5/19/14

Hey everybody!!! So wow, it's only been a week, but it feels like it's been waaay longer. Okay, well where to begin. This week was pretty great. I missed my trainee Sis B a lot...and Sp...and C. But I'm loving the new area and L and I are working hard. She was with a sick comp last transfer and is really excited to be able to work now. The best part of Ala 1 is that it shares church houses with Ipiranga, my old ward!!! Wahoo, wow, Sunday was so awesome you guys. I got to see everyone from Ipiranga and they all remembered me. It felt so great to be around people that remembered and loved me even after all this time. Sometimes we wonder if we will leave and just be forgotten, but the members don't forget and it's so good to be received with open arms. The ward now has awesome members, and the Bishop is super great too. I'm really pumped, because there are some awesome people, and we just need to unify them and get them more excited about missionary work. The Bishop is really open to new ideas, which is super nice because that was one of the difficulties in my other area. Okay, but the best part of this week was a super huge miracle/ tender mercy on Saturday. So, because I left Jabo, I didn't get to be there for R's baptism yesterday. (it went great by the way) But the elders had a baptism here and so we went to help them. Then, I found out Ipiranga had a baptism after. Guess who it was: Th (C's daughter) and her boyfriend Dan. Wow, so Sperry and I are the ones that started teaching her when she was super wishy washy and didn't really care and by the time we left, she was coming to church. But past that, I didn't know what would happen with her. I didn't get to see C's wedding or baptism, but I was here for her daughter. That family is the closest thing I have to a family here in Brazil, so it was like being at my sister's baptism. Wow, God is so good, because He perfectly timed it so that I would have a baptism even though I missed R's. Even more perfect was the fact that she still was a little wishy washy about the baptism, but with me there helping her, she went for it. So perfect. Her boyfriend is so awesome. It's incredible to see the change in him. I remember when Th told us he wanted a book of Mormon, but we didn't even know he had been listening in on our lessons with C. One day, he was across the street hanging out with his friends, but me and Sperry walked over and gave him a BOM. I thought he would be annoyed or embarrassed, but later he told the elders that he knew then that everything was true. He just never told us. Wow, we really never know the difference that we make. Sunday was so great. I saw that my less actives were still going to church and staying strong. One of them is going to the temple soon. There are many moments in the mission when I have felt like a failure. Many many moments, but this week reminded me that I'm not here for nothing. I just have to trust that God has a purpose for me. 

Okay one last request: Members, please support your missionaries. You really have no idea what the work is like, what that area is like, what is really going on until you work side by side with them. Before you criticize or judge their work, please ask them how you can help first. They will gladly accept it!! And if they don't...well then I guess you can judge. Please, trust them a little more. Have confidence that God put them there for a reason. There is no such thing as a useless missionary. Sometimes he just needs a little more support, or sometimes its not him that's at fault at all. Please just....be good to the missionaries. Its really not food that we need. We are already fatter than ever before lol. Its support and confidence and HELP. Please remember that we have left EVERYTHING to SERVE your ward. We don't have a family and we aren't getting paid and we didn't get a special training. We are literally just doing our best to serve the Lord and His children. Your love means more than you will ever know. A missionary never forgets the members that helped.

5/12/14

Hey, so it was soooooo great to talk to you guys. Wow, it felt so familiar, and it was seriously such a blessing that I didn't struggle in speaking English. Way more efficient when you don't have to stop and think. I have to do that sometimes when I'm typing. Mom and Dad, you guys look so great. Oh I forgot to tell you. I sent a Mother's Day card, but it probably won't get there until Father's Day, lol. Oh well. One day, communication won't be so disheveled, lol. 

So, how weird is it that the next time I see your beautiful faces will be at Christmas! I don't know, did I seem different? I hope I wasn't serious or boring, haha. But I also hope that I at least have changed a little bit, for the better of course. I feel like I've changed a lot. Sometimes I think about how I would have acted in certain situations and am embarrassed at my past self, lol. The mission is incredible that way. It really changes who we are at the very core. Well actually I don't think it changes us so much as helps us discover who we truly are in God's eyes. 

So I got transferred back to Ipiranga, but another ward. How awesome is that!? It was sad to leave my comp and my district. We were really a family there. I cried when I left my trainee B at the bus station. I'm really nervous for her because she is going to have a hard companion, and I can already see that she is starting to close up a little bit because she is afraid of getting hurt. Ugh, I don't want her to lose the progress she has made. But she knows I will always be there for her and I know that all transfers are inspired. My new comp is sister L. She is from the AMAZONS. Que chique. She told me this past transfer was really hard because her companion didn't want to work at all, and she told me I'm an answer to her prayers. When I told her she would be happy this transfer, she told me she had a feeling as if she had just received her testimony again. Haha, I really hope I can help her heal a bit. Something that really made me feel great is that she told me my reputation in the mission is that I work really hard. Wow, I honestly had no idea. I haven't had a baptism since December and sometimes wonder if maybe I'm not working hard enough...but I feel like I'm working really hard. Its really easy to doubt yourself. But L told me that when she found out I was her comp, missionaries were calling her and telling her she was going to get to finally work super hard and that I am super diligent. It was really an answer to my prayers to know that God approves of my efforts. It's so easy to feel like you're not doing enough, but I have seen miracles every day of my mission, so I know that Father is not far from me. Another really gratifying experience was after I talked to you guys. Remember Luc, the lady that talked to you. I love her so much, and have become very close with her. I always gave her little challenges to grow and she always did them . There were many times that  I had a heart to heart with her because I could tell she was struggling. Last night I talked to her some more and she told me she has never met a missionary that changed her life so much. She told me she knows that we knew each other before this life and believes God sent me to be an angel in her life. Wow, well moments like those remind me that baptisms are important, but they aren't a measure of our success. God will use us in ways we never expected if we only listen to him. 

I love you and I'm so excited to make this last part of my mission the best part. I am rededicating myself to this work 200 percent.

Love you. and SHARE the gift of the Gospel. We can't be stingy with something so fantastic.

5/5/14

​The email this week is very short...I think because we get to talk to her on Sunday (Mother's Day). I can't wait!

​I think I will be able to call/ skype you guys around 3  my time, but be ready before and after because I'm not sure. But plan around 3. 

​

 H

​

ey so 

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I

 literally don

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t have time to say anything, but we will talk soon. Just know that this week was THE best and 

​

 I

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 love my trainee so much

​,​

 and she has really opened up and is a gift and a miracle. Love is truly the cure for all pains. Love more and trust more, even when it is scary. Forgive when it isn

 ​'​

t fair. 

​

U

​

 ntil Sunday :)

MY comp is Sister B. She is in the orange. Isn

 ​'​

t she just gorgeous? She is the best

​.​

4/28/14

Hey there minhas queridas!!
First, let me give you a health update because I'm sure that's what
you want to know first.
Well I took this killer medicine that turned my pee neon and hurt
worse than the worms haha.....but things are looking up and I'm able
to leave the house again :) I'm getting stronger day by day and
looking forward to that moment when I eat something and don't even
think about throwing up lol
I'll take another round soon that kills the eggs because apparently
they stick around. These guys are really troopers. But Hey, everything
worked out the last time, so it should this time too.

So, highlight of this week was fo sho interviews with President. I was
really feeling down about the work...especially because two of the
symptoms of worms are apathy and depression. Uh oh. So I told Pres I
was really having a tough time getting excited about the work because
it just didn't seem to matter what I did' and I couldn't do anything
at the moment and my comp has difficulties believing that anyone can
love her. So I was a bit discouraged.
He really helped me just chill out and something important that I
realized is that my work is my work and my value is my value, and they
don't define each other, As sacred as this work is, it's still
basically my job right now, and will always have ups and downs,
regardless of my efforts, desires or intentions. But my value in Gods
eyes and my purpose in this life does not waver. I used to be a little
afraid of talking numbers because I always felt guilty after, but now
they don't scare me. Duh, if you teach more people, there are more
people that are going to get baptized. It doesn't mean I'm obsessed
with numbers or that I'm a failure, but instead, President just wants
us to always be looking forward.
Also, my comp had a great experience with Pres as well and he told me
not to give up. This week has been great. She doesn't pull away when I
hug her, and she is opéning up more and more. She told me that she
will NEVER forget me for the rest of her life and that even if she
likes other sisters, nobody will be her trainer. She told me she knows
I have affected her entire mission and helped her to stay. Oh man,
that was the best thing to hear, because I just love her so much. She
still hasn't said she loves me back, but its coming. I can feel it :)
Sometimes the very best thing we can do for people is just to not give
up on them. Everyone seems to be waiting to be failed or abandoned.
Let's be the one that doesn't leave even when we would be justified in
doing so. We can't let others hurt or discourage us, but let's give
them the benefit of the doubt. Lets believe that they are just around
the corner of changing. That is what Christ did for us. That is what
Heavenly Father does every moment of every day.

Other news, I got packages!!

Thanks! to Claire, Mom and Dad...and Amanda (haha those drawing were
de mais) and Rachel (my new British friend. the sisters loved the
British sweets).

Oh and we made american pancakes today....America!!!!
Ill send pics next week

4/21/14

Hey, so life is chugging along here. I hope Easter was fantasic for
you guys. I know a lot people don't like the non-Jesus parts of
Easter, which I understand, but in my opinion, chocolate can only make
things better, haha. Easter isn't really a big deal here, except that
they eat fish all week, so that's kinda stinky...literally lol. I know
it would be great if the focus was perfectly on Christ, but to be
honest, I really am grateful that there are so many American
traditions centered around Easter. Even if they aren't all directly
related to Christ, they all have a link that helps remind me that this
day is special. Christmas and Easter here in Brazil are kinda just
another day to eat a lot of food. I truly think traditions are such a
blessing to have. I want to have loads in my future family because
even if every single activity  isn't pin the beard on the Jesus (sorry
if that was sacrilegious, haha), it makes the day special and
meaningful. Then it's our responsibility to keep our own minds focused
on the true motivation. I guess what I'm trying to say is that
everything can be a blessing if we make it. I think we need to make
things special for them to really stick and have meaning. Think about
baptism. It's not like God really needs water to be able to clean our
souls, but he has us do it that way so that we make our commitment a
special event.
As humans, we are awfully flaky, and so many well-intentioned people
say they want to give their whole life to God, but then they don't
want to do something that really commits them. To me, baptism is like
taking something that we know God can do and doing something special
to commemorate and show Him its real to US. Even though we take baths
all the time, its OUR faith and mindset...and of course the proper
priesthood authority that really gives baptism meaning. God always
works this way. I think He really wants us to make things special as
much as possible. I want to make every Sunday, every family day, every
scripture study something special for my future kids so that they have
more opportunities to direct their minds to the ultimate source of
happiness: God.
People search for happiness in so many of the wrong places and in the
end, it really is just a hollow chocolate bunny, but when we direct
everything back to the true source, we can find even greater
happiness. Our circumstances have so little to do with our emotional
state. It truly is what we choose to believe, feel, hope for, and act
on that determines our overall joy. What am I trying to say? Haha,
that's a great question. I think, all in all, I am learning as I write
this that WE choose our happiness. We choose if our circumstances
around us promote or inhibit our happiness. We can choose to make each
day special. Let us look forward to each day with a new hope and
excitement. Let us plan on a better tomorrow, and if we are expecting
a bad day, then fit SOMETHING good into your schedule. Men are that
they might have joy, and sometimes we have to remind ourselves of that
20 times a day, but if so, then do that, because God wants nothing
more than happiness for us.
I was thinking about Job and how all of his trials came from Satan,
not God. God just permitted them because he trusted Job so much.
Really, we should take our trials as a compliment. It means God thinks
we are ready...no actually he KNOWS we are ready, even when we don't.
Right now, the work is.....not going too smoothly. We have had to cut
almost all of our investigators because, more or less, they just don't
want to change....and sometimes I feel like I came to Jaboticabal just
to get my heart broken over and over and over again. Oh..we also have
worms again.....hahahaha yeah. Me and Sperry seem to have that effect
on each other. That's really just a whole other adventure that I don't
have time to explain, lol. But at least I will lose those extra pounds
I gained last tranfer, lol. So there's that, but you know what, there
really are so many blessings that I need to recognize. And just as I
said before, my happiness really is my choice. My trials only mean
that God knows I can handle it, and its the same for all of us.

Thanks for all you do. Make this week a great one. Make it
special....and throw in some chocolate, lol. I miss ya'll, but we will
be together soon.

Beijo,
Sis Hunny

4/14/14

Okay so this week...lets see. Well, I am always learning, so let me tell ya'll what I learned this week. I will be honest, lately I have been a bit disanimated in the work. I mean we still go out and work hard, but it just felt like the same old routine every day. I felt like a robot, which is really sad, because we were still seeing miracles every day and I knew it, but it just seemed like the same old thing. So, I knew I needed to change something.

I have been trying to take President Uchtdorf's advice and have an attitude of gratitude. I am trying to see success with eternal eyes, not with human, impatient eyes. Wow, guys, I have never had such a hard time with investigators just dropping out. I mean, we do everything for them and they know that this church is the answer to greater happiness, and yet they still lack action. I am just at a loss of what to do, other than just continue working patiently. Frustration is such a temptation and self doubt often creeps in. I thought, what am I doing wrong?!!! 

I was really thinking, Wow I must be a terrible missionary because we aren't having any success, but I had an awesome experience. My comp's health is kinda falling apart. and she is getting really discouraged. She has a hard time accepting love as well, but she is learning to trust and accept my love. As I was studying with her one morning, I had the strongest impression that right now, she is my most important mission. Sometimes we have to endure things because those around us have something to learn, and we must be there for them to lean on. Right now, my most important job is to love my comp, support her, and be her rock. I must stay positive even when we don't have success....in our eyes....because she is looking to me to know how to react. Sometimes, we think so narrowly that we think our circumstances are only occurring because of us, but in reality, sometimes trials come so to us because we have to be the wall that others lean on. So I will be that wall, and I will smile and will continue to help Sister B see daily miracles. I know that it will change me in the end too :)

Miracles: our less actives are returning, which is just as good as baptism, and Eduardo, a less active member, bore his testimony at church. Woooo. 

I hope my English isn't too horrible. I know I'm not super eloquent these days, but Portuguese makes me think in a weird order, haha.

I love you guys sooo much

4/7/14

(In response to news that her cousin, Austin, is going to Mexico on  his mission) Wow, MEXICO. Ahh he will rock it. I'm a little jealous that he gets to eat Mexican food.  I really miss it...a lot haha. But at least we have pao de queijo haha. No the food is great here, I just am not going to need rice and beans for a long time lol.

Okay so first off, lets just have a moment of silence about how awesome conference was. Woo. I just loved it, and get this, one of my favorite things was the Women's Conference. Wow, I have never been so proud to be a woman and a member of such a large sisterhood. Truly, women are so wonderful and have something so special to offer. I loved the contrast of black and white suits...then you get to the Women's Conference and it is soooo full of color. That is perfect. I just felt so....good about who am in God's eyes. We are all precious children. I thought that two interesting themes were that God always acts out of love for us and that we need to watch out for building our foundation on material things. Truly, the only things that can't be destroyed in seconds are who we are and our relationships. It is a great thing to remember in this busy, materialistic world.

Okay, so this week was really interesting, but great! A can get baptized!!!! Her parents finally are letting her! What a miracle. It was such a great test of patience for A but she passed and now she can finally start on the wonderful journey that God has prepared for her with the guidance of the Holy Ghost at her side. L...yeah....well we saw her, but she is just so discouraged by the opposition of her parents and has more or less given up. She has stopped praying because she is ashamed to face God. She feels like she is just not strong enough to change, and it was so hard to look into her face and see that she knows it's all true. She knows she could be happy but doesn't have that last bit of courage. Sometimes Satan just really stinks.

But R is reading the BoM and loving it and loving church...and Luc still wants to get married! All miracles. The work is progressing, but it's not about numbers, folks. My purpose, especially as a woman, is to nurture people and share the love of our Savior with others. I am trying my hardest to listen to the Spirit and stop to talk to those who need to feel it tooo. This week, a member was having a hard time, and I could tell, so I told her to stop the car during divisions, and we just talked. She cried, and we read some scriptures, and it was great. At the end, she told me very few missionaries in her life had impacted her like I had. Wow, that was all I needed to hear to feel fulfilled. I think missionaries often forget that we are representatives of Jesus Christ for members too.

So, this week we were both injured; My comp blasted her tendon in her knee and I got an infection in my toe. It looked like a big purple grape and hurt soooo bad. I finally understood those National Geographic episodes on Africa that show the animal that gets a tiny bit injured and they're like...Oh its all over. We have been limping around and its pretty funny, but also is impeding the work again. I'm excited to be able to visit my people again.

Nothing changed in transfers!!! Wahooo. I love our house of four sisters. We always have fun and laugh a lot and nooooo drama. YAY. I'm really happy and am so happy to be a daughter of a loving Heavenly Father. I am working to have a spirit of gratitude in all situations, just as Uchtdorf advised. 

Women, you are awesome and beautiful and wonderful. There is nothing more valuable than family. Nothing. Men, you guys are super awesome. Live up to the potential that God has for you. Be worthy of the power he has offered you. 

Love you all.

Sister Gimpy lol