10-7-13

    omylanta I dont even know where to start this letter! My week has been soooo busy! We got to work 1 day in our area this week and we were able to baptize. the Lord really is looking out for us! We were in another area doing divisions with oher sisters, and then Thursday we had a leadership council meeting! It was suuuper good!!! Sis and Pres Hart...l love them to death!

   They did a training and used the analogy with the movie miracle. It was really what I needed to hear. The coach said that he wasnt looking for the best players, but the right players. He watched and studied these boys for a looong time and knew them all so well that he didnt need any help picking his team. They said that the same thing with the Lord and us. We are here because the Lord picked us to be here! We arent the best missionaries, but we are the right ones. I really liked that! and I thought of tiesh the whole time cuz I remember we watched miracle on a Sunday night cuz it was still Sunday we were making gospel connections the whole way thru haha its tieshas fault we watched it on Sunday..shes older and I was a young impressionable kid at the time :) hahaha jk

We watched conf in english! We were at the house of jacira and they watched it on the big screen in portuguese and we were in the other room listening in english! conference wassooo good! I went with a list of a few questions and claro...er of course they were all answered! It was a really good conference! I loved what Pres Monson said that it was one of the most inspirational conferences that he’s been at. Wow! But its true..today I’ve felt so inspired I wrote about 6 pages today talking about who knows what!

  I know that Thomas S Monson is a true prophet.I feel the spirit SO strong when he talks. I am so grateful that we have a prophet to lead and guide us today. Alan, our baptism, was saying that if we didnt have a prophet, how would the church be. He really was prepared!!! haha

   I love you all sooo much and know that this gospel is true!!! I know the Lord knows each and every one of us. One thing that really touched me is the story about the grandma who was going to visit her grandson in prison an she prayed an asked why am I going thru this, why is he doing this when I have tried to be so good, and the answer came that the Lord gave him to her because she would and could love him no matter what he did. that really struck me. kids really are chosen to be with the parents that would love them no matter what.

Give everyone a HUGE hug for me!!!

Sister Benedita

 

ps did I tell you we met this guy, his nickname is pool and he as a cemetary at his house that he built with dolls haha hes sooo funny! He watched conference with us and I really wana baptize him hahaha

 

oyah its also getting hot here so its kinda funny I wake up not knowing what color my hairs guna be or shade of tan ill be hahah its kinda funny!

 

 

9-30-13

I am here in santo estevão! and acually we dont hardly stay in our area! This week were working only 1 day here because of conference! We have splits tomorrow and the next day and then Thursday we have our leadership mtg. so just Friday we have to work cuz Sat and Sunday is conference! 

We had a baptism of Eric on Saturday. Do you remember the lil kid that I just love here, who cant walk right...well he was baptized on Saturday! and also we have been working with this kid binho! He was taking the lessons from the sisters before but never had the desire to be batized...well he was baptized Saturday too!!! I was so excited! Erica and I sang and played guitar for them! 

I am sooooooooo tired alllll the time! We had zone conference and we did splits in feira. The same area that I passed before haha I love being able to stay in the areas that I passed. I feel so blessed. I will have spent 1yr in the same stake, the same zone!!! haha kinda cool huh!

Not much has happened this week. Its super corrido and the time is just flying by!!!

I love this church, I love this gospel. I am so grateful to have had the examle of a great family! Thank you all so much

bjs

sis benedita

 

ps....word to the women in the house...don’t cook when your extremely tired! I burnt rice, popcorn and cookies hahaha its so sad when your tired and just wana sleep but hungry and so you try to cook, affff! 

 

 

9-23-13

One thing I’ve learned here, that sometimes the Lord has a plan for us that we just dont understand. We just need to have faith that the Lord knows what He is      doing...even if we dont like it at the time!!!

      The correios...umm post office! The post office is on strike here, actually the banks are too! how cool right........GAH! but anyways I havent got the package yet, and dont even bother to send one for Christmas haha I probably wont even get it till like January or Feb! its crazy to think that Christmas is coming up...again! I havent even really thought about it till today! the mission is just flyin by..dont like it one bit!

   Im in santo estevão..and actually its an area I already passed with a companion I already had :) sister stewart...shes the 1st American companion I had, shes from cedar city! I’m sure I already sent pics of her! We were in feira 1 going to santa estevão because had a few members there. Well its cool that I’m back there and in santa estevão right now!  Theres about 20 members in this city, we have our meetings in a house and the neighbors like to blast their music on Sunday morning! but its good! The hardest thing there is that nobody goes to church Sunday! They are reading, praying, they know its true, but when Sunday rolls around...nada!  also we only spend 5 days there! We travel Tuesday and Wednesday!

Sister leader is basically doing divisions with the other sisters! We have about 12 areas that we do divisions! so I get to sit on an on a bus forever every week....im soooooo loving it (NOT!) but I do like to visit the other areas! I feel truly blessed for the areas that I passed thru! also ima spend 1yr in the same stake and the same zone! how crazy is that hahhaha

I’ love yall so much and I’m so grateful to represent the Savior Jesus Christ! We were watching finding faith in Christ and it just touched me so much! everything that He went thru..for what end. Everything He did, He did because He loves us. I want to have that kind of love and preocupação for people!!!

love you all soooo much

bjs
sister benedita

 

 

ps did i mention in my area that all we have are Baptists, hardcore TJ and catholics....its reallly fun to do contacts............

 

 

9-16-13

 

 

so this week is super short...transfer days! Im geting transfered...but I already knew that. Ever since I picked Sis Mann up at the airport I knew I wasnt going to finish her training! But Im going to santa estevão...another area I had already visited a lot! Im going to be in the same stake..still haha but Im stoked. Im super sad to leave, I loooove serrinha. but I feel like Ima return here! I want to at least!! But I love you all.

 

This week was so filled with miracles. We had a less active that we’ve been workin with for 5 months to go to church...well he came Sunday! I cried! We had 105 people at church!!! I was tickled I was sooo happy!!! that’s a lot of people for us!

love you so much!

 

bjs

sis benedita

 

ps did I mention Im going to be a sister leader trainer and Im going to be with sis Stewart!! We were already companions and I love her to death!!!

9-9-13

mama!!! omylanta about tiff. You know in a funny sorta way I knew she was in the hospital. I dreamt the other night I was with her and we were visiting someone in the hospital who was really sick.. actually it was summer dunn! She was super sick and we were visiting her!! golly I feel so connected with yall sometimes!!! I hope she gets better!!

 This week has been a crazy one! so I explained that serrinha is a cowboy  town right. Well this weekend was vaquejada...or a big huge rodeo!!! We had to be in our house at about 6 every night from Thursday to Sunday...we didn’t even leave the house Sunday! But Thursday was FILLED with horses! I’ve never been in a town where I saw more horses than cars!! haha loved it!! I love horses!!!

I don’t understand why parents let their kids go to parties and let them do bad things but when it comes to church and following Christ and being baptized they want nothing to do with nothing! gah it’s so frustrating!!! 

            We did our play!! mama it’s on youtube!! look up apresentação das sisters!! its SOOOO funny! I sent some pics of the play. actually all the pics are on the other chip at raianes house..  so later ill get em to ya!

um I’ve been studying a lot about death. seems like that’s ben the topic of the week for me! had a lot of people asking about death and what’s going to happen and stuff..   I really got a deep love for this gospel! These people think that death is the end...how depressing is that!!! I went to the cemetery this week and on almost all of the headstones said "saudades eterna"...or eternal misses! I was just like man...how depressing that these people don’t even know that their loved ones are on the other side just rejoicing and waiting to see them again!!! I’m so grateful for this gospel!

Other than that this week has been...tranquil! Nothing really big happened this week..  that I remember at least! oh! they finally got a subway here in serrinha(thats a huge deal!) so we ate there today..soooo goood!!!!! 

 I love you tons! this mission is flying by so fast I don’t even have time to register anything!!!! but I love yall

love love love yall

sis benedita

So raiane was doing 2 months as a member right...well we were a lil short with money...so we bought a guinea pig!!(its waaaaay cheaper than to make a cake!) so we surprised her with it haha she loooooved it! she loves animals and so it was all okay to get her another pet hahahaha

 

ps...theres this lil girl here at the lan house that won’t stop staring at me hahahaha oooh and put our video on facebook haha its soooo funny!!!!

ps did I say we were having transfers here next week!!!! and who knows if I’m going to  stay and finish the training of sis mann! so who knows if I’ll still be here! I hope so I love serrinha!

ps Sunday... was SO empty because of the 4 day rodeo! we had about 30 people...maybe! and I gave a 20 min on the spot talk haha they were starting the sacrament mtg and the counselor came up to me..oi sister...think ya can give a talk right now? missionaries are always prepared right....sure think gilson!!! lol but it was good!!!

 

9-2-13

You asked about ipads......HAH! you are just too funny huh mama! we dont even get cars or bikes out here...i really doubt were guna get ipads! wow thats too funny.....ipads on the mission! I’m blessed to even have a lukewarm shower in our house! and thats only cuz we bought a showerhead!!!! We probably won’t get ipads..it’s too dangerous! 

but aside from that....We had 3 baptisms that fell and I hit my 1 year mark...I shed alot of tears this week. I was super stressed....it was a realy rough week for me. you just learn to love the people here and 

 .....isabellis readin my letter right now and she doesnt understand anything that im writing!...ok jk she understands a little bit :) 

 but anyways, I love isabelli to death. She is 13 ad loves the church. she reminds me alot of how i was!....you know really quiet and doesnt do anything...like me right :) haha just kidding but I just love their family so much and want them to be a family forever! After we got home that night the other sisters had made me a cake...ok it was like a lasagna type thing they put rice paper over it of the disney princesses and sang to me!

 but all is well! I’m still here in serrinha and I’m still kickin! I feel like I’ve gotten so much closer to the lord this week. I know the lord gives us trials to make us humble so we can become strong! (éter 12:27)

what else happened...

-oh the lights went off the whole nordeste!!! all of bahia was withouot light! we had to come home at 1730! it was so pretty the -sky without any lights..nossa! 

-we bought a guinea pig for raiane!! They are so cheap here! its cheaper to buy a guinea pig than to make a cake hahaha

 I know the spirit puts in our hearts what we need to say! I have experienced the power of the Spirit this week. There were a few times I was talking with someone and thinking...oman its totally not me talking right now!!! I know the lord knows what these people need better than I do!

Oh yah to put a cherry on the icing of my really rough week I found out Sunday that if we dont reactivate peopole here in serrinha, the wards going to turn back into a branch....how sad...gosh I’m so drained of energy! I’ve went through every emotion every day this week!!

but I love yall so much!!!

sis benedita

ps..were puttin on a play at a school about the independence day of brasil (7setembro13!) its guna be SO funny!!!

 

8-26-13

8-26-13

omylanta...I just wrote a big ole gooshie letter and ...errrr idk where it went..ok...breathe hahaha ok! I’ll try to remember what I wrote!!! I am in love did I tell you that  :) I’m in love I’m in love and I don’t care who knows it!!!(name that movie)  I am in love with my life!!! I am just so filled with this outward love for everything! I have been really praying this week to have more love for the people and more love to want to help them out! it’s been a struggle for me still adjusting to a companion that doesn’t talk a whole lot. I’m learning the importance of a companionship and how one really helps the other!! I feel like I’m giving a whole lot more in the companionship and well that’s to be expected, my dear child doesn’t speak portuguese haha but she’s really coming along, she’s understanding a lot more and speaking a lot more!!!! she’s a doll!

So I was saying that we have a baptism today, she’s 8 and just a peach!!! she’s super smart and her mom isn’t a member but her aunt is,(farildes) and she’s actually related to viviane(other baptism)! but super stoked bout that! ima make a lime cake for her! I made it for viviane and she tried it and relay liked it! so ima do it again!!! um what else.

 oh isabelli, she’s the cutest lil thing! she’s 13 and really likes church and the bom. só que her mom and fam is hardcore baptist and really closed off when we talk to her. and she thinks we worship josé smith(lota people think that too!) but I just love them to pieces! I really think the lord is giving me that gift to love, because normally I would have not tried like I am with this mom to even open the book! Which she did the other day, miracle! her dad is less active and is uninterested!(I think that was a portugese-english word right there!) it frustrates me when there are people that sit there and tell you in your face that they don’t want to hear anything because they’ve already "researched" our church. I ask them have you read the bom?...no. have you gone to church....no. then you have no idea what this church is all about. if you’ve never read the bom or gone to church. if you’ve never prayed about this church then you have no idea. it’s so important to read the bom! if you want a testimony, read the bom. if you want to know, read the bom. but anyways......

          idk what else I was wanting to tell you...I love you!!!!! I feel so incredibly blessed to be a missionary and to be a part of this gospel! I’m doing 1 year here in about 3 days, I don’t feel prepared to already hit 1 year! I haven’t changed enough, I haven’t done enough! crap!!! but it really goes by so dang fast! were already halfway thru our transfer and I don’t even know hardly anything about my comp I feel like haha but we have grown so close! I really feel like the Lord put her in my life right now to help me! I feel so blessed to be her companion!

I love you so so so so so so much!!!! its crazy to think illl talk to you face to face in 6 months! how crazy is that! tell the family I love them and pray for them every day! I love you all!!! I know the Lord is in charge!

there’s no way this church can’t be true!

love sis benedict