February 13, 2013

RE: Halfway

Re:  Halfway

Wow it seems like forever since I´ve written because so much has happened this week! and CARNAVAL (no stories just an empty city). 

  So I´ll start where I left off last week. TRANSFERS! This transfer is only 5 weeks, I´m in Canoas Centro (downtown of the City) Its right next to Porto Alegre. And although my last area was technically the capital, here is busier and has way more people. I´m really excited to be in this area. I really wanted to serve here!! I´m companions with Sister H-------, my 1st american companion since the CTM. She´s from california as well. We live on the 4th floor! and we don´t have an elevator. The train stops about 4 blocks from our apt, and a member and her daughter helped me take everything up all those stairs. This apt is really small, a lot smaller than my other two. The worst part though is there is a giant pool outside our window!!! And its been so hot....its torture! 

Its going to be a very different transfer, the challenges are different than any I´ve had yet on the mission. But I am learning to rely heavily on the spirit. And this past week I have truly felt inspired and helped by the Holy Ghost. Since I don´t know the investigators very well I really have to rely on the spirit to know what to say and what invitations/commitments to give. But this week i have had several where I knew exactly what that person needed to hear and to do. Its so amazing to feel the Holy Ghost place an idea in your head and without knowing anything you know that's the question you need to ask, scripture you need to share, commitment you need to extend. 

Yesterday that happened so many times in one lesson. We were teaching an investigator and she was giving all kinds of excuses for why she couldn´t progress quickly and how she wanted to take things REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY slow.  She has a lot of problems with her family, she´s separated, she smokes drinks and all kinds of things. I asked her if she had a desire to change she said yes but gave more excuses. I felt impressed to focus on smoking, I told her we could help her, you could tell she didn´t believe me. As we talked she explained that it she smoked when she was angry and stressed. I had an idea to help her and asked her if the next time she gets angry to wait 15-20min before smoking. We made a list of things that calm her down and that she could do for 20 min. She liked the idea and agreed to try and stop smoking. It was so neat because i don´t know this woman, but Heavenly Father does and he knew what would help her trust us, and realize she could stop. We´ll see what happens but it was incredible.  

Anyways this week has been difficult because of Carnaval. Brasil basically stops functioning for a week. Nothing is open, everyone leaves only the people that want to `party´ stay. So this week has started out a little challenging, and thats why my e-mail is late because there was no where to use internet, there wasn´t even a grocery store open!

I received your missionties talk. Loved it! Its something I have been thinking a lot about. 9 months, how have I already changed, and what do i want to do differently these last 9 months. I can´t believe how quickly it goes by. 

Yesterday was S. H-----'s b-day. I tried to make a cake.....lets say my cooking skills still need some work. As Sister T------ would say....ýou can´t get married yet. haha. But the funniest part was then she made one....and it turned out worse. 

Well I love you, miss you all

Sister Bradley

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January 28, 2013

Oh my goodness what changes and news!

Í´m adding some photos this week.

1. I did my nail in the salon for the 1st time in my life!!!! Sent a photo, I was joking with Sister M------, how many brazilians does it take to turn me into a girl...sadly its happening :P

2. Our recent converts R-----, and R----- and their pitbull puppies!!! Not quite as cute as the chow chows but puppies.

I can´t believe Chris and Lauren are moving!!! Thats crazy! Send me they´re e-mail or address and I´ll write them!

Well this week I finally received your christmas package! I loved it, and it came at the perfect time. It came when i needed it most and would appreciate it most. Not that I wouldn´t have earlier it was beautiful. But it was a wonderful blessing this week. Thank you everyone for your words of encouragement and memories!

This weekend we had a special conference, sadly Elder Oaks couldn' t come. But it was Elder Costa and Elder/Bishop Christenson. It was fun to hear talks in English, translated into Portugues. It was a wonderful conference, sadly the two investigators we wanted to come, didn´t. Afterwards two areas in our zone had a baptism. So we stayed for that. Afterwards members came up and were talking to us...hoping they were getting a companionship of sisters too. haha but it was such a compliment. We were talking with one member and she asked us where we were from....she didn´t believe me that i was from the states....she thought i was Brazilian. Whoohoo. The language is coming along!

Finally our zone is baptizing. We have really been struggling as a zone to meet our goals for baptisms. But this month we did it. And we get to have a zone p-day!!! No clue what we´ll do but its something different and way fun.

Transfers are next week. This transfer was longer than usual, 7 weeks but it has gone by quickly. I love S. M----- she is a wonderful companion. 

This past week we had some incredible and some rather interesting experiences  First the funny one: The other day we were walking in the street and a woman stopped us and started rambling. I had no clue what she was saying. But then I realized S. M---- also didn´t understand. The woman then explained she was a prophet, and was speaking in tongues. 1st comes the gift of tongues and then you receive the holy ghost. We introduced ourselves as missionaries .... and left. As we continued walking we started comparing the things she said to what is actually in the scriptures....i asked S. M----.... isn´t the gift of tongues a gift of the spirit.....so don´t you need the holy ghost to speak in tongues??? It was ridiculous  Oh sometimes how i want to attend some of the religions here. They are so different than in the US and from ours. Every week there are cults to cure, cast out demons and people speaking in strange tongues. We always have to explain -- the gift of tongues is to edify....so you will be speaking in a way people will understand! People don´t get it.

2nd story. This week was really special. We have an investigator who was supposed to be baptized a few weeks ago. But because of some things that happened at church and her husband said she told us she wanted to wait. This woman is so ready for the gospel. She is reading the Book of Mormon, she has given multiple referals to us, she has shared her testimony of the book of mormon with friends and family, she closes her shop to listen to our messages. We have been praying all this past week that she can be baptized before transfers. Partly because we fear that if we wait much longer she´ll never be baptized (she´s already had 2 dates) and i really want to be there for her baptism, and its possible I´ll be transferred. Well we decided the last day of Jan for her date. We went and visited her, and as we talked we told her we had been praying for her....a lot. She told us she knew she could feel it, so we told her we felt this was the date for her to be baptized. She looked at us and asked if we thought she was ready. I was like....I know your ready, i don´´t have any doubt that you can do this. She told us alright. The spirit was so strong with us and in that tiny room in her shop. And words can´t explain how happy we were. The only problem, the day before we will be going on divisions again. So we won´t be here to have her baptism interview and everything seems so rushed. We´ll see how everything turns out. We´re actually going to work on P-day! and teach her a lesson because we haven´t taught her everything yet. and we won´t have time during the week. 

(this week we are going on this division, i´m really excited because i get to split with a sister i have always wanted to know a little better, she is so sweet! Sister B-----)

3rd story. There are some amazing families here in our area. The R-----s. During a ward activity they gave us the mission plan for their family. Family nights, they want to teach a lesson with us every week, they will pick up investigators for church, and all kinds of things. They are so incredible. And then on saturday. Brother R------ called us and asked us where we were. We were a few streets from our house, he told us he would meet us in front of our house. When we arrived. He had bought sacks of food for us. He always brings us a pizza or churrasco, but this time he filled our fridge. I have never seen a family so involved and so worried about missionary work and missionaries. S. M----- and I were talking and realized...its because they do things like this they family are so blessed. I hope to have a family like theirs someday.

The mission is such a neat opportunity to get to know and understand people better. I have seen many things I know I don´t want to do, and many things I want to apply in my life. 

Well have a wonderful week. We have two baptisms marked for this week! Praying all goes well. 

Love you miss you all

Carissa