I Don't Know What to Call this Week...

Hi everybody! We had transfers and Guess what? I am staying in Patos with Sister Lima, I am truly grateful that nothing is changing because we have so much work to do here! Our whole district is actually staying together, so that is a huge blessing! This last week was goooood as always, I am a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of course my life is wonderful! Marisa, the YWs President asked us to sing with the girls for New Beginnings, so we practiced every day this last week with them! It was so fun singing and practicing with them, these girls are such amazing examples of virtue and integrity. I am truly amazed at the little Branch, we have some of the kindest, strongest families ever. And almost everyone is a convert to the church in the last 20 years. I dont think any of these families had parents that were members of the church, they are truly the pioneers of their families and it is amazing to see how the conversion of the parents have absolutely changed the lives of the youth here in Patos. I ended up directing the music for New Beginnings, the girls sang two songs and I guess I had the most experience with leading music? I think this is a big lie, but I was willing to do whatever they asked me, I think it went okay? Even though the songs were in Portuguese, so it was a little more difficult to sing :) At church on Sunday, I became a mother for all of the little kids that did not have parents there. For all those little kids who want to be in church, but their parents are not members and have yet to choose the gospel. It was so fun having them sit all around me and sing hymns and ah I just love our little primary kids! We had 113 people in Sacrament meeting this Sunday, two more than last week, if we can have more than 100 every Sunday for three months we can divide the branch, everyone is working really hard to do this because we need this branch to grow grow grow! I dont have much time right now, but my thought is this We need to do our part. We need to do the best we can, that is all the Lord is asking for. He is not asking for our lives, just for the best that we can give, and he will do the rest. The Lord loves us, he is ever merciful, and ever forgiving. When we fall down, who is there to pick us back up? The Lord, his hands are outstretched and will always pick us up. I want to share a poem with you all that I wrote in the MTC. We watched the video about Jesus Christ when he visits the Americas, in the video it shows a young girl leading her mother who is blind to the Lord. This video touched me deeply and I wrote a poem about the woman who was blind, but was made to see through Jesus Christ. My Eyes Always dar, never seeing, only voices can be heard. Rays of Sun forever setting, stars of night still never gleaming. Never to see the clear blue of flowing rivers or a mother mare with her foal. Never to see the rising smoke of hearth fire that always calls me home. My daughters earth brown eyes and constant-guiding hand kept from my ever-seeking face. Oh my daughter, my leader, my guider-she-always at my side to direct and aid down twisting paths of gray. If food I lack, she provides. If lost and alone, she always finds, when chill night comes against my frail bones-a blanket she gives because I cannot find my own. Daughter whispers of glories soon to appear, my life-so long, Moses Law, is it wrong? Do I believe? My heart is unsure. My daughter knows, of that I am sure. I may not see, but I feel her light when seh speaks of Jesus Christ. Will he come? It is unclear, Will I ever know? I hope so. Will my eyes ever look upon his face? It is hard to trust what my eyes are not shown. Days pass, weeks go by, one day the dark I see is further darker for much too long. I hear frantic whispers and feel running feet. The earth is groaning, her tears are shed. Montains tremble, rivers bend, ground is shifting, valleys descend. Is the time long prophecied near at hand? Has the Savior of the world come, so that I might look upon his face? My daughter takes my hands and pulls me eagerly to the others, the members of my family and people. I hear a voice within the crowd, a beautiful, joyful voice that brings to memory a place of white, a place of peace and safety. I feel two soft, roughened hands grasp my own. I know two eyes watch my face, these eyes I knew before, they see into my soul. This man knows my thoughts, my heart, my very inner being. I feel the cuts within his hands and wrists, the nails that cute and pierced him, that caused blood to flow, and his final death to come. It is him, the one spoken of before, the One who would redeem us all. I feel his hands touch my head, a deep power resides in there. No words are said, I cannot see, but his touch do I feel to the inner most part of me. I open my eyes, and no darkness is there. I never imagined the face that I would see, when someday in a faroff place my sight returned to me, but here today I see the loving, shining face of Christ full of love and peace. Why me? Why does he heal me? My joy is unexpressable, I cannot control my tears. The Savior of the world loves me, tiny, little me so much that he would give me such a blessing as this-my eyes, my life. I turn my head and behold the face of my daughter-my leader, my guider-the one who showed me when I could not see. I love you all, this church is true. Christ stands at the head. He directs this work. It is only through him that we can return to the glorious realms above to live in peace and love with our Beloved Heavenly Father. Sister Brotherson