Campos Novos, Week 72

Hey yáll this week was a crazy awesome week! Here is what happened:

• Yesterday we were knocking doors and found this awesome couple who let us in (campos novos is full of awesome families!) and we shared a message about why bad things happen to good people.  It was awesome and the spirit was strong as we testified that happiness comes through Christ regardless of the consequences!
• We also went to the Baptist church to trade with some of our investigators that went to church, it just helped strengthen my testimony that there is a TRUE church restored here on the earth! Haha! 
• Saturday we had a super awesome activity for English class where we taught English making french bread pizza and chocolate chip cookies! And shared about some holidays in the US.  It was awesome and we had about 10 investigators there!
• This week we also went to a leaders council in Florianópolis! We left wed. night and got there on Thursday at 7 in the morning, I couldn't sleep on the bus. We had the council which was inspiring and motivating (we were the only sisters there) and we took the bus back to campos novos. The bus left at 6pm and we got home at 4am! I didn't sleep again, so you could say that these days have been tiring. But it was worth it!!
• Also we had a crazy random rainstorm that made my week. Pictures below->
• We also had a super cool experience this week with two of our investigators, Simone and Jaison, They have a hard situation, are without jobs, have two babies, have marriage problems etc. but every time we pass by they get better!!! Every time she says she feels more peace, more faith, and one day said that she knows that she is going through hard times, but feels like everything will turn out fine!! And this last time we stopped by we clapped, and she opened the door exclaiming "EVERYTHING IS GREAT IN THIS HOUSE." She and her husband had made peace, and listen to each other. THE GOSPEL BLESSES OUR LIVES!!!
• We also had a cool experience with liliani and pedro, who we have been visiting for awhile. She read three chapters of the BoM and understood and was excited about it! We taught about eternal families and we all felt the spirit really strongly. You can tell that she is gaining a testimony which is super special!
• Also on Sunday my comp and I presented Glorious by avid Archuleta... she played piano and I sang. Haha it was the first time I sang a solo, so I was nervous, but the mission is about doing new things! I thought it was interesting...but the people liked it! haha!

Well that is it! It was a great week, next week will be even better! I KNOW CHRIST LIVES! I know this is his church, the book of Mormon is the word of God, and this gospel is the only path to TRUE happiness! Love you all!

English Class

Teaching English class about American holidays

A two umbrella rainstorm! Someone LOVES the rain!

Mission Leadership Conference

Fabulous Sister Training Leaders

Sister Howell and Sister Crofts: Twins!

Campos Novos, Week 71

Hey all!! This week was crazy,  Monday and Tuesday were super hot, and wed. and Thursday were suuuper cold! It felt like winter hopped in for a little bit. But now its hot again! I´m hoping to get more tan in these last 6 weeks of my mission... 

Also, I have only 6 weeks more of my mission! It is the saddest feeling...

Here are some things that happened this week!

• So we have had a ton of problems with our new apt. It is the funniest thing--in the other sisters bathroom, sewage got caught in the pipes above the bathroom, so they had to cut a huge hole in our ceiling, they had to fix a gas leak, fix our sink which was leaking and flooding the floor... all in the mission life! Haha!
• We had a super cool experience with teaching a couple. We read 3 nephi: 11 with Eder, Lilliana, and Pedro. I love this chapter which talks a ton about baptism! The spirit was so strong as we read it with them, and in the end Eder asked us about authority, and how we know which church has the true authority to baptize. We bore our testimonies, and in the end invited them all to be baptized! They said that when they receive and answer that they will be baptized. They were super excited to pray to ask God and receive their answers. 
• We also taught another couple named Simoni and Jaison, who are going through a lot of trials right now. We taught them about how "happiness has little to do with the circumstances of your life, and everything to do with the focus of your life!" We also taught them about the restoration, and they went to church on Sunday! 
• We are also teaching a young girl named Jennifer, who is super interested. She went to church with her nephews too this Sunday!

That's about it! 

Scripture of the week Alma 26:27

Love you all!

Sister Crofts

ps. Send emails! scrofts@missionary.org

Campos Novos, Week 70

This week I am not going to have time for a group email that's super long, it's been crazy here, but for now, I will write a short one. 

Highlights: 

1. We moved apartments! So our week was full of cleaning out the old one, and the new one, buying furniture, waiting for furniture to arrive, buying things for the house, etc. It's been a crazy week, but thankfully we are almost settled in the new apartment, and this time the shower doesn't shock me!!
2.  We had some cool lessons this week, especially with Paloma and Douglas, who still haven't read the BoM.  Douglas had a TON of questions, and it showed he had been looking up on the internet, but the spirit was really strong in our lesson, and we were able to answer all of the questions with the spirit. It was awesome, and we really had a cool experience teaching like Alma and Almulek to Zeezrom. haha!
3. We taught Adeet about the restoration and about the book of mormon, and after we finished we asked her for questions, and she said, "yeah, when are you guys going to come back??" It was so sweet. 
4. We were trying to find the house of some Haitians that we contacted earlier in the week. When we passed by a house, I felt like we should knock there, we knocked, and they let us in and we left them with a prayer. The next day we did splits, and sister howell went back to them with sister Santos, and they invited Jennifer and her friend to be baptized!! They accepted! 

That's all for now, love you all, I know that the gospel is true! 

Love, 

Sister Crofts

Missão Brasil Florianópolis 

Sign on branch building.  Visitors welcome!

Nasty bug bite! Borrachuda

Elder and Sister Stadler, Sister Howell, Sister Santos, Sister Barboso.

Campos Novos, Week 69

Hey everyone!! first of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I am loving my new area, at first I was a bit confused as to why I was sent away so suddenly to another area, but now I know! I am so happy to be here in Campos Novos, and can definitely see my purpose here! 

My new comp is sister Howell, who is amazing! She is seriously one of the best missionaries I know, and I am learning so much with her! We are having fun and working hard together which is the best! And we are going to die together (finish our missions) so that is going to be crazy!

Here are some highlights from the week:

• First of all, I rode to Campos Novos in a SUPER sketchy bus. Which was an adventure, but the scenery was beautiful, with the huge farms, and valleys. I got there safely and we passed New Years Eve with Elder and Sister Stadler who are the senior couple in our area! Then sister Barbosa and I got up at midnight to see the fireworks from our balcony. I can ́t believe that it is already 2020!!
• Our apartment is super funny, the shower handle shocks you when you touch it, and there are a bunch of funny problems. When I first got here I got shocked 4 times because I kept forgetting not to touch it hahaha! I am excited to move to our new apartment tomorrow, but this one has been an adventure!
• We have been having a lot of success this week with finding new people to teach! On new years day we knocked doors all day and found so many potentials.
• It was way cool because when we were knocking doors we got to teach a huge family with 17 people!! When we asked them if we could come back it was super silent, but then a couple said that we could visit them! We visited them and taught them about the restoration and the spirit was so so strong, we are super excited about Paloma and Douglas!
• There are a ton of Haitians here, so we are going to have to learn so creole.. but they are super faithful and humble people, and we are excited about teaching them. 
• We also found another super sweet family when we were knocking doors, that without saying a thing let us in and we taught them the restoration, everything clicked for them too which was a blessing. When we left  there was a HUGE rain and hail storm and we got drenched way fast; As you all know I love rain, so it was the best, but also super dangerous to climb the hill we had to climb to get back. So we said a prayer, and literally when we said the prayer the hail stopped and the rain got lighter! Then it stopped completely and a double rainbow appeared! It was a miracle!
• We also started teaching this sweet lady named Salete, who we invited to be baptized, and invited to church. She said she has a hard time waking up, so we went to pick her up on Sunday! We got there and she was already waiting in the front of her house, and said that she hadn´t been able to sleep very well and woke up early to get ready! A blessing! She loved church so much, and the spirit was so strong, and she stayed for the baptism that was after church! It was so sweet and she said she loved it. 

I love you all! Remember that what the Lord is asking of us really isn´t much (if you love me keep my commandments). A phrase that I heard this week that I loved was "The lord makes a miracle out of the basic things he asks us to do." It is so true, remember, "By small and simple things great things come to pass!!" This year look for small things that you could improve on to follow the Savior, and you will see miracles!

Love, 

Sister Crofts

Missão Brasil Florianópolis

Lages, Week 68

Feliz Natal, E Feliz Ano Novo!!

This week was a great one, first let's start with some crazy news...goodbye Lages, I was TRANSFERRED three weeks into the transfer!!!!

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Last Night president called and the first thing he asked me was if I am teaching my "daughter" (Jr. Companion)well. I said I think so, and he said he wanted to talk to her, she talked to him, then he talked to me again and said, "Sister Crofts, you passed the test. You have been TRANSFERRED. You will go to Campos Novos, and will be a Sister Training Leader of the mission with Sister Howell." He said we aren't going to eat with the members, and will be given extra money food. Our purpose will be to turn the Branch Campos Novos to a Ward!!

I was SHOCKED. Because I have been here in Lages for only 3 weeks...And sad too because I already love it here. But I will go and do what the Lord commands.

Today will be my last day in Lages.

Here are some things that happened this week:

-On Pday we met a super cool family (familia Dutra), that let us in, and we sang them a hymn, and they loved it, then we shared a little bit about the book of Mormon, and invited them to church! They were super excited, and said that they wanted to visit. They gave us cake, and drove us home!

-Tuesday was Christmas Eve, which was a crazy day! We ate lunch with Irma Cris, then we went to the bus station in the center of the city because we had planned with the other missionaries to go Christmas caroling. We got there, and the Elders did not want to sing Christmas songs, so they volunteered us to sing at a funeral! So instead of caroling, we sang at a funeral. Then we visited Mayara and taught her about the commandments, then we went to a less active, Irma Neusa who made pastel and bolo for us. We then ran to another house of an Irma who made a huge pork roast feast para nos. We got there and were so full from our appointment before that I couldn't eat anything. 

- Christmas we woke up early, made a bday surprise for sister Amorim, and opened presents! Then we ate lunch with an Irmao, then talked to our families. The rest of the day we spent knocking doors, and we found some cool people to talk to. I had a funny experience in which I asked an old almost deaf man if we could CANTAR for him (sing) he thought I said CASAR (marry) it was hilarious.

-   We had some suprise people show up at church which was a blessing, the Lord always blesses our efforts. We also taught the restoration using a parablw of the perfect cake, that we made for Francielis birthday!

Love you all!! I know Christ lives and this is his church!

Sister Crofts

Presents under the tree

Christmas morning

Sarah and her loot

Sister Amorims Birthday

They loved this scripture I Spy game I sent.  

Silly sister!

Francieli

Sarah loved serving with these sisters for 3 short weeks!

Lages!

Calling home and ice cream!