May 28, 2019

6 Months

Amigos e Família!

Well, folks, 6 months ago today I was set apart as a missionary, to preach the gospel to these wonderful people of São Paulo!! 6 months!!! When I look back, I think of all the incredible people I have met and will continue to meet. How I have adjusted to another country and to life as a missionary. What a whirlwind experience!! Thank you for all your support and prayers!


This past week we had Zone Conference and Presidente Miller spoke about the interesting use of words when we have hands laid on our heads to receive the Holy Ghost. At the end of the prayer the words are spoken ´´receive the Holy Ghost´´. Elder Bednar explained this in his General conference talk in 2010:
These four words—“Receive the Holy Ghost”—are not a passive pronouncement; rather, they constitute a priesthood injunction—an authoritative admonition to act and not simply to be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:26). The Holy Ghost does not become operative in our lives merely because hands are placed upon our heads and those four important words are spoken. As we receive this ordinance, each of us accepts a sacred and ongoing responsibility to desire, to seek, to work, and to so live that we indeed “receive the Holy Ghost” and its attendant spiritual gifts. “For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift” (D&C 88:33).


I love how he states that it is an ongoing effort, constantly, to be worthy to receive the promptings and guidance of the Holy Ghost. We must always renew our faith in our Savior, read the Book of Mormon, listen to good things, do good works for others, and endure to the end. Presidente Miller also talked about the meaning of `´enduring to the end`´. What does this mean? Well, it can mean endure this moment, endure this hour, endure this day, endure this week, month, year, and so on. When we have an attitude of enduring with faith that this hard moment does and will not be forever, we can continue on the path of righteousness and follow our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. 

I love our Savior! I love this missionary work! I love my family and am grateful for their examples in my life and that we can be together for eternity! (yay baby Penelope!) 

Have a great week!

much love, Sister Giles


photos:
pretty sunset, an açai tree, me with a cow, and a photo with a sweet Sister who finishes her mission this transfer

May 20, 2019

Obra missionaria!

Olá my lovely family and friends!

Man, it is getting cold here in São José dos Campos! More rain this week and we stopped using both fans at night, only one we keep on, so that´s when you know it is getting cold. This week I did eat tacos! For the first time in 6 months, and it was delicious. We had dinner at a member´s house Wednesday night and they have been to the USA a couple of times and to Rexburg for BYUI. So they cooked ground-up meat with a taco sauce and we had the soft taco shells with cheese and lettuce and pico de gallo and sour cream to add and holy cow it was so good! They also had brought back root-beer concentration to make root-beer, but they didn't make it that night hahaha! Next time. They have a lot of coconut things here and one day I want to try the coconut where you drink the water using a straw, they have a lot of stands for this. They have bananas that are more sweet and bananas that are less sweet and have different uses for each which is interesting. I think the US only have one type of banana hahaa!

We met some really great, new people this week and Sister Silva and I are excited to teach them!

One is a young boy, Everton, who received the lessons awhile back with some Elders, but stopped. Now he wants to hear them again! Our mission leader of the ward is a recently returned missionary so has been helping a lot! He brought Everton to church yesterday , so we are excited to teach him! He went to an activity on Friday we had at the church building for a young man, Leo, in our ward who is leaving for a mission to Mexico this week, and really enjoyed it! The mother of Leo asked us to bear our testimonies and what a special experience it was! I bore my witness of the greatness of God´s work on the earth and how this work is to bring His eternal family together, to live forever in His presence. What a joy! Afterwords, the boys played soccer and we had cake and these fried savory things called cadinhas!

Another investigator we met this is week was this lady who is a journalist and was really interested in missionary work.

Sister Silva and I have a great time together and I feel that my Portuguese has improved a ton! I have been helping her with English and her English is so cute haha!

I was reading in Mormon 9 where Mormon talks firmly about the only way to gain salvation is through Jesus Christ and following His example. It is so powerful how every prophet in the Book of Mormon testifies of Christ and the need for repentance and baptism. I love sharing the gospel, what a tremendous opportunity and time! Sharing about our Savior and His example is so wonderful.


Love to all!


Sister Giles

May 13, 2019

Feliz dia das Mães!

Olá family and friends!

What a great week! Mother´s day was so fantastic talking with my family all together! Mom, Dad, Summer, Lucas, Kailee and Penelope, Hannah and Jake and Clay. (With Grandma, Aunt Becky, Uncle Jesus, Sofia, Alisa and Jerry & baby Nicolas!) I am so grateful for my wonderful mother and all she does for me and our family! 

Our Relief Society lesson was on the importance of sharing the stories of our ancestors with our families to strengthen and uplift them. What an incredible blessing families are! Heavenly Father created families for us to have joy in this journey on earth and for our eternal life. I love my family! I love our Savior and Redeemer!

Saturday Sister Silva and I had a neat experience of meeting a less active named William. He was excited to see us and was glad to hear our message of Helaman 5:12 which talks about Christ as our rock and foundation. He said that was exactly what he was needing and has been feeling the desire to attend Sacrament meeting again. It had been almost 3 years since he has been, and a very sweet member gave him and us a ride to church yesterday and he absolutely loved the meetings! He said he always had a testimony of the Book of Mormon, but just stopped reading it, but he was feeling like something was missing in his life and when we gave him a new Book, he was so joyful! Heavenly Father knows the spiritual and temporal needs of His children, all we need to do is acts on the sweet promptings of the Spirit and our lives will be blessed.

We had a fun P-day this morning with the other missionaries in our area and played futebol and volleyball and had a picnic! 

I am grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord and be His representative!

Have a great week! Love to all!

Com amor, Sister Giles

May 6, 2019

Best day ever!

Olá family and friends!

Sister Silva and I had a very special day yesterday! Our awesome friend and investigator, Angelo, was baptized!! He is 13 and is incredible. When we started teaching him a month ago, he did not believe that God existed. Every day since we gave him the Book of Mormon he has read in it and is already in 2 Nephi 22! He takes it to school with him and reads it in the classroom (we know this because a member named Matius is in his same class and told us hehe). And yesterday, he followed the example of our Savior and was baptized by someone holding the authority of Jesus Christ to make this covenant and be sealed in the Heavens. When he came up out of the water he had the biggest grin on, ah so cute! Next week he will be confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, he is super excited and we are excited for him! I am so grateful for this opportunity to be here and witness the miracles that God has in store for each of His precious children. 

When we do the simple things such as daily prayer, scripture study, and going to church, Heavenly Father sends the blessings He has in store for us when we follow His commandments. Sister Silva and I have been doing an activity for our members as our message after Lunch, where we read in Ephesians 6:10-18 and draw out the Armour of God. We talk about how important it is in these Latter days to fortify our testimonies and families against the fiery attacks of the adversary. God has given us the tools to fight: The Book of Mormon, a living Prophet, the Holy Spirit, personal revelation, our families, and much more. All we need to do is strive daily to do these things and follow the example of Christ. The talk given by Presidente Nelson last April conference about revelation for the Church, and personal revelation is very powerful! I encourage you all to read it and ponder how you can apply personal revelation more in your own lives. 

During the week we had divisions with Sisters in the zone Jacueri so I had Sister Correia as my companion for the day. Also, we have a couple as our investigators and they gave us these cute Eiffel Tower key chains they brought back from Paris last year when they went on a trip there. It reminds me of my sister Hannah and how grateful I am for my wonderful family.

I love the story of Joseph Smith of how he sought personal revelation in the Bible then went and prayed and received a marvelous answer. What a great example he is! My companion and I were talking about his incredible experience after one of our investigators told us that she was studying the Bible with A Jehovah Witness and the lady told her not to read the Book of Mormon because it will confuse her mind and the teachings of the Bible. I am so grateful for the Spirit and it lead Sister Silva and I to tell her that God loves us and has given the gift of personal revelation and the Book of Mormon to find things out on our own if we have real intent. I am so grateful for the Restoration of the true church of Jesus Christ, restored in the same form as Christ established. 

The baptism was so incredible! I love missionary work! Have a great week!


Love to all!!!


-Sister Giles