Eight years and a Doctrate

Hello!  Another transfer has come and gone and I can´t believe I´m on the last one!

My trainer wrote me an email last week and I just kept thinking... I was your companion when you went home.. and now I´m going home!

It´s seems like it was just last transfer that I was with her... but it was 10 MONTHS ago.

So then I started to think about every transfer since that one and I´ve realized that so much has happened.

They say that your mission is a prediction of the type of life you´ll have... if so I´m excited and nervous. Haha  Like any missionary would be.

So the animal situation in our house has been resolved. :D

We had a brother from the stake come and take care of it. He put venom to prevent more animals and took care of the rats.

Buuut as he was putting everything together again he found another little friend.  .... Morcego! which translated means bat. :)

I wish I could send pictures but i´m terrified of another virus...

Anyway... it was cool! He took him out for us and we took pictures with him.

So now our house is animal free!  But now because he messed a lot inside our ceiling.. .when it rains, it rains inside our house... a lot.

We moved our beds, but then it started dripped from another part in the room so last night Sister Lengenfelder slept with her bed right in front of the doorway. haha We took pictures of that too.  The elders are going to send the same brother back to help us figure things out :)

But every things good :) our house is just going through a rebellious stage.

This past week was great with amazing people and lessons and experiences.

It didn´t end on a high, almost nobody went to church as we had planned with them (it´s the week of carnaval), but we learned a lot and we´re still happy.

Sister Lengenfelder goes home tomorrow. I feel blessed to have been with her this past transfer. In total she stayed 1 transfer and 2 weeks. I was lucky to have her for the most of her time here. I truly learned so much and we had some funny experiences.

I don´t have a lot to write this week. My head is kind of spinning because of all the changes, but it´s a good spin :)

Oh! I´m obsessed with the ensign! This month I read about Elder... uh... i can´t remember right now. He shared about how everybody asked him how long it took him to finish school to be a doctor.  He replies, "8 years" and everyone always becomes in awe. He stated that it´s always the same conversation. But in the end he looks back and it´s as simple as this: Those 8 years would have past either way. I´m still 8 years old... the only difference is that now I´m a doctor.

Wow. I LOVED that!  It´s so true! The time is passing. we´re getting older and we can´t change that. But we can use the time instead of just sitting and letting it pass by.

The more  I think about it the more I love the idea.

See you next week!

It starts from within!

A young woman in our ward here has received her mission call. This past Sunday she gave her farewell talk and it blew me away.  I was reminded of the fire that I had when I was leaving for my mission. It´s funny how much you change in a year and a half but also how much stays the same.  I think I had forgotten what my testimony actually means to me. I have been spending all this time trying to strengthen and share with others forgetting to remind myself once in a while.

When somebody speaks and it touches your heart, your testimony grows.

When somebody speaks and it touches your spirit, your testimony is solidified. 

This week my testimony was solidified. In her short talk she mentioned a few key things that I haven´t thought of for a while. Not that I had forgotten them... they just haven´t been given much light in the past few months.

I was also reminded about how the Lord answers our prayers. 

We have been praying soooo much for a spiritual boost for our ward. Something that will help them with the desire to live missionary work, (which is so much more than what people usually think).

We as missionaries can do all we can, but until a point the strength needs to come from inside.  From one of them.

The rest is with the Lord to help them move. To help them act.

This young woman will not see the fruit from the testimony that she bore in this next year and a half. But she felt what she needed to share and she shared it without shame and with love. Already the effects are being showed.

This was the answer to our prayers.

I have heard so many stories here in Brasil. And I´ve gotten to know how many levels pride really has.

"ahhh... well the church is like this..."  "ahhh... well the church there is like that..."

We´re all part of the same church people!!!

haha but seriously.

In the end everyone knows that... but culture puts strain on worldly things. 

I have heard stories of things that have happened in many missions in the world and many wards and stakes... 

The gospel is perfect. The principles are perfect. WE the people are not. 

What happens in one ward in northern brasil or in France or in Arkansas is not the standard for the church.  

We´re all trying to learn how to follow our savior together. 

We´re not perfect. We make mistakes. God still loves us.

But we has children of God need to let go of these ideas that we are better than others. That our ideas are better than others.

In life (in a general aspect) Just because other people do it differently doesn´t mean they do it wrong.

And if we finally understand this it doesn´t mean that everyone does.  It´s really easy to get defensive. 

So instead of backing up into the black hole again... use patience.

Another big thing to add to the big list of what Sister Nichele Barlow has had to learn.

I have truly grown a love for people. Instead of what people represent or show. Sometimes it´s hard to find the difference.

This is the last week that Sister Lengenfelder is here with us. She´s going back home next Tuesday (8 days). 

It´s going to be weird to be in a double instead of a trio again.  She brought a lot of light to our companionship. :D

I am in love with green olives. YUUUUUUMMMMM.

I buy packages of them and eat them as we walk. Sister Marins thinks it´s disgusting haha. Sister Lengenfelder eats them with me. :)  Usually Sister Marins eats something normal like an ice cream. :)

Time is passing fast!  Love you all!

Ultimate Frisbee!

P-day today included ultimate frisbee... a lot of laughter.... and a good start for the week. :)

And guess who is nice and tan for her white little self?? yep! Me!

So these past weeks we have been working with the members a TON and we´re creating some really good relationships.

I´ve decided that when missionaries say that the member don´t give referrals... it´s usually because the missionaries don´t ask. Pre-concepts are a huge thing in the mission... in the world. We´ve made a good to teach every family in the ward and then ask for referrals... and guess what again???  We´re getting them! :D

What is that thing that Christ and the prophets always say???

Oh... when you serve someone you learn to love them. In truth you don´t even have to learn that part... it just comes naturally.. you can´t stop it.   The trick is learning to serve.

I love my companions, every single one of them. 

I love every member that I have had the privilege to work with. (can´t spell anymore) 

I love every single one of the people I have been blessed to teach and know.

I love the missionaries with whom I serve. 

My leaders.

My presidents and my president´s wives. 

The leadership from my home wards. American Fork. San Jose.

My teachers. From the start through high school through the MTC until Spirit today.

I love my friends... a lot. The current ones and the ones from the past.

... I love my family. Oh how I love my family.

And I love the gospel of our savior Jesus Christ.

And when I think of all this love and service that I have seen others do or have done in my life... I am humbled by the fact that it doesn´t even come close that which our Father in Heaven and His Son feel and have done.

I am GRATEFUL for the opportunity I have to serve and learn how to start forgetting myself.

Through everything that I am learning... one of the biggest lessons:

The people who needed the biggest change aren´t always who you think.

Thanks for the love and support from all. :)