another week

So I have a year in the mission now. Well, almost, but since I will be losing two weeks because of the whole visa fiasco, I have been out a year. Kind of a weird feeling. Somedays I feel like it passed by really fast. Other days I pray that it passes a bit faster. haha. This week was cool. Elder Costa came and visited! He talked with such power. I love it when we get to listen to general authorities. You always leave the conference with a spiritual high. You also leave feeling like you are scum, because you always realize that you have so much to be better. He told the story of the Sister missionary that taught him. I was determined that I would find a general authority this week, and ended up finding three spiritual (and very good looking) brothers who all came to church and committed to be baptized. I am convinced one of them will be at least in the quorum of the seventy. :) But if not, their presence made the single sisters in the ward very animated. haha. We are teaching some wonderful people. We are working our tails off too, and as a result are really turning this area around. It is affecting everyone! It was so cool to see how even the frequency in the ward went up! Cool stuff. I love the lord blesses us when we work. This week Satan has been trying to get me. I have said it before, but I will say it again- I have learned two things on my mission- God is real, and so is Satan. haha. He has tried every tactic to get me down. Even through a semi at me. Seriously! Luckily, an Elder was walking next to me and pushed me out of the way just as it rushed the corner! I think the Elder was more shooken up than me...it has been a long time since he has had to have so much bodily contact with a female. haha. What else happened this week...Oh I was walking the other day and I heard some man ask me, "Are you Joseph Smith`s church or Christ`s church?" The question surprised me, but I quickly responded by looking at my tag that we where everywhere and said, "If it was Joseph`s Church it would have his name on my tag. But it doesn´t...It is Christ´s church. It is our Savior`s Church." He looked a little taken back at my response, but it turned out well. We talked to him, and I think we were able to clear up some of things that he learned. it is sad to me that so many people think so little of Joseph Smith. But I know it is just because they know so little of him. A person that studies him and his life, comes to realize that so little of what he did was about him. He gave his whole life to the Lord. Little do they know that by talking so horribly about him, they are only proving that he truely was a prophet, an instrument of his Lord. He once said that his name would be used for good and evil, in every tongue and continent. And here I am in Brazil, talking to people about a man, with little education, little social status, who, under the direction of God, restored the Church of our Redeemer. Cool stuff. I am really sad today because Sister Nicascio is going home. I feel really guilty. For the past four months, one of my main goals has been to help her. Last night, I felt like I completely failed. As I always do, I started thinking about all things I could have done better, and then just started dwelling on them. I wanted so much last night to call ya`ll and just talk. Stunk. But I know that God will take care of her. Keep her in her prayers. I love you all. Thank you for everything. Love, Sister Powell