Fwd: Serphs email

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Begin forwarded message:

From: Robin Decker <robinlynnd@gmail.com>
Date: December 29, 2014 at 12:45:00 PM PST
To: "dgibson@myldsmail.net" <dgibson@myldsmail.net>
Subject: Fwd: Serphs email

From: Seraphin Decker <seraphin.decker@myldsmail.net>
Date: December 29, 2014 at 5:48:27 AM PST
To: Robin Decker <robinlynnd@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: hi again

Hey momma ! It makes me so happy to hear that Christmas was a success and that even though Eli only got 3 presents it was a good experience haha. I miss you all so much I wish I had more time to talk, it seemed like an hour went by SOOOOO fast it was insane, but, I enjoyed every minute. As you can see it was a little hard for me to think and spit out English words, which I guess is good that I'm accostoming to Portugues haha. I got Finding Nemo and a mini basketball for Christmas btw. The other companionship that lives with me got me those two things and I felt so bad because I got them nothing.....This week has been a really good week though. A little hard to teach because everyone's traveling for the holiday's and has plans but the lessons we've been able to teach and members we've been able to visit have been good. Okay, we actually have a for sure baptism this Saturday with a girl named Marília. She just showed up to church one day and said she wants to be baptized haha so we're cramming in all the lessons and she'll be baptized this Saturday. She was already taught by other missionaries but forgot some stuff. We're still working on the Lucas and Cristina project but Cristina isn't progressing and it's frustrating because she goes to church every week but won't commit to be baptized. Lucas is going through some really hard times right now and it made me think of the time when our assistants here in the mission gave a training and said that sometimes the Lord let's us fall so he can lift us higher. Lucas really needs to realize that he needs the gospel and it's frustrating because he's progressing really really slow. I love him though and it's hard to have to see him suffer but I know that God does everything out of love. I remember a professor in the MTC told me that God's hand is in EVERYTHING even the hard times. We're teaching this other rapaz (young man) named Luanderson and his mom won't let him be baptized -_____- we're still working on it though so hopefully she comes around or we'll have to go talk with papa who's a little more chill and laid back. We would've talked to him first but he's never home. 

But, just everyday news, we had a Young Womens Excellence Activity at the church and that was good. This family that was visiting from another stake thought I was Brazilian. I was so happy, smiling for no reason, giving random people hugs, and free stuff haha not the free stuff but I was pretty happy. We had a secret santa with us elders, and 3 other people in the Branch. We would've invited someone else but the last option was another girl and it would've looked like a date so Elder Oliveira Neto said no ha. We had it at this place in Jacobina called Mission and there was music games and rides it made me a little homesick but I slept it off :D We had a District meeting which is always good except for the fact that we have to wake up at 5 when it's in Bonfim, but this week it's here so we can wake up at the regular time....1 hour and 1/2 later....

But just a little quick something to leave with y'all, I've learned so much in the last 3 months and one of those things is the importance of prayer. God gives us commandments for our benefit because everything he does is for our well being. In the scriptures it says to pray always, praying is a commandment of God, he wants to be apart of our lives more than anything because he knows that we need him. The true gospel of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth because of a prayer and we can have miracles in our lives too through prayer. There's no feeling in the world than the feeling of kneeling down to talk to my Heavenly Father and offer him my heart and feel the peace and comfort as if he were in the room with me carrying all of my worries and burdens and weaknesses. God hears every prayer. 

I hope everything is going great in LV because everything's suave here in Jacobina, Bahia, Brasil! I love and miss you all sooooo much. I think about/pray for you all every night. Talk to ya next week !