Last week of this transfer!‏

Hey everyone!!

How are you doing? Oh my goodness, I loved the pictures and video of Caroline - she´s getting HUGE! I can´t believe she has teeth and everything now! She´s more beautiful than ever, and so super adorable with her backpack and sunglasses! I hope you guys are still showing her my picture. And start working on teaching her to say "Heather"!

For us, this week has been pretty interesting! Remember last week when I said a woman came up while I was writing and said she had known other sisters, and asked us to go to her house? Ok, so when she was talking to us, I kind of thought from her accent and her address that she might be a gypsy, but was confused because she was wearing jeans (they always wear long, colorful dresses). So we couldn´t come that day, but made an appointment with her for Tuesday. So we went home and found her sheet in the area book (a big book where we keep records of everyone who´s been taught) and sure enough, the sisters from June-july-ish had a sheet for her. And sure enough, she and her family are gypsies!

So when we went there Tuesday, we walked up to this huge house, still under construction, with like 4 cars out front. (I don´t know how, but gypsies here are super rich!) So I was a little wary because we had totally been to that house before knocking doors, and it was the one where I could see them sitting in the living room and they just waved a hand dismissively and yelled something. So I was worried they didn´t like missionaries...But when we walked up, a few girls were washing the sidewalk, and when one saw me, she said, "HEY! Come in! Bianca´s not here, but she told us to wait for you. Come in, come in! Come sit down!" Very happy and cheerful.

So we went and sat down, and it was a very gypsy house! All open on the inside, one huge room, all tile, with one part that was covered in oriental rugs and a bunch of sofas. This house was more normal and didn´t look like a furniture store like the last one, just like a living room with more sofas than normal. So we sat down there and started talking to Maria, Bianca´s aunt. So when I asked how she was, I could see how affected they were by the death in the family - she said they had spent these days crying and praying a lot. She explained that Fabio, her nephew and Bianca´s cousin, had been in a car accident 38 days before. He and his wife were in the car, and he was killed insantly, while she survived and was in the hospital "all broken". They were in serious grieving over his death, and Maria started to ask lots of questions.

"Where is he now?" We explained about the Plan of Salvation, and that at this point he was in the spirit world, learning about Christ and waiting to be ressurrected. She didn´t appear comforted at all. "What, so he´s not with God? THe other religions say he´s with God." We explained that not yet, he had to wait there for a bit. She just stayed with the same bitter, sad look on her face.

It was much better to talk with Bianca once she got home. Let me describe her - 27, my height, long dark hair, definitely russian-ish soudning accent in portuguese. She´s not married yet, which is why she can wear jeans:) Very open, sweet and loving, always listens to us with rapt attention. We talked to her, her mom and her two sisters in law. Her mom started to ask more interesting questions, "Why would God take someone good and leave someone bad? Fabio was good and kind, he never hurt anybody. But his wife, she´s bad! She wishes bad to other people." So Sister Draut explained that sometimes people die because it´s their time, and sometimes they´re affected by the bad choices of others.

At this they all kind of looked at each other like "I knew it!" and started whispering. Then they explained that Fabio´s mother in law, his wife´s mom, had cursed him at New Year´s. I´m not sure exactly what that means, but they were really worried about it! They asked where people go if God didn´t call them and if they died as a result of a curse. We explained that regardless, he was safe in the spirit world, learning and growing and still existing with the same spirit he had on earth.

For Bianca, this was a great comfort. She started smiling and tears rolled down her face as she listened to us, and she even started to glow a little bit. It was amazing to watch her. She said it brought great comfort to know that he was ok. It was so interesting to talk to them - they have such different superstitions! They really believe in curses and "witches" and just have some beliefs I´ve never even thought of. But it was super interesting - they love us and want us to come back every day. We´re trying to help them out of this hard time! Oh yeah, another tradition - they´re in actual mourning, for a period of so many days, they took the TV out of the house and couldn´t listen to us sing a hymn, etc. Veeery different.

But it´s been so interesting - we went there 3 times this week. Bianca and Simone are the most interested in our actual message, reading the Book of Mormon and the pamphlets we leave - the older women just want us to pray to keep bad influences away from them. But....talk about awesome experiences and people that I´ll never forget!

The rest of the week was pretty normal, and I have to go soon! I´m safe and happy and well, having amazing experiences here. I´m so glad we have the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation, that we lived with God before this life and that our spirit will never die, just goes to a different world for a bit, to await ressurrection and the chance to live with God forever in a state of never ending happiness. I know without a shadow of a doubt that it´s true. I love you all so much, and pray for you always. Keep up all your amazing work that you do in your lives, and have a great time in Ireland, Mom and Dad! I love you all sooo much. Until next week!

Heather :D