Letter #65 He Gives His Elects

wow i cant get over how big bren dog is hahah he is not a little boy anymore...

i cant belive thanksgiving is around the corner! i miss thanksgiving food. i want to go to nancys haha save me some pink stuff :)

i got the invite to tylers wedding in the mail she is cute!

so this week i ran into an american on the bus. He looked at me and said are you american and i said yes are you?? he quickly sat next to me and said yes im from california and i said so am i! he is from huntington beach!!! what a small world he started naming a few kids he knew that are members and i knew a few of them how crazy is that. i said that im serving a mission here, why are you here? he is teaching english and loves the culture. he looked at my tag and said why do all of you that have this tag have such a perfect accent? hahah i started to laugh and said because its a gift that our heavenly father gives to us to preach his gospel. i tried to talk to him about the truth but he wasnt too interested. but it was such a wierd feeling to see someone from practically my city in another part of the world that knows people i know...

o ps i ate at mcdonalds again hahaha i got my mcflurry fix sooo goood. no matter where you are in the world, mcdonalds is somewhere close by ha but its super expensive we spent 30 reais for fries and two burgers loucoooooo.
well this sunday, we had a priveledge to baptize joelma. she is 35 and has had many problems in her life. the way we found her was truly by the spirit. it was about three weeks ago and we were walking up this steep hill. we passed a small street, after about three steps i decided i wanted to go in there and teach. i had to yell to sister barâo that was way infront to tell her i wanted to knock doors here. the first door was joelma. she let us in with excitement. she let us give the message and the spirit testified of what we said was true. later she told us that she didnt have any doubts that we were messengers of god. she told us that she has been praying for 2 months for someone to knock on her door to invite her to go to church. she barely moved there about 3 momths ago and rarely leaves the house because she has a baby. she didnt know what church to go to or how to find one close by so all she did was pray to heavenly father to send someone to help her show the way. so when we knocked she already knew that it was her answer. funny how the lord works huh. if i just passed by that street we would have never knocked on joelmas door. everytime we study together she is amazed. she is hungry to know more and more about the gospel. we taught her about the temple and she cant wait to baptize her brother that had passed away a few years back. we are working with her 13 year old daughter barbara right now for baptism. when we are obedient and show the lord that we are ready to work he gives his elects... its all about faith and trust in the lord that he will literally guide your footsteps to those that are searching for the gospel when you think there is no hope in finding its right when he gives them to you... he will test you to the limit but never beyond.

i love being in this ward, the members are so great. especially the leader of the work (i dont know what the calling is in english its lider da obra missionaria in portugues)

president called me on saturday when joelma was being interveiwed to say that when he was at the airport to pick up some new missionaries he ran into the family i left to get baptized in venda nova. the dad works for azul aka jet blue in brasil. he saw president and ran up to him to tell him to call me to tell me how happy they are and that they got baptized and missed me at thier baptism... i wanted to cry, i miss venda nova and i love that family. i was so happy that at least he remembered me enought to run up to president and tell him to call. its a feeling you cant describe when you help others come unto the fold. you literally feel the love the savior has for all his children. transfers are next week already and i ahve no idea what will happen i think everything will stay the same but im not sure what the lord has in for me to do. im reading d and c again and im loving it.. d and c 24:8 " be patient in afflictions for thou shalt have MANY but endure them for lo i am with thee even unto the end of thy days"

without doubt we will have our afflictions our problems but dont let them interfer with the joys that come into our day to day bc its just not worth it.

love you all! eu te dou um abraço de longe...

até mais

com amor

Sister Corbin

ps mom loved the quotes from elder neal a maxwell

i love you mom! you always brighten my day with your inspired letters... im so happy i have you as a mother, you are my example and i am who i am because of you... never forget it.