Matão, the town where it smells like oranges!

 Hey everyone, how's it going?!

Sorry I haven't sent out an email for a bit.  Things are a bit difficult and hard, so it's been hard getting to write an email. 
But before I start, I wanted to give a shout out to my Grandpa Jack.  If you know my Grandpa Jack, you know that he loves oranges.  And the city/town I'm in right now has an orange juice factory, so it always smells like oranges!  It makes me think of you Grandpa Jack!
But anyway!  These last few weeks, me and my companion have been trying to get the work started in our area.  It's been a couple of years since missionaries have been here, since before the pandemic.  So we are basically started from ground 0 here!  It's been difficult here for a couple of reasons, but all I can do is do the best I can.
Even with all the struggles, we have been able to find some people to teach which is good!  And we've had a few people come to church!  So the work is starting, it's been a bit slow, but it's not going to happen overnight! 
This past week we had interviews with our mission President and had district council.  I was talking to my mission president's wife about some things that I have been struggling with, and have been struggling with for some time now. She told me that she once learned something about trials.  Sometimes trials seem to go on and on and on and seem like they will never end.  But as we know, trials are how we learn.  She told me that Heavenly Father is trying to underline something very important for us to learn, and sometimes we need time to be able to see what He is underlining. 
So she asked me to think, "What is Heavenly Father trying to underline for you in this moment?"
I haven't been able to stop thinking about that.  There are some things that I have been struggling with for the past few months, and I've really looked back and asked myself, "what is Heavenly Father underlining here?"  It's really helped me think of trials in a different perspective.  I know that trials are hard, my mission has been filled with multiple trials, but I know that what we get out of trials is worth it!  I know that trials make us better people because we can learn and grow and be able to see the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives.
The other thing, my mission president and his wife challenged the mission to read the entire Book of Mormon until Christmas.  So we started this last Tuesday and will finish by Christmas.  They told us that this would be one of the greatest gifts to give to Christ...to learn more about Him and come closer to Him.
As I have been reading, I've been trying to pay attention to the miracles that happen instead of reading to try and understand all the stories.  And it has really helped me to know that miracles are real!!  And it is through Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, that we can see miracles!
Well, honestly not much else to update on.  So I hope everyone is doing well!! 
Love you all!
Sister Findlay 



























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