This week was WOW.

New Hair

She thinks she looks old aka...like her mother!

So, I really don´t even know how to start with everything that went down this week.  Like really, it has been the most amazing week of my whole entire mission.  I had to write a list of all the stuff to tell you guys so that I could even remember!  Ok, here it goes.

So first off, we started out with a shopping trip last Pday.  I picked up some seriously high fashion clothes to be pimpin´ during Carnaval when we can´t leave our house after 5pm,starting on Friday.  Anyway, pictures shall be included.  Also, we had a family home evening that night with some of the girls in our ward and tried to do this game where you cut this thing made of flour....idk, it was Sister Rodrigues´s idea.  Anyway,the girls took it a little far and we ended up in a flour fight.  Pictures will also be included!

Brazilian clothes...holla

And the fight starts

We be white girls.

So.  Now I have got to tell you about this miracle that happened this week.  Really, it is a miracle and I have a newfound testimony of prayer.  Remember Maria with a son in prison from last week?  So last Sunday, we had a lesson with her that was awesome.  She totally loved the Restoration and the Spirit was super strong.  We came back on Tuesday to teach her again, and found her daughter Natecia at home all alone, very very worried.  Turns out that on Sunday after we left, Maria had a really bad stroke.  She is only like, 55!  But it paralyzed the left side of her body and she couldn´t talk or anything.  She was in the red zone in the hospital, which is where they aren´t sure if you are going to leave alive or dead.  We all couldn´t believe it, so we knelt down in prayer and asked Heavenly Father to bring Maria home safely, that He would comfort the hearts of this family, and that it would happen quickly.  Natecia was really touched, and we marked to come back and teach her again on Thursday.  When we returned, the door was open and a bunch of people were in the house surrounding our dear Maria. She made an incredible recovery and was returning home at that moment!  She was able to walk and even open the door for us! She was speaking too!  Slowly and with a lot of difficulty,but she was completely coherent. And the most amazing part--she had been asking for us ever since she had been able to talk again.  She was soooo happy that the American and Paulista had come back to see her!  She remembered EVERYTHING that we taught and knew that it was all true. We just sat there and cried. She recited the whole Joseph Smith story to us and kept asking when she could visit her church....I was seriously just blown away.  She has to go to Brasilia to undergo some treatment, but she wants the address of the church there so that she can visit and be part of it. Guys....Heavenly Father really listens when we pray.  These prayers, they aren´t just jokes.  He loves His children so much and is just waiting for us to ask for the blessings that He has waiting!!!

In other news, we did a division with Sister Seidmann!!  She has grown a ton on the mission and is really the most spiritual person that I know.  We found a woman with her that has two kids and when we blessed her house and family, she just started crying because she had prayed for Heavenly Father to send her someone last night...and we showed up asking what we could do to help.  She was at church yesterday too with her tiny little baby and 3 year old.  She walked about a mile or two in the hot sun to get there too...I was really surprised, and super grateful.  She loved it, and I can´t wait to go back and teach her tomorrow!

We also had some serious inspiration this week with one of the less-actives we have been working with.  About 2 weeks ago, we just got the feeling to pass by her house.  We did, and out of the blue I felt like we needed to teach the law of chastity.  Awkward, and we didn´t know why, but we just followed it!  So on Saturday, a million of our plans fell through and we passed by her house again and decided to go in.  She was super uncomfortable and wanted to talk to us, but not really...know what I mean?  Anyway, we pried the problem out of her and it turns out that her nasty 35 year old boyfriend (she is 18) has been pressuring her to do some baaaad stuff with him.  And he was going to visit her that night.  She was super scared because she knew that it was wrong and she didn´t want to, but she just felt like she had to.  We talked to her a longggg time about the commandments and consequences of sin and repentance, and left there feeling super nervous.  She still didn´t know what she would do that night;  We spent the whole night worrying and praying, we rushed back over as soon as we could yesterday.  She was strong!  She said no!  But then she told us that she felt like she owed it to this guy, because she said that without him, she probably would be dead.  She feels like she can´t trust anyone anymore and really can´t see the point of living anymore.  My heart broke and we taught her about individual worth and all the potential that she has.  We will continue teaching her, but it was a testimony to me of how important visits from members and friendshipping is.  This is a girl that the ward forgot...and the consequences are so so sad!  But she will be ok, because we are going to help her realize how much Christ loves her and all the potential that she has:)

On a higher note, the mission handyman came to our house and fixed everything!!!!!  We got new beds!!!!!!  And also, the washingmachine was fixed!  Annnnddd....the toilet!  Know what this means?!  NO MORE BUCKET!  But the saddest thing was that the toilet wasn´t even broken.  The guy just looked at us like we were the stupidest women in the world, reached down to the side of the toilet, and turned a nozzle.  And it started filling with water like a good little potty.  I died.  The sisters have been using the bucket for years because the others always thought it was broken!  This is what we call "wicked traditions of our fathers."

The useless bucket:)

The other bucket we used to fill up the toilet...it is the gross water from the washing machine....

Finally, today is transfers.  Sister Patino will now be in our zone, companions with Sister Butler!  This means that all of my companions are together!  How cool, right??  Also, I will ask for your prayers, because Sister Rodrigues and I have just been called to be the Sister Training Leaders, and that is a reallyyyyy hefty responsibility.  I´ll explain more when I know exactly what we have to do.

But that is about it for this week!  Love you guys to pieces, have a good one!

Love,

Sister Dana

Brazilians love coke.

He looks about big enough to be baptized...

View from the balcony

Anotha from Your Fave Sista

Hey!  The Gilbert temple is sooooo pretty!  When I come home, we are definitely doing a sesh there, ok?!  Can´t wait!  Those lucky missionaries...imagine getting to take investigators through the temple!  That would be amazing and basically an instant baptism over here.  When we are really lucky and have areas close to the temple, we can get permission to take them to visit and teach them on the grounds, especially families.  But here in Gravatá, we are pretty far away, so that is a little out of the question.  But yeah, cool cool! 

 

Congratulations to Coop for making the volleyball team!  I hope he is happy and excited!  Ahhh I want to be able to watch his games so bad..dang it.

 

So this week was Valentines Day!  My first with an excuse not to have a date...guess it comes in handy to be a sister sometimes!  But this week was a really good one. I have got to tell you a story about Sister Fortes.  So in our zone meeting on Tuesday, she gets up in front of everyone at the end and goes, "Excuse me. I would like to sing a spiritual hymn for you all before we depart.  This comes from the bottom of my heart and it is a song very special to me.  As transfers are coming, I just want you all to know how much I will miss you.  Ahem." Then she belted out in the loudest opera voice that she could, "Annnndddd I  WILL ALWAYS LOVEEE YOUUUUU!!!!!!  WILLLL ALWAYS LOVEEEE YOUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!"  Everyone just kind of sat there in this awkwardly surprised way and then just busted up laughing.  This girl has no fear!!  Elder Woodland, our LZ, just looked at me and goes, "Sister Dana.  What is going on??"  And I just told him that this is life with Sister Fortes.  She kills me!

 

Anyway, this week we worked a lot with the members.  We met this really cool lady, Maria, (no, the other Maria) who is just crazy to go to church!  She believes everything and wants to be baptized!  Every lesson that we have with her is super spiritual.  The only problem is that she can´t go to church because Sunday mornings from 8-12 is when she visits her son in prison.  The exact time when we have church.  How do you ask someone to stop visting their son in prison so they can visit church?!  So we are praying a lot to know what to do in this situation.  We also had a really funny experience.  One of the recent-converts, Marilza, has been helping us a lot lately.  She introduced us to her aunt, Amenaide, who is like 80 years old.  I have a hard time remembering her name, so I just call her Amendoina, which means peanut.  Anyway, she and her friends all live together and love to hear our messages.  They are HILARIOUS.  It is like we are teaching the gospel to the Golden Girls.  One of her friends, Lindalva, freaked out when she found out that I am an American, and asked if I could bring over some of the American elders to teach her because they are tall, blond, and beautiful.  I was dying.  Sorry Lindalva, you´re stuck with sisters.  But the elders from before are one of the main reasons they are interested in the church, so it´s ok!

 

This week, we also had lunch with Irmao Lemos, who is really cool!  He was a translator all his life for the Apostles and prophets, so he knows a ton of stuff.  He has us bring allllll of our questions and then we just have a little Q &A there.  It´s great--I learn a ton!  He also lives in this place called Cha Grande.  Holy cow, talk about beautiful.  I forgot to take pictures, dang it!  But I definitely will the next time we go there for lunch.  It´s another must-see for sure! 

 

In other news, I finally got rid of that awful grown-out bob that was on my head and cut my hair!  Again, I forgot pictures.  So I will send some next week.  Unfortunately, I look like a mom.  Dang it.  Hopefully it will grow out pretty and I will look 20 and not 40 soon.  Good thing I´m in Brazil and no one cares!

 

This week has been super rainy, which means that everything is GREEN and so beautiful!  I am really in love with this town....if only their hearts were a little softer!  Sister Rodrigues and I are doing really well together too now.  We started doing this thing where we say each others´ prayers.  For example, she prays for you guys and all my pals on the mission and the personal stuff I am working for, and I do the same for her.  It is a way of trusting each other with our personal lives.  It has helped a ton as far as patience goes, because we really put ourselves in the other´s shoes and have developed a lot of love.  Love me some revelation during Comp Inventory.

 

Well, that is about it for this week!  Hopefully something awesome happens next week that I can tell ya´ll!  Love you so much!

 

Love,

Sister Dana

We had a Baptism! (letter from February 10th)

Us with Tarcisio!

A prettier one of us with Tarcisio

Finally.  Good grief, it´s been almost a month and nothing!  But, we got to baptize Tarcisio yesterday and it was awesome.  Actually it was a mess, but no baptism is easy.  It was scheduled for 8am....and no one showed.  Tarcisio and Humberto, the guy who baptized him, were all there and ready for the baptism, but Tarcisio´s parents and basically everyone else were still not there.  So, we had to move it until after church.  Luckily, more people showed and everything was ok!  Tarcisio is a pretty big guy though, and Humberto is teeeeeeeny, so it was a good thing that we filled the font way high!  And Tarcisio´s parents showed up, so we are going to try and start working with them.  Hopefully that all works out.

Tarcisio with his dad and cousin, Dayane

Tarcisio with Humberto, who baptized him

I was pretty bummed about the baptism during church though, and the Bishop made the mistake of asking me to give a talk in sacrament meeting right when I was about ready to chew the whole dang ward out....we waited so long for the baptism that we didn´t have time to bring any of our investigators to church!  Oh I was so ticked!  But then right as I got up there, one walked into the room with her little son!  Paula came and I was so happy!  Turns out that she knows a bunch of the members and she even dreamed about the church before, so it was all ok!  I think that this was Heavenly Father telling me to calm down and remember who is really in charge.

We had another really cool exeperience this week with Claudia.  She is a single mom of 3 kids, and the younger two live at home with her.  They are adorable, and she is being really receptive to the gospel!  We had a reallyyyyyy good lesson about the Plan of Salvation, and then at the end we left a blessing on her house.  Now I feel like I know what it is like to have the priesthood, maybe.  As sisters, we can leave blessings on people´s houses because of our calling.  As I was saying a prayer, I could feel how much Heavenly Father loves her and is so proud of her and all the efforts that she has been putting forth.  It was like God was directly telling me what to say and what He wanted her to hear!  We were all crying and it was superrrrr cool, so if ya´ll want to pray for her this week, that would be great!

I have got to tell you guys about Sister Fortes.  She is HILARIOUS.  This is her first transfer, right?  So we all make good use of that and let her cook to her heart´s content every Pday!  She is soooo funny and just bursts into our room all the time singing opera or just doing somthing....strange.,  But she is super excited about everything, which is great!  I really do adore her!  Sister Rodrigues is doing well.  We butted heads a bit this week about some teaching things, but everything is working out ok.

Thanks for the pics of Mountain View!  Tell Cooper that I am sorry his school is not as good as mine.  I still love him though.  Also, don´t put this in the letter.  I replied to Jona last week because he had a baptism and it was cool!  And also because they are moving and I am sad!  Sorry if it got you some Brazilian wrath.  I know how that goes.  Isn´t it funny how i can still tick Norma off long distance?

Love you guys so much!  I was praying for Cooper all week this week.  Good to know it went well!   Have a good one!

Love,

Sister Dana

I drank a coconut!

Us two....how loverly:)

Week...who knows at this point?

Hey famdamily!  Sounds like you guys are all doing so well!  First things first, noooooooo!!!!  The DePaulas are moving?!  No!  Who will I speak Portuguese with?!  Dadgumit, I was so excited! Tell Norma: Por favor, esperar até pelo menos setembro??  Quero muito falar contigo!  Vou sentir tanta falta de voces!

 

Ok, other than that, good luck to Cooper on his talk and volleyball tryouts!  I had no idea that he even liked volleyball...oh well, learn something new every day!  Also I am sending out a mandate to everyone that reads this email to go look at Leslie´s pictures with dark hair because my best friend is pretty much the most beautiful missionary in the world.  Without a doubt.

 

Ok, so here!  Nothing really cool happened... welll, some cool stuff I guess.  First, sadness.  Maria and Luis dropped us because they really just don´t want to get married.  I think deep down in their hearts, they know that it is super weird to marry your cousins.  But that was really hard because they are such a beautiful family!  It is rough here sometimes because NOBODY keeps commitments very well.  They are always super welcoming and willing to listen when you knock on the door, but when it comes time to get their buns to church on the Sabbath...that is where we begin to have problems.  It is super frustrating as a missionary because you have to realize that they have agency.  Dang it.  But really, we can see all the potential that they have and then when they don´t want to make a few small changes, they give up everything.  It is really heartbreaking, to be honest!  But imagine how Heavenly Father must feel....probably a million times worse.  That is when I remember that we are really not alone in this work.

 

Good news!  Tarcisio will be baptized this week!  Yay yay yay!  Whew, that one almost didn´t happen.  We had a lesson with him last week and he goes, "Maybe I don´t want to be baptized yet. "  Ummm.  Why.  "I have a few things I want to do first...."  Yikes.  Sorry buddy, that one doesn´t fly.  So we fasted and prayed with him and talked a lot about true repentance, and then he decided that the time was now and he needed to just do it!  So he gave up all the garbage and will be baptized this weekend.  Please pray that the Lord will protect him!

 

Other than that, we had an awesome zone meeting this week with President and the Assistents.  I had about 45 minutes of an interview with President Lanius because I had tons of questions!  This is what happens when you study the New Testament.  But he cleared them all up, so it was really good!  Also, the Assistents gave a great training about using the authority and power of our calling and leaving blessings on peoples´ houses.  So now what we are doing are telling them immediately that we are representatives of Christ and saying a kneeling prayer with the whole family right of the bat.  We write down the stuff that they want to ask from the Savior.  It is really, really cool.  Hopefully we start having some success with this new technique!

 

Have a wonderful week, remember that I love you!  Also, I got letters this week!  Mom, the Christmas card....next year, you should not take pictures like that.  But it was a cool idea! 

 

Love love love you!

 

Love,

Sister Dana