Christmas has arrived!

And as it's a white Christmas there with my family... everyone here in the nieghborhood is out in the pool!

Temptaaaaaatiooooon. haha

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Here EVERYONE talks of God.... or just mention his name really...

but you find phrases about him everywhere.

The other day I saw a huge truck with wheel flaps that said this:

Don't tell God that you have a great problem...

Tell your problem that you have a great God.

Ahhhh. I loved it!!! :D

Hey.... my family is great! I talked to them on skype today!

Everyone was there together. Dad, Mom, Stephen, Sandra, Kent! :D

It's been a long time since everyone was together at the same time...

God blesses us in marvelous ways.

Pictures!

1.p-day!

2. Christmas Dinner in the ward!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!!

And Happy Birthday to my dearest DADDY!!!!!

And to LAURA PACE!!! and to AMBER FISHER!!!

I love you all :D

The Christmas season here in Atibaia is very different than in Santa Gertrudes... there are people and decorations everywhere. Santa Gertrudes was in the middle of nowhere almost. I loved Christmas there as well, it is just very different in comparison. The time between two dates of Christmas passes unbelievably fast. Where did the time go? What happened? Where have I been? hahaha  

But one thing is sure and true and unmovable.

Christ is born. 

And not only was he born, he lived, he died, and lives again!

Merry Christmas to all. 

Our Father really does give the best gifts.

Christmas is in the air!

"Even when your future seem uncertain, your faith in the Savior can give you peace." -True to the Faith

What an incredibly true statement!  I love this gospel. I love my mission. I love my life.

I´m still here in Atibaia. I´m still praying that I will finish my mission here!

I have a new companion. Her name is Sister Cabral (I sent a picture of us in the last email). She´s very excited and loves being here, which I love :)

Christmas is coming sooo fast! And we are into December so we can officially start singing Christmas music! 

WOOooooooooooooooooooooooooOO HOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooOO!

Although people here have already been singing it for FOREVER because they don´t have a major holiday in November as we do. But I love it! People are starting to put up christmas lights! It´s nothing like in the states... but the spirit is here and strong!

This past week Tatiane was baptized after our Stake Conference.

It´s been a long journey with her, but in the last minute everything worked out perfectly and the only thing that mattered was her baptism.  (I´ll send the picture next week because this computer won´t let me)

Our group needs to wait a little bit more time for it to become a Branch, but I´m praying to see the transformation before I head out. I love Atibaia. 

I´m praying for all of you!  Beijos!!! :D

"Renovacao"

Okay. I have a lot of thoughts this week and I´ll try to share :)

FIRST! Happy Birthday Emily Gutierrez!!! I miss your beautiful face! I hope that your birthday is amaaazing!

Luke 9:25 "For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away(Q)"

Christ here is speaking about loosing ourselves to serve God, but for me when I read it, it was a bit more personal.  How many times do we feel comfortable or have fear to change or move on and because of those feelings we stay the same(Q)" This past week I feel this way... I feel I have found myself this past week and this scripture really spoke to me. I felt that I had the world, but now as I am finally on the outside looking in, I can see that I had lost myself and in the process had been kicked to the side lines ( or in other words... cast away haha. ha. ha.)  I was advantaged nothing. But now I am gaining more.

It´s amazing to me how many people can help you if you let them. One of them being your mission President. This weeks message that he shared with us was so close to my thought process I thought my eyes were burning. It was EXACTLY how I have been feeling and I would like to share it with the rest of you. I´m going to translate as I can :)

The legend of the águia (I don´t know how to translate that, but it´s a type of bird).

It is said that she has the longest lifespan of his kind. She can live to 70 years! But to arrive at this age, when she turns 40 she has to make a serious and difficult decision. At this age hers nails have become so long and flexible that he can´t grab her food anymore, her beak has grown in the opposite direction of her breast and her feathers have grown so large and heavy that she has much difficulty to even fly. So.. the áuguia has only two alternatives... Die or confront a painful process of renovation that endures for 150 days.  This process consists of flying to the hieghts of a mountain and retaining herself in a cavern. In this place she starts to beat her beak against the wall of the cavern until she is able to break it off. She then waits for a new beak to grow in its place in which she will use to rip off her nails. When the new nails begin to grow she then starts the process of picking off her old feathers. After 5 months she takes her famous flight to live another 30 years.

"In our lives, many times we need to start a process of renovation. To continue to fly in victory we need to rid ourselves of reminders, customs, practices, and other things that caused and still cause pain. Only through freedom of these things, we can advantage of the valued result that a renovation always brings." 

" We don´t need to wait until we´re old to renew our lives and fly."

-President Perrotti

Wow. I have a firm testimony that my mission President is truely inspired. 

He shared a few more notes that hit me more personally, but somethings are meant to stay personal. ;)

In the end life is hard and I´ve learned that purification comes through pain. But it´s always worth it.

Now a personal sidenote from my scripture study this week:

Luke 9:62 "And Jesus said unto him, no man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

After the process of renovation... there is no point to look back. If we look back, do we really want and deserve what we have gained(Q) And was the pain worth it(Q)

Elsa Davis. I don´t know how you did it, but you wrote to me things that I didn´t even know I needed to hear. I recieved your birthday card and I sent you a letter a little while back.. i hope you get it!  It´s seriously incredibly how I haven´t heard from you in so long and today you spoke to my heart. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Love you.

Laura. You complete me. Thanks for the update on your life. Time is passing by sooooooo fast. I feel like tomorrow I will wake up and be home. Which is aweful and wonderful at the same time. Save some time for me, okay(Q) ;)

p.s. i think that you´re amazing and I believe in you ;)

Kaaaaaarrrriiiii. Where aaaarrrreee you(QQQQQQQQQQQQ)  I miiiiiisss youuuuuu. I sent you a letter a little while back. I hope you get it soooon! :D  I have been thinking about you a lot these past 6 weeks. How are you!(Q)

Joshua Smith! My mom sent me your email! Woow it´s been a while... Thanks! I´m excited to hear about the news out there!

Donna Lachaga. :) Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnkkkkkksss for the email. :) It´s good to hear about what´s going on with you and your family.  I miss the dinners, funny I was actually thinking about those the other day. There will be lots of stories when I get home! Thanks for your email as well! I´ll pass it to my mom :)

What we really need

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATTHEW GUTTIEREZ!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! 

I miss turkey day.

I can´t believe a year has already passed! Here in a few weeks I´ll be talking with my family again!

Time is supposed to be constant... why does it feel so much faster than when I was a youngen?

Stake conference is coming up! We will hear the news if the group will be a branch or not! wooooo hoooo!

John 3:12

"If I have told you early things and ye believe not, how should ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things?"

I find that many times I expect more, more, more, more. 

How can I expect to be blessed, more knowlede, more guidance if I can´t finish what I´ve already started or don´t want to do my part at all?

Why do we want what hurts us?

I´ve been thinking about this a lot this week. About myself and everyone really.

When we teach people we give the principles to help change their lives, but addictions are hard to break. And we can have addictions to just about anything.   

When we´re sober we can see what we want and we remember why we want to be free, but when the skies begin to darken the pain that we´ve felt is no longer illuminated and we grab hold of what we´ve put close.

That small time when we are sober is crucial. We need to take hold of it while we have it and FEED it. Grow stronger, use that time to be filled with excitment for other things, to replace what we once wanted and feel that we need. 

In the end the only thing that we actually need is Christ, our Savior.

Gregory: .... dreams have a lot to do with our thought process. But no worries ;)

Thanksgiving is an American holiday, so there isn´t really an equivalent ...don´t worry... you´re still smart :)

But! Brasil has soooo many holidays! It´s pretty cool and drive me crazy at the same time. haha

P.s. You´re still one of my best friends.

Alrighty! Photos!!!

1. Mario and I :)
2. Júlio´s baptism!

(He is the second man the group has been needing to become a branch.)

3.  Isadora and Isabela. Sisters that make life here in Atibaia wonderful. 

4.. First night with Sister Cabral! 

5. Last day with SIster Aspitia.

6. Sister Aspitia´s going away party :)
7. Brasil is soooo greeeen! :D

 

One more week!

It´s funny... EVERYONE AND THEIR DOG is asking me what I think about Obama winning the election.

Ha. I respond... God is my only King and soon enough Christ will be here and he will govern all. Until then... We do what we personally can... we don´t need a President to do what´s right... no matter who it may be.

Melanie!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahhhhh I miss you too! Things are crazy in the mission... in my life! But Everything is perfectly wonderful! Thanks for the pictures! :D :D :D  I can´t wait to really talk to you when I get home! :D

"The first thing we need to do is to stop worrying. When we worry about the future we create unhappiness in the present. A just worry can guide us to take appropriate actions, but worrying about things that we can´t control can paralyze and decimate us. Instead of worrying, concentrate in everything that you can do and then let our Heavenly Father worry . If your heart is right with him, our Heavenly Father will care for our worries and fears." -Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

The other day we stopped by a member´s house to pick them up for a division. We looked in the peep hole and yelled for them. They said that it was open and we could enter. We then responded that it was locked and we can´t. The member then replied... walk down the sidewalk a little bit... hahaha and not even 5 feet away... there was a BIGGER door that was completely opened. Seriously I had never felt so blond in my life. But I learned a lesson... the lesson that is a tale as old as time... our vision truly is so small. We had never seen that door open before so it wasn´t even an option in our mind. We didn´t look for it.  This happens a lot in our lives. We´re taken by surprise because of what we don´t expect. I feel that I need to start expecting moooooorrreee.

"It takes courage to speak. It takes courage to know. It takes courage to lead. And sometimes it takes courage to follow. It takes courage to wait when the battle is long. We´ll fight the fight that just keeps moving on. We´ll take the courage to stand strong."

Until next week!

Life is Good!

Time is flying and I can´t believe how much time has passed by since I´ve written home. 3 or 4 weeks?

A lot has happened, in the mission, in my life, in the WORLD. hahaha That´s the funny thing... the world is always moving and that our grasp in comparison is oh so tiny and weak.  Our vision as well...at least mine.  These past few weeks I fell a few times and even though every time I stood back up I´ve learned that´s it´s okay to not be sorry for some things. And that I don´t need to be sorry to take time to get back up physically, mentally, OR emotionally. 

I´ve realized that even though we can know someone for even years, we can still be surprised. This one is funny to me because I´ve know myself my whole life and I´m still getting to know me... so for me to think that I can know someone else so well is comical.  On the other hand, we don´t need know a person for more than a day to know what´s important. In the end.. I´m learning about people. 

It´s amazing to me how much more I learn about faith everyday. It´s true, miracles happen according to our faith!

Who would have thought!?!?!?! ;D

I feel so blessed to be here in Atibaia with Sister Aspitia. Truely I have met AMAZING people and our work is different than I´ve ever  experienced.  I have 5 more months in my mission and I can honestly say that I would be perfectly content if I were to stay here until the end. It would leave 2 areas in total in my mission and amazing.  I have applied Alma 14:13 (I think) to this situation. "But our work is not done, so they will not transfer us." hahaha Let´s see how that one goes... :)

I miss my family and I miss my friends, but it´s interesting because it seems that I´m less and less trunky as the end gets closer. I think my mind doesn´t know what to think. hahaha But either way... I´m happy :)

Mom! HAPPY BIRTHDAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!

Daphne...I know it´s late... but Happy Birthday to you as well!!

Laaauuurrraaa! We need to taaaaalkkk! :) :( :/ :D D: :x dfjaewoifhiofhaieofjoierhgiadgh

Amber and Brent! It´s been a while!... but the time is passing quickly... it seems like yesterday that I sent you the last letter! THanks for the email Amber! You two sound great!...seriously :)

Pictures!

1. MOst of our zone is here. We got caught in the rain on the way to lunch so we hid next to a building. :)

2. This is what all the roads look like election day. It´s insane.

3. Tuuuuuurtttleees!

4. The baptism of Luan. His family is now complete :)

5. Our mysterious bug friend that we find in our house every so often.

6. Us with our recent convert Renata :) :) :)  It was a coincidence that were all wearing red. hahahaha

P.S. I still LOVE Açai!

Matthew Rocks!

These past few weeks I have been studying Matthew in The Bible and I am loving it!

Today I thought a lot about when Christ returns. He explains a few things himself in chapter 24 and I started thinking... I wonder where I´ll be when he comes. With my family? (i hope).. what country? Will I have kids, will I be married? What will I be doing with my life?

And then I started thinking more about the exact moment. Details, you know?

And the only thing I could think is that I hope I´m doing something worthwhile helping someone and not just sitting on the sofa.

How lame would that be?  "oh hey! I was just.... sitting here ..doing .uh... nothing."

hahaha but in all seriousness I hope I can live my life so full of good works that I don´t need to wonder.

Of course I will need to sit down and just relax, but I think you know what I´m trying to get at.

I am so grateful for this time that I have here in Brasil to not have to worry about anything else and to serve completely.

How blessed am I?!?! :D

Have a wonderful week!

The way we learn!

First things first!

Happy Birthday to Donna Lachaga!!! :D :D :D :D :D

Maria thanks for the email! I miss you and Melanie A TON!

I feel as though I´m in one of those transition stages. You know that feeling when you need to make a decision and  you know what you should do, but you still haven´t decided to do it because a part of you wants the other choice, but you know you´re going to need to and you can feel yourself changing. It´s that on the brink feeling. yep. that´s where i´m at.

I feel like I´m going to see and change a lot in these next 6 months. If I let the Lord work with me.

I can feel it. Okay... better analogy. When your running and you´re going, you´re going, you´re going and it´s getting hard, but then there´s this point you hit that it suddenly gets a little bit easier, but the part right betore is tough almost as though you can´t catch a good breath so you need to push a little bit harder and then all of sudden... awwwwwwhhhh.

That´s how i feel. the moment right before the awwwwhhh. 

It´s a good kind of pain. no worries :)

It´s interesting to me how some things happen that you never thought would happen. And it´s not even as if it was a big deal that it happened.. it just... happens.  And then in the end it makes sense and you think... why didn´t I see that one coming?

And it´s even more interesting how our feelings change. How I would of felt about it before is different than how I feel now. It isn´t good, it isn´t bad. It´s just happening. There´s no point to over think it.

Lesson of the week and one of the many of my mission:

Let it run its course. If we try to stop the rivers flow... we will just end up wet and probably coughing up water.

I love you all. I´m happy! :D And I´m learning. :D :D

Have a great week!

Only 5 more transfers!

First off.... 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KARI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D :D

Wish I was there to celebrate with yooooooouuuuuu.

And.... a few weeks have passed but congratulations to Amber and Brent for your 2 years! :D

Second... another transfer has passed. I feel like with every blink of the eye another one passes!

I´ve decided to not blink anymore. It´s frustrating because my eyes are getting pretty dry.

I don´t have much to say this week besides that the book of mormon truely is my favorite book and I am awed everyday by the things that I learn and the spirit I feel.

oh! okay I lied... one more thing.

Last night we were teaching a couple the plan of salvation. The "husband" (they aren´t legally married yet) is a member but hasn´t been to church for a few years.  Last night as we were teaching, the "wife" had a lot of questions. I have these little picture things that we use to teach so i sat on the floor in front of everyone to talk to them. (We had 3 members with us). As we came to the part of the plan called "mundo espiritual" (spirit world) she stopped us and asked... but i was raised to believe that there is heaven and hell and that what we do here on earth will decide where we go in the end. How can there be more after this part... why are we even here if we´ll have another chance to change after we die?  We explained all the details about the differences between repenting here on earth and in the spirit world. She still wasn´t completely satisfied with the answer so everyone started discussing and trying to help her and I just sat and listened. I was thinking... none of this is helping her. She understands, but she´s not relating. I then tried pay attention to just her. As I looked at her I had this thought, "what does she feel her relationship with god is?" FInally when everyone stopped talking for a second I asked her... When you think of God what do you think of? Love or Anger? She replied Love. I then testified to her the love that God has for everyone single one of us. No matter what we do he still loves us. He has to let the consequences happen, but he still loves us. ANd he will do anything and EVERYTHING to give us as many chances as he possibly can.

It was a doctrine really simple, but it helped her. And even more, it helped me. As I testified I could feel the spirit testify to me the truth of what I was saying. I could feel God´s love for every person in that room and for me. I don´t know if anyone else felt it the same way I did, but I was a feeling that I could not deny. And it was a feeling that I didn´t even know that I needed.

This is why I´m here. Because God loves each one of his children and can´t bare for even one to be left behind.

Here are some more pictures!

Love you all!

1. I drank water from a coconut!

It was really different than I expected, I didn´t like it. But! It was a cool experience!

2. All is well here in Atibaia! :D

3. The theatre we did in our ward :)

4. Our turtle friend. She doesn´t have a name... but we love her anyway.

5. I touched a rattle snake. I´m cool. The end. hahaha

 

 

New photoes Wednesday August 22nd

Photos! :D

1. Simone was baptized! She left a life of addictions as she came to know Christ and is a huge inspiration to me.

2. Simone (same name) was baptized as well! :D I had never seen someone sooo excited to be baptized.

 

3. Look! It´s ShikaBear! (dog we had as I was growing up). Oh my goodness this was an amazing moment. Brought back memories. :)

 

4. We find cool things in the museums here... I love Brasil.

5. A full fridge definately deserves a picture!

6. Our recent convert finally had her baby! His name is Pietro and he is soooo beautiful.

Made me just a tiny bit trunky. haha

We recieved special badges because we´re missionaries so we could enter into any part of the hospital as "ministers" hahaha. I know... pretty spiffy.

 

8 & 7 .Annnnd the family that I love sooooo much here in Atibaia. They help us with everything...

Including making us a lunch of pizza! It had been so long since I had eaten pizza... I was in heaven! :D

 

9. The four sisters in our zone during district meeting.

10 and 11.  And then we had a party for all of the AUGUST BIRTHDAYS! wooooo hooooo!

His love is infinite!

I´ve been studying a lot in 3 Nephi this week.

Two scriptures really stood out to me:

Chapter 9 verses 13 and 14

I would write them out, but they are in portuguese and it wouldn´t really make a difference.

It is after the nephites have seperated themselves from one another and they have forgotten their God.

Their cities are destroyed by fires, floods, whirlwinds, earthquakes and all manner of destruction and they are left in darkness.

It says that the earth was so destroyed that those who didn´t fall into the cracks could feel the vapors of the darkness that came from them.  In the darkness they mourned for their loved ones.

Through their cries the Lord speaks to them. He names each one of their cities and explains how they were destroyed and why. And then in verses 13 and 14 he gives them hope. All of you who were saved because you were a little more just than the others, will you not return to me now?? Repent, be converted,  come unto me and I will cure you. You will have eternal life. My mercy is stretched out to you. He who comes I will recieve and you will blessed and cured.

How many times does the Lord give us warnings, chances, opportunities to follow him. To be happy, to choose better the next time. With the nephites over and over and over again he warned them. He sent prophet after prophet. Guidance after guidance. War after war. Destruciton, victory, evertyhing that he could to help and teach them and in the end they still turned away. The prophets testified of the signs that would come and they came. They saw them and finally were converted and believed. But still after time they turned away. Forgot so easily.

God warned them. Repent or there will be destruction, but they didn´t listen. As our father he doesn´t want us to hurt, but he is obligated to fulfill his word.  And as our father he still loves us.  Even after all the chances and warnings he stretched forth his arm of mercy. "Will you not return to me now?" Please, listen.

I am humbled by the patience of our Lord for each one of us. He truely is our Father. And his love is infinite.

Atibaaaaaaiaaaaa!

We are seeing miracles in our area. Truly the Lord´s work is on fire.

I feel so humbled to be used as an instrument in his hands.

 

oh! p-days will be changed to Mondays next transfer... so in about two weeks!

 

I finally tried Açai. It´s a fruit that can be eaten in about a million different ways because it doesn´t have flavor really, but it´s incredibly healthy and fattening. There are cities here in Brasil that live off it. Literally.

But here in Campinas it´s used as type of smoothie/ice cream with other fruit and sweetened condensed milk (which is one of God´s best creations) and granola. I never tried it because it sounds gross to me and I am stubborn. BUT! I finally did and I loooove it! But now I am sad because it doesn´t exist in the states and I will miss it for the majority of my life.

Long distance relationships are hard.

 

Also, i´m learning a lot about people. As missionaries we are here to help people work through their problems by teaching them the gospel and helping them to truely understand Christ´s sacrifice. But as missionaries we are very young usually inexperienced with the problems our investigators have. We need to listen to the spirit and we need to pay attention to them. And because of this I´m learning to see signs and read people. Not in a weird, creepy way but in a spiritual way.

The things we learn on our missions are a lot more than I expected. Or in life in general I´ve decided.

 

I love you all! Have a great week!

new photos

It's one thing to lose your cell phone.....

... it´s another to loose the missions.

 

But first things first!

Thanks for ALL of the birthday wishes! I love you all!

 

Melanie... I miss you too! And you were especially missed at the Sister Lunch at President´s house.

I wasn´t there for Rafael´s baptism, but when I heard I teared up a little bit... I am so happy for that family! :D

 

Laura! Thanks so much! I miiiiissss yooooouuuu! HOw did your test gooooo???

Believe it or not I´ve been stressing about it with you.

 

 So this week I lost our cell phone.

yep. it was interesting experience. This past weekend my head was thinking about more things that I personally believe it had room for. One day i lost the phone and the next i almost lost my water bottle and planner. I was about to just lay on the dirt road and let the dogs climb all over me. hahaha not literally... gross.

But the whole time i just kept thinking.. what am i suppossed to learn from this?

 

Want to know what I learned? This:

 

I... am human. yep.

I can´t do everything perfectly, and thats okay.

That´s why we´re here, to be perfected.

 

So... crazy week! and wonderful at the same time. I absolutely love the mission.

And I absolutely love God, our Father and his son, our Savior.

 

Have a great week everyone!

Para Bens....

Para Béns to... 

Preston for your misson call!!! Woooo hooo! :D

my brother Kent for accomplishing your life award! :D 

annnd Andrew and Tia for your marriage! haha because technically it´s been a while. haha :D

Melanie! Loved the pictures!

When I get home I´m totally doing the Freedom Run! And the Ogden Rodeo! And the temple! hahaha

Let´s just say you´re a great salesman... woman. kaka

My favorite chapter in the book of Mormon is 3 Nephi 11. Always will be.

But I can´t deny that I love the intensity of the wars in Alma.

The Book of Mormon truely is captivating. 

It took me a long time for me to think this way, but I am so grateful I finally do.

Have a great week!

Here it comes again.

Can you believe that it´s already been another week!?

I can´t.

The work here in Atibaia is progressing incredibly.

At times I´m honestly in complete awe.

Me and my companion are definately not worthy or capable enough to accomplish everything, but still the miracles and blessings keep on coming.  

For every challenge, there´s an outcome and we get to decide if it will be for the better or worse.

I´ve never felt more alone, yet carried in the hands of the Lord.

The gospel is true. God lives. And the time is passing quickly.

Love you all!

Sister Barlow

Disbelief...

Disbelief in how fast these transfers are flying by!

This is maybe the last week I have with Sister Brandão!

I want to work with her more, but we honestly have no idea if we will stay or one of us will be transfered.

I absolutely LOVE learning more about myself here on the mission.

 

I had an experience this week with between a missionary and a member

and a lot of confusion that happened in the past but was resolved last night.

It was an experience that could have been really ugly, but handled very camly.

Before my mission I would have felt completely different,but all I had and have are feelings of peace and comfort.

 

I am so grateful for the challanges, trials and hard experiences I have here on the mission.

I am grateful that they happend here when I have the spirit so strong to help me decide my actions and learn for when they will happen after my mission. Truely the spirit can teach us if we let him.

 

I love you all!

 

This week I heard a story about a seminary class. The teacher was teaching the vision of the tree of life.

One youth asked, "if one end of the rod of iron is touching the tree... where does the other end start?"

The teacher responded, "Just as Nephi prayed and asked God to undertsand the vision that his father Lehi had seen... you too, can pray and ask God to recieve and andswer."

hahaha humorous... but completely true. 

 

As missionaries we have the answers for many questions.

But sometimes we just need to quote 1 Nephi 13:22. And thats okay.

 

Each one of us have the capacity to reieve answers and revelations from the Lord.

No body knows or understands everything but this is the life to learn and recieve the answers we want.

The time keeps going faster and faster!

OH MY GOODNESS!
I CAN´T BELIEVE IT´S PDAY AGAIN ALREADY!!!

Today is another short and sweet because I have about 10 minutes.
We are getting a new mission President here in about 2 weeks so today all of us sisters had lunch at their house.
It was sad, but it was full of the spirit and we were reminded of why we are here.
The reason our president is going home early is not by accident.
There is a reason to everything and one day we will understand.

I love you all and just so you know that I know... faith is key.

Atibaia. The second best climate in the world...

It´s true! Look it up!

Soooo... I still love my area and my companion!

We have wonderful member that is a return missionary who makes visits with us ALL the time.

Honestly almost every day. She is AMAZING and she helps us so much!

We are teaching 3 people who want to be baptized this weekend and I love it!

Teaching the gospel is an amazing feeling. 

Teaching the restoration is the first love. Helping them to find what they´ve been looking for!

Then after they´ve prayed and recieved an answer for themselves we can teach them about the gospel. God´s commandments and the blessings that he already has prepared for them. It´s a feeling sweeter than anything else.

I´ve been getting really technical with my portuguese! I´m learning so much being with Brasilians ALL THE TIME!

So... funny portuguese experience:

The words "panties" (yes... panties)  and "tickels" (as in.. i´m going to tickel you) sound very alike in my mind.

Sooooo.... the other day as I was talking to a little girl in my branch i starting teasing her and she starting giggling saying "tickle me tickle me!" so I started chasing her around the table pretending to tickle her saying "tickles, tickles, tickels", BUUUUT as you probably have already concluded I was actually saying.. "panties panties panties".

She just stopped and stared at me in confusion as my companion and the family laughed hysterically.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

So... brief conclusion:

I love my mission! I love my area! I love my companion and the members and even more the people we meet everyday!

Annnd... i absolutely love learning portuguese! 

Today we have a zone activity so I need to go, but I love you all!

Next p-day we have a sisters lunch with our president and his wife because they will be leaving at the end of the month.

I´ll give you details next week!

Atibia!

Well... they came around the "morro" and I got a personal phone call from President Tanner about transfers!

haha... okay... he was actually calling about something as well,

but he talked to me about it in the phone call and it was a day early!

it was pretty cool.

 

I am now in a huge city called Atibia with Sister Brandão. :D

In reality it´s probably not that big, but compared to my last area of one bairro... it´s HUGE!

I´m loving the difference here already!

I really miss Santa Gertrudes and all the people there, but I am filled with peace.

I finished my calling there, and I am now supposed to be in Atibia. :)

Supposedly our beds here are some of the best in the mission...

...and last night was comfortable... my feet just hung off the bed a little bit...

hahaha Brasilians must be short.

 

The other day Sister Roundy and I took pictures by a tree...

because of our little adventure I was bitten about 20 thousand times by ants.

They itch like crazy!!! haha.. but the pictures of the tree were totally worth it.... haha ha ha

(side note to melanie: they look EXACTLY like the bites you got that we thought you were allergic to. I think you got attacked by crazy ants as well.)

 

Welp! Another week has come and gone and the Lord keeps on giving.

I love you all! Remember to see the miracles in our lives!

 

Pictures for They'll be coming around the "morro" when they come.

They'll be coming around the "morro" when they come!

That´s right.... ding ding ding! Transfers!

We will have transfers on Tuesday! I cannot believe they are here already!!!

I´m really trying to make the best of this week seeing as it may be my last here in Santa Gertrudes.

It´s hard to believe that I have about made it to the half point of my mission and that I have spent it all here.

Right now it still feels like nothing is changing, but as I´m having people write in my journal I get waves of sickness that the next time I see these people could be in front of God. 

Santa Gertrudes has become my home and the people here my family.

I´m ready for a change, but I don´t think you can ever be ready for goodbye.

My goal for this week is to make sure I leave Santa Gertrudes better then when I arrived... somehow... haha.

But not only are things changing for me... But school is coming to an end back home!

My little sister is going to start her SENIOR YEAR of high school before I get home.

And my little brother is going to GO to high school at the same time!

ahhhhh! How the world turns! (huh.. isn´t that the name a nuvella/soap opera?)

You know the urge to just... run?  I get that urge a lot.

I mean... we walk alllll day every day. But there are just moments where I wish I could just drop my backpack and run.

Up and down the hills... the stairs... into the forest that surrounds our bairro.

It is so beautiful and I just want to be a part of it. 

hahaha i don´t know how running makes me a part of it... but you know.

I want to add in a thank you for all of the prayers that are made for missionaries.

Missionary work is hard in itself, but missionaries themselves have challanges as well and home doesn´t just fade away.

I´ve been with two companions now who have had really hard situations occur at home while they are choosing to be here serving and have seen the effects of many more missionaries struggle through others.

The prayers of those at home are what keep them going.

Thank you for your love. For your support. And for your faith.

I would also like to add a few pictures! :D

1. My current companion, Sister Roundy and I. EVERYONE here thinks that we are twins. Everyone.

2. My former companion, Sister Melanie Tirrell and I. It´s almost like she never left! :D

3. One of the many vielas we have here in Santa Gertrudes. (basically a short cut up to the next street)

4. Me with Anny Victória. She was baptized about a month ago with her sisters :)

5. Me with Alcrisleine. (Anny Victória´s sister). These two are moving to northern brasil so we were saying goodbye. :( :)

Alrighty! I love you all! Until next week....

It's a small world

Alrighty... so this week has been about the same as last week besides the 3 day division we are starting today until Saturday morning. Which is different... but good at the same time. :)

Our branch President has asked me to give a "Farewell" talk because there is something in the air that says I might be leaving Santa Gertrudes soon after 7 1/2 months of being here.  I´ll let you know how it goes.

Anywhooo....

So last night my companion and I were talking about school dances.

She grew up in Provo and went to Provo High. As I was talking to her I told her that I went to a dance in Provo once.

As we continued to talk we discovered that we were at the same dance and that we had a distant (for me) friend in common.

Soo.... Dennis Moxen... if you ever happen to read or hear word of my blog... Sister Roundy and Sister Barlow give you a shout out from Jundiaí, Brasil! haha

It definately is a small world after all.

Quote of thought for this week:

"Rationalizing lowers my standards."

Wait.... It's cold outside?

So it basically rained for about 1 week. non stop.
Talk about preserverance, freezing toes, and chivering lessons.
And then look at the miracles.

This has been a tough week physically.
With the rain and my companion being chronically sick we´ve had to push through a lot together,
but we´re seeing the tender mercies of the Lord.

Christ lives he was the perfect example.
God is our father and he does nothing by accident.

My Fifth transfer!

Alriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigggghhhhtyyy. So my name is Sister Barlow, I´m in Santa Gertrudes for my fifth transfer and I´m with Sister Roundy my third American Companion.

And yes, I am happy! :D haha I was with Sister Tirrell for 3 transfers, so it´s weird to be with someone else, but I´m excited to work with Sister Roundy. :)

I´ve been thinking about conference and how many times we are told that we can ask for mountains.
At first this thought terrified me.
What?? I can barely handle the hills of death here in Santa Gertrudes! How would I ever achieve a mountain??
But then I started thinking about all the stories I´ve heard of all the people who have climbed the biggest mountains in the world...
Question: why do we remember these stories? Answer: Because they were tragic! because they were adventurous! Because they did something that stood out to us!
All of those stories that I have stuffed up in my brain somewhere are there not because they made it gracefully up the mountain, but because the men and the women that made the climbs had a story to tell after.

I want to make it to the top of a mountain. Whether it be real or through the experiences God gives me.
What I´m praying for now is the stamina.

I love you all! Have a wonderful week!

I Want to see the Temple

...I went there today!

Today we went to the temple and it was so amazing to feel such peace. It was a little hard because everything was in Português and my vocabulary is very missionary at the moment. haha but it truely is the house of God.
As I was leaving though I realized that I had been feeling sort of different. Not like when I had the chance to visit often 7 months ago. This whole time I´ve been here on my mission and the exact reason I decided to stay here and serve is because of eternal families. How can I just sit at home and enjoy the blessings of eternity with the ones I love and not share that with others? We teach people the gospel so that they can have eternal families. We have missionaries not so that everyone can be mormon, but so that people can have eternal families. Without the authority in God´s church it simply can´t happen.
As I was leaving the temple I realized that´s what it is... I´m on the journy for myself right now, but the next step is what you do with your family, being sealed for eternity. Learning more and growing together.

"While I am in my early years, I´ll prepare most carefully, so I can marry in God´s temple for eternity. Families can be together forever, through Heavenly Father´s Plan. I always want to be with my own Family and the Lord has shown me how I can."

Now don´t you all worry. I´m not writing this because I`m trunky all is in it´s due time.
I just needed that little reminder of why we´re all here and thought I´d share.

P.S. my companion is going home on Monday! The update on transfers with arrive next Wednesday!
Love you all!

Conference and a little more cofidence!

It´s funny how the first thought that comes to my head when I sit down to write something is to start with "it´s funny...".
Moving on.
Conference truely was amazing. We watched the first session in Português, but then didn´t have any more investigators attending so we slipped into another room and watched in English which was even MORE amazing. Now, now, don´t get me wrong... I love português, but there´s something about hearing the gospel in your own language.  That´s why we have missionaries all over the world pulling their hair out trying to learn a second language, so that God´s children can hear the gospel in their own tongue. It just means more.  Since conference I have been blessed with the amazing quality of a little bit more confidence. It was a nice little whisper in the ear of what I´m really doing here. And how I can improve in every aspect. I´m not going to lie... Talking to a bunch of people you don´t know everyday and that sometimes yell at you is a littl unnerving... but since i´ve been teaching and getting to know these people I´ve learned that they don´t really mean what they say. Most of the time... they just... don´t know what else to say.
On another somewhat related note: it is funny how much can change in a span of time. Or... in an instant. How a person can change and how everything can change once you accept it. I can honestly say that I love change. Love it. But I hate letting go. Annnd. Generally I know what I want and how far I´m willing to go or sacrifice for it. I decided to serve a mission in an instant because of a change of a point of view.  I´ve made mistakes over a span of time, which I still kick myself for but have made me the missionary I am and put me on the path of the daughter of God  I want to be. There are people all over the world who are even more lost than I have been, who are more nervous than I am, and have less than I have (spiritually or physically). So I will serve them. And until the Lord has called me home, I trust in him. I trust in him to lead me, to guide me, and to walk beside me. You can´t get better than that.

If there is anyone that didn´t have the opportunity to watch conference, open up the next tab, go to the church website, and watch it!
Who can give us more direction in life than God? He has a lot to say. :)

In the City!

Today we´re in the city and it´s more than expensive to use the computers here so today´s email is going to be nice and short.

Sunday was one of the hardest and most rewarding days I´ve had in my mission.

Life is hard for everyone. We can try and do everything to help, but still they have the choice to accept and keep on going after. After all that we can do, Christ will heal the rest.

We just need to make the choice.

This past week 3 of our recent converts passed the sacrament in sacrament meeting.

All of them were beaming. They are so excited to have the priesthood.

What an honor to see. I am one lucky missionary. :)

 

This is why I´m serving a mission. :)

Another chance to make a difference!

And the ballots are in!  Okay... so more like the revelation recevied... but either way...

WE´RE STAYING IN SANTA GERTRUDES TOGETHER!
Sister Tirrell and I have on more transfer together before she goes home to show the Lord what we can do. :D

Mesquitos MIGHT just be my lowest liking on the creation list.
If anyone has any good facts about mesquitos... this would be the time i need them most. please feel free to share.

Faith is an interesting thing... The Lord only blesses us with what we want to see. The more I think about it the more I realize how much I hinder myself.

My companion and had a discussion this morning as we were thinking about our investigators which ultimately came down to this:

A lot of people leave the church or spiritual progression because of other people.
They stop going to church, stop praying, stop reading the scriptures, stop trying because of other people.Another letter of the law instead of the spirit, but that too is their own battle.
That too is something that they are working on.
Other days, we remember the hurt from before and take the same defense for everyone. That too is our own battle.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect. The knowledge of who we are as sons and daughters of God and the guidance and protection we have in this life because of that knowledge brings stronger joy and happiness that can conquer any depression, heartache, fear, pain, insecurity, or doubt that we all at some time have.
Because through all that Satan tries to make appear soooo real, the gospel and church of Jesus Christ are the only light that lead to reality and hope.
We can not let experiences with people take that away from us.
When we are baptized we make a convenant with God. When we walk away we are breaking that convenant with God. Not with people.

I´ve learned a lot this week. I am starting to truely understand why we have the gospel and why baptism is essential.

You´re in my payers. All of you.

And Pictures! The first two are from a zone activity and the last one is after we ran into the church from a rain storm! It was pretty great. :) haha

Just around the river bend.......

Ahhh... the good ol´days of being able to watch disney movies... those were some good times. :)

Alrighty... back to Pocohantas... (how do you spell that?)
Trrrransfers are heeeereree AGAIN.! Which is the "just around the river bend" reference.
I honestly have no idea what will happens this transfer. Sister Tirrell has one transfer left though so I would love to stay here and work with her. We work very well together and are seeing miracles everyday. Unless there´s something else that needs to be done, i feel like the Lord would leave us here togethere. But really I have no idea, this is why I´m the missionary and don´t take care of transfers ;)

We have a lot of really wonderful people that we are teaching right now and I feel so blessed to be teaching them.
Really (like everyone says) they are teaching me.
I also have a lot of personal vices that I am working to overcome.
The Lord shows me my weaknesses everyday and not because he wants to remind me, but to help me know how to grow.

Today we´re making chocolate chip cookies! It´s hard to find ingredients here, but we´ve succeeded and they will be eaten! yum! :D
I hope you all have a truely wonderful week!!!
P.s. Fruit here is delicious!

My companion and recent baptizm

This last transfer has been flying by!

Oi one and all!
I can NOT believe how fast this transfer has FLOWN by!
2 more weeks left and I feel like so much has happened that it had to have been more than 4 weeks already... but that is the time warp of the mission, right?

News... President Tanner isn´t in the best of health and when we had the general authorities here last tranfer they could tell he´s doing worse.
They flew home and spoke to the First Presidency in which they prayed and decided to release him and Sister Tanner as a 2 year mission instead of a 3 year.
Which means they will be going home in June. I can´t really describe how I feel except to express that gratitude that I have to have them while I have them
And that I trust the Lord and President Monson. We always need what we don´t realize and God always knows what that is.

Right now we´re teaching a man named Francisco who I´ve decided is the exact older version replica of Preston Chadwick. Voice and everything.

This past week we had an amazing opportunity to witness the baptism of Neilson. He is incredible and the experience was too.
The best moment of teaching someone is when you look into their eyes after their baptismal service and in this case shake their hand.
The picture attached is of pretty much everyone in the branch who was there in front of the baptismal font before his baptism.
Neilson is the man behind Paulo who was previously baptized crouching down in the middle.

In one year Neilson and his wife Marcia will be able to be sealed in the temple. She has been waiting for 3 years for him to accept.
They will have an eternal family. The greatest blessing for all the little sacrifices we feel we are making.

And that is why I am serving a mission.

Daylight savings!

.... is the best thing in the UNIVERSE as a missionary!
What a blessed extra hour of sleep we recieved this week! :D

haha on another note, my parents just celebrated their...
25TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY! wooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaa

aaahhhhh!
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
Life is good. :)

This week really flew by. I can´t believe how fast it goes.
All I know is that I don´t want to arrive at the end of my mission and wish I had done more or worked harder.

I´m lacking on a quote or a scripture for this week. Sorry. :(
We actually worked really hard this week so I think my mind is has shut itself down for this p-day.

BUT. I am still thinking about all of you!

I Love My Family

 

I think I need to dedicate this weeks email to expressing my love for my family.

I don´t know how an email can really suffice for my feelings, but I need to try.

 

My family and I... we´ve been through a lot. Not more than any other family and not less... but a lot.

And it´s easy to look back at the hard times and complain.

It´s easy to look back at the hurtful times and cry.

But it´s the most beautiful and releaving feeling in the world to know that they are still here.

 

My family is not perfect. And a lot of that accounts to us being human.

I am so far from perfect it´s a little bit hysterical which is perfect because it brings humor to the trials.

 

My family has not always been the most faithful. Or patient. Or kind. Or productive.

But my family almost always will learn from the mistakes.

 

My family together can sometimes be a wreck, an adventure, and every other adjective you can think of.

 

My family... sometimes we feel lost.

But only when we´re apart.

Because when we´re together we´re found. Even on the most tiring of days.

 

My dad is the ship. My mom is the sail. And God is the wind.

The personalities on board are a little harder to explain.

 

The gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives. It has change my family.

And I will never give that up for anything.

They are my anchor. They are my home. They are my eternity.

 

And this is why I´m serving a mission.