life is like a box of chocolates

8/7/17
Hello friends let me start of with a couple mental images for you:

1. 9 pm and a little filipino american girl BOOKING IT 5 blocks in the midst of 12654 tall buildings (literally Ribeirão is all giant apartment buildings) with cake falling from her hands and in a skirt and a couple of other missionaries behind her screaming "RUN MORATA RUN" as they try not to miss the bus home (ps we missed it lol)

2. 4 missionaries sitting in a police station with a half eaten box of chocolates

alright so basically this week has been a ROLLER COASTER involving us (well, the Elders) finding a woman whose car had been stolen and spending a good part of the afternoon with her at the police station because she didn't have any family who lives here and the poor thing was going hysterical and really needed help. Her name is Patricia and she's INCREDIBLE. Seriously, this woman has gone through so. much. and is pushing forward with two little girls counting on her and has so much faith and we're going to start teaching her this week and I'm super excited.

My brain is still a little fried from the 2656 outoftheordinary things that happened this week BUT I want everybody here to remember some advice that my good friend Sister Turner gave me when she was at the end of her own mission: Missionary work (and life in general) is 10000x harder when you don't trust there is a loving Heavenly Father who is grateful for all your efforts. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland teaches us in one of my dad's favorite general conference talks, God blesses those who are trying. And we're so far far far from perfect but that's the wonderful thing about the Atonement and our Savior Jesus Christ. We don't have to be perfect right now. We just have to do our best every day, repent, and rely on Him, and His grace covers the rest. Our Heavenly Father is so incredibly merciful. More merciful than we can imagine and so loving and I am immensely grateful for the perfect plan He has for us. I hope you all can have a wonderful feel and can remember the infinite mercy and grace and love of our Father and our Savior. 

Have a loooovely week!!

Todo o meu amor,

Sister Morata

ps. sorry I took no pictures this week :(