Sacred Moments...

I forgot I still had to write my President, so I wrote to him about this cute family we found that we are really excited about. I talked about them in the last email. At Interviews with President Cooley he told us that we need to focus on teaching their daughters because as we teach on their level the spirit will teach the parents on their level. He told us to teach them I Am a Child of God. So here is the email I wrote him about how it went and everything:

"You were very inspired in your advice to teach the children. It didn´t go as well as we planned because the little daughter was being a little bit...crazy, but it still worked wonders with the dad, Aldénio. He had been hesitant about church, but when we invited them to come again he said Yes without hesitation! We were so glad!! They came on Sunday and absolutely LOVED it. Well Aldénio was really tired, so he didnt get much out of it, but he still liked it and Michele and the girls adored it! When Michele walked into the chapel, it moved her to tears. She said it was so beautiful and she felt something and got very emotional!

The problem: We found out they aren´t legally married. When they got "married" Michele was 16 and he was 29 or so. Her family didnt approve so they went to a Catholic Bishop and he gave them a blessing -- so they count that as being married as far as God is concerned, even though they aren´t married by law. They want to get married legally, but were thinking they might do it at the end of this year so they could save up money and go all out with all their family and everything. We knew this would be a hard situation...so we planned a really good lesson about eternal families and temples that we were really excited about. The execution didn´t go as well as we had planned, though. One of their daughters wouldn´t sit still and was asking her mom to do everything for her as we tried to teach, so it was hard for Michele to focus. When we came to the invite for them to be married sooner rather than later so that they could be baptised and receive the blessings of the temple, Aldénio said it would be impossible because they dont have the money now. Michele talked about how she really wants to have a wedding dress and get their families all together. We testified and invited them to pray about it. They said they would pray about it.

We fasted for them yesterday and hope that when we go back they will have received a response that these things are true. And that they will show the faith to go forward with the response. Neither of us have really had to help people get married before, so we are learning together...its a really hard situation!! But we are trying to rely on the Lord that he can help us say the things they need to hear to follow his commandments!"

So that is the update about their family. I really love them and I hope they continue to progress.

Thats the majority of whats been happening this week! I love the gospel and I love this work and I know that we have the restored church of Jesus Christ on the earth again. I know that when we put God and Jesus Christ in the first place in our lives, everything else works out. I promise that is true because I am seeing it in the lives of those I meet and teach here in Brazil.

I love you all!!

Sister Knudsen