July 29, 2009

So our miracle this week. Each Sunday we are always desperate for investigators so we walked outside in front of the gate and found a man to invite in to watch the sacrament meeting. He accepted and the next day when we invited him to be baptized this sunday he accepted. So great. The Lord is helping us out and putting miracles in out paths. It´s such a privlege to help someone get to know the Gospel. I love my mission and it´s true the members are always strengthened by having missionaries. It´s truly a privlege to belong to a ward that has missionaries. So I am giving the english class here and realizing I am forgetting and teaching english wrong. It´s a stress I signed up for. I won´t do it again. There is so much to improve on but so little time. I am loving this time with the Lord and learning so much and growing. So that´s that for the week until next time!! I love you ALL!! Missionary work is such a blessing!!! I miss you all like crazy and can´t wait for christmas!! rachel

July 22, 2009

Mom and family, I feel like Iam out of this world sometiumes like the things I am experiencing here on the mission sound crazy to people who aren´t on the same level. I will try to express what´s going on keep an open mind. I know my mission call is sacred. I know it was pre-ordained before I was born. I know I was born for a special purpose to learn and grow and serve. I am so grateful for my mission. Last night was amazing. We found a man who was walking in front of the chapel and we were desperate for investigators to attend so we invited this man in. He accepted and really liked the sacrament meeting and we took his name and number to visit him and his spouse. It was last night I met is wife who is an ex-nun, they have saints in every place in their house it was obvious strong catholics. As we greeted each other as a custom here to kiss the cheek and shake hands she said I know you from somewhere. I couldn´t think of where. they´ve lived here for only a small amount of time I don´t know if I have already talked to her on the street or not when I was here before.... It was weird as she confessed she felt like she has known me for a long time. the lesson we taught was every word directed by the spirit, Sister Santos admitted after, Sister Davidson you spoke portugues perfeito, perfect without accent it seemed like you were Brasilian. it was an amazing lesson. they are an elderly couple. At the end we asked if the wife would say the last prayer and she said the prayer and poured out her heart of how grateful she was for having apostles de Cristo in her house teaching things she has never heard before she talked about a peace that she was feeling and how cristo felt like he was in the room. It was a marvilous experiences. All the sacrifices are worth it when we find people like this. Now the process of them being baptised!! I just am overwhelmed. The spirit works in wonders and miracles. It´s amazing how someone can change when they feel the spirit. A mission is going and we are working hard to find families to teach. I am forgetting myself, it´s real I am not remembering my life before the mission. Love you all so much!!Rachel

July 15, 2009

So the mission is good. I ve been transfered again and returned to Campinas and Ponte in the small apartment. 3rd time. I past 4 dias in trio and now I am back with a new heathly companion. I am trying my best to help these wards, it´s a constant talking to people and animating the members, exhausting work. the time is going to fly, I hope to stay here to baptize some people this time. We went to the temple today it feels like forever and I had a nice experience there. I am understanding more and more and gaining a greater love for Christ in my life. I am 100% religious it´s crazy, I can´t remeber who I was before what I did before. People ask what´s the food like in the US and I can't remeber. All I remember is Brasil and the mission and don´t ever want it to change. I am loving serving the people here the language is always a challenge but it´s getting easier. I have a hard time rembering words. thanks for all your emails this week it was great to read them to see what´s up at home. I love you all!! do you have a good activity for 2 wards to help them get excited and work with the missioniaries?? Love rachel

July 8, 2009

Dear Family, so I am typing on a ghetto computer, the keyboard is so old the letters are all faded so I am trying my best here to type. hahaha. So you´ll never guess but I am transfered again. I passed 3 weeks there in campinas with sister pedroso. I was really excited and starting an english class and everything. Suddenly a new sister fresh from the MTC got sick and Sis Pedroso was transfered and I was with a sick companion. in and out of the hospital for two days, she was sososo nervous everything she was eating she was throwing up 7 kilos lost and she was barely able to walk. I have been through a tornado of emotions and just wanted to give up and come home. It´s rough being transfered all the time, but this last time was my first time crying because I have such a strong love for Campinas, it´s probably the hardest area to work in because it´s all apartment buildings and hard hearted people. but I love the challenge!!! My last lesson there was teaching a young guy whose gay but accepted to be baptized... So I had some really spiritual experiences and presidente sent my sick companion home. now I am in Roslene with sister hunter from New Mexico, Albequerque and sister freitas from fortaleza, brasil. I told sister hunter about my experience there in NM... hahaha baseball game and hot air balloons. I am celebrating my half way mark today!! can you believe it??! how many more months to go? Well I miss you all Love Rachel

July 1, 2009

Hello my family!! It´s crazy because the economy is really bad here too. Lots of people are losing jobs here in Campinas. Inside our chapel we have a Job search and employment help the church offers and we are finding people to teach through the program which is cool. I am starting an english class this week to also help find people to teach too. Wish me luck I have never taught english before in my life!! But Portugues is like second nature now. I was talking to someone yesterday and he was talking in english and I was responding the whole time in portugues, crazy!! It takes a lot more focus now to speak english. I am happy to be back in my old wards. It´s really hard here in the big city caring for two wards, Sister Pedroso and I contacted 172 people this week in the street and they all just work here and live in other areas or they don´t even give us time to speak, hard-hearted!! But we will survive and are having fun talking to people. We are going to the Bosque today, it´s like a park zoo place here in Campinas, we´re taking a picnic. it´s the first pday having fun and doing something different for once. Being in the center we have a lot of old cathedrals and stuff. It´s great. it´s a constant communicating job, this past Sunday I had the biggest headache after assisting two sacrament meetings and greeting and talking to the members. A mission is a constant run!!! love you !!Rachel

June 24, 2009

Hey people guess what, TRANSFERED AGAIN, and you´ll never guess where I am at, yup, returned to my old area Campinas!!! It is so rare for a missionary to return to an old area, but Sister Souza returned home Monday and I was transfer in her spot. The members are all excited to see me again and we're working hard and centering everything in Christ every thiought and action, it´s cool. I am loving it. I don´t know how or why but I have always had a HUGE love for this place ever since my first day here in December. It´s crazy comparing my love for my other areas, paulina and rio claro, I love campinas more!!! hahaha. So I am a little stressed it´s rough without sister souza and everythinb reminds me of her, I have returned to the tiny apartment and lost the wonderful privilege of having my clothes washed for me. Goodness, I still can´t believe I am back!! WOW!! SHOCK!! I felt like I wouild return but never believed it, crazy. I am learning a lot. I am here with my new companion Sister Pedroso from Rio de Janeiro. She´s been out for 3 months and is wonderful to work with, helping me with portugues and stuff. LOVE YOU ALL!!!! Rachel

June 17, 2009

SO PRESIDENTE CASTRO DEUS IS BECOMING ONE OF MY GOOD FRIENDS. HE APPEARED IN OUR DISTRIVCT MEETING THIS WEEK AND HE´S TEACHIUNG US A LOT ABOUT SEARCHING FOR TRUTH AND LIGHT AND CHRIST. I AM LEARNING A TON ABOUT REVELATION. WE ARE NOT LIMITED TO WHAT IS WRITTEN IN OUR PATRIARCHAL BLESSINGS BUT CAN DISCOVER MORE THROUGH RELVELATION STUDYING HOW NEPHI RECEIVED REVALTION IN 1 NEPHI 11. DESIRE, FAITH, PONDERING IN HIS HEART… IT´S FASCINATING. WE CAN RECEIVE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS, WHAT TYPE OF SPIRIT WAS I IN THE PRE-EXSISTENCE? WHY WAS I RESERVED TO COME TO EARTH IN THIS TIME WHEN THE GOSPEL IS ON THE EARTH? WHAT ARE MY TALENTS? IT´S AMAZING EVERY DAY IS A SEARCH FOR TRUTH AND LIGHT WHICH IS ONLY FOUND IN CHRIST. I AM GROWING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO MY SAVIOR EACH DAY AND WANT TO BE LIKE HIM. WE SEARCH FOR HIM THROUGH SERVING OTHERS AND STUDYING THE SCRIPTURES. I LOVE THE SCRIPTURES AND RECEIVE SO MUCH STRENGTH FROM THEM EACH DAY. I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THIS TIME I HAVE TO FOCUS ON MY SPIRITUALITY. I AM HERE IN CAMPINAS TODAY SPENDING THE LAST PDAY WITH SISTER SOUZA AND ATE LUNCH WITH A RECENT CONVERT. IT GOOD. I AM GOING TO MISS SISTER SOUZA LIKE NONE OTHER!! SHE´S LEAVING MONDAY. CAN´T BELIEVE THE TIME THAT HAS PAST. THE BISPO TOOK ON GOOGLE EARTH DURING LUNCH AT HIS HOUSE AND I SAW HOME AND EVERYTHING. SO FUNNY BRYCE FORGOT HIS TALK, FATHER LIKE SON. I MISS YOU GUYS LIKE CRAZY. WELL I WANT PICTURES!! CONGRATS ANOTHER SCHOOL YEAR DOWN… ENJOY THE WARM SUN FOR ME!! I CAN´T BELIEVE HOW COLD IT GETS HERE IN BRASIL, FOOLED ME!! HAHAHAI LOVE YOU ALL AND TAKE CARE OF GRANDMA & GRANDPA. LOVE,RACHEL