Thiago 1:5 (James 1:5)

This week the whole mission read a talk that hurt- like I felt physical pain, but I was motivated and elevated as I finished it.  If you guys want to feel it and let The Atonement push and pull you I invite you to read the talk, "Beware of Pride," by Ezra Taft Benson: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1989/04/beware-of-pride?lang=eng&query=ezra+taft+benson (Read the scriptural references as well because they MAKE this talk).

Well tomorrow we will have a zone conference with our zone (the north zone) and the zone Jardim de São Paulo (Saint Paul´s Garden Zone- hahahaha I love translating Portuguese to English it’s the best).  We are going to learn how to PLAN better as a mission! We found an incredible family this week but they need to get married, but the lesson was so spiritual!  The father of the family said, “I'll read this book, and I’ll ask our Father if it’s true, and if I see that it’s true, I will be baptized."  It was so special.  This week I was called to repentance as I read the talk, Lest Thou Forget," by Ronald A. Rasband (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/10/lest-thou-forget?lang=eng) because I need to always remember to write in my journal and record my spiritual experiences!! Let us ALL do that!! 

Love you all! I know that Christ runs this church because it´s His.  I really surely know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God and that James 1:5 is directed specifically to us.  If anyone wants to know God’s will, follow James’s counsel and "ask God" because he "giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not." 

Until next week,

Sister Garrick :)

I can´t get over the view from our house never- the water was so blue this day!

 old name tag vs new name tag

souvenir

(From Sister Garrick's mom: a picture that 

Sister Sousa sent to me this week of the two of them.)

Two Brothers Zoo

This week we had two baptisms marked.  One fell through because of problems in keeping commitments.  The other is Emelly.  We love her so much!  She has been faithfully reading The Book of Mormon, praying to know if it´s true, and attending church for almost a month.  We promised that she would receive an answer before the 4th of February to be baptized.  Each time we visited, she had not received a clean answer- until the 2nd of February.  However, she is menor de idade (16 years old) so we had to ask permission from her mom.  She did not allow it. :(  It was so sad to see Emelly´s face when she realized she could not be baptized.  The hardness of hearts is so sad.  She continues to come to church and we are happy that she isn’t giving up and that she has a true testimony! My companion got sick this week and we had to stay at home for one day, but now she´s better! Ward missionaries were called in our ward and we are getting them to work!  Rio Doce is going to continue to transform!

Love ya´ll,

Sister Garrick

We went to the Zoo!

 Zoo Pics - the cactus reminded me of Texas hahaha

(From Sister Garrick's mom: I got some pictures from her companion of her writing in her journal...)

Well that's a First…

Hey guess who doesn’t have time again? me. This week was stake conference and President and Sister Bigelow spoke!! Blessings in my life.  They spoke on faith and acting.  Sister Bigelow said that when we exercise faith and act, we receive power. We also had transfers, but Sister Sousa and I are going to stay here in Rio Doce for at least 6 more weeks! YAY!! I literally am always transferred and this time I wont be! I hope ya’ll have a great week and bring your friends to church!

Love,

Sister Garrick :)

I ran into Andrea from Janga at our chapel who I taught and helped set their wedding date to be married and then baptized and was transferred- I ran into Andrea with her daughter and they are super firm in the faith and Andrea is the Young Women's secretary!

 I also ran into Gabriel and Telma from Janga (our ward mission leader and his wife) :)

I don´t have time to write....

This week I won’t write much, but know it was great!  It was a week that I was able to gain an even stronger testimony of Heavenly Father’s love for us and how much that is tied to The Restoration of Christ’s church and His Gospel.  I am thankful for all your prayers and support! Love you all- here’s an old photo of our favorite idosa- Rosa.

Until next week,

Sister Garrick 

(From Sister Garrick's mom: 

 I got a surprise video today of these sweet sister missionaries singing me my favorite hymn)

See it here:  https://youtu.be/JMoFwoYkxTE

The Week of A Million P-Days

This week Wednesday was Pday, then the assistants called 6:30am on Saturday to tell us to go to President´s house to eat lunch with him because we reached the standard of excellence for baptism´s this month and then today it´s already P-Day again like whaaaat...

WOW I don´t have time and have lots to day so I´ll just throw information at you.   Grazielly was baptized and we love her!! She´s so cute and makes sure her grandparents read the scriptures with her every single night. :) She was a miracle.  Everyone should read the definitions of the word "prayer" in the LDS English Bible Dictionary right now because it´s incredible.  UGH I learned so much doctrine and I literally don´t even have another minute to tell ya´ll, but next week I´ll try my best!

Love you thanks for the prayers and the emails sorry I didn´t respond this week- I will next week!

Sister Garrick

Victor´s baptism (I love this little kid) and temple :)

Grazielly´s batismo :) love her!

Pre-mcdonalds, post-mcdonalds

Templo

President´s house

"Come Thou Baptismal Font of Every Convert"

This week I don't have my camera cord, so I won't be able to send ya'll photos.  But his week Victor was baptized!! We love him so much!! Everybody calls him "gordinho" hahaha.  HE comes from a part-member family and he´s 12 years old.  His older brother, Thiago, who´s only been a member for 2 years, was able to baptize him and it was such a spiritual baptism, but he had to be baptized twice because his foot came up the first time.  Sister Sousa and I sang "Come Thou Fount" at the baptism and there were many members and non-members there to support him.  It was a special, special day :)

Until next week,

Sister Garrick

(From Sister Garrick's mom: 

 I got these pictures from Julia, a sweet young woman in Recife 

who was at the Recife Temple today and found Sister Garrick there!)

Happy 2k17!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FOLKS!!!

We had a solid 40 people at church on Sunday- just the elect! ;)

I hope you all had a great 2016 and weekend!  It´s so weird to think that I’ve been serving a mission in Brasil for about 14 months already.. like whaaaat??

This Friday, Sirlene was baptized! She is a 68 year old woman that has smoked since she was 6 years old!!  She normally smokes a good 10-20 cigarettes per day, but she decided to give up smoking completely on Christmas Day as a gift for Jesus Christ and she truly did!  She was confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on the first day of the new year!  How special is that!!  Really having the best fresh start that a person can have! 

I hope you all have a great week!  I love this gospel and I´m so excited to see what miracles will happen in 2017! :)

Love ya’ll,

Sister Garrick

Sirlene’s baptism

New Year?? (look closely)

We had a little photoshoot in Olinda last P-Day.  

Olinda is gorgeous!!