Come and See

Oi povo!  My life is right in line with spring here in São Paulo.  (Spring in October?... the southern hemisphere is confusing.  And the toilets really do flush in the other direction).  The flowers are blossoming in the trees and I am on to new beginnings as well.  Week one in my new area was perfection.  My new companion, Sister Borges, is wonderful and is from Rondônia.  I think that is somewhere near the Amazon...?  Educandário is a lot like Campo Limpo, but a little less poor, and the people actually stop to talk to us on the street.  Success!  I am loving it!  We live in a tiny house on the major avenue and when busses pass by, our whole house shakes. Sometimes I think it will collapse hahaha.  #firstworldthirdworldproblems  

But what made this week truly special was General Conference!  What a privilege it was to hear the PROPHET and APOSTLES speak to us in OUR DAYS.  Did you miss it?  Come and see!  

https://www.lds.org/general-conference?lang=eng

God lives and loves us.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  And although we change, he does not.  And since the very beginning of the world, God has worked in one way; by calling prophets.

 Amos 3:7 "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."

God made it very clear that he would never do anything without first calling a prophet.  He did not leave us abandoned and lost.  Since Adam he has called prophets to lead and to guide us.  Why would today be different?  If God never changes, why would his church be any different from the church that CHRIST established himself? Christ established his church with a foundation of prophets and apostles who had the authority of God on the earth.  This church was lost when Jesus and all of his apostles were rejected and killed.  But God does not forget about us.  And he called a prophet again.  Until today, there is a living prophet on the earth.  There are 12 apostles, and they have the authority of God.  

The Church of Jesus Christ, the same church that He, the son of God, established, is on the earth today.  

"To comprehend the works of Christ, one must know Him as the Son of God; to the man who has not yet learned to know, to the honest soul who would inquire after the Lord, the invitation is ready; let him 'come and see.'" 

My invitation to all is to watch the conference, and ask God if it is all true.  Come and see for yourself!  

com todo meu AMOR e CARINHO,

sua querida sistinha  

3 Reasons why I love Educandário

1.  It is the home of the Pullman bread factory, which makes the entire neighborhood smell like bread baking and donuts.  

2.  There is a farmers market every Thursday right outside our house.  This week I bought a dozen bananas and 3 avacados for 2 dollars.  #lovebrazil

3.  Nearly every person we talk to lets us inside to share our message.  We are ALWAYS BUSY!!!!!  

I <3 Educandário

I got to go to the temple 3 times this week, so needless to say, I am insanely happy.  We continue to work in front of the São Paulo temple every 2 weeks, as the church is constructing a visitor's center!  This week Sister Borges and I talked to 108 people in one afternoon.  It was awesome. 

I love you all so MUCH and send you all hugs and kisses (if that is allowed?)

:)

com amor,

Sister Burch 

FOTOS

things are happening!

I have been transferred.  After 6 months in Campo Limpo, I am off and away to my next adventure in Educandário.  As a Sister training leader.  I am still waiting for President Del Guerso to call me back and tell me that he changed his mind or that he was only kidding...  :)  

But really, I am excited for the new calling and new responsibilities.  And if Campo Limpo taught me anything, it taught me that I am capable of doing anything.  Anything that the Lord asks or expects us to do, we can do it. 

"... I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things" (Alma 26:12)

My motto.  Believe it.  Sister Barboza and I worked up until the very end of our last week together.  And it ended in the most beautiful way.  

Our friend Everton was baptized!!!  We have been teaching him for 5 months.  FIVE MONTHS.  I never thought I would see this day.  Miracles happen.  And the baptism was truly beautiful.  Every person is worth it!  

até logo,

sistinha burch

Stuff Going Down

Hey friends and family!  It is catch up time!

1)  This week we went to the temple again and taught two ex-drug traffickers with the temple President.  He had felt like he needed to get to the temple earlier than usual, and when he arrived, he found us!  It was unreal.  They asked us if they still had a chance at salvation and the response was a resounding YES!

2)  I got to go on exchanges with Sister Tait (my companion from the MTC!) We got lost, had misadventures, and our friend Marcilio gave us each an entire fish to eat.  We ate all but the head.  

3)  I met a Costa Rican woman who just moved to Brazil and doesn't speak a word of Portuguese!  The same week, I found another investigator from Mexico!  It's time to bust out my Spanish again!

4)  A drunk guy on the street tried to kiss me so I ducked and covered and ran away.  He just yelled out "Só de te olhar, já valeu!"  ...nice.

5)  We have officially started our English class in Campo Limpo!  Tell your friends!

6)  Our ward mission leader, Wellington, is excellent.  Except for when he he starts to laugh in the middle of our lesson about the law of Chastity... nice.

7) A woman came up to us on the street and asked us what church we were from.  We told her we were from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Her response?  "What do I need to do to get baptized in this church?"  Sister Barboza and I just looked at eachother... is this real life?

8)  We have been searching for new people to teach and praying and fasting for miracles!  On Saturday we went to contact a referral which was a young lady named Cecilia.  As we were talking, her mom came home and gave us the strangest look.  We shared a message with them about the restored gospel and at the end she told us that she had prayed that morning for God to transform the life of her family.  And when she got home from work, there we were!  She said it was an answer to her prayer.  God is so good!!!

9)  I am so very happy and grateful for the life and oppurtunities God gives me each day.  We have an unlimited capacity to do great things!!  Don't ever doubt that God knows you and loves you!  Amo vocês.

beijos,

Sister Burch

some extra pictures

Changed.

When we met Valcir for the first time, he was tipsy and homeless.  The next day he made the decision that he would never drink again.  And stopped, just like that.  We continued teaching him, and with time, faith, and miracles, he also quit smoking.  The first time he prayed about the Book of Mormon, he couln't sleep at all the entire night!  He went to church and said, "This is the church.  I've already decided."  

And this Sunday, Valcir entered into the waters of baptism and came out, a changed man.  With changed desires, changed thoughts, and a changed heart.  And my heart changed a little too.  It grew a little and loves a whole lot more.  

 "Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.

 Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism." (Alma 7)

Batismo é só alegria. :D  I love you all and if you aren't baptized, I suggest you do it.  It is the best.  

beijos,

Sister Burch