the Sisters there are working. I stayed with Sister Araujo Monday-Saturday. 

It was super cool working there. We had many adventures. 

Since I'm short on time I want to share one of my favorite experiences from the week. 

We were eating lunch with the Stake presidents wife and her mom, Vera. Vera is less active. She was explaining to us that she wouldn't be able to come to conference because her house was just too messy. Uh oh..

"We can help you clean it! When can we pass by Irma?" (me). 

Vera: "Nooo, no, we will have to take apart a bed and carry things down the staircase. It's a lot of work...."

Me: "The Elderes can help carry the heavy stuff," (Cue choking as the Elderes, who were eating, tried to say that they were busy haha) "And Sister A and I can do the rest!" 

I didn't know that we were getting ourself into an episode of extreme hoarders...

But it was seriously the best experience. We arrived before the Elders and got to work. This Irma has a consignment store in her house called a Brecho. Well, as a result she has a lot of furniture and clothing and things piled everywhere! Like, we didn't know where to begin. Don't hear me wrong, she has a lot of stuff artistic and vintage. Every thing super clean, but its just...a lot. 

Vera wanted to move a king-sized bed and bed frame to another room with the side tables and nightstands and mirrors. She explained that it was always her dream to put the bed in the center of the wall near the window, but for thirty years she had measured the space and it just never worked out...

Welllll, Sister and I cleared the room transfering piles and clothing to the designated areas (Keep, Sell, Garbage) and got to work moving the furniture. We took apart the bed, cleaned away the dust and set it up in the space. Well, when we set up the other room there was more than space to spare!

"Thirty years!" She exclaimed with embarrasment (super shy haha) "You're my fairy godmother's!! and there is space to spare!"

Sister Araujo, "Irma, you need space to spare, you know...Don't go putting more stuff here ok?"

"Ok ok, but a table here would be so cute and..."

"Irma!" haha:)

She is such an eccetric lady. When I told her, "Hey Irma, this perfume here is empty, can I throw it away?"

"Oh Sister, its just so cute...(Thinking how she could reuse it and save it in someway) but lets just throw it away, Sister." :)

My joy this week was receiving the news that she went to conference! :)

So many other wonderful things happened this week! Did I already tell you that when I arrived in Brasil Sister Araújo was my first companion? She showed me the ropes for the first day until I got my Trainer. And look at us now! I did my first week long division with her! How cool. The Lord truly knows what to do. 

Sadly, I forgot my conference notes in the mission house! But I will try to remember what I loved the most. 

I'm here in Porto Alegre. Tomorrow we have a Counsel Meeting with the Mission Leaders (And now I'm one of them!) Wish me luck. I hear that it is just brutal. Im nervous! haha

We are going to wander around a bit. I dont know anything about Porto Alegre so a Sister Ampuero will help me out a bit. I think we will only have time to buy ice cream though before our Pday ends. We arrived late in the day. Had to get on a bus at 7 in the morning. 

Anyways, I'm super happy. I received so many answers this weekend. What a blessed event. As my companion said, "We have all waited for the most important event in the world."

Truly, this is one of those moments. A moment to hear the prophets speak. A moment to hear God speak. A moment to hear the music ringing in our ears the song that redeems our soul.

How true it all is. This is the work of the Lord. Join in. Work with Him. Overcome the world. Don't walk on borrowed light but in the light of the Lord with your own testimony. If you don't know yet what is true. If you haven't felt yet the love of the Lord. Or maybe if your forgot what the love of the Lord feels like and have strayed from His path: Kneel. Where ever you are, find a place and find the Lord. Seek His Holy Scriptures. Seek Him in your prayer, your plea, with all your might and mind and strength and soul, until you find Him and until you know Him and know that He lives and He loves you and wants you to live with Him some day. Trust in Him.

And if you can't seem to trust Him yet, trust me. I know He lives. I know He loves me. I felt His arms around me as I prayed. I promise you that all you have to do is pray as a primary song teaches us:

Heavenly Father, are you really there?

And do you hear and answer ev'ry child's prayer?

Some say that heaven is far away,

But I feel it close around me as I pray.

Heavenly Father, I remember now

Something that Jesus told disciples long ago:

"Suffer the children to come to me."

Father, in prayer I'm coming now to thee.

2. Pray, He is there;

Speak, He is list'ning.

You are His child;

His love now surrounds you.

He hears your prayer;

He loves the children.

Of such is the kingdom, the kingdom of heav'n.

Don't let doubts lead you away. Nothing is more important than this path. Because this path is a living path, a loving path, this path is Christ. And nothing, I say, nothing, matters more than one day living with Him. 

With all my love I pray that you will seek to know for yourself that this is the only path that leads to eternal life.

Sister Hemmert