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....