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