Remembering Marcelo

Boa Tarde!

First of all, thank you dad and stacie for the package!  And thanks to everyone for the e-mails.  This was a really good week and a really hard week.  I'll first explain it was good! :)

Throwing out bag of coffee 

This week Sister A. Santos and I had been praying really hard to find a man to baptize.  You may be wondering...why specifially a "man"?  Well, because obviously, they hold the Priesthood.  So we said a fervent prayer and that night we were walking down the street and a man stopped us and said, "Want to receive visits.  I want to know more about your church".  Fortunately we had a member with us so we went immediately to his house to teach him.  This man has been golden all week!  Friday we taught him the Word of Wisdom and at the end I asked if I could throw out all his coffee for him and without a word he poured it into a plastic sack and handed it to me.  What faith!  I never cease to be impressed with my investigators and their faith in the things we teach.  We also had a member at every lesson and that really made all the difference.  The ward gave him a warm welcome and yesterday he was baptized.  

Aldineia, the girl we baptized last week was confirmed this week.  She is doing great and she has been introducing us to all her friends.  She started to open up to us more this week.  She said, "Sisters, the weeks leading up to our visits I was depressed because I stay inside all day with my son" (She is only 19 years old), "But after my baptism, my depression is gone.  I feel a new peace in my life".  The gospel is life changing.  

We also baptized a women.  We actually did nothing to help this women get baptized.  Some Elders from a different area taught her.  She has been through several missionaries, but never got baptized until now because she is sick and she doesn't know the day she will day.  The baptism was still special to me as I watched her son, tears streaming down his face, gently help his mother into the waters of baptism.  The gate to eternal life.  

This week I finally got to go to the temple for the first time in 7 months!  It was sooo needed.  After taking a few pictures outside I ran into some members from my branch in Boa Vista that I just left.  The Irmã told me that there had been an accident and my little buddy Marcelo had passed away january 29th, only 16 years old.  He was hit by a drunk driver while riding on his bike down a busy road I walked several times on the mission.  I could not hold back my tears.  Marcelo reminded me a lot of my own brother.  And he came from a really good family.  A family of converts with very active parents and less active children.  This week has been difficult for me as I've reflected on his death and how this must be effecting his sweet family.  Really, no one knows the day we will return to our Heavenly Father.  We can't wait until we are sick to receive the blessings of eternal life.  We need to do something about it now.  

Hayley and Marcelo the "Strippling Warrior"

I love the scripture in Mosiah 16:8-9 "the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ".  Really, the sting of anything is swallowed up in Christ.  The sting of sin can be swallowed up in christ also.  He paid the price.  For this reason, I love Him and it is my life mission to constantly be repenting and seeking out those who are in need of the Atonement as well.

I love you all.  Remember to be grateful for everyday you have.  Love you Marcelo.

Sister Jensen