MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

IT WAS AMAZING TALKING TO MY FAMILY. I love them so much. I am so
greatful for that chance to talk to them.

This week was a busy week, we were trying to teach and get EVERYONE to
church, but it was a little hard because EVERYONE went to the beach to
pass their christmas there.

The start of the week we taught Francelly and Elvis. They are a newly
wed couple we are teaching and preparing for batimo!! they are amazing
and they will be bapstied in January (they went to the beach)

Christmas Eve we went to the house the the stake president. he
invtited our WHOLE zone to his house to eat dinner there. So there was
like 22 missionaries there. It was amazing. We had a great message of
the real meaning of Christmas and sang hymns to remember our savior.

This week we are working with alot of references of the members. We
are acutally teaching the Bishops brother, he is a gospel singer so we
also sing with him. He is great, it is different teaching him cause he
has already seen SO many missionaries, but the Bishops wife said with
us it is the first time he is opening up with us and asking questions
and has the desire to know if it is true.

I loved being a missionary this Christmas and having the chance to
share the gospel of Jesus Christ with EVERYONE in out path. To
remember the real meaning of christmas and help other people feel the
true Christmas spirit.

My scripture this week is Alma 31.5

Thank you all for your prayers and Christmas wishes.

sorry no pics again. this internet cafe doesnt let us send pictures :(

I love you all so much.

xoxo
Sister Hernandez

Urick Graff

HELLO!!

Feliz Natal gentee!!

This week was tranfers. I am now in the ward Urick Graff. That is the
in the best  zone of the mission Mossoró! WHOOO! This ward is amazing.
I am super excited to work here. It is a golden ward! My new comp is
Sister J. Baker. She is from Salem, she is great. I love her and we
are like two peas in a pod:)

This week was a week of mericles. I got here in teh middle of the week
so we had alot of work to do. We worked really hard. Sunday morning we
went to get people for church and everyone was falling through. so we
were getting nervous that no one would go. but we kept going and
working with faith. we passed the house of a girl named yasmin. we
said, do you wanna come to church, and she said "YES" we were able to
have 3 people at church and it was a miricle.

we are teaching some AMAZING  families right now. and all of them have
the desire to be baptised.

THIS TRANSFER IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!

I am running out of time. But, I love you all and cant wait to talk to
my family this FRIDAY!

Sorry i dont have pics. this computer shop wont let me send anything :(

xoxo
Sister Hernandez

Christmas Conference

HELLO!

Hello! Merry Christmas!! This week we had our mission conferance for
Christmas. So last p-day we went to the chapel to set everything up!!
It was amazing, President Soares talked alot about repentance and how
we cant help other people and our selves feel forgiven and ready for
baptism.

I forgot all the notes I took to share with you guys, but the
conferance was amazing and made me feel happy to feel the Christmas
spirit.

This week was BUSY!! BUSY!! BUSY!! We did exchanges this week with
Sister Rios and Sister Lopes our STL's. Sister Mulberry went to work
with sister lopes and Sister Rios came to work with me. We worked
really hard. Our ward has a ward mission plan to work with the less
active members we have in our ward, so we spend alot of time with a
list of inactive members trying to help them get active. But this also
brings lots of fruits for us cause almost all the the time they live
with people who arent members.

This week with working with the list we found a young man named João
Victor. He is the nephew of a less active member and good friends with
our recent convert Ramon. (actually when he came to church he ended up
knowing a TON of people.) He is great! and has a real desire the learn
more about the gospel and loved church. When he left, he looked at me
and said, I going to come back next week.

We are teaching another young man named Hugo, he is 17 and is living
here in Natal with a friend and working and supporting himself. His
family lives 4 hours away. He feels alone here in the big city. I know
how it is leaving home and being in a new place and trying to find
where you fit it. So we feel like we can relate to him alot. He is
reading the book of mormon and loves it. We just gotta get him to
church so we can feel the spirit there and get to know other people
his age.

Damitila is the funniest person I know. She isnt a member but her son
is, so he sent us there to teach her. She is great!! When she prays
she has a legit converstaion with heavenly father. I love it. I love
her. She is comming along slow, but she knows she needs to be baptised
but just need a little more faith to make the move. She has already
been to church many times, she just needs the faith.

I am doing good! It was a BUSY week of work but it was amazing! :) I
love being a missionary and doing this work everyday of my life.

I love you all!!

MERRY EARLY CHRISTMAS!

john 3:16

xoxo
Sister Hernandez

Conferance with Sister Porter and J.Baker. (my sisters in the mission)
Sister Pace from Draper
Sister Rios
Lemon Torta yummm
waiting for the bus
 

 

 

1. Elder Mehl (his name in english is elder honey.) found my blog and
wants a pic of him on the blog.. I dont know why. but I told him I
would send this pic to you to post. Weird elders.

2. Can you tell EVERYONE to send me their christmas cards in the
family. You know how we always have a door full of cards? I want one
full of my family and freinds here on the mission too! :)

WE MOVED!

After 3 months of house hunting we moved!!! It was a mircle. It was
also alot of work. We woke up 6:30 got to work 7am and didnt get done
until 10 pm. So we were super super SUPER tired after we got done. But
i am happy to be in a new house. There is a special sprit there.

 

(Funny story form Arrie's email to me this week about the move.

This week was a little stressful but still amazing. We moved!! We had
to move and the Elders came to help and I walked out of the house for
3 min, when I came back in there was ALL of the matresses on the floor
and 4 elders on top of a table jumping on top of the matresses like
sumo wrestlers. I dont know if all Elders in the world are crazy, but
at least in the Natal Brasil Mission they are haha. I joked and told
them they are training me for one day when I am a mother. haha)

This week we had a really cool experience. We were riding the bus
after lunch and a group of young men sat next to us. We started
talking to them and gave them a pass along card for the new christmas
video the church made, got off the bus and didnt think anything of it.
the SAME night we were working with a list of less active members and
showed up at our last house for the day.we clapped our hand and guess
who came walking out. Leo, one of the boys who sat next to us on the
bus. His uncle is a member of the church and they live together. IT
WAS A MIRICLE. We marked to come back the next day and teach them. We
went back the next day and taught Leo the 1st lesson. The spirit was
so strong and he said "if all this is true then i need to follow." we
invited him to be baptised and he said yes and now we are preping
him!!

It was amazing. I am so thankful to be a tool in the lords hands and
to really be working everyday in his work. I know that he puts us in
the places were he is preparing people. I know what i need to do is
just open my mouth and talk to EVERYONE! That is what i love about
being a missionary. Everday i have the chance to help other people
come unto Christ.

This week at church, our recent convert Ramon said the opening prayer
in sacrament meeting. And our other recent convert got her first
calling helping in the primary. I love watching the gospel change the
lives of people. It only makes us better. The gospel is here to help
us be the best we can be.

I am so thankful for this month and the speical spirit we can feel
remembering the birth of our Savior. Everything he did for
us.Everything he is still doing for us, every single day. This month,
remember what he is doing for you, and how we can be better.

https://www.mormon.org/christmas

I love this holiday seasons!

xoxo
sister hernandez

thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

This thanksgving we went and we ate acai! whoo!! I am thankful for
this time to be serving my savior, for this time to be in his work and
to help other people come closer to Cristo.

This week I dont have alot to say, I just wanted to bear my testimony
about gratitude. I am so thankful for gratitude. Last night in a
family night in our ward they talked about being greatful and when we
are  greatful it is impossible to be sad, because our brain cant feel
the two emotions.

I know during this life there are low moments when we feel lost and
hurt and sad. moments we dont know what is going to happen, but i am
greatful for the saviors atonement and can make all pain go away and
help us becoming better people.

I am thankful for my family and that we are eternal, that no matter
what happens we are eternal.

I am sorry this email is so short, i am in a really bad internet house
and everyone is blasting music and so I cant focus really well. But I
love you guys. Next week will be a better one. Hopefully I can send
photos too cause my card isnt working right.

xoxo,
Sister Hernandez

So this last week was another week that was SUPER busy so now I am
here at the computer blanking..

This week the STL did a exchange with the other sisters who live in
our house. So it was fun to have Sister Rios in my house for a week.
Her and I lived together for my first two transfers so it was nice
catching up with her again! :)
We did a competition on who could do more "new investigators" and who
eve won got free acaí! SISTER MULBERRY AND I WON!!! WHOO!!

Ths week we had an amazing lesson with Ana Clara and Anderson.
Anderson went to church with Ana Clara last week but whenver we went
to teach them Anderson was ALWAYS working so we just were able to
teach Ana Clara. But this week Anderson was home. and we were able to
teach him the 1st lesson. IT WAS AMAZING. The spirit was so strong and
Anderson commited to reading the Book of Mormon. he said he felt
something different (the spirit) and he read!!! I love this family so
much and am hoping we can organize their marriage.

This week was the primary program in our ward and it was amazing. Of
course I cried. there is nothing more tender then a testimony of a
child. They are so sweet and pure. Their theme was the Svaior loves
me. And it is so true. I love knowing that he loves me. and the simple
truths i learned while i was still a child. I am so thankful to have
this gospel in my life.

Sccripture
D&C 19:16
16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they
might not suffer if they would repent;

We broke a blender and had to buy a new one for our neighbor hahaha
us with so many people in one car leaving church cause the bus broke down.
selfies with sister savage and sister rios and sister mulberry.
us right now at the internet shop with elder carpenter

"my dog ate my book of mormon"

So we have all heard the good old saying "teacher, my dog at my
homework." This week we were teaching Jordão (Jordan in english) and
gave him a chapter to read in the book of mormon. When we came back
the next day to ask him how it was. he said "my dog at my book of
mormon" and i thuoght to myself "there is no way this is the truth"
and i said "what?" he stood up and walked into his house, and came
back out with a book of mormon TORN APART. His dog serioulsy did eat
his book of mormon. I couldnt help but laught, it was the weirdest
thing I have ever seen. But good news is, we gave him a NEW book and
he read. and he is keeping it out of reach of his dog.

Teaching Jordão about the restoration was one of the coolest lessons I
have taught. The spirit was so stong. Jordão kept saying to us "I feel
so happy" he couldnt stop smiling. It was amazing to see the spirit
touching his heart. I love this gospel and know the teachings it gives
us truely can bring us true happiness.

This week Ana Clara and Anderson went to church for the first time and
it was AMAZING! They are an amazing couple who are super intrested
about learning more about the church. They were a referance that a
member gave to us. They have been hearing the lessons and Ana Clara
wants to be baptised but they need to get married. This is the goal we
have set with them right now and are organizing to help them get
married. In our ward counsel meeting when our bishop found out they
still arent married yet he yelled "THATS FINE! WE MARRY PEOPLE!!" Our
ward is super excited about them and I know amazing things are going
to happen.

I gave a talk this week. It was great cause it was better then last
time I gave a talk. I love knowing the language isnt a problem
anymore!

SO much happened this week... that i dont remember :( and I dont have
alot of pictures :( BUT next week I promise to be better and send more
pics! :)

This week we are studing Matthew 5:44 (Sis. Savage's fav scripture)

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them thatcurse you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray forthem which despitefully use
you, and persecute you;

Thank you for all the payers and support!

Xoxo,
Sister Hernandez

Selfies of me and Sister Mulberry going to our Zone meeting
Selife of us right now emailing

Every week in the mission is an amazing week right?? This week was
great! minus the fact that i got sick for a couple days and had to
stay inside (i went crazyy) (dont worry mom it was just strep throat)
BUT WE STILL HAD MIRICLES!! i got better and when we were able to work
again!! And also while i was sick the Elders helped us alot! greatful
for them!

We have been teaching a young man named Wendel, he is 16. His cousin
is a member, Denis. and one of his best firends is Ramon, our recent
convert of 3 weeks. it was an amazing experience teachng him. and
having Ramon and Denis and the other young men help us. Wendel has
such a special spirit and was ready  to be baptised!

after the baptism Ramon told us how next year he wants to serve a
mission!! he will be Elder Fernandes!!

i know this week will be better cause i am no longer sick. BUT that is
all that really happened. this week will be an amazing week of work!
and i think we will also move houses so that will be cool!

here are some pics of our district and our week and bapstim! :)

The scrpiture this week is: Alma 29:9
"I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do
not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded
me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in
the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my
joy."

I am so thankful to be here as a servent  of the lord in brasil!  i
love my  savior and am thankful  for his atonement!

have an amazing week!!

xoxo
Sister Hernandez

HALLOWEEN IN THE WATER!!

This Halloween Gicela was baptised! It was the most amazing thing
EVER. She was so ready! The whole ward was calling her a "dry mormon"
but now we can happily say she is a "wet mormon". The spirit was so
strong during her baptism and I am so honored to be a part of it. Now
we just need to work on getting her husband baptised also to complete
some familes!! :):)  It was the best halloween of my life, and I didnt
even dress up!!

This week was transfers and Sister Mulberry and I stayed together!!
WHOO!! We also got two other sisters who will share our ward with us!
It will be great cause our area was HUGE and so now it will be better
cause more people will be able to hear the gospel! But i am so happy
that I will be able to spend one more transfer in this area!

Today we had a huge p-day with our whole zone it was fun! So now I
dont have alot of time to write! But next week will be better of
course! with more pics!

Alma 58:40: 40
"But behold, they have received many wounds; nevertheless they stand
fast in that liberty wherewith God has made them free; and they are
strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day; yea, they do
observe to keep his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments
continually; and their faith is strong in the prophecies concerning
that which is to come."

Remember no matter the trial, no matter the task we must remember the
Lord and his hand in our lives everyday. We must keep the commandments
and the faith that through him we can overcome all things.

How greatful I am for the Book of Mormon!
I love this gospel so much.

Until next week! You are all in my prayers!

xoxo
Sister Hernandez
Missão Brasil Natal

Following the promptings of the spirit!

This week we had a really cool experience! Sister Mulberry and I left
one of our appointments which went a little late, and we had two
appointments planned but could only choose one. We were talking to
decide because one house was close to where we were and the other was
SUPER long. The logical choice would be to choose the one closer. But
we both had a super strong feeling to go to the one longer. So we got
walking. We walked and walked and as we were walking there was a man
standing on the road outside his work. He stopped us by saying "are
you guys mormons?" We looked at him and said "yeah we are" and we got
talking. His name is Marcelo. We was baptised a longgg time ago while
he was living in São Paulo. About 5 years ago he moved here when he
sperated from his wife and fell away from the church. He said this
last week he was SUPER angry, and didnt even know why. And one of his
friends said "Marcelo you need to get yourself back to church." So he
started to pray. He was nervous and didnt know what to do.And he said
the moment we walked past it was an answer to his prayers. He gave him
a new Book of Mormon and took his information to help him get back to
church.

I left that experience overwhelmed with the spirit that I was able to
be the answer to someones prayer. The other day I heard a quote from
our beloved profeta Thomas S. Monson when he said "The greatest
feeling i know is to follow a prompting and latter find out it was the
answer to someones prayer. I hope the Lord knows, when he needs an
errand run, Tom Monson will run that errand for him." In that moment I
remembered this, and thought to myself, I also hope the Lord knows
that Arrie is here to run ANY errand the Lord has for me. I hope and
pray I can always be worthy of the spirit so he can guide me to help
the people in need.

Last week we got a referance from a member. He said he met her in an
airplane and got her address. We didnt really know alot going there,
but we had a STRONG feeling we needed to go, so we went. Her name is
Ana Clara. It turns out that a year and a half ago she was coming home
from São Paulo and sat next to this member on the airplane. And he
forgot about her until last Sunday when he gave us her info cause he
still had it. when we got there, she was in ALOT of need of a visit.
We were able to talk to her and help her with some of her problems and
also share the message of the restoration. it was amazing, and another
answer to someones prayer.

Sister Mulberry and I are doing well. Working hard and of course
lauging alot. What is work without also having fun?! I can honestly
say I am in the worlds BEST ward. I love working with the members
here. I love my mission, I am thankful for person I am becoming and my
chance to be better everyday thanks for the love and grace of my
Savior Jesus Cristo.

This week I will poderize:
2 Nephi 25:23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our
children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be
reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved,
after all we can do.

I am thankful to know that after all I can do. The savior makes up the
difference.

Thank you for the support and love.

LAST WEEK FOR P-DAY WE WENT SANDBOARDING, LIKE SNOWBOARDING BUT IN THE SAND!

Also, here in Brasil Natal means Christmas. So I am serving in the
city of Christmas. But it is cool cause they have lots of Chirstmas
theamed things everywhere. The 3 Kings.

ALSO I FOUND TORTILLAS AND MADE HOMEMAID JUICE.

xoxo,
Sister Hernandez

Hello!! This week was amazing, like every week! :) We did a lot of
walking trying to hunt people down. Our area is huge so we get lost
sometimes. But that is okay cause we just have more time to find more
people to teach!! SO MUCH HAPPENED I DONT EVEN REMEMBER!

This week we had a baptism. Ramon, he is 17 and amazing. He really has
taken learning about the gospel seriously and has a sincire desire to
change and be a better person. He met the church through his friends,
they invited him to church and helped answer some of the question he
had and introduced him to us. We taught him and it was amazing. He
told us about how he felt when he was at church and reading the Book
of Mormon and he said he felt clean and safe and all the things that
you can feel that is good. We prepared his baptism for Saturday! It
was amazing! His frieind Jefferson baptised him, his other two friends
gave talks. The spirit was so strong and so speical. I love being a
tool in the hands of the Lord to help people come to know this
wonderful gospel!! Ramon wants to serve a misson too next year! He is
an amazing example.

This week we did alot alot alot of opening our mouths and talking to
people, trying to meet the people the Lord is putting in our path. I
know the more we talk the more we will have the chance to spread the
gospel!

This week my scripture is 3 Nephi 11:35-36.

I love this gospel. I love the Book of Mormon.

xoxo
Sister Hernandez

The day of the children.

Today is the holiday "Day of the Children" and this means that
EVERYTHING is closed. Internet house=closed. So today me and 5 other
missionaries shared one computer in the church. So I dont have much
time to write anything. But it was another great week.

I love my area. Love my ward. I wanna be here for the rest of my
mission but highly doubt that will happen cause I still have 7 months.
But a girl can dream right??

This sunday we have 2 baptisms marked. Ramon who is a young man with
17 years. He is amazing, and is super active already in the church and
all the activites. It was amazing cause Sunday we walked past the
young mens room where they were having sunday school and he was up
front reading scriptures with the rest of the class. He has a lot of
friends who are members so it has been super easy for him to get
invloved. Other is Gilcela. She is amazing, the women I talked about
last week who came to all 4 sessons of confrance. She comes every
sunday with her son Enzo.

I am sorry this email is so short. Know we are working hard and next
week there shouldnt be a holiday about any children so I will be able
to email normal. BUT, here are some photos of last p-day. Sister
Mulberry, Nunes, and Porter and I went to explore in parts of my area.
As you can see I am serving in the most beautiful place on earth.

Have an amazing week!!
This week I will poderize 2 Nefí 27:23!!

I love you all! also love this little hammock shop we found on the beach.

xoxo
Sister Hernandez

CONFERANCES!!

 

 

This week was a week full of conferance. We had our Zone Conferance
with all of the missionaries who are in the Capital! 4 Zones. It was
amazing to see all of the missionaries and remember our purpose and
why we are here. It was amazing to be able to learn together how we
can make our mission better. How we can help the people we are
teaching and how we can really use the love of Christ in our work.
Zone conferance also was great cause I got to see some friends I
havent seen for a long time. Like Sister M. Baker (my twin) and Sister
Casthilho and lots of other missionaries. I love how we are just one
huge family here.

This week we were also able to work alot more beacuse Sister
Mulberry's foot is doing alot better! We are still getting to know the
area, and so that means alot of walking and getting lost and walking
and getting lost. But the best way to get to know our area is getting
lost and then finding our way back. our area is HUGE. the biggest area
in our missoin. So i am thinking that there will be losts of moments
of getting lost. But, I feel alot better cause now I know where alot
of things are and how to ride the bus. I stayed in the "interior" aka
courntyside my whole mission until now. So now I feel like a smal town
girl going into the big city haha.

We are teaching a women who is AMAZING. Her name is Gilcelia. She has
a three year old sun, who is the cutest in the world. And this week
she went to ALL FOUR SESSONS OF THE CONFERANCE!! (here we all watch it
together at the church. And she even brought her husband with her for
two of them. This week we are going to prep her for baptism. She is
amazing and watching her faith grow has inspired me. She is reading
the book of mormon and really letting the gospel of Jesus Christ
change her.

I am happy for our new apostles. They seem like amazing men who have
alot of faith in our Savior. I am excited to hear their cousel in my
life.


I wanted to share with you some of the things I loved from conferance.
Henry B. Erying "have a constant quest to always have the spirit with you"
Russell M. Nelson " If you quit now, there will be others who will
have to learn what you already know."
Gregory A. Schuitcer "One man or women can make a difference....
Insipre the hearts of men."
Von G Keeth "Comandments are given by our loving and caring Heavenly
Father, as we sumit to his will. We become who he wants us to be."
Kim B Clark " We dont need to be perfect. But need to strive to be
better... Live the simple truths of the gospel."

I also loved Jeffery R. Hollands talk about our monters and the love
they have for us. I am thankful for my own mother, who has always
loved and helped me. I know her love for me and my brothers is eternal. I love my mom.

I am thankful for my mother and father, who have loved me and raised
me in the gospel.

One thing I loved about conferance is how they talked about the
importance of ALWAYS having the spirit with us. I know this is true. I
know the Lord "qualifies the people he calls" I know he will make us
who he knows we can be. When we have faith, repent, and keep on the
path.

This week I am starting the "one scripture por week challange"

Starting with 1 Nephi 3:7

I am thankful for Thomas S Monson, for our chace to hear from him this
week. And to serve in the Lord's work. I wish we could have conferance
every weekend!!!!

Xoxo,
Sister Hernandez