June 11, 2009

Tudo bem?! How is everyone? I think the weeks are progressively speeding up...it´s been a good one :). My companion and I made a ton of pancakes yesterday for a Family Home Evening thingy with an inactive family...it´s funny because I never really loved pancakes before but everyone here wants american sweet pancakes and it´s a nice taste from home. If anyone has some good american recipies for me feel free to send them...the people here always want to try american food and all I have is cholate chip cookies, brownies, pancakes...um...yep...that´s about it. Good times. I love this work. I feel like as missionaries we just get to do the most exciting things all the time. Teach the gospel and strive to bring peace and joy to people...lol...sounds way cheesy but seriously it´s exciting and fun. We get to be very involved in many peoples lives which is great and emotional...but I love sitting with the families here in there tiny very humble homes talking about and learning about things that matter most in this life and eternity! It is the perfect plan of our Heavenly Father! This week was good...I have been pretty worried about some investigators with a baptism date but my companion told me that we can´t worry on p-day until 6 pm because we have 6 days to worry and one day to rest and clear our minds...so thank you for your emails and letters and support...it has helped me clear my mind for now. We had interviews with our mission president. It went well and we learned what we need to do better which was good, he is a very good and dedicated man and Sister Cooley is extremely open and loving, it´s great I love them both. My companion is as great as ever! She is trying to learn some English so that´s been good. Next week is transfers and I´m pretty confident she won´t be transfered yet because she´s my trainer and I just got here but...she has been in this area for 6 1/2 months so it´s a possibility...I´m hoping for one more transfer with her! Well I love you all! I hope summer is going well! Have a great week!Muito amor!
Sister Richins

June 3, 2009

How is everyone this week? I hope you are all well and that you are enjoying the nice summer weather! Happy June! It´s getting cold here. Yesterday was really cold and they tell me it is going to get colder so I´m kinda nervous...I figured Brasil is always HOT but nope. It´s been a good week here. We are preparing for two weddings and four baptisms so it has been a lot of fun and we have seen a lot of progress and the hand of the Lord in our work here! I also attended my first zone conference of the mission and got to bear my testimony...I still get way nervous to bear my testimony in Portuguese but I need the practice so it was good for me. It was also way good training and our mission president gave an amazing talk about the Plan of Salvation. It was great and inspiring and made me want to be a different and better missionary. We also have our first interviews with him this week and then by the end of next week I will have experienced my first transfer of the mission. It´s an exciting feeling. We also had stake conference this week and Elder Ellis of the seventy spoke. It was a great conference. We had three of our investigators there which was good and they loved it! There was a stake dance the night before conference as well for families and 5 of our investigators were there so we went with some of them just to bring them introduce them to some people and leave. We were only there for a short time but my companion and I both felt the lack of dancing in our lives...miss it. And they have some different fun dances here I want to learn...one day...after the mission. My companion and I made pancakes and maple suryp for some of our investigators and members in the ward...I thought they turned out well but she didn´t really like em :) they eat salty pancakes here with meat or cheese inside...kinda weird but our investigators really liked the sweet pancakes. It was fun...and nice to have a taste from home. The diet here is way different for me...I like the food but it´s different. We eat rice and beans everyday and a lot more meat then I am used to. I´m getting used to it but it´s funny when my companion and I cook in our house because I always want to buy fruits and vegetables and she always wants to buy meat so we compromise...I make salads and fruit salads and she cooks the meat.I am so grateful for this opportunity...our investigators that are preparing to get married and baptised are truly inspiring to me. They have so much faith and love for the Lord. We are witnessing miracles in their lives. Thank you all for your letters and support and prayers and love! I love you and pray for you everyday!!Have a great week!
Te amo!
Sister Chelsea Dawn