Monkeys!

Well this week has flown by so fast, but it has been a really great one:)

First off, last week we were walking in the center praza and we saw monkeys- You were right Kim.

But more importantly we had a really great week with our investigators:

Diane and Lidiane: We had a really cool lesson on their potential because both of them are not completing the things they need to be baptized, so we talked about their potential as daughters of God. -- Cool side note for OMA remember how you used to always make salt dough for us to play with when we were little, ya I made some of that to use in an object lesson we did- So I guess thanks for the idea.

Susana: So we went to the bank last Tuesday and as we were leaving a lady stopped us and asked if we shared the same message as the Elders did. We told her yes and then she proceeded to ask if she could give us her address and if we could visit her. So again we said yes. She told us she lived at the end of Dos Andradas, next to a blue house, close to a house number 1590. So we went there Thursday. We found the house number, but it wasn't her house. I began to wonder if I took some of the information down wrong, so I asked my companion if we could just keep looking for blue houses for a little bit. Well, a little bit turned into close to an hour, but we finally reached the end of the street and literally right as we were going to give up we saw a beautiful, blue house numbered 1590 and well, we found Susana. It was such a miracle. Sad part of the story is that we found she doesn't live in our area, she lives in the area of the Elders. So we got to teach her only one time, but I know she is going to be baptized. But well, I guess it all works out.

Êmily: So we talked with her a lot about the doubts she has had and how she can clear up these doubts. We had a really spiritual lesson with her and well, we marked a baptismal date with her for March 8. YAY, first baptism here in Brazil.

This next Monday we have transfers again. I know crazy. I feel like we just had transfers. Time is flying here.

Also, I need to solicit all the prayers I can get this week. So this week marks the holiday Carnival. For those of you who have never heard of it, it’s like Mardi-Gras except 100X crazier. So we've heard that it’s a fun tradition of many people here to throw buckets of water on people that pass by on the street, sometimes people here like to get creative and throw other substances, too. So just pray, pray for the people that I don't punch them and that I can be patient with them all, okay? Haha really, but some prayers in behalf of the missionaries in Brazil would not hurt.

Well I love you all,

Have a great week!

Sister K. Seal

Photos:

1. We got to do a service project and help paint some desks and sidewalk for a school in our area. It was really fun!

Today marks 2 months that I've been in Brazil.

This week has been pretty slow unfortunately. We're still trying to help with the marriage process of our two sister investigators. Yesterday we taught the "husband" of Diane and he told us he is afraid to get married. He says it’s too soon- they've been together 3 years, are raising 2 kids, and he wants to have another kid. Well, that just means we have some work to do. Also Lidiane hit a road block this week.  Her boss is constantly smoking, and she has used this as an excuse for her relapse. SAD!  But it’s okay.  We will continue to help them out. Emily is still really hesitant.  Also, she wants to learn more before she is baptized, so much work to be done here is São Borja.

Well, I came into the mission thinking I would leave speaking 3 languages. Well, right now I count myself lucky if I can manage to form a sentence in one language. So we were doing contact in the center of the city last week when we ran into a guy that is from Argentina. That means he only speaks Spanish. I was excited to use my Spanish, except guess what?  I have already forgotten most of my Spanish. I understood what he was saying, but when it was my turn to speak, it was a pretty good mix of Spanish and Portuguese. Also this week I was training my companion how to pray in English. My head hurt just thinking of the words to use in an English payer. It’s a good thing that I write in my journal daily in English or these weekly emails would no longer make sense. I guess that is kind of a good sign.

So kind of cool story about today- I usually don't prepare a spiritual thought for my blog entries, but today, I don't know why, but I was thinking about what I would write here today and this thought came to mind- after a couple hours into today I've already realized that the thought I received was for me. So I just thought I'd share it anyways with all of you. Maybe someone reading this needs the same thought:

I was reading in D&C 90 and found vs. 24. It reads, "search diligently, pray always, and be believing and all things shall work together for your good..." Then I read a quote from one of my heroes, Elder Holland which reads, "Because Christ's eyes were unfailingly fixed on the future, He could endure all that was required of Him. He knows that for the faithful things will be made right soon enough." In the world we live in today, it is not easy to have this mentality that all will eventually be made right. Bad things happen to good people and we begin to wonder how a loving and just God could allow all this to happen. Its then we need to remember the saints persecution in Missouri and the revelation they received in the 101st section in the doctrine and covenants. God easily could have taken away their problems completely but why didn't he?  In D&C 101:16 it says, "Therefore let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands be still and know that I am God."

To conclude I would like to finish with a small quote from Elder Holland, "Even in the darkest hours at Gethsemane and Calvary, He pressed on continuing to trust in the very God who He momentarily feared had forsaken Him." 

Like I said if for no one else, this thought already found its intended recipient.

I wish you all the best of weeks. I love you all.

Sister K. Seal

Baratas demais!

BOM DIA!! 

This week has been I think the word I am going to use is... interesting.

So investigator wise it was really good. Diane and Lidiane are progressing. They are still working with their marriage liscence- it’s quite the process here in Brazil. But great news of the week is we committed Lidiane to stop smoking last week and as of yesterday she hasn't smoked in over 5 days!! GREAT, RIGHT?? They say the first three days are the hardest, so here is hoping that she can continue strong. One of Emily's friends this week died in a car accident and she hasn't been home a lot, so we are kind of just keeping her in our prayers and are hoping to see her this week. So here is hoping. 

Also, so I have never had a harder fast Sunday in my entire life. It was 45 degrees celcius which is about 117 degrees, and we walked a lot and as a rule of the mission we are not allowed to drink water. It was hard to teach because our mouths were so dry. But, well, I am writing to you all now so I survived, but it was vale a pena. Because here we fast after lunch on Saturday until lunch on Sunday. And guess what we had for lunch on Sunday? We had salmon. It was so, so, so good, but will probably the only salmon I am going to see until I return to Carrabba's because it is really expensive. 

Also, so funny story of the week: I got my medical card- which is funny that we even get one because they don't work at any doctor's office here in the south of Brazil- but guess what? It didn't have my information on it. It has McKenna's name and information on it. So for those of you who know my passport story I hope that this gives you a good laugh also. I am starting to doubt that I was supposed to come to this mission. LOL. 

Also, so gross story of the week: So when we moved into our house after the Elders it was infested with cockroaches. Like every morning we woke up there were at least 6 in the kitchen. SO GROSS! So President Parrela bought a remédio (sorry can't think of the English word) to put in the house to kill them. So we did it this week and when we did all the baratas came out of every furniture item we have. And lots of them crawled up on the ceiling and started falling. So it was literally raining cockroaches in our kitchen. Then they would fall to the ground and we would have to stomp on them. It was like playing that arcade game like whack-a-mole. Only more gross and hard because I swear cockroaches have more lives than cats. But all is well now, we are cockroach free. Hope you all enjoy the photo. 

Well I love you all. I can’t believe we are already in February. Sorry for all the typing errors, hopefully mom is cleaning this up and making it readable.  I am already forgetting English which is bad because my Portuguese isn't good enough yet. So before long I am going to be speechless. But love you all. Have a great week. Thanks for all the letters everyone!

Much Love,

Sister K. Seal

Photo 1: Our friends:) What's worse is this was only after 1 hour. In total we probably killed like 75. GROSS!

Photo 2: "my" medical card. LOL! 

Photo 3: Sister Claret and me and our District Leader.