Second Week - 3 Feb 2015

Ola Familia!

This week has been so great. We have done a lot of the same things as last week. We spend a lot of time in personal study, or companionship study, or language study, or in class. Basically it feels like we sit all day, eat, and sit more. But it is great. 

Last week we finished teaching our investigator Larissa and it was so great! She committed to baptism, but we just had such a wonderful time sharing our testimonies with her and watching her grow so much closer to Christ. It is amazing how much I came to love her! I was so sad when our lessons with her were over, but then we had a pleasant surprise the next afternoon to find out that she is our new Portuguese teacher!!! We we all so excited to see her! She is so nice and I love her. I really feel like i have been really blessed with some of the best teachers ever!!

My comp and I took a field trip to the dentist, not for me thank goodness. I had a hard time sitting in the room and listening to the drills bleeehh!! hahaha, but we got to talk to the dentist's assistant and she was a convert and was so proud of us for serving missions and she just started crying when she was telling us her story! It was amazing! I love being a missionary. I love the hope that the gospel brings to families!

We had a devotional things weekend from Michael Richardson, formerly in the general Sunday School presidency I think, and now works with the President at BYU. He said this great quote that I just love, "You can't do anything about the length of your mission, but you can do something about the width and depth." Sometimes these days feel so very long and thinking about doing this for 18 months seems like the rest of my life, but then when I think about how much this has the potential to really change me into the person I want to become and to see how the gospel can change other's lives, I know without a doubt that it will be worth it!! 

I love being here. There definitely are hard days. I would be lying if I said otherwise. But this has really helped me to rely on my Savior and set goals with Him and check my progress with Him, instead of comparing myself to everyone else. I am definitely one of the slowest at picking up Portuguese and I am trying to get over my fear of messing up, but I know that the Lord is helping me!

We had four of our missionaries in our district leave this morning for Brazil, two Elders and two Sisters. It was sad. Our district feels so empty, but on the plus side I get a closet all to myself and half of the desk :) Pros and Cons. :)

My companion and I were also asked to be the Sister Training Leaders for our zone, which basically means we are in charge of all the sisters in our group of 50 or so missionaries. We are in charge of an orientation meeting with the Elders who are the Zone Leaders tomorrow night for the new missionaries coming in. I am so excited! I know that this will really help me focus outward on others as opposed to focusing only on myself and my struggles.

One more thing just for fun. I had this great personal study session this week. It started with Alma 39:9 and I followed all the references for the word "cross" which lead to 3 Nephi 12:30 all the way to JST Matthew 16:25-26. It was really cool for me to see how it all builds up to the last scripture that lays out what it means to "take up the cross". I challenge you to look it up, it's really cool!!

I love you all so very much! I really appreciate all your love! I hope you are getting the letters I sent!!

Have a wonderful week!! 

Love, 

Sister Jacobson

This is my companion and I with the old Sister Training Leaders that just left to their areas yesterday!