September 9, 2009

Oi gente!
How are you all doing this week? I hope all is well wherever you are! Thank you for the emails and letters! Things here in Brasil are great and life as a missionary rocks! I am loving the people, the language, and each experience more and more! It was a good week! We are doing a project here in the ward called "Familia de ouro" family of gold. Where we are giving a DVD (church product) to two families in the ward each week and they invite a friend or family member (non members) over to watch it and have a family night in their house with the missionaries (us :) ). We had our first one last night and it went really well! I love this family, they are so fun and willing to help in the work. They planned a really special family night for a family we´ve been teaching. I am excited about it and hope it will get the ward more excited about missionary work! Today was also transfers, I´m in the same area but I have a new companion, Sister Leal. She seems great. I was sad to say goodbye to Sister Derciliano...I learned a lot from her. But I am excited about Sister Leal. She is from a small town outside of São Paulo and is a bit quieter but she is sweet and I know that this is the Lord´s work, with out a doubt we are meant to be companions here in Novo Osasco. I am so happy to be serving here in Brasil. I love this gospel. I love our Father in Heaven. I love and miss you all! Have a great week!
Beijos,
Sister Chelsea Dawn

September 2, 2009

Hey! Happy September! It´s kinda crazy how fast time flies! It just keeps going! I hope all of you that have school are enjoying the new semester/school year and I wish you luck! What else is new in your lives? Things here in Brasil are great! It is getting nice and warm...actually WAY HOT! And all of the Brasilians are worried about my white skin baking in the sun...I´m using sun screen don´t worry. Plus after all of those times at the lake getting fried...I think I´m prepared for anything. Ha! Remember that awesome trip to flaming gorge...before chan and car were officially part of the family... :). That was hilarious and in all of the pictures I am as red as a lobster! Anyway...my companion and I are feeling so blessed! We are working with a family that we prayed and fasted to find, they are awesome! They are so firm and have a baptismal date for sept 19th. They are happier and happier everytime we visit. Their daughter is 11 years old and is SO smart! Whenever we ask her to read a scripture she reads it and afterward explains what it means perfectly. She is way in tune with the spirit and has a testimony that this is the true church. She has been a great strength to her parents as well! The bishop and his wife visited them with us last night and we were way happy about that. On Sunday my companion and I and the ward mission leader gave a training on missionary work. We did some practices with members and talked about the role of members in missionary work. The bishop also asked me to give a talk on missionary work the same week so I hope the ward didn´t feel too much like we were repremanding them :). But we´ve already seen some changes...for example the bishop and his wife visited a family with us for the first time, he also planned a meeting with us and the ward mission leader (the first time we will meet with both of them together), and a few people in the ward offered to visit people with us as well. We were really excited about the response. Members really do have an important role in missionary work and I am glad to be learning more about this here so that I can apply it after the mission as well. What a blessing to be here in Brasil serving in the Lord´s kingdom on earth! I love this gospel and I love sharing it with others! I love you all! Hope you have a great week!
Beijos!
Sister Chelsea Dawn

August 26, 2009

Tudo bem?!How are you all? I hope everyone is doing great and that you all know that I love you! Thanks for your emails, letters, packages, prayers, support, love, etc, etc. I seriously feel so blessed to have such awesome people in my life...shout out! :) But really my testimony and faith is strengthened through you and your examples! It has been a good week here in Novo Osasco! We had zone conference this week and have interviews tomorrow. I love the structure of the mission...everything comes just in time and it is always a great help and guide in the moments we need it! This really is the Lord´s work and I am seeing His hand in even the smallest of things! President Cooley spoke a bit about our comfort zones and that when the Lord wants us to grow he takes us out of our comfort zones. It hit me hard because I feel like each week I´d venture to say everyday on the mission I have had an experience that is outside of my comfort zone but I have felt my testimony grow through these experiences and I am so grateful for each of them. I hope and pray to continue to be stretched and put outside of my comfort zone because I know it is for my good. I know that the Lord loves each of His children and as a perfect father He only wants what is best for us...I know as we obey Him we will be blessed and become much more then we thought we could be! Thank you all again for being such incredibly awesome people :). Boa semana!!!
Muito amor!
Sister Chelsea Dawn

August 19, 2009

How is everyone this week?! CONNER HAPPY BIRTHDAY on the 17th!!! How was it? And Tiff and Jas HAPPY ANNIVERSARY (a couple weeks ago...I know)! Did you guys do anything fun? I hope it was a great week!Things here are great! I am seeing the hand of the Lord in my life and the lives of those we are teaching more and more everyday! My companion and I started this transfer fasting and praying for the opportunity to teach a family that was looking for the gospel and ready to accept it in their lives. Last week we met this family and last night we marked baptismal dates for the mom, dad, and their daughter for the 12th of September. It is such a great blessing to see this family and their desire to follow the example of Christ. Their daughter is 11 years old, Virginia, and she is super smart! She has read every part of the Book of Mormon we marked and understands better then a lot of adults we teach. When we asked her if she´d prayed about it she said...i did...first I prayed and then I had a really good feeling and I knew it was true. It was so simple and clear for her. As she said this her mom´s eyes were filled with awe. What an awesome example for all of us there. One of our other investigators, Jeisson, has a cousin who is a member in the ward here and was helping him a lot but about a month and a half ago they got into an argument and stopped talking. I love them both and seeings that Jeisson doesn´t have parents or other family around he didn´t really have anyone. This situation was really sad to me and one day we were talking with Jeisson and he said he didn´t think it would pass. We told him that we would pray for them. A few days later they started talking and things are better and Jeisson was at church again on Sunday and told me that our prayers were answered and tonight we have a family home evening scheduled with the two of them. The Lord has such great love for each of His children and with out a doubt answers our sincere prayers! I am praying for each of you and love you all! Have a great week!
Beijos!
Sister Richins