March 25, 2013

So if you didn't see the big news, Carissa can get and send e-mails to friends, family, etc.  Her e-mail address is on the side bar.  She would LOVE to hear about you and all your adventures!   She gets/responds to e-mail on Monday mornings. 

Some more photos!  

Dinner at Outback  (who knew they had Outback in Brazil?)

Area Meeting called a zone conference

Missionaries outside of the temple in Porto Alegre

March 25, 2013

Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kash!!!! S. M---- is from Curitiba! She will love it there. The state of Parana is supposed to be beautiful! (and from what i hear the church is stronger there!)

You know the crazy thing I was thinking about Lauren and Chris the other day thinking, I haven´t heard if she´s pregnant only 8 months left so chances are i won´t miss their kids....great. I miss everything haha

Thats an incredible story. Won´t lie my new area is challenging. Its hard to see the growth.  And our mission has the goal of baptizing.... EVERY AREA, EVERY WEEK!  its hard, we have to have a level of obedience more than normal missionaries. Our mission rules changed, our method of working is changing. The attitude and spirit of our mission is changing. And we are working. 

In this area we have a lot of families that have members that aren´t baptized yet. One of them M----. How can I explain him. He is very smart, and he talks..... A LOT! But he has developed a lot of respect for me, and is now progressing. Reading the scriptures...everyday. and he has been attending church for a few months now. Its neat to see how I have been able to help someone progress. he needs to get married so the baptism will be a while. but its neat when I start teaching he pays attention and actually listens. S. A---- told me he wasn´t that way with others. but still he asks the hardest questions, and has some interesting ideas. I always leave his house with a headache. 

Well I spoke in sacrament meeting yesterday. I never had a problem giving talks in English....Its so much harder in another language. 

This weekend we had a conference with several zones. Some of the mission doctors in Sao Paulos came to give a training....one of them was in my branch presidency in the ctm. And they remembered me!!! (we were part of their 1st group). It was so fun to see them again. And to see President and Sister Wright and so many missionaries. It gives you that extra push sometimes we need. 

It was a really special experience for me because I learned a little bit more about my own blessing and the timing of the Lord. 

Well I love you all, good to hear all of your experiences and stories! 

love you 
Carissa 

March 18, 2013

Hey Family!

Alright 1st I have really exciting news! Today we received an e-mail WE CAN E-MAIL FRIENDS, FAMILY, PRIESTHOOD LEADERS, AND RECENT CONVERTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHOOHOOOOOO So if you can let people know I can now e-mail others yippy.

So glad I don´t have to do taxes haha so much stress for so little gratification. 

I´m so jealous you are going to disneyworld. Take lots of pictures of Harry Potter World for me!! Someday I´ll visit it haha How long will Sara be working there? just 6 months or the whole year?

Ok but transfers...I won´t lie was CRAZY!!! So I was transferred from Canoas Centro (after only 5 weeks). Here transfers are a little different than in the USA (or so I´m told) we don´t know where we will be transfered until we arrive at the bus station in Porto Alegre. and I was transfered to the area that is right next to Canoas Centro. Its part of the same stake and zone and everything! I could not believe it!!! So I am now in Fernandes, the smallest area in the entire mission!!! Its like missionaries being transfered from the chico 5th ward....to the chico 2nd ward. 


My companion is Sister A-----. She is from Rio de Janeiro. She only has 2 transfers here so I´m trying to help her gain confidence as a missionary. But she is a wonderful missionary. 

PICTURES

  family night with Jorge and his kids (Canoas Centro) Playing the Bis Game. Bis is a type of chocolate and you have to try and open it using a fork and a knife...and we created all kinds of challenges....eyes closed, one hand only two fingers. We had to get creative.

 S. Marques, Me, Sister Costa, Sister Holladay. Divisions with the Sisters in Osorio (near the beach)

Canoas and you can see Porto Alegre 

Planes, we are near a base and so there are tons of jets and military planes. And now in Fernandes I´-m even closer! Its so loud!!!

: ME and Sister Holladay. I contacted a woman from another religion, she gave us all kinds of things inviting us to come to her church and receive a prayer. It was very....different. 

March 11, 2013

Ok so as everyone knows today is transfers. I only have 5 weeks in this area, I was sure I would stay here....but nothing ever happens how I think it will. I´m being transferred! That means its been less than 5 weeks since I last packed all my suitcases, and I get to do it again. I hope I made a difference in this area. I love it here in Canoas. It was an area I wanted to serve, now I´m dying to know whats going to happen tomorrow. So my letter is going to be really short because I can´t manage to think about anything else right now haha. 

This week was good. We went on divisions in Osorio. (Its near the beach and its beautiful!) It was wonderful because I was companions with S. M----- again. I love her and she is an excellent missionary. Just listening to her teach again,. it was so easy to pay attention and feel the spirit. Its something I really admire about her. Then in district meeting we were doing some practices teaching, and everyone said it was the same with me. It was such a compliment. 

This week has been really good we have been visiting some neighbors of a Recent convert and she comes and bears her testimony. Its so wonderful to hear the conviction she has. She tells everyone she knows about her baptism!! and invites them to hear a message with us.

Well I love you all and hope everything is well.  sorry its so short today. 

March 4, 2013

No I´m fine, it was just like alergies gone crazy or something.  (I was asking her about her trip to the hospital last week.)

 The Lord has truely blessed me with abilities I didn´t have in other transfers so that I can continue working and teaching. For example I remember names and addresses of people I have never met, in streets I have only passed once or twice. Its incredible. 

I love my area. Ever since my birthday, when I was on splits with another sister who served here, I have wanted to come to Canoas Centro. Its a large area but I already have such a love for this area and members. As always we have our problems, but I am seeing a huge change coming. A new mission leader and instructor for Gospel Principles were called this last week and they are excellent. I´m praying for the energy and force I need to do our part. 

This last week was really hard for me but there were some wonderfully sweet moments. I----, she was baptized last week, went and visited some investigators with us and is a friend to investigators we brought to church. She shares her testimony and tells everyone about her baptism. Its wonderful! There is nothing better than to hear and see your recent-converts loving the gospel. 

Today we had P-DAY DE ZONA!!!!!!!!! whoohoooo. We watched The Other Side of Heaven.... wow we realized what a mushy movie that was! But there are some wonderful parts that as a missionary have a whole new meaning! 

Ya we heard about the new missions!! (The LDS church announced they are opening 58 new missions.  7 of them will be in Brazil!)  I haven´t read or seen the official report just the rumors that fly aroung the mission. But as far as I´ve heard it won´t affect our mission. 

February 26, 2013

Calm quiet week in california....Canoas RS. A completly different story.


First I should let you know then that both your daughters went to the hospital this week. For me it was the 1st time in Brasil. Everythings fine we think it was a sinus infection. I started feeling sick, but we had a baptism this week and tons of appointments. I wasn´t dead so we left, the only problem where we went is REALLY REALLY REALLY far. And then it started to downpour and we were in the middle of nowhere!! I got soaked, and forgot my camera so i don´t have pictures. We went back home and I was feeling terrible. I called Sister Wright and she told me to go to the hospital but i was so tired I told her i would go the next morning and get a blessing from our LZs the next day at district meeting. About 20 min later she called us back telling us that they were coming to Canoas bringing two sisters to stay the night with us. Because of the rain these Sisters were stuck in Porto Alegre so Pres, and sister Wright were driving them to Canoas (about 20 min) to stay the night with us. So I asked President to give me a blessing. How many people can say their mission president drove to another city to give them a blessing? (Ok it wasn't just for me, but they love me :D )

 What a crazy day (it was wednesday). Thursday i woke up feeling better, we went to district meeting and then I got worse. We had our baptismal interview at the chapel. and afterwards our investigator and her son (a recently returned missionary) took us to their house for lunch and then to the hospital. I got my 1st penicylin shot...ever! and lots of medicine haha And now i´m much better.

and the adventures continue

Friday, was the wedding of our investigator. We had a great day lots of visits and teaching with members and then we ended the day celebrating their wedding. They took us home, and Sister H------ spent the entire night with a sour stomach!!! So we stayed home all Saturday! WE MISSED OUR BAPTISM!!!! I organized everything from our living room and everything went .... fairly smoothly i think. I was talking to Sister Wright, joking that we are so amazing, we can baptize without leaving our house.

On Sunday S. H----- was still really weak so we went to church and I organized for me to go on splits so we could at least get some things done. We spent the entire weekend and some of Monday at home because she was sick....I have read so much of the Old Testament these past 3 days!!!! I´m going to have the world record for reading the old testament the fastest :P Well everythings better now at least so that's a blessing.

Well today we are off to the temple as a zone. and then next week we have p-day as a zone!!!! whoohoooo Even if we only are going to get to spend it at the stake center.

I wrote Taylor a letter but i sent it to the other address. So i don´t know if he got it :(

Loved the pictures. I´ll send some more next week....maybe haha
Transfers is coming up in two weeks....gonna be some big changes. I´m really excited!

well I love you, hopefully the computer lasts through 8th grade projects and everything.

Sister Bradley

February 18, 2013

What exciting news!!!

Oh my goodness Sarah Woods is going on a mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Almost exactly a year after I left!!!!! ( and exactly 9 months before I come home!!) I won´t see her for 2 1/2 years!!!! But how exciting. Tell her I´m SOOOOOOO excited for her and she will love it and be amazing!!! I don´t even know what to say what wonderful news!!!

OH ya valentines day was this week.....i totally forgot! OH Shaggy what a silly boy. Hows he adjusting to having a dog in the house? (...just so you know in my new area we have investigators with Chow chows...i think Heavenly Father wants me to remember that i love dogs)

I couldn´t remember what day as faustnaughts day. But i knew it was sometime during carnaval (because its bascially the same idea...except here on steroids). So I bought cheese bread (Pão de queixo) and sonho (kinda like cream stuffed donoughts) to celebrate :P

Well this past week, wasn´t too exciting. Worked really hard, talking with EVERYONE haha

This weekend we will have a baptism, a mother of a recently returned missionary. She has known the church is true for 20 years!!! But this weekend she will finally marry her husband and finally will take the step to be baptized! Its going to be really special. And what a wonderful blessing from a mission, for a missionary. 


Oh!!!! Dad you're gonna love this!!! We have an investigator. J----, I´ll probably write a lot about him because he´s incredible and every missionary that passes through this area talks about him. His two children have already been baptized. He is in a judicial process so he can´t be baptized. But he is so faithful and teaches all of us ....all the time. But a few days ago we went to visit them. He´s watched every church film...twice. Had every lesson at least 4-6 times. We were trying to think of what we could teach them....and i remembered scripture charades!!!! SO guess what this family now loves? And although they have only known about the gospel for a few months....they know so many stories!!! it was a blast. Every time we visit they ask if we can play it again. Won´t lie i started to miss being a kid and doing scripture charades as a family....still not sure if i miss the prophet and apostles quizes yet :P But what a wonderful tradition. On sunday we had a talk about traditions. And the righteous traditions we should have....i started thinking about all the things we did as a family....we have a ton, how wonderful is that?


Well I love you! Miss you all
Carissa