Oi Todos!! So this week, or since I´ve last written has been amazing!! We have taught our pezquizadores (investigators) SOO much and we've committed both to baptism! :) Although it’s just practice, what we feel when we testify and when we teach, is the real deal! When we committed Carolina to baptism and we left her room we were all ecstatic and soo happy!! I can’t wait to bring souls unto Christ for real!! I was having a really rough time last week with the language. I kind of felt like I had hit a wall. I had learned soo much in my first week that I didn't feel like I was still progressing. I expressed that to my teacher and at the end of class he just bore his testimony to us of the gift of tongues and that it is real! He told us that eventually we will all be "fluentemente" (fluent, which is one of the most fun words to say!) He told us that as missionaries we can't be down on ourselves because we are representing Jesus Christ and that is such a privilege that we should just be happy because of that one fact alone. Which is so true! So he told us to remember the 3 things that we promise each week as we take that sacrament. If we are feeling sad or down that one of those things we are lacking to forget. That experience was one of the first times that I felt the spirit here in Brazil in my class room. It was a testimony to me that even though I loved the MTC in Provo that the spirit can be felt just the same everywhere and that here at this CTM the same spirit dwells. We were fortunate enough to have a teacher, Irmão Barros, come in and teach us one evening. After class my roommates and I had the privilege of listening to him tell us the story of his life and essentially, though he was born into the church, his conversion to the gospel. He told us all in português and I was able to understand the whole story. It was an amazing experience for me for a couple of reasons. One, because I was able to gain a better understanding of the language but also because I got to know and now I look up to this amazing teacher. I know that this gospel changes lives. I know that it makes us happier and that each day we can become better and come closer to the Lord through Faith in Jesus Christ our Savior! This past Sunday was the most amazing Sunday I have had out here yet! We were able to have a devotional at night and we heard from this incredible speaker. He started by showing us this video of how big our universe is by comparing the sizes of the planets and then the universe. It was amazing! But the best part was when he told us of our Heavenly Fathers love for us! He said "the most powerful being in the universe knows YOU personally. The most powerful being in the universe wants YOU to know that he loves YOU! He created everything we have for the benefit of man, and for YOU specifically. THE MOST POWERFUL BEING IN THE UNIVERSE wants to hold YOU in his arms and tell you himself of his great love and care for you!" I just thought that was an amazing way of putting it!! I love my God, My Heavenly Father with all my heart. I know that I am here to serve Him and that I am where he wants and needs me to be and that I am doing his work. I know he is proud of me and that he knows and loves me personally. This is testified to me every day here at the CTM through the spirit that I can feel here and for the love that I have for my investigators as a representative of Christ. I’m getting more used to being here, the culture and the food! We have 2 types of meat at lunch and dinner. Talk about not eating meat sparingly! Haha It’s good though! I have heard that the food is better in the field, which I’m sure is true! Also... I don’t know what is wrong with Brazilileros but all of their dessert is like a pastry or a pudding. There's NEVER chocolate!!! WHY?!?!?!?! Haha I miss chocolate and French fries and hamburgers and Cheetos! Ha-ha! Anyway, I love you all soooo much!! Thanks again for the support and love you send me and all the prayers. Believe it or not I can feel it all the way over here!! Hope you all have the best week ever!! Feel free to email me and ask more questions. I only have an hour on the computer, so I might not be able to get to all in one week but will try!! and I read them all!! My email address: dakotah.thornton@myldsmail.net <3 Até mais!!! Eu amo Vocês! Posted by Sister Thornton’s mum