Transfers

sigh*
Well!!! Here I am sitting at Montes Claros on a Thursday morning. Why you ask? Because I just drove 11 hours down to Belo Horizonte and then turned around and drove 8 hours back then MISSED the bus back to Janaúba, so now we have to wait for the next one.  which SUCKS because that means our day is DESTROYED and I have a BILLIONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN things to do before 5pm tonight, there in Janaúba.. bah.. Anyway.
So. That’s why I’m writing on Thursday instead of Wednesday (being that I was on a bus until 7:30 in the morning, then in a meeting until noonish- then waited at the bus station until we got on the bus again from 2:30 until 12 at night, there just wasn’t time to jump in a internet cafe..)

The transfer meeting was a blast though. Its always a bit chaotic because everyone is there seeing old friends (past companions and members of past districts or zones) so everyone is REALLY hyper. Its fantastically fun. We don’t even do anything extra ordinary, we just get there, wait for the meeting to start, then after the meeting say goodbye. But its always really fun. I was grateful they let me go all the way down to BH, usually the sister that isn’t getting transferred has to stay up in the north with a sister in the ward or something. So I’m glad.

BUUUUUT!!! I’m sad to see Sis. Sorenson go! I can´t believe how fast 4 ½ months go! It feels like we´ve been best friends for years, not just a few months. But I´m excited for her. She´s such an incredible person, it´d be a shame to not share her with multiple countries. It was SO cute to see the branch members say goodbye though. They LOVE her! They gave her presents, and some of them bawled their eyes out. It was really sweet.

My new Companion is Sister Lima. She is from a state that I don´t know how to spell, so I´m not even going to try, but she´s from the north of brasil. She´s ADORABLE. I´ve only had a few hours with her but I can tell already she´s going to be a BLAST to work with. She´s JUST what Janaúba is needing! And me too! christina, I think you would like her, her spunk reminds me of yours.

oh crap, I just realized I have 5 more minutes. ENTÃO
This past week has been amazing! You´d think that Sis. Sorenson would be trunkyville- but she was still just as focused as ever on the work. In fact, I think she gave more in that last week than usual. She´s incredible. Anyway, so I´d LOVE to tell you about Maria (Feliz as we like to call her) and her family and their progression- but I´ll have to next week.
AND MORE!!! But quick shout outs:
-GWEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you xAbillion for the christmas package!! I´m especially fond of the christmas tree!!!!! You are the BEST!!! I miss you like my right arm! (were I ever to lose it..) Give all the boys my love, and a big hug for you and richard as well!!
- THHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AANK you thank you thank you Christina for sending me the blandon´s blog!!! I Love you!
- Danny! Thanks for thinking of me! I miss you pal! Melhores!
-Wendee! Thanks for sending me the pic, it didn’t work to see it,but I´ll look at it next week.
K! Love you all!!! Até semana que vem!
-Sb

Suzie's Christmas Message

How can I even begin to express the awe that I feel when I soak in the reality of the birth of Jesus Christ. Growing up in the Church I had the advantage of understanding the true purpose for christmas- but with all things, there is always a higher uderstanding to be learned.Here on the mission I have the great opportunity to see first hand the light that Christ brings to each and every person that lets Him into their lives. My testimony is strengthened daily as I invite people to come unto Christ. There are various ways to express one´s faith in Christ- but the fact of the matter is, faith in Christ isn´t just a belief, it´s a way of life. I´m learning that the power of the atonement truly is the cure to all that is unjust in this world. I know that Jesus is the savior of the world. He is our brother, He is our King. He worked diligently to be prepared for His great calling- before His birth, and throughout His life- and I have no doubt He is working diligently today to bring to pass the works of the Father. Let us follow His example. Let us be as diligent and obedient as He! (John 13:15)I´m grateful for the opportunity to remember and commemorate the greatest gift God has ever given us- His son Jesus Christ.The way, the truth and the light. Jesus Christ truly is the only way to return to the Father. He has given us all the we need to return- let us take advantage of it! At this wonderful time of year, let us remember, and really soak in WHO Jesus Christ is our own lives. My challange to each and every one of you is to take time to study and search the scriptures to reach a higher level of understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ.I bear this my testimony that He lives, and He will return to reign upon this earth. These are the last days! I know He loves me, and I know that as a representative of Him, He is with me.In the sacred name of my Lord and savior Jesus Christ, amen.

the Pros and Cons of Rain

OI!Well, here I am again. GEez time is flying! I can´t believe this week went by so fast! The rain season ended yesterday, I do believe. It was beautiful seattle weather before, but yesterday was hot and sunny again. Which is fine, I like hot and sunny (I just like cloudy and rainy a little more..) And interesting thing here, is you can tell the weather by how it FEELS outside. For instance, last week when there was a couple hours of heat, we could just FEEL the humidity, and then we knew it was going to rain that afternoon. Depending on how humid and hot it was we could estimate how bad it was going to rain. It was pretty cool! That’s also why we know its NOT going to rain today- because its hot again, but not humid. Yup.So how can I capture this week? It’s been a roller coaster. (*How often do I use THAT to explain my week??*) It was a fantastic week, with wonderful moments- mixed with a few trials. The activity last week was fun, its kind of hard to explain though. I’ll explain it when I can send pictures with it, it’ll make more sense. The weather has had it’s pro-s and cons Pro: we don’t get sopping wet with sweatCon: We get sopping wet with rain. (I prefer the rain though..)Pro: Its not so unbearably hot that I have trouble thinking.Con: Its SO muddy, I have to pay a LOT of attention to where and how I’m walking.Pro: The clouds are BEAUTIFUL! And the sunsets are unsurpassing.con: sometimes I miss the stars at night, or the incredible blue sky here.
Anyhow, so fabiana is pretty much INCREDIBLE!!! Let me explain a little why..Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday all the mom’s here in janaúba go and get free milk from various places *depending on where they live* and so all the moms know each other, and wait in the line together. WELL, apparently ALL the girls waiting in line MAKE FUN of Fabiana and laugh in her face, because she got baptized. But she just responds “No one made me do this, I got baptized because I wanted to- because God told me it was right.” And then just ignores them! I’m SO proud of her! We’re working really hard to help her whole family! Her husband and dad said they’d go to church with us this Sunday, and we’ve been teaching them the lessons, so I’m excited for her. It breaks my heart though to think of these people- and some of them are girls we’ve taught ourselves! I can’t even explain how sad this makes me. Why do people have to criticize others for their beliefs? Isn´t conviction to a good cause- whether you agree that it´s the “right” road to take or not- isn´t that better being void of conviction at all? In any case, I´m happy for Fabiana, that she not only is firm in her decision, but that she´s having the opportunity to fight for it. Last Friday we taught a lady who said something very profound- but simple. Something that we all know, but if we sit and think about how true it is, it could change our lives! She said As coisas que vem facil, vai facil. Translated it doesn´t flow quite as well, but still, it’s the concept that´s important: “The things that come easily will leave easily.”So the things that we have to really fight for, the things that we had to WORK so hard for- those are the things that will stay with you- and the things that came without any effort or any work, those are the things in your life that will slip away unnoticed. Forgotten. That´s why it´s so important to fight for what we believe in- because if we don´t, we´ll never even know WHAT we believe. Like Paul teaches to the romans (Romans 5: 1-5) tribulations are what develop our capacity to endure all things with hope. [Hope: an unshakable trust in the Lord and optimistic outlook on life regardless of what the world is telling you – because of your faith in Christ.] Its THROUGH our experiences that we gain that capability- because if we didn’t have those opportunities we COULDN´T develop that aptitude, and we´d be left HELPLESS at every bump in the road. Anyway, so yeah. It´s a battle. But it´s one worth fighting. Though, like every battle, we are fighting for the victory- thankfully, the Lord is on our side, and will show us how to win. Not without doing our part of course! Monday I was reading in D&C and found a really cool scripture: D&C 103:36 “All victory and glory is brought to pass unto you through YOUR diligence, faithfulness, and prayers of faith.” So, I may not know what battles YOU are fighting, but I´m 100% sure that those three things will help you be victorious in your own personal “battlefield” Diligence is such a profound concept though- one that is worth studying thoroughly.
Fun fact: Sis. Sorenson and I decided to be each other today. SO I´m wearing her clothes/hair style (which is suspiciously like mine.. a tight bun on the back of my head.)/ make-up (just mascara.) and she is wearing my clothes/hair style/make-up.We took a picture and tried to stand/smile like each other. Haha, it´s fun. … and funny.Anyway, I´ll send those pictures someday.Well that´s it for now. Next week I´m not sure when I´ll write because it´s transfers, but I´ll write SOMEtime, in any case.love love love- sbps- sis. Sorenson started playing “oh bla dee oh bla da” by the beatles on the piano the other day. Yeah, she just went up like 10 notches on my cool list. Also, yesterday the padaria (bakery) outside our apartment was playing “fidelity” By regina nice and loud :D it was delicious.Mk. That’s all.

Pictures

Christmas

Today is our equivalent of Christmas. Fun huh? I’m personally excited. Pday ends at 8:30 today instead of 6! I don’t even know what to think of it! This week has been really good! The rain is still keeping us up to our knees in mud (ok, not literally, but there really IS a lot of mud.. I person find it fun… Until we have to go INSIDE someone’s house.. :s ) Last Saturday we had a really fun activity in the church. It was “O Melhor Prato”. So everyone in the branch was invited to make a dish and then they were judged and given prizes. It was a LOT of fun. Us missionaries were the judges :D So it went like this: us four sat at a big table at which, the 5 entries were placed. *it was raining, so pretty much no one came.. it still turned out well though.* Then which each entry, the person who made it would come up and explain what and how they made it. 2 of the entries I have to tell you what they said (not that the others weren´t great, but these ones are note worthy I suppose.) 1. Nicalou. He came up and explained the dish like this: “I made a dish of beans (then explained how he made the beans) and rice (then the rice) and then there is a layer of sausage (which he explained how he cooked it) and then I made a side that has just eggs, because there are some people that don´t eat meat.. so I made some eggs, and then a layer of lettuce and tomato.” It was SO CUTE! You have to understand, this is the sweetest little guy! He lives by himself and has a gas stove (note, NOT oven, because he doesn’t have an oven) with ONE burner. Do you even know how long it would take to make all of that on ONE burner? And the fact that he made me eggs! Oh! It was so sweet. 2. Ivan came up and pulled his bread out of the bakery bag.. haha. He obviously just went to a local bakery and bought some bread. He said “I was going to make something sweet, but the place where I went to go.. make.. it… didn´t have any.” Haha
Anyway, I took pictures, and as soon as the memory card gods don´t hate me any more and I can figure out how to take my pictures OFF the card- I´ll send you some.
Oh, on Wednesday we had thanksgiving! The memory card gods only hate sis. Sorenson half the time, so here are some pictures from her camera:
some fun facts (because Im out of time and wanted to share these things, they aren´t in great detail like I wanted them to be)- The constitution was established by God (so to go against it.. bad idea..) D&C 101:80-please look up and read, if possible make a FHE of: The talk by Jeffery R. Holland from the may 2004 ensign titled “abide in me”-I don´t remember why, but apparently I wrote down and wanted to share 2 Nephi 31:13-21.. so go read that (please)-please read the talk by Bishop Keith B. McMullin, titled “lay up in store” in the may 2007 ensign *mom especially you k? please do a fhe of this. And pay close attention to the section “lay up in store” on page 52 :D*-the time difference here is 5 hours, btw
K THAT’S ALL! I´m sorry I don’t have more time to write everyone this week! Today is a crazy day! I love you all!Special shout out to:Wendee! Thanks for the pic! It was delicious!Becky! I love you!Christina! Where is this week´s blog?!? And I´m so so so sorry I haven’t had time to write you back! Next week I promise I´ll write!
KLOVEYOUBYE!
pix3. Christmas glee!6. thanksgiving goodness16. the beautiful streets of janaúba