December 17, 2012

Hey, 
Alright, so Christmas time. I´m pretty sure we can skype!!! yeahhhh. Make sure everything works haha. Bah its been rediculous trying to find someone with internet, and skype (but there is a member here, they are so much fun) and they have skype and we will be spending christmas with them so hopefully everything will work our alright. Its gonna be in the morning i believe. We were supposed to receive an e-mail from President Wright giving us all the instructions for Christmas...but we haven´t gotten it yet. 

But this week we had our Christmas conference. It was super fun. Each district gave a little presentation. Almost all the districts sang. They brought the spirit and then there was our district. We had prepared a little skit basically the spirit went running because it was rediculous. But it was fun. President and Sister Wright gave us all a little Preach My Gospel. There so cool!! Only mission presidents had them, and we were talking to sister wright and asked about them....and then for christmas the entire mission received mini preach my gospels. Bah we were so excited!!!

Oh btw i now use words like bah, and barbaridade

This week is transfers!!! Sister Teixeira will be transfered and I´ll be staying here!!!! (Although this week I kinda wish I was being transfered haha its been a rough week, Everything that could go wrong with investigators has been going wrong);. Usually we don´t know what will happen during transferes but this week we know, cuz we´re special! 

Yesterday we set up a christmas tree in the house of the member i´ll be spending christmas with. It made me laugh because she doesnt have lights. And in your last e-mail you said you needed more lights. Its a little tree about waist high but its a tree and it was fun to decorate a little. But wow made me miss home so much. And having a tree with memories and advent calanders and everything. 

Oh another thing...ward christmas party. We had the ward christmas dinner a few days ago. But it didn´t start until about 9 so we didn´t get to stay very long...and we still didn´t get home until after we were supposed to be at home. Everything starts really late. 

But all is good here. Supplies....bah i´m overflowing with stuff. I don´t think i´ll need anything for the rest of the mission. Just the makeup. I bought some sunblock and toothpaste...and then received the package with more haha 

well love you...and am getting to talk to you right now haha
Saudades!!!!! 
Carissa

December 10, 2012

I got your other package. We have a tree!!!! Yeahhhh. I haven´t put out stockings or anything 1st because the temptation is too great haha and second transfers are next week and S. Teixeira i think will be leaving. (its gonna be weird having another companion for christmas)

Your oil lamps are adorable ( I told Carissa about clay oil lamps we made to teach the parable of the ten virgins.) . And ironic because this week we had Stake Conference. The Stake had a goal of 1,000 people there. They made invitations and gave a bunch to us to visit inactive members and our investigators and invite them to stake conference. We prepared a message....the 10 virgins and shared it with most people. 

Oh i miss large christmas trees!!! I haven´t seen a lifesize tree yet here :( and just two or three houses with christmas lights on the outside. I think 1st of all its expensive and 2nd it probably attracts robbers and such. No idea though

Really don´t have many stories for this week. I´m going to buy the speakers i need so i can listen to the christmas music you sent yeahh...hope everything works but if not oh well i really don~t believe its christmas time haha  heat and christmas just don´t mix in my book

A few nights ago it was so hot in our room that we took the mattresses and put them in the living room and slept there...but by 1am we were eaten alive by mesquitos.

This week is our christmas party for the mission...well our zone and zones near us. Let you know how it goes!

Alls well here 
Love you tons
Carissa

December 3, 2012

I got the little boxes which i love (and are full of skittles) (she loves skittles, can you tell?) and a little bear (from her grandmother).  Obviously, she opened the Christmas gifts I sent!!!   I saw one house here with christmas lights, its not very common. And the christmas trees are just the little artificial table trees usually. I´m not gonna lie i´m really glad i only have one christmas and one thanksgiving outside of the states. Though still bummed about the two fourth of julys. 

Oh basketball how miss it!!! (though i´m sure you don´t haha) soccer soccer soccer soccer. yesterday was the big game between the two teams here in Rio Grande do Sul. Gremio and International. (we´re inter fyi) there were fights and everything. Its crazy. made me really miss baseball and basketball haha

Its strange all week long i think of random things i want to write (and sometimes i even write them down) and then the day comes i can write. And i have no idea what to say, i think its the pressure haha

Well I´ll start with last P-day. We went to downtown Porto Alegre!!! Because S. Teixeira needed to buy clothes...just we couldn~t find any. So i only bought granola, way cool i know! But i didn´t buy anything else because I was looking for nativity scenes...and i haven´t seen any that are any different from the normal ones you could buy at walmart. You may have to come and visit Brasil when i leave so we can find nativity scenes becaue i´m losing faith that i´ll find one before the end of the year. 

And i know the 1st thing i want to do when i get home. Because i will be very tired. So were all going to sit in the living room drink chimarrão and swap stories. Because when you drink chimarrão you are no longer tired. Last night we visited a family and drank chímarrao with them....we were up till about 1:00am talking because we were not tired. I bought my first bomba today (the straw type thing you drink chimarrão  and my first mate (the herb/powder) Eu Sou Gaucha agora!!!! haha

But anyways i haven´t bought many things yet, 1st because i´m cheap and 2nd i still have a pharmacy in my suitcase haha. But its good, S. Teixeria is having some problems with her teeth and i have everything. Sister Wright is now calling me doctor Bradley haha. She´s so funny. Its sad but i like it when my companions are sick because i get to talk to her. (I think we both like having someone to speak in English with for a little while). 

Anyways back to Downtown Porto Alegre. You´ll never guess where we ate.....MCDONALDS!!! The first time i´ve eaten at mickyDs in ages. And Dad will die when he learns how much it was! 18 reais (about 9 dollars) and today while we were at the doctors (who is outside our area too, so we got to leave our area last pday and this pday whoohooo) we ate at subway the 6inch is 10 reais. Yikes usually things because the exchange rate are cheaper for me....but american places are ridiculously expensive. and not the same thing. I´ve eaten at all these places once and i think i´ll stick with brasilian food in brasil and american food in america haha. Though we made cookies one time for a baptism and they were wonderful!

ahhh so yours is the 2nd package. I received the first one and a few days later our Zone Leaders said they saw a package for me in the mission office. I thought it was the 1st and wasn~t sure if i believed i had a 2nd haha. yippee!!! I haven´t gotten it yet because they didn´t take it (don´t know why)

Ok so first story....i´m so ready to come home from the mission and be a better person!!! So many things have happened this week that have shown me more the person i want to be. Our relief society lesson about visiting teaching, they way members work with the missionaries, how to be more open...and sincere with people (if i haven~t learned that by the end of the mission i didn~t serve in brasil everyone is very sincere here, they say what they think still not sure if its good or bad). 

You asked about members and investigators. Our recent convernt T------- (she was baptized a week ago) is already giving meals for the missionaries. She´s so wonderful. She´s really timid so we´re worried about her making friends in church so we´re trying to help with that. And this week we didn~t teach many lessons but my goodness gracious we talked with the entire world. 90 contacts!!! (though we fell short of our goal for 100). 

Skype: I´m hoping we can skype (for Christmas). Because its worlds cheaper and cooler because i can actually see you all!!!

Well I need to go...tell sara i´ll handwrite her because i didn´t have time to respond :(

Love you

Carissa