Brasil - Week 15

Week 3 of Transfer 3

Tuesday- We had lunch with Elisangela who is from Northern Brasil and because S. Freitas is too Elisangela made northern food. It was good but it is stronger than the food here. I couldn't eat a lot at all! But S. Freitas had 2 plates full!! And after we ate we were talking and S. Freitas told me that we need to give the message and leave fast because she wasn't feeling well. So I gave the message and then Elisangela told us to relax a while and then she would drive us to our next appointment. So when we left S. Freitas told her to drop us off at Ana's house so she did and then left and S. Freitas knocked on Ana's door and when she opened it S. Frietas told her "Ana can we come in I think I will throw up." So we went in and I got a wet rag and put it on her face and Ana had a fan blowing on her and then a while later she threw up. Needless to say we didn't work that day. But its kind of funny because she is from the North and can't handle the food and I am not even from Brasil and I do just fine. I guess I have a stomach of steel. A Tori stomach! ;) haha!!

 Wednesday- We had a district meeting and after we were about to leave the church when I saw this young man looking at the church and the sign that says the visitors are welcome and the hour for church, so I'm like "Sister lets go talk to him!!" seriously though 6 missionaries and nobody is already out the door to talk to him! So I went and S. Freitas started talking to him and he told us that he passes the church often and when he woke up this morning he felt like he should go look at the church. It was total inspiration that we met him!! So we invited him to enter the church to see the inside and then we told him that tonight youth will get together and play soccer and he is welcome to come and we also got his address to visit. So later that night he came to the church for soccer and we met him there and grabbed a member and we taught him the 1 lesson and we invited him to be baptized and he agreed but started crying said that he has a lot of problems he needs to work out before baptism. And we told him that we will help. He is a good kid.

 Thursday- So we went to visit Leandro (see Wednesday) at his house and his aunt that he lives with told us that he left this morning to spend the weekend with his parents in a different city. And she isn't completely sure if he will come back. :( We then went to visit Cinta and she was at her house!! She is NEVER home!!! And her mom was home too!! So we went to their house and Cinta let us in and we started talking to her mom and Cinta went to another room and a while later came out in her school clothes grabbed her shoes and left!! :( We had no time to teach her again!! But we taught her mom!! Woo hoo! We then went to the house of a new member for a family night and we brought Maria(Cinta's mom) with us! It was really good. :)

 Friday- So today didn't really have very many interesting things that happened. But we did meet and teach this one lady who has already heard the missionary lessons. She is cool and is maybe ready to hear about the church again. :) Buuutttttt she goes to a different church where her son is an apostle......

 Saturday- So today we talked to Cinta turns out she is sick.......but she still wants to be baptized so we called our District leader and he met us at her house did her interview and she will be baptized Sunday!! Nossa. We only taught her 2 times and she is sick but the Lord definitely has a plan!! And later that night we went to a church activity where they talked about family history! It was cool...but only because I like family history.... ;)

 Sunday- Cinta was baptized today!!!!!! :D It was sooooo great and her mom bawled!! I have faith that her mom will be baptized too one day! :) Also today S. Freitas got her Patriarchal Blessing!! :) It was really cool and because I am her companion and we cant be alone I got to stay with her. But even if I could have left her alone she wanted me there because she said that your companion is the only family you have on the mission. And its so true. :)

 Monday- Close to everyone in our Zone went to this part member family's house in my area for lunch. They are really cool. The parents aren't members but the mom, Jo, treats all missionaries like her own children. :) She is really great. :) Most of the Elders call her mom. :) And she really like S.Freitas and I and always asks why we can't spend the night at her house. Haha. But we told her its because we have rules and so she called Elder Horn (he is the pres. assistant for Motto Grosso do Sul and was in Pioneiors for like 9 months so he knows everybody!) and fussed at him because he won't let us stay with her. Haha. :)
--

Sister Emma Marion

 

Month 4 in Brazil

Emma did not label her pictures, so I'm assuming these are the elders in her district.

Cinta's baptism - Pioneiros

 

Brasil - Week 14

Week 2 of Transfer 3

 

SOO 
Tuesday- We had interviews with President Reber. He is so great!! He really cares about us! He is like our "mission dad" and Sister Reber our "mission mom" They are both wonderful, caring people!!! And it was really good to talk to them!! Oh and when my companion, S. Freitas , went to talk to Sister Reber I went with her and translated!!! It was awesome!!!!!! :D
Later we were at our house and we heard someone singing in English and my comp. asked if she was singing right and I said yes and so S. Freitas said, "speak English to her!!" So I did and turns out she doesn't speak English! hehe but S. Freitas asked if we could visit her and so we did and taught the 1st lesson and she said yes for baptism!!! She is reallly great!! Her name is Cinta!
Then we went to the house of Hellen, she is 11 and really smart. We taught her about the Book of Mormon and she also said yes for baptism!! Then we went to the house of a new member and she wants us to start teaching her husband!! It was a great day!! 
 
Wednesday- We had a zone conference. My zone is really cool!! But we only have 2 sisters and a LOT of Elders..... After, we had lunch like normal and then we went with (Aidil) and Tânia (wife of Cinésio, who is prego) to do their visiting teaching haha. But it was good to meet more members and also Tânia gave us a person near by to visit! 
 
Thursday- We went with Ana (member who is 16 and wants to serve but parents aren't members and don't really want her too) and visited 2 families but they don't want to be part of the church so we had to drop them.....:(  We visited Marcia and taught her husband, who said he would read the Book of Mormon and pray!!! :D
We then went to the bus stop because I left to do a split with S. Luca in Jardim Imá!! (Emma's last area)
 
Friday- I was in Jardim Imá today!! Woo hoo!! It was good to be back. We had lunch with the Bishop and his family!! They are really great!! But the whole time I was thinking about Pioneiros!! Its amazing how fast your thoughts can change when you are held responsible for a people. But it was really good to visit, especially with S. Luca! :) I then returned that night and was really exhausted from the whole week. Yeah it was great. :)
 
Saturday- So today we had lunch with Irmã Maria who actually has 2 sons serving right now and we ended up staying at her house and talking to her until 3 (lunch started at 12...) we then caught the bus and went to the church for the baby shower of Tâina. It was really cool! They have this game (I have a pic) where they blindfold the mommy to be and then give her presents and she guesses what the present is and who brought it and if she gets it right she can open it but if not whoever gave it to her gets to draw on her with makeup.... its was funny! :) They also have some really cute snacks!! :) After that we went to visit Marcia and her husband but he left before we got there and went to a bar to drink and refused to leave. She was reallly sad. So we sang a hymn with her and read scriptures with her. Its all we really can do. :/

Sunday- So we called Cinta to go to church with us and she said, "oh and my mom wants to come to!" So logically we said no problem!! So we all went to church together and then afterward we visited them at their house and the mom(Maria) told us that she prayed during Sacrament that her boyfriend would call her because they are having problems and they haven't talked in a while and then she said that as soon as they left church he called her. It was soooo great she absolutely loves the church and Cinta(her daughter) too! And Maria was talking to us and was telling us that she has a son who lives in Teresina and so when she was going on and on about how great the church is going to be for her daughter. I told her "I have a friend who lives in Teresina and if you think it would be good for your son I can pass his address to my friend." And she was all like oh yes!!! He needs this blah blah blah. It was great!! So I got his address and passed it to Elder Lott who was in my MTC district and is serving there right now!! Woo hoo!! Eternal family!!!! Hopefully!!!! Also Hellen came to church! But she said that her mom thinks it is too soon for her to get baptised. :( BUT one day I KNOW she will!! :)
 
Monday- So all of my zone (Monte Libano) and zone (Campo Grande) met at the chapel in Bandarentes and we had a bar-b-que and I made cookies! It was really fun!! And after we leave writing you we will go get icecream!! :) Yay P-Day!!! :D -- 

 

Sister Emma Marion

 

 

 

 

Sisters helping with food for bi-zone P-day.

Emma's companion, Sister Freitas, is in the red shirt, black skirt.  

 

 

 

Bi-zone P-day Campo Grande

  These were taken by one of the Brazilian sisters, not sure why it's blurry around the edges.

 

Brasil - Week 13

Transfer!!

Monday- We arrived at our new house in Pioneiros (we live close to the bus stop, like buses that go all over mato grosso and mato grosso do sul. when we are transferred to a new area not in the same city we go to this bus stop.) and this new house is actually not very good. It was an Elder house for 4 years and it shows. I will send pictures but everything is dirty. We even have shoe prints on the ceiling. And what makes it worse is my companion and her family are big on cleaning. Like her brothers make their beds in the morning and wash their own clothes, everything. And because of this I had to explain to her that normally teenage boys don't clean very much. Especially when on P-Day they can go play soccer and not clean. Its been hard for her, but we are going to clean soon.

Tuesday- We started working in our new area and realized that we don't know where anything is, members included. But when we had lunch with a member we asked for a referral and she not only gave us one but went with us to teach. It was great!! We then spent the day finding where the market is and a lan house ect. And then the Elders called and said that we have a member that live close by so we found the house and visited and they are really great! The husband, William, is the secretary of the ward and the wife, Jussara, is the Primary pres.! We spent over an hour talking with them because they are really excited to have sisters in the ward and because their son is a recent RM! Woo hoo!!

Wednesday- While we were with Jussara and William they told us that every Wednesday they have a ward meeting, so we went today and met the Bishop it was really good everyone is sooo excited for sisters!! 

Thursday- We were visiting a inactive member and a member, Cinésio, call and asked if we wanted to have dinner with him and his family and then do contacts in his apartment complex and then they would take us home, so of course we said yes! They are really cool!! And after dinner we visited a inactive member with his wife, Tânia. And then they took us home!! 

Friday- We had lunch with Cinésio and Tânia and actually he call us and said, "Oh Sisters, I live far away from your house and so if you will meet me at the bus station I will give you a ride to my house and then drop you back off." Of course we said okay! ;) But when we met him it was only him in the car and so we polietly told him that we couldn't because of our rules and that we would walk and meet him at his house. So he left and we started walking and like 5 minutes later he called and asked where we were so we told him and he said "okay wait there I get my wife and we will pick you up." and we were like aww no its not a problem we can walk! And we kept walking and then he drives up with his wife!! So we rode with them to their house and then after lunch the drove us back to the bus station! How great are they!! 

Saturday- We taught this lady who doesn't really believe in God or Christ......it was kind of hard but we talked a lot about faith and how he is her Father in Heaven and that he loves her. In the end she said she would try and pray. And when we were leaving we noticed that she has 2 tatoos with a celtic design and S. Freitas didn't understand and so Vanessa(the lady we taught) explained that it was the tree of life and so we ended up teaching a bit about the Book of Mormon and gave her one and marked 1 Nephi 8 (tree of life chapter) for her to read. Hehe. And told her that if she has any questions to call us. 

Sunday- Minha nossa!! Our ward is great!! It is small but the leadership rocks!! After sacrament meeting (which they have at the end) all the leadership gets together for 5 minutes and talk about their goals for the week, including how many people gave referrals to the missionaries and how we can get more, how many inactives were at church and their names, how many investagators and their names, how many baptisms, and how many people were in sacrament meeting. It was really great!!!! It really helps when the leadership and the members work with the missionaries!! 

Monday- I will go ahead and talk about today because it is almost over. We are just cleaning the house today. It needs a lot of work and love. :(

Te amo!!! <3

-- 

Sister Emma Marion

Brasil - Week 12

Woo hoo!!! No actually this week was kinda bad....

Monday- I was with S. Marinho because of the division in Dourados and we had 2 lessons planned and they both fell through and we had no contacts. It was bad....BUT shopping was fun!! :) I got new flip flops and earrings and stuff I need for studying (school supplies hehe) and we ate at Burger King (which is better in the states....) and then we got churros which are super here. The inject them with dulce de leite and chocolate! <3 Soooo goooood!!!! :)
Tuesday-Wednesday- Yeah there really was that little. We tried dividing our time and visiting both areas but we really just ended up visiting her people. And then when the sisters got back S. Carvalho went straight to the bathroom because she was sick. So then S. Luca took her to the hospital and they said it was probably just food poisining or a stomach bug. But yeah....not fun.
Thursday- S. Carvalho still wasn't feeling well and S. Marinho had people to visit again so I stayed home and studied. Woo hoo!! It was especially good since I had a sore throat. :/
Friday- Saturday- So my sickness continued and the sisters thought it might be a cold and so S. Carvalho gave me some cold medicine....and then I bought some....ugh.
Sunday- So today I gave a talk in church.....actually I wrote it thursday and then I left it at home!!!! :'( BUT I remembered parts of what I wrote and so I prayed really hard and I got up there and just went for it. It was great! It was about a story in the Liahona from Sep. 2011(or 2012 dont remember) called Friend Missionary. I talked about how we can all do this because we all have friends and with our example we can help others find the light of Christ that everyone is searching for. And how we need to invite our friends to church. Then after church we visited this lady who was a contact of our ZLs and as I was reciting the 1st vision and she started tearing up!! It was a GREAT lesson!! :) Then we were doing door contacts and I went to this one door and when they opened the door it was this man and woman. I couldn't really say much because I had the strangest feeling like I knew the man! It was really odddd!!!! But they said we can come back so we will!!!! :D AND THEN we went to Ansio's (ward mission leader) house and waited for news of our transferes......*drum rolllll*
I recieved a transfere to Pioneiros(Pioneers in English) and my new companion is Sister Freitas!  We are actually opening the area for sisters!!! So I will be in the first set of sisters in this ward!!! But I'm gonna need lots of prayers. S. Freitas is from the north so her accent is really strong and she is sometimes hard to understand.  :/ BUT woo hoo!!!! :D

Side note from mom: Emma is transferring to the next stake.  She is still in Campo Grande area.  I'm not sure if this is in the same zone or if she is in the other Campo Grande zone,  Emma isn't easy to get info from.


Oh and the dog story:  I had asked Emma about this story because I found out she told a friend of hers the story and didn't tell us. 
Sooo we went to visit this new investigator and her gate was open(every one has gates like as tall as the house gates and they are always closed) and we stopped in front and were like "oh is she here? should we clap?" and then her dog came and was watching us and then I thought Sister Luca told me to clap so I'm like oh okay and so I went closer to the house and clapped and then the dog freaks out like psycho crazy probably has rabies and so I back off and he chases me back into the street and I sstaart running a bit and Sister Luca is like "no! dont run!" and she is like walking fast like close to running and as we are basically running away from this psycho dog we hear our investigator coming to the door but because of our fear of the dog we kept going. it was really crazzzy and an adrineline rush!! BEWARE OF THE DOGS!!! 0.0

Sister Marion, Sister Luca, Sister Marinho, and Sister Carvalho with the ward mission leader, Aniso, his wife Adelia and their daughter (in pink sweater), Ester. This was taken the night of the transfer call.

Brasil - Week 11

So this week was interesting.....

Tuesday- sister Luca and I went to Jardim Italia and did contacts and it was SO cool!! We went to the top of this one street and sister Luca and i were talking about how we were going to contact and this lady was staring at us like we were strange (talk about strange though she is like 8 months pregnant and smoking!) and so we went to the end of the road and Sister Luca thought we were going to leave but I thought we were going to start at the end because of the lady so after that confusion she went to the first house we saw and clapped and this lady answered and we said "oí nos somos missionárias da igreja de jesus cristo (she starting to smile at this point) dos santos dos últimos dias." and by now she is full out smiling and she says "Oh eu amo vocês!! Quer entrar?" So when she says this of course we say yes and enter and as we are walking in we look at each other like "did this really happen?!" So we enter and start talking to her and turns out the some elders taught her before and then she moved and she actually said "i'm not baptized and I can tell you why" she then goes on to tell us how she liked this guy but married another but the marriage was horrible and so she divorced him and then randomly one day she found the guy she liked and he is like the love of her life but he goes to another church and that is why she isnt baptized. She then told us "but I know it is god's will that I get baptized in your church." 0.0 So we are now working with her on the importance of marriage. Then on the way home we knocked on another door and this lady answered and we talked with her for a while and turns out that her mom, neice and husband have all died. So we taught her the Plan of Salvation and we were talking more and she told us that she hasnt ever been baptized and only goes to the church jehovah's witness(i think) because of her daughter. 0.0 We are also working with her. :)

Wednesday- Sister Luca and I did more contacts and meet like 3 Jehovah's Witness!! They are neighbors....

Thursday- I was with SIster Marinho because Sister Luca and Carvalho had a division with Bandarantes. We had some great lessons. With one of their invest. we just read 1 Nephi 3 with them and explained it and focused on 1 Nephi 3:7 and commandments. It was really good! :) And then we went to a members house because it was her birthday and I ended up singing hymns for them in English and Portuguese. It was really cool. :) I sang How Great Thou Art, Count Your Blessings, and Nearer My God to Thee. It was great and you could really feel the Spirit and there was nonmembers there. :)

Friday- We went and taught a new invest. and her daughter the Restoration and about the Book of Mormon. It was really great and they have member friends, they are actually referrals from their member friends! :)

Saturday- We helped pass out flyers for Mãos Que Ajudam(Helping Hands) it was really fun it was about how to help prevent Dengue. And after we had an activity with the youth and we just talked about missionary work and what they can do and practiced doing contacts with them. It was really fun and this week we will have divisions with them too. :)

Sunday- We got a new invest.! Marcelo. He was an invest. of the Elders but he lives in our area and already has a baptism date, this saturday! Woo hoo!!! So we will visit him soon and keep him going!!!

Monday- So I am with Sister Marinho (S. Luca and S. Carvalho are in Dourados) and we are going to go to Centro and go shopping!! :) And then we are going to visit Marcelo.

In other news:

Marcos is doing great. He was at church this sunday too, it really helps that he has a member friend! But his parents and son don't want to be baptized and weren't at church this week. So maybe they just need other missionaries.
-- Sister Emma Marion

Brazil - Week 10

Tuesday- We had a scare. We went to the house of Marcos (who just got baptized but haasn't been confirmed yet) and he told us that he was going with a friend of his to another church because the Pastor there said he had a revelation for him....0.0 So we talked to him for 2 hours about the Holy Ghost. Haha.

Wednesday- Sister Carvalho was sick and they had a family close to baptism so I stayed home with her and Sister Luca went with Sister Marinho. And while I was home I studied my Blessing and I really learned a lot. I especially read about the Word of Wisdom. And I talked to Sister Carvalho about it too (because she lived in the States and understands better) and we read together  D&C 89 and we realized that herbal tea is good for us. Because we have one verse that talks only about how herbs are for the body. And she told me that in Brasil most of the tea is really just herbal tea. So it is different.

Thursday- We went to visit with Marcos's mom, Iracema, and invite her to be baptized too. It wwas really good and we really felt the Spirit....but she said no. Because she doesn't want to get baptized without her husband, Francisco.

Friday- We went and visited Francisco to invite him to be baptized. Haha. And it too was really good. But he also said no because he wants to learn more first. He was a pastor but he is bem legal!! He reads a lot in the BOM and he likes to study it and already has a testimony of it, we just have to work more with him....

Saturday- We had a "Festa Julina"!!! Woo hoo!! Its basically like a Harvest Festival...but the little kids dress up soo cute!! The boys use jeans and a flannel button down and boots and a straw hat and they draw mustaches! And the girls haave their hair in pigtails with bows and wear ruffelly dresses and paint rosey cheeks and freckles!! It is way cute!!

Sunday- Marcos was confirmed!!!!! WOO HOO!!!! and his son Samuel came to church and we are going to try and baptize him next week!!! :D

--

Sister Emma Marion

 

Emma's way of celebrating the 4th of July in Brazil!!

 

Brazil - Week 9

 

 

Sooo here's my week!!

Tuesday- We bought this coffee replacement called 'cevada' (barley) for our investigator family. Its really gross. Its black and stinks and tastes horrible!!! Even with milk and sugar. But hey whatever works for baptism right!! Especially if they like it. But I think only Marcos likes it....

Wednesday- We had a District meeting. It was really good, we practiced baptismal invites, like if the person says no you ask them why. When they give their reason you tell them you understand and then promise blessings and testify and then ask again and they will usually say yes!! It was cool. :)
Thursday- So one of the members in our ward here (bishop's son) left today for his mission in Rio! Everyone is so excited for him!!!! Welllll probably not so much his girlfriend.....but hey!! He will come back closer to God and be able to bless his future family more, right!! :)
Friday- So today was interesting only because yesterday we got a phone call from our ZLs (whose ward shares our building so their area touches ours) and they said that they did a street contact and got this lady, Rosali, to commit to baptism and then they found out that she lives in Jardim Aeroporto which is in our area! So we have another person set for baptism!! Haha. It was way cool. SO we went to go visit her today and she lives with her sister, who has had the 1st lesson but has never been to church, and her 2 daughters and 1 baby boy. So we were talking to them and it turns out that she has already been to church, she hates coffee and knows that smoking is really bad for you so she doesnt do it (she even told her sister "yeah you really need to stop." about smoking and coffee)!! We are super excited!!!
Saturday- So today Sister Luca's feet were hurting (yeah, I know we can't not have someone with feet pain!! nossa!) so we stayed home for a while but then we went to the house of Marcos and talked about his baptism tomorrow!!!! :D
Sunday- BAPTISM!!!!! :D WOO HOO!!! It was sooo great!!! After church was over we had the baptism and it was so cool, he was so happy! But his son didn't come so we will try for next week!! But his mom was there!! Woo hoo!! And after lunch we went home again because of Sister Luca's feet but after an hour of that we went to Jardim Aeroporto but we couldn't work becasue there was a soccer game on.....Brasil v Spain. It was very important. Nossa. It was sooo crazy!! Everytime Brasil scored the world expólded!!! People set off a firework, set off their cars, and people were screaming "GOALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!" So S. Luca and I sat on a bus stop bench and planned for the next week. Haha. But then we went home because after the game was over (yes Brasil won. and I know this because it was double the craziness for a goal 0.0) people were partying and drinking. And who can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost when they are drunk??
Monday- We stayed home! :) And it rained (its has rained like everyday this week!!!!! And the rain here is sooo crazy because of the wind!! If I wasn't in the middle of South America I would think there was a hurricane a commin'!!) so it was really great to just lay curled up in bed!! But then we got up, ate and then cleaned our house. :)

Eu amo vocês muito!!! <3
--
Sister Emma Marion

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marcos and his mom