Hellooo!!!!!!!
How are you guys doing? It was great to hear from you guys as always. I hope you're enjoying general conference. We just finished watching it (we're in the office), and our plan is to talk to our families for a little while and then go to the church, where we'll watch the "afternoon session" (the "later in the afternoon session"). Should be great!
Here's how the week was for me -- Elder Vogl, my office trainer, left on Wednesday night for his new area, and then we were in a trio until this morning, when Elder R. Oliveira went home. His parents came and picked him up at our house and I got really trunky! I'm fine though!! Now there's just 2 of us and we're the Official Secretaries. Should be pretty exciting stuff. I've been doing so much. Since Elder Vogl left I thought I would be more stressed but it's actually been so dang awesome. I love this job (love love love love love love love love love love love love love this job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and it's fun to talk to the missionaries, especially my friends, and work with them, and I'm making new friends all the time and getting to know everyone which is fun. Now today's our P-Day. I cut my hair (Elder Loureiro, my companion, says I look like Chicken Little... ;'( it's kinda true but at least it's short!!) and we're just gonna be chill. Good times had by all.
I'm excited to hear about your new job Mom. Have you started yet or are you going to start next week? I forget. How are you guys doing? It's always so great to talk to you.
I just now tried to send some photos within the email and explain them to you but Gmail isn't letting me, so I'll plan on telling you what everything means when I get home haha. Sorry about that!
Piracicaba is such a big city compared to the other cities I've passed through. I really like it here. Yesterday it rained for the first time in almost 2 months and it was really nice. However now it's probably gonna start raining like 3 times a week and I'll get sick of it... oh wait!! I'm gonna be inside!!! Hahahahahahahahaha I love the office!!
I've been feeling significantly more anxious the last week or so. It probably has to do a lot with all the changes that have been going on, so I'm trying to take it in stride. I'm mostly doing ok and I've been really happy honestly, just with some underlying "white noise" anxiety that has been a little stronger than normal. I really feel like I have nothing to worry about though -- I have been having so many spiritual experiences and mostly a lot of peace. Even when conference turned on I felt the Spirit so strongly. It was nice. I also really enjoyed President Uchtdorf's talk -- I thought it was really touching and neat when he said that people have a "homing instinct" just like birds and stuff. He also nailed how I feel sometimes when he said that sometimes people feel the desire to serve but feel like they don't have any significant impact on anyone. I feel that way a lot, especially lately, and especially because I haven't really baptized and that just makes me sad because I would love more than anything to be able to change as many lives as possible and just be a meaningful part of God's work, but for one reason or another I don't feel like I get there. His talk gave me a lot to think about.
I had a really powerful spiritual experience this week. It may not seem that big, I'm not sure, but for me it was really powerful. Anyway the other day we ordered pizza and I was eating dinner and decided to watch the Face2Face with Elder Renlund that they did in Africa. Don't know if you guys watched it but it was great. At the beginning a choir sings "Nearer My God to Thee" and I really liked the way they sang because it had a really "Africa" sound, and was really pretty and awesome. During the music my thoughts wandered to African tribes and how for so long, they sang tribal songs and stuff, and how now their descendants are singing hymns and are part of God's church. While I was thinking about all that I had a really strong impression from the Spirit. It was as if a voice said "I am gathering Israel." I felt and understood something of God's majesty -- there are people that no one knows exist and God knows them, loves them, and is bringing them into the Gospel, even in the deserts of Africa and stuff. I thought that was so incredible. I literally started to cry and couldn't stop. I know God is truly majestic and noble and good, but I felt that and it was so overwhelming to me. It was truly a really marvelous experience. The other thing was that I felt this desire so strongly within me, stronger than any other desire I've ever felt or maybe will ever feel, to be as big a part of that gathering process as I can be. I want to be there in Africa, you know? I want to be there loving the people and gathering the people. The good part is that I'm here in Brazil, which is also a far place, and in my ordinary way I have the same opportunity. When I think about that I get a little sad because I feel like maybe I haven't gathered very many people, but at least I'm trying to be a part of it all. These are just some thoughts I'm having.
Anyway, love you guys. We'll have some time to chat and I can't wait! Hope you are doing good!!!! LOVE YOU!!!!!
Elder Sederholm