and we shouted for JOY

This week was hard. A mission isn't easy. But what in life is easy AND worth it in the long run? Hot. Really hot. This Oregonian is melting, and she can't wait for the months of rain and cold after the next three or fourish months of hot. Luckily here it rains quite a bit still. The Lord loves me, so He didn't send me to Northern Brazil. (=

Yesterday was so good. Probably the best day I've had here in Brazil yet. Not because I had the best laugh, heard the funniest joke, or ate the best food (though, the North Eastern Brazilian food was pretty good)- but because of the change I felt inside of me. Because... of something I felt. A long story of running around, trying to get our investigators to come to church in the rain with no avail. Having one of our investigators come to church, I'll call him JoseMC- he's been off of alcohol for almost a week now- which is also exciting. It was after church, after a hiccup of communication- as I was cutting exotic brazilian fruit for a fruit salad and talking with the members who were to feed us that I had a respark. There's more to the story, but long story short.......

That night two youth in the ward opened their calls. Missionaries, do you remember what it was like? To open your call? The feelings before and after? Family of missionaries, your feelings I'm sure were similar.

But can you imagine what happened before we came to earth? The feelings we maybe had? Learning and growing together as spirit children of our Heavenly Father. Can you imagine how excited we were to come to earth. All our education there was to help us down here on earth. Can you imagine that maybe we opened our "calls" (call= the letter you get that tells you which country and state you'll be serving your mission) there, and we were so excited when you saw which family or country or state you'd be born into? Of course speculation, but I can testify that we were excited for the opportunity to live on earth!

Job 38:7 "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy."

Life is hard. Life isn't easy.

Sometimes we get lost, we forget, we get distracted by our difficulties and forget why we're here and why we have difficulties. Much like it's easy in the midst of things for me to forget the excitement of a mission, the real purpose. I was telling a sister who happened to be there that night, being stressed because she's in a new area, still learning the language, training her first "child" or first new missionary that doesn't like her- and more. Relax, I told her to be happy, and as I was saying these things to her, I felt like something inside me was telling me the same things. Be happy. And imagine you also (yes you reading), be happy- you chose this life because you knew it could be wonderful. Imagine who you were, same as you are now, a child of God- and the potential we have here on earth!

I know we have a loving Heavenly Father who loves us so much, that Jesus Christ is our Savior, Redeemer, All Powerful- and through Him and the Father, we can feel the influence through the Spirit of God. I know this is true. And I know you can know it too, through dilligent seeking in prayer and studying the scriptures. 

I love you all, thank you for your love, prayers, and letters. 

Love, 

Sister Duncan