Pictures 11-11-13

11-11-13

Okey dokey!

So its already been 3 weeks. In some ways it's gone by so fast. In other ways I feel like I've been her for a year haha. Wow, there is nothing like learning another language. Nothing. I can't describe it any other way than just always feeling like you  are a newborn baby all over again that has to learn to walk, and sometimes you need your diaper changed, but you can't scream and cry because you are actually a mature adult and a representative of Jesus Christ and all that good stuff. So yeah, sometimes you just keep working with diaper rash. 

BUT its also the coolest thing in the world when I'm talking and forget I'm speaking in another language and then realize it. Wow, the Holy Ghost is so awesome and soooo helpful. Yesterday I had an awesome experience in regards to this. We were doing contacts and met a kid playing futbol in the street, and when we started talking to him he went and got his mom. We were like okay that works, then she invited us in and just waited for us to start teaching. By the way, this never happens here. Okay, so we start teaching her and the kids together and it was awesome. The Spirit was so strong and talking was easy for me. A lot of times, I never know if the people actually understood what I said or if they are just being polite, but at the end of the lesson, Rose, the woman, told me that she understood everything I said because the Holy Ghost carried it from my heart to hers. She said the closing prayer and asked if what we told her was true, and started crying during the prayer. At the end, she told us that she had prayed that morning to know what she should do to better her life, and she said she knew we were messengers from God and an answer to her prayer. It was amazing. Things like this happen every day. I can't believe it. Miracles happen everyday you guys. I promise. We just have to open our eyes and see with faith. Missionary work is so emotionally exhausting, but these gifts from God like this are what carry me through. I want to work even harder and show God I have faith. I hope you all are seeing blessings in your life, because I am working really hard haha. When I feel like I have nothing left, I think of those I care about, and it gets me pumped that I can do something for them :)

 

Today is going to be awesome because Celia, our amazingly delightful investigator is going to teach us how to make gnochi and this amazing fish dish from scratch. Oh my mouth is watering already. Celia is sooo awesome. I just love being around her, and I have never met someone with so much faith and such enthusiasm in bearing it. She feels like a mom to me, which is really nice to have, even if I can barely understand what she is saying haha. I love sitting next to her in church. I don't know how to explain it, but she reminds me of you, Mom, even though she is super loud and so different, I feel like I'm sitting with you when I sit with her in church. Every week in church, she tells the WHOLE world this church is true and she is not even baptized yet. She is such an example of how we should all treat our testimonies. We need to shine our light. We need to share our gifts. 

Speaking of gifts, I read Moroni 10 about spiritual gifts. Did you know the same thing is in Corinthians 12 and D and C 46 (i think 46 or 42) so it must be pretty important. Anyway, I can't believe how many of these gifts I have developed in my mission and am beginning to recognize in myself now. I promise they were not there before, but as I have gained more faith, these gifts have come as a side effect. How amazing! God has been blessing me in ways I didn't even recognize...and they are really cool ways..things that I can't really write about in an email. You guys, the coolest part is that the scriptures promise these spiritual gifts to all those who have faith, nothing more required. Men and women and children can all have these amazing gifts and they are given liberally as long as we have faith. I promise you that if you desire to have these gifts, then you can. You only need to have faith that it is possible. I know that God works miracles. I know that there are angels among us carrying us through our challenges. I know that we can do amazing things if we have the courage to shed our doubts and believe anything is possible. 

You guys are awesome! I love you all soooo much. I challenge you to pray for miracles. I challenge you to talk to strangers and share the gift of the gospel with others. I challenge you to believe, and if not yet believing, then have the desire to believe and the faith will come (Alma 32).

love love love sis Hunny/Barbie/boneca branca

Beijos

Pics from Brazil

11/4/13

Oi! Tudo Bem. So first please the excuse the many typos that will occur because this key board is awful, but oh well. 

So, where to begin. Wow, there is so much to say. My brain is learning so much everyday, but so is my spirit. I can't believe how tired I am every day, but its a good tired, because every night I go to bed and know that I worked as hard as I could. Speaking of work, I had the coolest little personal revelation. So I have been worrying about a lot of people. Well, I dunno if worrying is the right word, but wishing I could be there to help them. Lots of different people. It was interfering with my focus and really draining me, but then I was talking with Sis A and she told me about a scripture in D and C 118 I think that basically says that when we work our hardest, then God will pour out blessings on our loved ones. When I read this, I just knew that this was true for me. I know that if I am am here in this place right now for a reason, and I know that God has a perfect plan for everyone. I can't physically be there for everyone, because they are all over the place, but in my heart I now know that I really CAN do something for them. I can WORK! Somehow, and I don't know how that is, the harder I work, the more blessings I can bring to my loved ones. Like I said before, I don't know how it's gonna work, but people, be expecting some great blessings, because I am working even harder now. Its seriously so exciting for me to work now. It was before, but sometimes you just feel like you can't do more or like you're getting nowhere. But now, when I feel like taking a rest, I think of how I could be helping my loved ones, and I want to walk a little farther, and talk to more people. God has given me so much! I have a healthy body and mind. I have dear family and friends. Now I have the chance to serve people here and even out of my presence. That's all I could ask for. I love work. I am so motivated now. I'm so excited to hear how your lives go and what blessings everyone receives, so everyone: pay attention to the miracles that happen in your lives. Look for unexpected blessings. I know God keeps His promises and that He is always pouring His love upon us. 

Oh I have to tell you something funny. So, nobody can pronounce my name. NOBODY. So I have about a million different names: Sister Hunny, Sister Hunny Baby (don't ask), and Sister Barbie (everyone also always thinks I look like a Barbie because of my blonde hair. I find it ironic because I never even liked Barbies as a kid and hated....still hate pink haha), or boneca (which means doll, another reference  to Barbie). Its always funny to see peoples' faces when I tell them my name. Most people just don't even try to repeat it. ]

This week, we made 164 contacts! A contact is when you talk with someone on the street or where ever and we usually try to teach them something, bear testimony of something and then get their address for a time when we can return and teach more. Its sooo different from NY because people almost always say yes. What?! People here are sooooo friendly. Strangers can just walk up to each other and pick up a conversation and its not weird at all. Everything is more laid back here, but Ribeirao is still pretty nice. Most of the people we work with would consider themselves poor, but in a lot of ways, their houses are nicer than the houses in North Tonawanda NY. I actually feel like Brazil is a step up from where I was in a lot of ways. So, everyday we see so many miracles. Every day! Yesterday was fantastic. We had an amazing testimony meeting at church with 4 investigators there and 3 less actives. Everyone's testimonies were so powerful and the whole room was crying. I was pretty scared, but I bore my testimony as well. It was so cool, because when I rely on the Spirit, I can speak Portuguese so much better. It helps me to put my thoughts into words, but even more, I think it helps me speak to peoples' hearts, even if my grammar is very flawed. At church, one of our investigators, Celia, saw the picture of the second coming with Jesus and the angels and began to weep, because she had dreamed this exact image, but had never seen anything like it. She is now determined to quit smoking so that she can be baptized in November. It was so awesome. She knows it is true :)

Okay well I've gotta run but I hope all is well and I'm working hard for you all, my dear ones. God loves you. I know this for a fact. He loves us all perfectly despite our imperfections. Don't doubt the power of faith and diligence and especially service. These will bring us closer to Christ. Remember that God wants this life to be happy and simple. Don't over complicate things and trust in God. What a blessing that He has all the answer and we don't have to. 

LOVE YALL beijos

Sis Hunny

10-28-13

First my address;

Sister Tess Huntington
R. Sao Sebastiao #1003-centro
Ribeirao Preto- SP
14015-040

NEVER Fedex packages, because of the tax. Use another source for packages. Supposedly letters only take a little over a week, so that's pretty cool. Not sure about your letter description Dad, but no haha I don't think so lol.

Oi! Tudo Bem?

Okay, holy cow I wish my fingers had super speed because I have so much to write and so little time but WOW. How can I even describe what its like? Brazil is awesome and beautiful and I love it already. I have only been here for a week but it feels much longer...except for the fact that I still hardly understand what anyone is saying. So I'm going to go in order what I'm guessing you guys will ask about.

Food: Okay, the food in Brazil is just plain better, no matter how you slice it. Seriously, Oh me oh my. You guys really will have to roll me off the plane. Luckily, we walk ALOT at least. Tortas and pastels and pao de queijo and sorvette and acai and stroganoff. Holy cow. The funny thing is that I've only had beans once! The members feed us everyday and they all want to feed us like there was literally no tomorrow, but I cant even complain because its so delicious- every bite. Also, they eat.....constantly....every moment they are hungry. Everyone is ALWAYS hungry, even at ten at night right before we go to bed....but the people still aren't as fat as Americans, just very comfortably plump haha.

Okay, the language:

Well, I definitely have a lot to learn, but people keep telling me I'm speaking very well for only having a few days here. I don't know though. Its definitely one of the most humbling experiences I've ever had in my life. I am learning that I simply cannot be a perfectionist with myself here, which is not easy for me to accept..but I kind of have no other choice. I am so used to having the ability to express exactly what I mean with words, but here...I'm just grateful if I can get the basic point across. Then, I pray that they don't respond too fast. I just bear testimony of what I know and believe and hope and pray that the Holy Ghost helps them understand. Every time, I walk out wondering how it happened, but people really do understand what I say and I can see their faces soften and their hearts open up. Thank you Holy Ghost! God is literally carrying me along, more now than ever. Of course, Sister A, my comp, is a gift from God as well. She is so patient and helpful and keeps my spirits up when I feel like a total idiot...which happens on a daily basis haha. I can speak, and supposedly I can bear testimony powerfully (yet again, thanks to the Spirit) but when it comes to understanding....mia nossa! I just literally pray that I can catch a few words...then I look to Sister A and she explains what they said. I can understand her accent quite easily, but apparently since we live in a more rural area, the people here have a hick accents. Just imagine someone coming from Brazil and trying to understand some Appalachian investigators. Yeah, its coming with time though.

The people here are amazing and so friendly. I already am in LOVE with Brazil. I'm learning so much and having to rely on others a lot....which also feels really weird for me, but its probably good for me to learn. This gospel is true. I have never felt Gods influence so strong in my life. It can change hearts and improve lives in an instant. I promise God lives and loves each person. I know we all have a marvelous purpose. You are all magnificent! LOVE LOVE LOVE

Sister Huntington

BEIJOS for all!