Agosto is already here! It is really hard to believe how time flies... While the days may seem long, the week goes by quickly, and I have to come up with something new to write! :P

This last week we had a conference with Elder Texeira, who is in the area presidency here. It was a really interesting zone conference. General Authorities tell a lot of stories, so I can´t really relate much of what he said without just telling a lot of stories, but I can share what I felt and learned!

He talked about a time when He was mission president and he challenged the missionaries to teach 21 lessons a week at a time when the average was 6-7 lessons, and how most missionaries were incredulous. But he had one in particular who worked hard and met the challenge, just saying `President, it is possible`. I thought of the many times that we are asked to do a myriad of things, that in all appearances seem impossible. How much faith does it take to not believe that it is possible, but to do EVERYTHING in our power to make it happen. Something that has stuck out so clearly to me here is that having faith and knowledge is so much more the just words. There are so many people who have ´faith´, but do nothing, or know what they should do but still lack the action. This supposed ´faith´ values nada if we don´t act! Real faith is believeing, not just in our hearts but in our lives and actions- we show our faith (and increase it) by esforçar-nos (don´t know exactly how to translate in english) and obedience.

He also talked about his son who served in NY, and how he had promised his father to teach 21 lessons the first week in the field (little did he know that the average was 4-5!). But, when he got there and told his trainer, they changed their approach in many ways and reached the goal, eventually having a lot of success. I felt that change realize is possible, and not just possible but that we should pursue change and improvement. It is really easy to stay put with the things that are comfortable, and to be satisfied with the statis-quo. But, thanks to our divine nature and the infinite power of the atonement, we have endless potential and improvements to make! Although its easy to be satisfies and think ´´all is well in Zion´´, we not only need to watch, but we need to be better! We´ll never be good enough in this life, but we can be closer to our eventual goal of perfection.

So, the conference was really good. I felt the spirit, and felt motivated that I need to continue to change (now I just need to keep that motivation every day!). Other than this, the week was good too. I really like the ward here, despite the challenges that every ward has. The members seem that they are starting to trust more in us, and we want to involve them even more. But two families brought friends to church yesterday! That was honestly the first time that has happened here in my mission, and it was really a miracle, even if a small one. I know that miracles happen every day, but sometimes it is really easy to miss them.

On Saturday afternoon, right after we had started our fast, everything seemed to be going wrong. Compromissos that we had marked and confirmed fell through, and I was starting to get really frustrated. We left the predio where some pesquisadores (em potential) live and were walking up the road when a woman ran up to us. We talked to here 2 or 3 weeks ago when we were looking for someone else, and she hadn´t shown the least interest, but we left a panphlet with her. She said that she had read the pamplet and became interesting in the BoM, and wanted to know where she could buy one. She was really surprised when we handed her one and said she could keep it! She is married with a 5yrold boy. She was such a blessing (and miracle!) to us on Saturday. Many timed when we are trying to do even better we face opposition and disappointments that seem even more devastating, but I know that the Lord is mindful of us, that he watches every struggle and sacrifice, and helps and rewards us abundantly.