Hey guys!!
Bah, once again I´ve spent all but 10 minutes of my time reading your letters and watching videos, and getting pictures of my own uploaded, so I don´t have much time to write, again! I´m sorry, I promise I´ll be better next week.
But let´s see. This week has been a lot better than last! I´m getting the hang of training, we´re getting into a good rhythm, and I´m recovering from the stress and all from the transfer. I´m starting to get the juggling down a lot better! Still getting us lost from time to time and still "dropping the ball" on some occasions, but slowly getting the hang of it. Things have been good, we´re trying to work a lot more with the members and the bishop to get investigators more involved in the ward. It´s kind of crazy to be like, "out on my own" now, the one responsible, you know what I mean. In a lot of ways it is like being a mom, even though I´m not allowed to say that anymore;) And soon my own mom will be moving in to help, when Sister Raphaela comes to stay with us! So that will be awesome.
So I have to be really quick, I have an interview with the president in 15 minutes! But this week was good. I´m feeling a lot better - I was pretty stressed. Sister Draut is doing well - she gets frustrated sometimes with the language, which is normal, but I´m trying to work with her on only speaking portuguese outside our house. She tends to speak english to me really loud, and I feel like a brasilian sometimes, because I feel all weird and foreign when it happens! It´s crazy how much you get used to a country, and I didn´t realize until I was with an American who came straight from there.
This is such a disjointed email and I´m so sorry, but I promise it´ll be better next week. Things are going well with the work, we´re building up a good group of investigators. Last P-day after the p-day part ended and we went out to work, we found a huge family! We were looking for an address and I randomly asked this huge group of kids in the street if they knew the people. So turns out we were right in front of the place we were looking for, but they weren´t home. But it turns out half of the kids were related, and I asked if their family might like to hear a message about Jesus Christ, they said yes, and we taught the 7 kids and their parents! It was great, the parents are Marilene and Jocimar, and almost ALL of the kids have names that start with Joci! Jocimara, Jocilene, Jociana, Jocimar Junior...they´re a super cute family and I can´t wait to see how they progress. So, everything´s going well!
Oh yeah, we had Zone Conference this week, already, way earlier in the transfer than usual, but it was amazing. The president set some great goals that will get us to our goal of baptizing 200 in a month in May, the month before he leaves. So we have a lot to work on and a lot to look forward to. I´m doing great, everything´s fine, I´m healthy and happy and loving working with Sister Draut. We get along well, being from the same country and everything:P, it´s fun to interact with someone so similar. So, we bumble our way around, two foreigners trying to do our best to help people come to know the Savior. So it´s not nearly as hard as I thought, although it is a lot of responsibility and can be stressful at times. I´m loving it, and making it through every day, trying to teach her the best I can. I´m so glad I´m here and being a part of this amazing work!
I love you all so much, it was amazing to read all your letters, and I hope when I go to the office in a minute there will be more there! Oh yeah, I was so surprised to read subject lines like "new family member" and stuff! :O Way to scare me!:) But congrats on the new kitty!!! He is adorable! I can´t wait to meet him. And the videos of Caroline made my day as always, especially her excited face:) I love you all so much, you´re the best family anyone could ask for, and I can´t wait to hear more from you, and write you a better letter next week. Love you!!!
Til next week,
Heather
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
First week training!!!
Hey family!!! Ok, so I wanted to write more like a novel like I did last week, but I´m so short on time!
I messed with pictures again, trying to get those up, originally with the intention of sending you a pic of me and my treinada, but I forgot, and now it will take too long, so it will have to be next week! But check out the pics on photobucket! http://s610.photobucket.com/albums/tt190/heather_327/MTC/
Ok, so I have to be really quick, I really only have 10 minutes left. I wish this could be a super long drawn out email telling you everything but´I´ll have to resume. So!! Last time I wrote, I had just found out I would be training. Oh yeah, then I went to the office and got your package!! It made me sooo happy! Thank you so much!! I loved the sweaters and everything, I´m all excited for winter now:D And thank grandma for the granola bars, they´re amazing!!
So then....we went home and started the goodbyes for Sister Velasquez. She hadn´t really thought she would be leaving, so we said goodbye to the most important people. Then Tuesday...we got all her stuff ready, I packed an overnight bag, and we dropped all our stuff off at the "big house of the sisters" downtown. (6 sisters in one apartment - scary, right?) So we dropped off our stuff and went to the bus station to say goodbye to people leaving and meet the people coming.
So imagine how I felt when I saw Sister Raphaela standing there in the bus station!! It felt like no time at all had passed since I had said goodbye to her 6 weeks ago. But at the same time it was crazy to see her again - I had already forgotten what her voice sounded like. So I ran up and hugged her and we talked. So this is where it gets interesting. I had heard that she was going to be training as well, so I wa´sn´t surprised to see her there. But when she told me her calling, I was definitely surprised! She´s not training this transfer - not really. The 4 sisters who are training are me, S. Velasquez, S. Pinkston and S. Rose. So unusual - not one brazilian sister training! All americans and a bolivian. But S. Raphaela´s calling is something we´ve never had in our mission before - travelling sister. She´s a "treinadora das treinadoras", trainer of trainers. She has no area and no companion, but is going to stay 10 days as a threesome with each companionship of trainer/trainee. Crazy!! She´s so amazing the president made up a calling for her.
So I was also surprised when I found out there were 4 sisters training - I thought only 3 brazilians were coming. But someone let me know that one american was also coming - she had just got her visa and came straight from provo. Surprise after surprise! So that night, we ALL slept in the big house of the sisters, the 6 who always live there, the 5 who would be training, and the 4 who just arrived. It was insane. I stayed up ridiculously late talking to S. Raphaela about everything- our last transfers, what would be coming next, everything.
So the next morning, we went to the meeting for trainers and trainees. Up to this point, we didn´t know who we would be training yet, and the president didn´t either. He decided the night before. So the first thing we did after eating breakfast at his house was sit down at a long table to start the meeting. It felt like it had only been 2 weeks since I sat there next to S. Raphaela, hoping that she would be my trainer. So the President started announcing who would be with whom. So this needs a bit of explaining, but I was sure that I would be with a brasilian. All the rest of the trainers have about a year or a little less, so I´m way the least experienced. So it´s kind of a preconception in our mission that training americans is a lot harder and goes to the more experienced people. So if you had asked me then I would have said I would probably train S. Albuquerque, from Recife. We just had kind of a connection.
But....when he called out my name.....he announced "And Sister Madsen....will be training Sister Draut!" I was super surprised. Sister Draut is the only American! She´s from Las Vegas. So....from that moment on I´ve been her trainer! It´s been crazy!! She´s amazing, she´s 22, BYU grad in English. But it´s really crazy for her because...I don´t know, everything is so different! She is so amazed by everything, the butter, the chocolate milk, the sidewalks, she thinks everything is so different. So that´s crazy - it´s kind of making me feel like a brasilian already, I don´t even remember being weirded out by all these things.
But.....she´s great! It´s crazy though, definitely stressful to be a trainer, it´s crazy being "out on my own", responsible for everything, getting us places (we´ve definitely gotten lost a few times), knowing the right thing to say to investigators and contacts...teaching her how to plan.....it feels a little bit like juggling. Like, I was just getting the hang of being a junior, and now throw in a brand new american, now throw in teaching her portuguese, now throw in teaching everything myself because she can´t help me much yet, getting us around, planning, getting people to church, finding new investigators.....it´s been kind of a stressful week. But it´s great, and I know she´s going to be amazing.
So....that´s my week!! I´ve actually gone 5 minutes over time, so I have to close now. But thank you SO much for your letters (I got a batch last week, Mom, and another today!! Thanks!:D)
And all your support and everything. I love you all so much, and thank you for always being there for me. Have an amazing week, and I´ll talk to you soon!!
Love always,
Heather
I messed with pictures again, trying to get those up, originally with the intention of sending you a pic of me and my treinada, but I forgot, and now it will take too long, so it will have to be next week! But check out the pics on photobucket! http://s610.photobucket.com/albums/tt190/heather_327/MTC/
Ok, so I have to be really quick, I really only have 10 minutes left. I wish this could be a super long drawn out email telling you everything but´I´ll have to resume. So!! Last time I wrote, I had just found out I would be training. Oh yeah, then I went to the office and got your package!! It made me sooo happy! Thank you so much!! I loved the sweaters and everything, I´m all excited for winter now:D And thank grandma for the granola bars, they´re amazing!!
So then....we went home and started the goodbyes for Sister Velasquez. She hadn´t really thought she would be leaving, so we said goodbye to the most important people. Then Tuesday...we got all her stuff ready, I packed an overnight bag, and we dropped all our stuff off at the "big house of the sisters" downtown. (6 sisters in one apartment - scary, right?) So we dropped off our stuff and went to the bus station to say goodbye to people leaving and meet the people coming.
So imagine how I felt when I saw Sister Raphaela standing there in the bus station!! It felt like no time at all had passed since I had said goodbye to her 6 weeks ago. But at the same time it was crazy to see her again - I had already forgotten what her voice sounded like. So I ran up and hugged her and we talked. So this is where it gets interesting. I had heard that she was going to be training as well, so I wa´sn´t surprised to see her there. But when she told me her calling, I was definitely surprised! She´s not training this transfer - not really. The 4 sisters who are training are me, S. Velasquez, S. Pinkston and S. Rose. So unusual - not one brazilian sister training! All americans and a bolivian. But S. Raphaela´s calling is something we´ve never had in our mission before - travelling sister. She´s a "treinadora das treinadoras", trainer of trainers. She has no area and no companion, but is going to stay 10 days as a threesome with each companionship of trainer/trainee. Crazy!! She´s so amazing the president made up a calling for her.
So I was also surprised when I found out there were 4 sisters training - I thought only 3 brazilians were coming. But someone let me know that one american was also coming - she had just got her visa and came straight from provo. Surprise after surprise! So that night, we ALL slept in the big house of the sisters, the 6 who always live there, the 5 who would be training, and the 4 who just arrived. It was insane. I stayed up ridiculously late talking to S. Raphaela about everything- our last transfers, what would be coming next, everything.
So the next morning, we went to the meeting for trainers and trainees. Up to this point, we didn´t know who we would be training yet, and the president didn´t either. He decided the night before. So the first thing we did after eating breakfast at his house was sit down at a long table to start the meeting. It felt like it had only been 2 weeks since I sat there next to S. Raphaela, hoping that she would be my trainer. So the President started announcing who would be with whom. So this needs a bit of explaining, but I was sure that I would be with a brasilian. All the rest of the trainers have about a year or a little less, so I´m way the least experienced. So it´s kind of a preconception in our mission that training americans is a lot harder and goes to the more experienced people. So if you had asked me then I would have said I would probably train S. Albuquerque, from Recife. We just had kind of a connection.
But....when he called out my name.....he announced "And Sister Madsen....will be training Sister Draut!" I was super surprised. Sister Draut is the only American! She´s from Las Vegas. So....from that moment on I´ve been her trainer! It´s been crazy!! She´s amazing, she´s 22, BYU grad in English. But it´s really crazy for her because...I don´t know, everything is so different! She is so amazed by everything, the butter, the chocolate milk, the sidewalks, she thinks everything is so different. So that´s crazy - it´s kind of making me feel like a brasilian already, I don´t even remember being weirded out by all these things.
But.....she´s great! It´s crazy though, definitely stressful to be a trainer, it´s crazy being "out on my own", responsible for everything, getting us places (we´ve definitely gotten lost a few times), knowing the right thing to say to investigators and contacts...teaching her how to plan.....it feels a little bit like juggling. Like, I was just getting the hang of being a junior, and now throw in a brand new american, now throw in teaching her portuguese, now throw in teaching everything myself because she can´t help me much yet, getting us around, planning, getting people to church, finding new investigators.....it´s been kind of a stressful week. But it´s great, and I know she´s going to be amazing.
So....that´s my week!! I´ve actually gone 5 minutes over time, so I have to close now. But thank you SO much for your letters (I got a batch last week, Mom, and another today!! Thanks!:D)
And all your support and everything. I love you all so much, and thank you for always being there for me. Have an amazing week, and I´ll talk to you soon!!
Love always,
Heather
Monday, January 4, 2010
A short novel :)
She was woken up by the fact that she was cold - a feeling that, after a month of 40 degrees Celcius, she had lost hope of ever feeling again. Half asleep, she realized that the ugly clouds from the night before had turned into a steady, dreary rain outside and the fan, which had been blowing all night, was now too cold. Sleep walking, she got up, turned it off, and lay down again, with that nagging feeling it would only be a few minutes before the alarm went off. Sure enough, the cell phone beeped, but only a few times before Sister Velasquez silenced it.
Still half asleep, a few thoughts ran through her mind - "What day is it? P-Day! And President changed the schedule so we can sleep in now if we want!" But then she remembered her anxiety from the night before, and realized that this morning would be different - the Transfer Meeting, where everyone would find out where they were going for the next 6 weeks. A knot formed in her stomach as she wondered if she would really be assigned to train, as the president had told her she might.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice speaking Spanish-accented Portuguese - "Bom dia, Sistinha!" "Bom dia," she replied, but heard only a zombie-like "Mmmmm" escape her lips. Her companion didn´t persist, but took the initiative - "Vou tomar banho, ´ta?"
She realized that she could´t hide in bed forever, and rolled onto her knees to pray. She had a tender, though sleepy, conversation with Heavenly Father in which she asked for the spiritual strength to accept whatever calling she was given for the next transfer. But all through the rush to get out the door on time, the dreary bus ride and walk to the chapel at Itaimbé, the handshakes and greetings for all of the zone, and the songs, prayers and practices of the meeting, the nagging anxiety persisted.
Before she knew it, she was placing her nametag in a plastic bag along with everyone else in the Zone, and Elder Monteiro was drawing up a huge chart on the board of all the missionaries, with a column for their next area, next companion and next calling. People began drawing nametags out of the bag, and he announced their next assignment to great cheers and celebration. "Who did you draw?" he asked Elder Moda."Sister Velasquez!""Alright. Sister Velasquez is going to.....Livramento!"Huge celebration! "YAY Sister, Livramento! That´s great! But who´s her companion?""I can´t tell you yet.....because she will be TRAINING!""AHHH! YOu´re going to train, Sister! Congratulations!"
Already, she knew that things wouldn´t stay the same. Her companion was leaving, leaving a vacancy in their apartment. Would it be filled by a different senior companion, or a "novinha"? When her name was drawn from the bag, she held her breath."Sister Madsen....will be staying in Camobi."She let a little air escape."With? With?" her companion nagged."With....her treinada! Congratulations, Sister!" Her face turned white, and she let out a nervous laugh.
The room exploded in celebration, everyone shook her hand, and her companion gave her a side squeeze. But the anxiety she had been feeling grew, and the knot in her stomach moved up into her throat. Training? Really? A list of things she didn´t know started to form in her mind. After a short conversation in the bathroom with Sister Salvador, who also trained in the fourth transfer, she felt a little better. Her dad´s kind words in the note he had written her came back to her to also ease her anxiety a little. And her faith in Heavenly Father and that all things are possible for Him allowed her to hold her head up and know that He would always be there to hold her hand.
Wow, I went on like that way longer than I thought I could!! Did you like it? You guys said on the phone you wanted to hear more about my every day - so I figured this was one of the most exciting days to write about. So.....I found out......I´m going to be training! Tomorrow! So what does this mean?
Tomorrow I have to go to the meeting of trainers, to learn in a few hours how to train another missionary. The next morning, the president will assign me to one of the 3 new Brazilian sisters, and after we leave his house, I´ll be completely responsible for her, taking her back to our area, getting her set up in our house, planning with her, and going out to teach. From that moment on she´s my responsibility - I need to teach her how to teach, how to work with investigators and members, how to plan, our daily routine....everything. This is why I´m feeling a little inadequate!! I´m really anxious, but I´m going to be fine. I´ve been asking in my prayers to grow into a better missionary, and He´s not just going to give it to me magically - He´s going to give me hard experiences that will force me to grow and be better. So...I got just what I asked for!:)
So....I´ll have to tell you next week about everything, who she is, what she´s like, and how the first week goes!! But for now, I spent all my time watching videos and writing you a novel, and Sister Velasquez needs to go to her meeting with the psychologist. But....I´m excited!! Don´t think that I´m freaking out - ok, I am a little bit, but I know it´s going to be fine in the end. Just....it´s so much responsibility! But I know it´s just a matter of trusting in the Lord with all my heart and not leaning to my own understanding. I know He´s the one who´s going to train this new Sister, I just have to be an instrument for him!
Thank you guys so much for everything - I´m going to the office right now and hopefully your boxes and letters will be waiting for me! I can´t wait to hear more from you. I love you so much, and your support and love absolutely helps me so much at times like this! You´re the best family anyone could ever ask for. I finally got to watch the videos of Caroline at Christmas - I died - she is SO cute!!! Trying to eat her doll through the plastic box!!:D I love you all so much. Have a great week, I´ll be praying for all of you, and please say a prayer for me too!
Love forever,
Heather :D
Still half asleep, a few thoughts ran through her mind - "What day is it? P-Day! And President changed the schedule so we can sleep in now if we want!" But then she remembered her anxiety from the night before, and realized that this morning would be different - the Transfer Meeting, where everyone would find out where they were going for the next 6 weeks. A knot formed in her stomach as she wondered if she would really be assigned to train, as the president had told her she might.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice speaking Spanish-accented Portuguese - "Bom dia, Sistinha!" "Bom dia," she replied, but heard only a zombie-like "Mmmmm" escape her lips. Her companion didn´t persist, but took the initiative - "Vou tomar banho, ´ta?"
She realized that she could´t hide in bed forever, and rolled onto her knees to pray. She had a tender, though sleepy, conversation with Heavenly Father in which she asked for the spiritual strength to accept whatever calling she was given for the next transfer. But all through the rush to get out the door on time, the dreary bus ride and walk to the chapel at Itaimbé, the handshakes and greetings for all of the zone, and the songs, prayers and practices of the meeting, the nagging anxiety persisted.
Before she knew it, she was placing her nametag in a plastic bag along with everyone else in the Zone, and Elder Monteiro was drawing up a huge chart on the board of all the missionaries, with a column for their next area, next companion and next calling. People began drawing nametags out of the bag, and he announced their next assignment to great cheers and celebration. "Who did you draw?" he asked Elder Moda."Sister Velasquez!""Alright. Sister Velasquez is going to.....Livramento!"Huge celebration! "YAY Sister, Livramento! That´s great! But who´s her companion?""I can´t tell you yet.....because she will be TRAINING!""AHHH! YOu´re going to train, Sister! Congratulations!"
Already, she knew that things wouldn´t stay the same. Her companion was leaving, leaving a vacancy in their apartment. Would it be filled by a different senior companion, or a "novinha"? When her name was drawn from the bag, she held her breath."Sister Madsen....will be staying in Camobi."She let a little air escape."With? With?" her companion nagged."With....her treinada! Congratulations, Sister!" Her face turned white, and she let out a nervous laugh.
The room exploded in celebration, everyone shook her hand, and her companion gave her a side squeeze. But the anxiety she had been feeling grew, and the knot in her stomach moved up into her throat. Training? Really? A list of things she didn´t know started to form in her mind. After a short conversation in the bathroom with Sister Salvador, who also trained in the fourth transfer, she felt a little better. Her dad´s kind words in the note he had written her came back to her to also ease her anxiety a little. And her faith in Heavenly Father and that all things are possible for Him allowed her to hold her head up and know that He would always be there to hold her hand.
Wow, I went on like that way longer than I thought I could!! Did you like it? You guys said on the phone you wanted to hear more about my every day - so I figured this was one of the most exciting days to write about. So.....I found out......I´m going to be training! Tomorrow! So what does this mean?
Tomorrow I have to go to the meeting of trainers, to learn in a few hours how to train another missionary. The next morning, the president will assign me to one of the 3 new Brazilian sisters, and after we leave his house, I´ll be completely responsible for her, taking her back to our area, getting her set up in our house, planning with her, and going out to teach. From that moment on she´s my responsibility - I need to teach her how to teach, how to work with investigators and members, how to plan, our daily routine....everything. This is why I´m feeling a little inadequate!! I´m really anxious, but I´m going to be fine. I´ve been asking in my prayers to grow into a better missionary, and He´s not just going to give it to me magically - He´s going to give me hard experiences that will force me to grow and be better. So...I got just what I asked for!:)
So....I´ll have to tell you next week about everything, who she is, what she´s like, and how the first week goes!! But for now, I spent all my time watching videos and writing you a novel, and Sister Velasquez needs to go to her meeting with the psychologist. But....I´m excited!! Don´t think that I´m freaking out - ok, I am a little bit, but I know it´s going to be fine in the end. Just....it´s so much responsibility! But I know it´s just a matter of trusting in the Lord with all my heart and not leaning to my own understanding. I know He´s the one who´s going to train this new Sister, I just have to be an instrument for him!
Thank you guys so much for everything - I´m going to the office right now and hopefully your boxes and letters will be waiting for me! I can´t wait to hear more from you. I love you so much, and your support and love absolutely helps me so much at times like this! You´re the best family anyone could ever ask for. I finally got to watch the videos of Caroline at Christmas - I died - she is SO cute!!! Trying to eat her doll through the plastic box!!:D I love you all so much. Have a great week, I´ll be praying for all of you, and please say a prayer for me too!
Love forever,
Heather :D
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Christmas!! :D
Hey everyone!
How are you guys?? Sorry I didn´t get to write yesterday - I hope you didn´t worry about me. But yesterday we were gone all day for our mission Christmas activity! I´ll explain more about it.
But let´s see, the week of Christmas! The highlight was definitely talking to you guys!! :D It was so good to hear your voices again. Honestly, I had been a little worried beforehand that afterwards I would be sad and miss you in a bad way, but it wasn´t like that at all! It was so normal, like I hadn´t even left, and afterwards I felt good, so it was great. Thank you so much for calling and even risking a speeding ticket to talk to me! :D
So I talked to you on Christmas Eve...so let me update you on the rest! After I talked to you, we went to Irmão Saulo´s house, the Ward Mission Leader I told you about who kind of seems like he would be part of Dad´s family, only Brazilian. So we spent Christmas Eve with their family, it was fun! They had a short family-home-evening-type message, and then we just ate and watched Xuxa´s Christmas program. Have you guys heard of Xuxa? ("Shusha", btw:D) She´s a Brazilian legend, but I had never heard of her. She sings children´s music, like a female Raffi I guess, but way way more famous. She´s a little bit scary, she looks kind of plastic like an old actress, but it was funny. So we had to be home before midnight, which is the big time for them - here Christmas is like a strange mix of New Year´s Eve and the 4th of July. Super, super hot, everyone sitting out in lawn chairs and dying of heat, and then fireworks and celebration at midnight.
So then the next day we went to a bunch of people´s houses, ate even more churrasco (I´ve had to like stop eating it! They eat so much meat here, I´m worried I´ll die of a heart attack or something.) We went to the president´s house with all the missionaries in the area, which was great. However, that night was not so much fun. My companion had surgery a while back to have her gall bladder removed - at least that´s what I think it is, I haven´t been able to find a translation so I´m just assuming. But she has to be really careful with what she eats...but gaucho Christmas is like, heart-attack inducing, like I said. So she started to get really sick. So Elder Arruda called the President to see if she could go to the doctor...and he got kind of miffed because apparently he´s been telling her for months and months to be careful, and she doesn´t really listen. So I ended up with a sick companion and a president annoyed at us both, me for not reminding/helping her.
So that was our slight Christmas mishap, but it´s all passed now. Overall, we spent Christmas sweating and dying of heat, eating a lot, and visiting lots of people! It was crazy and definitely didn´t feel like Christmas. But then yesterday, we had that mission Christmas activity, where we went to this camp-type place with cabins and a lake and such, and played soccer and capture the flag all day! We had a huge waterfight and ate watermellon and ice cream and even more churrasco. Crazy Christmas activity, right?? Like I said, definitely didn´t feel like Christmas, but it was great.
So, the bad part about all of this was that we didn´t have a good week as far as work goes, again. Honestly, Sister Velasquez´s depression flared up again pretty bad, and we had a hard time getting out to do anything. I think it was because of Christmas, talking to family, plus that thing with the President, but for a few days she was really struggling. I felt really bad, and did my best to help her. Thankfully yesterday we forgot all our troubles and I think she´s good as new again.
So this coming week will be the LAST of the transfer! I can´t believe it. It´s FLOWN. I told you guys what I think might be happening next transfer, but I won´t know until next Monday! But next letter you get from me, I´ll get to tell you! I can´t believe it´s already 2010. The time is flying, faster than I can keep up. On the 1st I´ll make 6 months in the mission! I really want to make the most of my time here, because I´m realizing that I don´t have forever, and I have to make it count today. I have SO much to do and so far to go to be the missionary I want to be, but I have to get there a little at a time. There are so many people here who need to hear the gospel, and so many people who need our help. So, strange as it is to spend Christmas (almost) alone in a foreign country, it´s so good to be here. I´m so glad I did this - it´s seriously the best place I could be right now. Not only am I helping people, but I´m learning things that will help myself for the rest of my life. Thank you all so much for supporting me in this choice!
I want to encourage everyone who reads this to say a prayer. A real, on your knees prayer, to talk to Heavenly Father. If you think you don´t have anything to talk to Him about, ask Him to help me on my mission:) That´s a good way to start, and then just talk. I know He´s our Father in Heaven, I know He loves us, and I know He answers prayers, because He answers mine:) So I promise He´ll answer yours as well. I love you all SO much, and always pray that you´ll feel His influence more in your daily lives and be blessed for my missionary service. Thank you so much for supporting me!!
Til next week,
Heather :D
P.S. One more week to wait for that package...those cookies are getting older and older. But you can be absolutely certain we´ll eat them, whatever state they´re in! We´re missionaries!;) I´m looking forward to getting it and extending Christmas one more week :)
How are you guys?? Sorry I didn´t get to write yesterday - I hope you didn´t worry about me. But yesterday we were gone all day for our mission Christmas activity! I´ll explain more about it.
But let´s see, the week of Christmas! The highlight was definitely talking to you guys!! :D It was so good to hear your voices again. Honestly, I had been a little worried beforehand that afterwards I would be sad and miss you in a bad way, but it wasn´t like that at all! It was so normal, like I hadn´t even left, and afterwards I felt good, so it was great. Thank you so much for calling and even risking a speeding ticket to talk to me! :D
So I talked to you on Christmas Eve...so let me update you on the rest! After I talked to you, we went to Irmão Saulo´s house, the Ward Mission Leader I told you about who kind of seems like he would be part of Dad´s family, only Brazilian. So we spent Christmas Eve with their family, it was fun! They had a short family-home-evening-type message, and then we just ate and watched Xuxa´s Christmas program. Have you guys heard of Xuxa? ("Shusha", btw:D) She´s a Brazilian legend, but I had never heard of her. She sings children´s music, like a female Raffi I guess, but way way more famous. She´s a little bit scary, she looks kind of plastic like an old actress, but it was funny. So we had to be home before midnight, which is the big time for them - here Christmas is like a strange mix of New Year´s Eve and the 4th of July. Super, super hot, everyone sitting out in lawn chairs and dying of heat, and then fireworks and celebration at midnight.
So then the next day we went to a bunch of people´s houses, ate even more churrasco (I´ve had to like stop eating it! They eat so much meat here, I´m worried I´ll die of a heart attack or something.) We went to the president´s house with all the missionaries in the area, which was great. However, that night was not so much fun. My companion had surgery a while back to have her gall bladder removed - at least that´s what I think it is, I haven´t been able to find a translation so I´m just assuming. But she has to be really careful with what she eats...but gaucho Christmas is like, heart-attack inducing, like I said. So she started to get really sick. So Elder Arruda called the President to see if she could go to the doctor...and he got kind of miffed because apparently he´s been telling her for months and months to be careful, and she doesn´t really listen. So I ended up with a sick companion and a president annoyed at us both, me for not reminding/helping her.
So that was our slight Christmas mishap, but it´s all passed now. Overall, we spent Christmas sweating and dying of heat, eating a lot, and visiting lots of people! It was crazy and definitely didn´t feel like Christmas. But then yesterday, we had that mission Christmas activity, where we went to this camp-type place with cabins and a lake and such, and played soccer and capture the flag all day! We had a huge waterfight and ate watermellon and ice cream and even more churrasco. Crazy Christmas activity, right?? Like I said, definitely didn´t feel like Christmas, but it was great.
So, the bad part about all of this was that we didn´t have a good week as far as work goes, again. Honestly, Sister Velasquez´s depression flared up again pretty bad, and we had a hard time getting out to do anything. I think it was because of Christmas, talking to family, plus that thing with the President, but for a few days she was really struggling. I felt really bad, and did my best to help her. Thankfully yesterday we forgot all our troubles and I think she´s good as new again.
So this coming week will be the LAST of the transfer! I can´t believe it. It´s FLOWN. I told you guys what I think might be happening next transfer, but I won´t know until next Monday! But next letter you get from me, I´ll get to tell you! I can´t believe it´s already 2010. The time is flying, faster than I can keep up. On the 1st I´ll make 6 months in the mission! I really want to make the most of my time here, because I´m realizing that I don´t have forever, and I have to make it count today. I have SO much to do and so far to go to be the missionary I want to be, but I have to get there a little at a time. There are so many people here who need to hear the gospel, and so many people who need our help. So, strange as it is to spend Christmas (almost) alone in a foreign country, it´s so good to be here. I´m so glad I did this - it´s seriously the best place I could be right now. Not only am I helping people, but I´m learning things that will help myself for the rest of my life. Thank you all so much for supporting me in this choice!
I want to encourage everyone who reads this to say a prayer. A real, on your knees prayer, to talk to Heavenly Father. If you think you don´t have anything to talk to Him about, ask Him to help me on my mission:) That´s a good way to start, and then just talk. I know He´s our Father in Heaven, I know He loves us, and I know He answers prayers, because He answers mine:) So I promise He´ll answer yours as well. I love you all SO much, and always pray that you´ll feel His influence more in your daily lives and be blessed for my missionary service. Thank you so much for supporting me!!
Til next week,
Heather :D
P.S. One more week to wait for that package...those cookies are getting older and older. But you can be absolutely certain we´ll eat them, whatever state they´re in! We´re missionaries!;) I´m looking forward to getting it and extending Christmas one more week :)
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