August 26, 2009

Hello My Family,
My Birthday week was great we had a party at Francyne´s house with a delisious cake I will send a picture. Neide our recent convert made us lunch with filet mignon, the really good steak… brasil definitely knows about the good food and the meat, YUM< And we also had a little party with the Zone yesterday, the Elders all made fun of us sisters being a little older than they. I am so loved here in the ward. We are having some success with two baptisms last week and 5 possibles for this week we are running after the goals of the mission. I feel really happy and reaping the blessings right now. After much tribulation and trial and test of faith comes the blessings of the Lord. It´s amazing seeing and learning how the Lord works with us and uses us to do his work. I am loving the mission and Brasil. I am finally well adjusted to the customs and language and can´t imagine leaving this place. I am thinking about living here after the mission or studying here or something. Brasil is an amazing and diverse place. You guys would love it!
We are laughing a lot more these days. Sister Santos always is laughing at my portugues and my airheadedness, spaciness. Time is flying when you learn to have fun and enjoy the moments. The baptism Sunday was a behind-the-scene disaster. As the Baptismal font overflowed into the girls bathroom and the members were being unsupportive. The Ward mission leader never works with us and on the day of the baptism he took control of everything and we planned a special musical number and His comment was, ís the musical number planned because the last sisters did a horrible job singing.´ I just looked at him like you´ve got to be kidding me, how rude! And we when we were done singing the musical number and everyone was crying he came up to us at the end to apologize, yea that´s right! Hahaha… So many things happened that day I will never forget. We are making some crazy memories as we have been heating pots of water on the stove to take a shower because our shower head is electric and was burning up the wires… We fixed it today as we asked several elders and men to help but they never came through. So us girls just took it into our own hands and turned off the power to the apartment cut the wire and taped them up. And the shower is as good as new now. Hahaha… Well I love you all and have a huge sad achy part of my heart longing to see all of you again. Love you!!!Rachel

August 19, 2009

Hi everyone!! Thanks for all of your emails. Goodness beginning with this week everyone is giving us cake!! And it´s not like they know it´s my b-day week!! It hasn´t failed this week visiting a member or non member they all offer cake!! Hahahaha It´s Ironic. So Elder Ellis of the second quorum of elders is visiting with his wife! She is really good friends with Brother Raspians wife there in Grants Pass. She gave a talk about enjoying the journey. They have 9 children all served missions if that ´s not cool. They are visiting our houses and apartments, I can´t wait till they see ours maybe our living situation will improve. So Life is good here. I find the mission gets harder the longer you stay. Is it symbolical to life? I am excited for this week we have batismos marked for Sunday and I hope they come through. We are going to the temple tonight to do a tour with them. It´s great having the temple so close. I just want to baptize people, it´s a weird desire huh? But it´s my job here on the mission. Find people and invite them to be baptized. My companion Sister Santos she is fisty. She lives to make fun and laugh at me. We get along really well and are working well and being a support for each other. Francyne is a member here who loves us sisters and wants to celebrate my birthday. She came to us on Sunday asking what our plans are and it was funny because I didn´t even realize that the day she was referring to was my birthday. She is amazing and hilarious. Hope you get some photos we´re trying to send to our families today! Love,Rachel

August 12, 2009

So after the trials come the blessings. I passed through the trunky, unexcited, depressing slum part of the mission. This huge city has a lot of problems,I look at our group of investigators and see druggies, a prostitute, drug traffiker, a gay man, tatoo artist, ex-nun, and I think where are the Elects?? I get really irritated with the harrassment I get as an American and as a tall white beautiful woman with blue eyes. I am sick of the guys, the liars, the drunks, and the perverts. I can only find consolo in Jesus Christ and thinking how he passed through so much worse. I am happy and growing more spiritual as the days go by as God is teaching me and molding me into a person I want to be. I have a huge testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know the Church of Jesus Christ was restored once again here on earth through a prophet Joseph Smith, the only that has authority of God the Preisthood power to baptize the people and seal families together. I know God is my Father of my spirit and that he loves me and knows me by name, I know Jesus Chrsit is my Savior and Redeemer of the World. I know that He lives and that He is helping me and that the trials and challenges I face are for my good and growing experiences. I know and have felt the love of God swelling in my heart many times throughout my life because He is merciful and forgiving and He loves me so much that he has blessed me with a family sealed in the temple, he has blessed me with this opprotunity to serve a mission to help my testimony grow to such a degree I am willing to give my life. I love you guys and hope you are well and recieving wonderous blessings and that you are learning and growing from your experiences and challenges that come on a daily basis. How blessed are we to have the truth in our lives, to be a part of an eternal family to have our luxuries and necessities and especially to have a temple close. With such blessings come responsibilities to share and bring others to the truth which is a commandment and always live worthy of such blessings. This I leave with you in the sacred name of Jesus Chrsit Amen.

August 5, 2009

The mission is going along. I hit some pretty low points this week but trying each day to become better. I am trying to enjoy every minute of the mission. It's hard sometimes because we work with numbers each week and each day, how many lessons com membro, how many in the sacrament meetings, how many new investigators, etc.. And I am horrible with numbers... I try each day to acheive and when we don´t reach the goal I feel like a slacker, it´s discouraging at times And it´s annoying working with 19 year old boys too. I am letting go and just focusing on the people God has placed in our paths and loving them. I am loving living in the huge city and in our tiny apartment and thinking when in my life will I ever be living in these cirsumstances, never! Brasil is amazing it´s becoming a huge part of me and I am loving it. I don´t remember what the US is like anymore. People ask what are the differences and I can´t think of anything. I love Brasil and love their culture and love living in the middle of it. This transfer the Elder forgot to pay our light bill and we were without electricity for three nights and the flashlight grandma gave me came in handy. A life as a missionary is rough. Chrst is on my side and helping me do his work. I am loving reading the bible in Portugues it so much clearer. Love to all, Rachel