Still in Janauba

OH my! Well, time flies when you´re having fun- so I guess that’s a good sign for me! This week has FLOWN by! This past week I hit my 6 month anniversary :s
Here on the mission we have mission LINGO. For example:
I was “born” in Alvorada, and my “mom” was Sis. Ferreira. Anyway, so yeah, the mission “bday” is all a part of the culture too (we had a cake with a candle even on Sis. Ferreira´s “bday” when we were there in Montes Claros the last transfer.)
But its so WEIRD! I still feel so NEW. So fresh into the field! But at the same time, I can see how I´m NOT. Not so much in the LANGUAGE (there has only been 6 WEEKS of my entire mission that I COULDN’T speak English.. so my Portuguese skills are.. well.. … awesome. . *shifty eyes*)
But I´m REALLY excited about this transfer for a few reasons. Leemmme list them:
-Im still here in janaúba!!!!!!!! I love janaúba!!! Even though it´s supposed to warm up now that summer is on its way (oh my..)
-I´m still with Sis. Sorenson!!!! I LoooooooOOOoove her!!! So I´m excited to continue working with her :D
-I realized Ive reached a point where I´m no longer LEARNING the “motions” the routine and whatnot of missionary work- so now it´s time for me to really give it all I´ve got and NOT let myself fall into just going through the motions. That´s something that I think Ive had problems with my whole life- just going through the motions. But I REFUSE to live that way any longer. I don´t care if the motion seems like it’s the same as yesterday- EVERY day is new- and EVERY experience and moment has SOMETHING new to offer! And there will ALWAYS be more for me to give- I just need to find it in myself to GIVE it.
I´m also SO grateful that I don´t have to leave our investigators right now. Whom I LOVE! OOOOOOh my goodness! There is a couple that we´re teaching that I think I mentioned last week (Juliana and Rodney), anyway they called us one day and said “Today is our wedding anniversary, and I don´t know how you celebrate it in America, but we were wondering if you´d like to come over and have some cake with us. We´re just having a very small get together with our very closest friends.” VERY CLOSEST FRIENDS! And they invited US! IT was so cute!! They´re talking about moving to the US in couple years, and I´m REALLY hoping they´ll be close to where ever I am at the time!! That would be SO awesome! Also, we´ve been working with this adorable girl Leila, who is SO rad. She´s such a gueirra! And after a WHOLE TRANSFER of Sundays gone wrong!!! She finally made it to church last Sunday –even though her daughter had chickenpox and her mom trying to get her to not go! It was fantastic.
The lessons this week have been –bah! I can´t even express the feeling. But really REALLY cool. The happiest feeling Ive ever felt in my life.
Unfortunately our recent converts Joaquina and Welligton aren´t doing so well. But we´re working really hard to help them understand the covenant they made. :/

So anyway, Im super excited for this transfer. Sis. Sorenson gave me a CD for my “bday” Cute huh? Have I mentioned lately how much I love this girl? Her sense of humor is PRICELESS. But more than that she just radiates such a solid, calming spirit. She´s a very good missionary. She´s very in tune with the spirit. It’s a huge blessing to be here with her. We did face masks the other night XD muahaha
OOOOOH I received a package from Papi/ Christina on Saturday!!!! THank you Thank you thank you!!!! It was SUCH a pleasant surprise! A. Because I wasn’t expecting it (I´m glad you didn’t tell me you were sending it, its funner to be surprised by the packages, the suspense of waiting for them kicks my butt) and B. Because I didn’t know I COULD get packages here! Woot! Apparently I can. So that´s good news. So letters (and packages if you want) can still go to the address I gave you a little while back (the Av. Saudade apt. 201, Bairro Saudade, Janaúba, MG 39440-000 brasil)

I ALSO received a letter from Halei Ludlow!! Thank you!! It was fantastic to hear from you! Unfortunately it JUST so happened to be the ONE day (really, this usually NEVER happens) that someone decided for WHOKNOWS WHY to wash the floors.
Which was great! Until I realized that the letter was ON the floor, consequently was soaked, and completely unreadable .
I took a picture, I´ll send it to you. But yeah, so thank you! But feel free to write me again (the chances of this happening again are slim to nothing because they NEVER wash the floors, it was a freak chance I promise.). Oh and thanks for the picture! XD

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**IMPORTANTE**************************************
I just wanted to point out that everyone should be working on their 72 hr kits and food storage! This world isn´t getting any better folks!!!
No, but really, I know it´s hard some times to budget food storage in, but I promise it´ll be 100% harder AFTER a natural disaster. Então- esforce!!

.. no but seriously.
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So, I wanted to shout out to my peeps, cause it feels like a million years since Ive talked to them- even though Im writing people every week (snailmail, gotta love it..)
Meg: Have I mentioned lately that I´m OBSESSED WITH YOU!! Christina is an ANGEL and mailed me a CD with pictures and a word doc of your BLOG!!!!!!!
YOU ARE AMAZING! Your tree is RAD! I love the softer world stuff…
and darling: DANG GINA! You´re stinking hot!! How are you so gorgeous!!! Oh! I miss you! Write me at my saudades address k pal? Sounds like life is going huh? Yeah mine too.. But I miss you tons, and I think/miss/talkabout/pray for you everyday. Tell your family I miss and love them too. Send me pics of Zoe. Don´t get TOO accustomed to life without me k :/


Anyway, I don´t have time to write everyone individually but I wanted a few people to know that even though I suck at writing, I still think about and miss and love you!!!
some- NOT ALL- but here are some
-Ashley Walton!
-Mark Johnson!
-Danny freaking Wilkins!
-Mr. E. Chavarria!
-Margaret!
-oooooooooooh and everyone from VF3!! Becca, Angela, Rachel, Ashley and Brittney, Nate, Chris, John, etc!
-Elizabeth and Lisa Delgado *yeah yeah, not Delgado anymore, but still
-Lisa, Michael and Daniel Carter!!!! I´ve been meaning to write you 3 for oh, 6 months now, but I don´t have any of your addresses anymore. Pode me dá?

And lots more, but yeah. I love you all!! I hope things are going well for everyone.

Oi! Como a gente está?

This week has been pretty darned good! Just for kicks I decided to take my alarm clock with me everywhere, because it has a thermometer in it, and I was curious as to what the temperature is these days. So we were teaching a lesson at 7pm, and Sis. Sorenson turns to me and asks what the temp is.
90 degrees my friends. INSIDE a house at 7PM. It was crazy! That´s just a peek at the heat here. It´s borderline hilarious some days. But strangely, my body is adapting! It doesn´t give me migraines anymore, and sweating buckets has become a way of life for me…
The other day we walked to a neighborhood that we call “no final do mundo” the end of the earth, because it is SO far away from everything! But it´s a rad little neighborhood. The reason I tell you this is because I was going to show you pictures. But this computer s me, so pictures will have to be next week. Which is too bad because I don´t know where I´m going to BE next week since next wed is TRANSFERS!!! Aaaaaaah!! I can´t believe how fast this transfer went by! Its just like Jacob said in Jacob 7:26 “the time passed away with us.. like as it were a dream…”
Has 6 weeks really gone by???
Anyway, last Saturday we had a baptism! Woot! His name is Welligton. He´s SUCH a good kid. He´s so friendly and happy, and just excited about life. The best part of the night was when he got out of the water, then he looked at Sister Sorenson and I and then made this motion with his hands implying that he felt all his sins wash away. I don´t even know how to describe it with words, but it was so AWESOME! He felt it! He felt the purification that comes from the healing waters of baptism. It was priceless. **this is where I WOULD insert pictures of the baptism, but alas, this computer has decided to reading USB ports..**
A few awesome scriptures that I read this week:
-Proverbs 22:6 Parent´s, this one´s for you!
Also, I had a thought;
So as a missionary we ask a lot of questions, to try and get to know the people, and find out what they´re searching for in life (and then show them how its found through the gospel of Jesus Christ! It sounds like a hard task, but in reality, everything leads back to Him, so it´s just awesome to see.) One of the questions we ask is “Que está faltando em sua vida para você ser mais feliz?” What is missing in your life for you to be more happy? And people USUALLY say something about Peace. That this world is “faltando muito paz” And it´s true. This world IS lacking a lot of peace. But looky here: D&C 59:23 If we want peace, we need to MAKE it.
Start with ourselves, our own homes, and then work to help those around us have more peace and love in their lives.
Oh my goodness, this morning I was reading in D&C 93, and it was amazing! I love the scriptures! But anyway, I realized the Lord´s commandments and guidance is given to us because we ASKED for it. We ASKED to become like Him, and He´s given us the recipe. It´s not variable, it´s not a guess or suggestion- it’s the facts. And its for OUR good! Think of this- someone says to you “So, you asked me for a chocolate cake, so now I´m requiring of you to eat this incredible chocolate cake I made for you.” And then being like “no, but I think I would be more satisfied with eating garbage. Yeah, this garbage on the street looks good..” That´s what we´re doing when we are refusing to keep the commandments. Not are we NOT getting what we want and what we asked for, but we´re getting NOTHING in the place of it.
We all have the potential of become gods. He´s given us all of the TOOLS and all of the INSTRUCTIONS and various teachers to guide us through every single step.
Its just our responsibility to DO it! It’s a very daunting task, its true, but the Lord has already promised that it is possible.
How incredible is that?
Or look at it this way. It like building a car engine.
Without the knowledge, tools, pieces and someone to help, it would be impossible. But supposed you DO use the tools, you use the teacher, but you decide to leave out a couple parts. Still good right? Or decide to throw some parts in of your own in place of the parts you don’t THINK are necessary… it´ll turn out better, right?

Anyway, I was just excited to see life so black and white.
So anyway, I´m in love with missionary work! And Pão de quijo…
And I love all of you!!! Bummer I missed the birthdays, but I was sending you both lots of hugs and love!! What an adventure life is huh? And how fun we get to celebrate our journey! Yup yup yup. Blah blah blah.. I just realized how very missionary I am. Just LOOK at that sentence! There is a song we listen to and sing like every day that says “we may not know the end from the beginning we may not comprehend all the Father has in store… there is joy in the journey, joy in the fight.. in struggling we fiiiiiiiiiiind, there is JOY!”
Its so true though. Every step of this life is meant to be enjoyed, because there is a beauty in learning. A beauty in stretching ourselves and finding our limits far behind us! Anyway. KLOVEYOUBYE.


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Bananaul!

Oi! A gente está bem?? Essa semana foi legal! Mas está fazendo 100 degrees esses dias, então, estou tendo algumas problemas. MAS! Não GRANDE problemas, sabe, só pequenas.
Basically I use an umbrella everyday, and carry a block of ice (aka my water bottle frozen) in my hand during the hottest hours of the day. They weren´t kidding though when they said Janaúba faz calor.
BUT regardless, I´m SO happy right now. So so happy. The other day I was feeling a little frustrated with some really small obstacles (to be honest it was trying to decide if I wanted to walk with in my heels from using my sandals, or walk with blisters on my ankles from using my shoes. Solution: Sis. Sorenson´s moleskin.. )
I wasn´t SAD, I was just trying to figure out how to make it work so it didn´t get in the way of the work. Anyway, the next day I was reading a story about some missionaries who´s trials were A MILLION times more than my little itty bitty ones!!! AKA:
ALMA and AMULEK! (alma chap. 14!!) And oh my goodness!!! It seriously humbled me so much! I´m SO thankful to be in the mission I´m in, in the area that I´m in, with the people I work with! Having taught people, and seen people accept the message- I can´t even imagine how hard it would be to watch those people be thrown into a fire FOR accepting it!!!!!!!!!! The people here are so amazing, so humble, so giving, so HAPPY! I love it! Even when they don´t want to hear our message they invite us in and feed us. The other night we were doing contacts, and Sis. Sorenson said “Oi! Boa noite, nos somos repre-“ and the guy said “Hi! Come in!” just smiling, a sweet little old guy, just sitting in his driveway. He had no idea what she was going to say, or who she was, but he just welcomed us in! We went back the next day with the Elders (they did a division with us) and he was such a sweet little old guy.
Anyway, point is, I´m extremely grateful for the blessings in my life- and the trials! Because the trials are when we learn the most.
Right now our investigators (that are the most firm) are Leila, Maíra and Welligton. Yesterday Leila and Maíra had their baptismal interviews (woo!) so that´s exciting. I love those s! Leila is 23, and she´s ELECT for sure. She´s so SO sweet. She has 2 adorable little s. We had a birthday party with them. (I´ll throw on some pictures) And Maíra is 16, and she´s in the brasilian equivalent of CAP. But she´s a very deep, very smart . Welligton is 15, and he´s a very happy guy, he´s already been taught by the elders, like 2 years ago, but he went on a vacation the week he was supposed to be baptized, so he never was. THEN he was living with his Dad, and his dad wouldn´t sign the paper to let him get baptized NOW. But then he moved in with his mom, who is all about it- SO! Woop! Its amazing how the Lord works!! I know without a doubt that the Lord very carefully prepared these people to hear His message- and what an amazing privilege to be a part of it!
The other night sis. Sorenson and I Were talking about how the world is in a lot of chaos (it all started with this random guy we contacted who when he was talking to us said something that I´d never thought of before- he said “the whole world is waiting to see who will be elected the next president of the United States.” And I realized its true. Crazy. Be wise when voting ok? Oh, but DO vote!!!! But pray for our leaders too. They need it.) and it was such a relief to know that I´m doing all I can to help DEMINISH the chaos in this world. What a priceless feeling.
Anyway, I just wanted to remind EEEEEEEEEEVERYONE to be working on food storage. I know it´s not always easy to save up food storage, but if there were any sort of a natural disaster, I guarantee it would be harder. SO! Trust in the Lord! *1 nephi 3:7!* He asked us by means of His prophets to have food storage, and that means there is a way for EVERY single person to have it! Vamos lá!
Oh, hey so you know that phrase “ignorance is bliss” I just wanted to make sure EVERYONE is aware, that THAT is false advertising! Observe: D&C 131:6
And then there is that other scripture in D&C that I cant remember now where it is, that says those who gain more knowledge in this life will have a greater advantage in the next life. SO! Use this time, this LIFE to learn as much as you can! The Holy Ghost is the BEST teacher and illuminator there is, so work to be worthy of that enlightenment WHILE doing all YOU can to learn!
Next thought: I just want everyone to think about this: Luke 12:32
****What does this mean to you? How does understanding this effect YOUR life?****

Ok, well one last thought that is completely unrelated to anything religious:
The other day I walked past a store and saw the CUTEST shirt that I wanted to get for Alex for his birthday- but I´m a missionary –aka broke, and without time to buy and send it. SO here´s the link so he can at least see my good intentions (it was on the tag)
http://www.zigzigzaa.com.br/ it’s a shirt that has a map of brasil and Portugal on it and says something about exploring or discovering. Its rad.
K well! I love you all, and miss you all looooooooooooooots and lots!!
**At lunch yesterday Elder Almeira and I were talking about how cool the Cure is.. oh, que saudades!***
Please email more pictures of just any and everything! I´d love to see M&M´s new place.
And MOM!!! Remember when I asked for the pictures of our house –the ones that are on my facebook? It´d be great to get those. 
KLOVE YOUALL! Byeee. Tchão

-tegan and sara are still in my head. it is AWESOME.

Pictures:
-"imagine" in portuguese.. sweet..

-Leila at her daughters birthday party that we threw! L to R:
Cyntia (leila´s cousin), Sandra (in back, she´s a member that came with us), Leila, Aisha (who´s birthday it was! woop! one year!) and Lara (who is five)

-Our service project this week (which I COMPLETELY forgot to mention! oops..) was at the BANANAUL!! We went to a banana jungle- if you will- and with big huge Scifes (sp?) cute off all the branches. and Ate lots of bananas. Then took a bunch home.. ooooh it was amazing. The bananas here are 10x better tasting than the ones there. Sorry pals.

- Elder Saucedo and Elder Barbosa chilling in the banana farmland.

-walking back after. Yay! It was a million degrees I´m pretty sure..

- This is the river that EVERYONE washes their clothes in. If you zoom up you can see a group of ladies washing their clothes. Its pretty surreal. I love this place.

Slumber Party!

HEllooooooooooo!

This week was kinda CRAZY! Sis. Sorenson and I went to Montes Claros from Thursday until Sunday!!! Because we had various conferences there with our zone as well as the district. So we slept over at the Sisters house there in Montes Claros! And when we didn´t have meetings we worked with them. It was way fun! It was cool cause the companionship there is Sis. Ferreira and Sis . de Souza. Sis. Ferreira and I were together my transfer, and Sis. De souza was in the CTM with me (Also she was with Sis. Sorenson last transfer) so it was kinda like a big slumber party (only no one goes to bed at 10:30 at slumber parties) It was way fun. While doing contacts one night Sis. Ferreira was like "my daughter! You´re growing up so fast! you speak!" haha
But I SERIOUSLY missed Janaúba. We were both relieved when we arrived home. The conferences were all really good too. ***right now the store across the street is playing “sweet child of mine” and i´m having SERIOUS guitar hero withdrawals..*** They talked about different ways to show reverence. Like, showing up to church early so you can listen to the prelude music (NOT to talk to the person on the bench behind you until the bishop stands up) and being wise about how you entertain your kids during sacrament meeting. Lots of good stuff. And how preparation for Sunday starts on Saturday night. Little things that make a big difference. It was fun to see Sis. Frei speak, even just since Ive gotten here her Portuguese has gotten better! She´s a gueirra.
We gave a special lesson to one of our investigators yesterday about the need for tribulations to be able to progress in this life. It´s really gotten me thinking about how important it is to HAVE trials, but not just HAVE them, to learn FROM them! (d&c 122:7-9 and 58:2-3 & mosiah 4:9 <- reeeeeead them!) More than all this, the perfection of how many trials we´re given. Because the Lord has promised that He´ll never allow us to have more trials than we can bear- but we have to TRUST in that promise! He is INCAPABLE of lying. That is a very very important thing to remember. Oh. I love being a missionary. That´s another thing that Ive been thinking about a lot lately: I LOVE being a missionary!!! I´m enjoying it now SO much more than I have the past transfers. I´m not EXACTLY sure what the difference is, but I know the Lord has blessed me with a better perspective of why it´s so awesome to be a missionary. Every moment is SO precious! I´m just happy.

OH! Hey, so I just wanted to thank everyone who contributed to the packages I received! Everything is fantastic, and I´ve already put everything to good use!! Thank you thank you! Oh mom, as far as packages go though, I think they have to be sent to the office rather than to the apartment.
Hey congrats to Diane! I´m excited for your new adventure!
Elliott! That is a GIANT catapiller! You´ll have to photoshop Georgie into latest family picture. I´m so proud of you for letting him go though! You´re such a good kid! I miss you tons!
OH******** thank you thank you mom for sending pictures! I don´t know what it is about pictures, but Ive been obsessed with pictures for as long as I can remember, so it was particularly satisfying to receive. I also enjoyed alex´s tooth (I cant believe I´m missing that adorable front-toothless phase! Take lots of pictures…)
Well that´s about it. Now that I have this rad USP picture thing, I´ll slap some pictures on here  Woot! I love and miss you all tons!

pictures:
-"punks not dead" and this is why I love brasil.

-Janaúba sunsets!!! The best in the world!

-one of my doodles that I was asked to make for an elder

-Janaúba center street! woot! I love this town

-Joaquina´s baptism! I don´t know what my hair is doing, so don´t mind that..
But from right to left: E. Saucedo, Eu, Joaquina, S. Sorenson, E. Barbosa.


[Hey mom, you didn´t mention anything about the colored pencil refills. Is that a possibility, for you to send that over here, do you think? Lemme know.]

peek-a-boo!