I hope you are all enjoying the last weeks of summer...this week will take us into Setembro! You can see a visable difference here in the number of tourists as the summer winds down; things aren´t quite so crowded here.

This week was a little bit rough as far as the work goes...not much progress on the part of pesquisadors that we are teaching, and searching for the elect, which can be rough when you feel you´re having difficulties finding them! But it´s interesting its always said that you grow through trials...because its true! I feel that I made a lot of progress this week personally (and now I need to pass it on to our investigators!). Something that we talk a lot about is the power and authority of our calling, and the power of the spirit needed for conversion. We had some really powerful, spiritual lessons this week where I knew that I was being led by the spirit, which was really neat. I was reminded of something from the first chapter in PMG- that we know we are successful missionaries (and people!) when we can feel the influence of the spirit and know that we are following it. So although those powerful lessons didn´t bear fruit that is apparant now, it is good to still have hope that what I am doing is acceptable to the Lord!

Today I finished the Book of Mormon (I read it all in Português!); I love the last couple chapters of Moroni. One verse that really struck me due to circumstances, was in Moroni 9, versiculo 6 (acho eu)- Mormon wrote to Moroni about the hardness of hearts and wickedness of the people, but then he wrote (parafrazed) nevertheless we will continue to work diligently, or else we will be under condemnation- and he spoke about the importance of continuing to work, trust in the Lord, and have hope for life eternal. So, even when it seems that we are not making forward progress, we need to continue to trabalhar diligentement! It also reminded me fo the talk by PResident Uchtdorf about pacience- that pacience is continuing to work diligently when the desired results don´t come immediately...so basically I just need more pacience and persaverance :) (easy to say, harder to do!)

But, I am really grateful for the spirit that I felt this week. I am so grateful to be here, even though it is hard work. I read an article today entitled `Member for Life´ or something similar, and there was a paragraph about the blessing of serving a mission. I have already received so many, and I know that I (and we :) ) will yet receive many blessings. After all ``sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven!!``

Sorry there aren´t any comical stories that I can remember from this last week. Last night we got on the same bus as the slightly crazy lady who yelled at us on a bus last Sunday...we didn´t hide, but I was praying that she wouldn´t notice us! Thank goodness that God answers prayers :D