Winter in Brazil--June 10, 2009

Continuing strong on the mission--I made 8 months yesterday here in Brasil. I am pretty proud of myself for serving this long!! Hahaha. I love being a missionary. The experience is so great. I am talking to a ton of people in the streets. I found a warm coat and am all good to go with everything for the rest of my mission I feel. Just waiting for the chacos… I got a package from Bekah this week and hear there´s one waiting for me in the mission office. It was good hearing from Bekah it´s been a way long time. I can´t believe she´s graduating and Bryce graduated. Things are going to be interesting when I come home. It´s like entering the world again. Sister Souza and Kirk are going home in 2 weeks, that´s so crazy!! I am going to cry my eyes out. But what is cool is that Sister Souza is coming back to visit in December so I´ll see her again. She has made a huge impact in my life and mission. A person I will never forget. I want to come back to Brasil after the mission because my visa will still be good for another 6 months. Anyways the companion I have now is great she has Indian anscestory. A true Lamanite!

June 3, 2009

Sister Gomes and I are staying positive and trying to get the missionary work here movin´..Our bishop is a young guy who is really animated and excited about church stuff. He is cool. Something about the church in Brasil is that everyone has the same last name so we call them sister or brother with their first name, Sister Ann and Brother Chris, haha. Well I am getting adjusted here in Paulinia. I eat lunch everyday at the members house minus P-day and I am slowly getting to know the members. The ward is huge here just a lot of inactive members, like everywhere. I ve learned that if you don´t have a firm foundation in Christ and confide in him and love him and understand his role in our life we´ll fall. I am finding a strong love for the commandments and hope you guys are too. If you have a hard time understanding why just keep the commandment diligently and you´ll learn about it from the blessings that come from keeping it. God´s love is infinite and I am so greatful to be on a mission putting my life on hold to learn about god´s love and purpose.

May 27, 2009

It´s interesting as a missionary I enter in a million different types of houses. I ate lunch at a members house that looked like they took the house out of a magazine, they keep their dining room table set!! Really fancy and then I´ve been in homes that have been put together with scraps of wood and nails and rope that don´t have running water or electricity and it´s interesting because it doesn´t matter what your home looks like it´s the manner you treat the people that enter your home and the spirit that radiates from it. It´s what is being taught in your home and how you treat one another that is important. Interesting… Anyways one of my many obervants here on the mission. I am doing well. Sister Gomes and I live in a garage room at a members house who does our laundry!! I am loving the mission being a representative of our Savior and trying to teach people about him and the restored gospel. I see miracles everyday and am loving it. It´s hard work but rewarding. Just obey and try your best and the Lord blesses us. Every day my testimony grows about prayer, fasting, keeping the commandments, studying the scriptures everyday, tithing, trusting in God, etc. We have no reason to fear or worry when we have a true testimony that we are in God´s hands and whatever happens it happens for a reason. We have so much to learn here in this life, this time is precious. I am seeing the line more clearly what is of the world and what is of God.