Week 41

Monday- We were invited to dinner at Jussara's. :)

Tuesday- After lunch we went with Ruth (she is an american who is here to get her fiance and return to the states with him to get married....her brother served there...Elder Turner from Washington state....) to do some visits. First we visited a referral from Cristiana (an inactive member) named Rosalina. It went well but she doesn't like to leave her house so she won't go to church.....so we testified and gave her a Book of Mormon. Then we left and went to Cristana's house (she lives next door to this lady haha) and talked a bit with her and then we dropped Ruth off at her house and then we went and taught Seminary!! Haha yeah we are the seminary teachers until they can't call someone haha but its better because their Seminary is at night! 

Wednesday- So today we worked on our area book and then we went to visit with Margarida (Elton's mom) to teach her before her baptism Saturday!! :) Then she made us dinner!! :D

Thursday- We visited with a referral form a member named Jaqualine...she is 7. But her mom said they already have a religion. It was kind of sad because this girl was begging her mom to let her go to church. :( But after we went and visited a few new members and then we went to the church to teach seminary again. :) 

Friday- After lunch we had to go to the church and clean the baptismal font for the baptism Saturday.  Then when all was done we had seminary. But after seminary our district went out for pizza!!

Saturday- BAPTISM!!! Well first we taught seminary because we couldn't on Wednesday. I really like teaching seminary! Its cool!! It was sooo great!!! It was so awesome to see a son baptize his mom!! After the baptism we visited with José, a recent member. It was all in all a good day! :)

Sunday- So today was a bit different! We only had sacrament meeting today because the members needed to get home earlier to eat lunch so they could get back before 12pm to get on the bus to go to the temple!! I'm really jealous!! I wanna go too!!!! :´( But here I will stay....working!! :)  Then we went to Jussara's house and had dinner with them and Elder Duncan and I helped her prepare to teach her English class by translating a lot of stuff!!! It gave me a headache!!!! :/

--

Sister Emma Marion

 

In the jungle (Pantanal) of Brazil

suntan feet - Marion (R) Martinez (L)

Teaching seminary

Wet roads - no wonder her shoes broke

 

40 Weeks in Brazil!!!

Monday- So tonight Sister Gonçalves and Sister Grimes came to Cáceres to do a division. They will be staying here until Wednesday night.

Tuesday- So today I was with Sister Grimes. It was cool...she was the sister here before me...and she took my place in Várzea Grande. We did a lot of contacts today and then we had a meeting with the ward mission leader, who was the Branch president, Adalto. We then met with the lady names Ana Lucia. Ana agreed to be baptized!! It was really great!! Then we got ice cream and went home!! 

Wednesday- I was with Sister Gonçalves. Haha. It was strange being her companion again but in a different place...but it was good!! We visited an inactive member, Cristiana. Then we did some contacts and then we went to visit Geovan! But when we were visiting him he told us that he doesn't feel ready to be baptized yet....but he wants to....it was a very spiritual when this happened. So we will work more with him to help him be ready to be baptized! Then we went home so the sisters could get ready to leave at 2am. Then we went to sleep for a bit.....

Thursday- So at 4am Sister Gonçalves woke everyone up freaking out because they missed the bus. Haha but then we went back to sleep and then at 7am she called Elder Leão(ex. sec.) and he marked a bus at 8am for them. Then we had our weekly planning and then we had mutual at night. We made a cake and talked about virtue. It was cool. Then we played MASH with them haha.

Friday- We had a district meeting then we went to lunch really far away and stayed in that neighborhood and visited with a woman named Vanilza. She really wants to learn about the chuch!! So we taught her about the Book of Mormon and she promised to read it and pray. :)

Saturday- So we visited witht his lady named Maria that sister gonçalves and I found. But she really isn't too interessed so then we went and tried to visit this lady, Marilene, that Sister Grimes and I found but she wasn't home so we went to a family night :)

Sunday- Geovan came to church!! :D And also Elton's mom who isn't a member. So after church we had lunch at Ruben's (a recent member) where we had to cook because he doesn't know how......then we tried to visit this investigator that lives far away but when we got there they weren't there. :( So we ended up going to Jussara's house haha. While we were there we got a call from the President's assistnet who said that they had to call an emergency transfer and so Sister Martinez will be going to Campo Grande. :( Then President called me and told me about my new companion and how they needed my help with her. But then after like 10 minutes he called again and told us not to do anything until he calls us again.......then we got a call from Elder Leão awho said that they are going to try something else out first.....so we will be staying together longer now!!! Haha crazy right!!!! ;)

--

Sister Emma Marion

 

Cooking for a new member

Sister Martinez trying to cross a mud hill.

 

Brazil - Week 39

Monday- So Jussra had to go with her youngest daughter to the hospital for a corrective surgery. So we went to Adauto (branch pres.) and Cristiane's house and had a family night/sleepover. It was really nice! :)

Tuesday- So after lunch we got on a bus and went to Cuiabá for our Zone Conference Wednesday and we had a sleepover at President Reber's house! It was so fun!! :) The beds were so comfortable that I couldn't sleep!! HAHA!! :D But President bought us pizza and we ate cookies it was cool. :)

Wednesday-We had our zone conference. It was sooo good!! It talked a lot about obedience and planning! I have some stuff to work on!! And then after we went got the 6pm bus and got home at 10:30.....it was a tiring day!

Thursday- So we used our the inspiration from yesterday and spent all day updating our area book!! Its a lot better now!! :) Then we had the young women activity! It was really fun we talked about faith and then I taught them how to make cookies!! :D

Friday- We had a long but productive day! We planned our day better and had extra time!! It was so nice!! We found 2 ladies who are really awesome!! They agreed to try and come to church and we gave them both Book of Mormons!! I am so excited to talk more with them, because I know that this book can CHANGE their lives!!! I just hope they are open to the change!! 

Saturday- We did a lot more contacts today, it was really good!! And then we had an appointment with a member's nonmember boyfriend, he is really awesome and has alread been to the church lots of times and really likes it!! He also agreed to be baptized!!!!! :D His name is Geovan! And he is 23 so he can still go on a mission!!!!! :D We then met up with the young women president, Juliana, and visited 2 inactive young women! It was really good! :) 

Sunday- So no one went to church today. it was kinda sad. Everyone that promised didn't come...... :( But after church we visited with 10 yr old twins who are recent members. It was cool we read a chapter in the Book of Mormon together and then I gave them some of the Propel water flavoring powder haha they loved it!! :) Then we visited with another new member named Rubens. He is really sweet. And he doesn't know how to cook so I made dinner for everyone haha chicken and rice!! Then he gave us juice and candy haha! :) Then we went home to have personal study and we decided to watch the Restoration video! It was really great!! :)

--

Sister Emma Marion

 

Brazil

 chocolate chip cookies

The beautiful Pantanal

Playing in the rain

Teaching Young Women how to make chocolate chip cookies

 

 

Brazil - Week 38

Monday- So we went to Jussara's house and wrote letters and talked all day  haha 

Tuesday- So today we left Cáceres at 12:30am to go to Cuiabá....then we had a zone meeting and then we stayed in Cuiabá until 6pm because of the bus hours. :/ Its really tiring. But it was really fun! :) 

Wednesday- So my shoes ripped.....so we went to a shoe repaire man and he fixed them right up!! We had had a family night  far away after that but it was really great!! There was a lot of nonmembers there and we had a lesson/actividade.....it was about following the Holy Ghost! But then when we got home Sister Martinez went to the bathroom and then I heard he calling my name so I went over there and she was on the floor! Apparently her blood pressure dropped so much that she couldn't stay standing up!! So I quickly got her some water and had her eat some apple she then was able to get up and went to her bed she then told me that she has low blood pressure...but wow! It was crazy!! 

Thursday- Today she was still so weak that we just stayed home so she could sleep! But then that night we went to the church and did the young women activity!! They liked it! We talked about standing in holy places! :) 

Friday- We had lunch really far away so then after we visited with Regina! She wants to be baptized but we don't have a way for her to get to church!! :( But we will do what we can!! Then Jussara called and asked us to help her so we went to her house! Then when we got home we planned and then Sister Martinez went to take a shower, after a bit I heard her calling me so I went over there and she was in the door way and told me to look in the shower....I did and there was a scorpion! Now we have already found 2 dead in the house but this one was alive!! So when he started moving we screamed and shut the door and ran for our room and called Elder Duncan our LD....he then explained to us how to safely kill a scorpion. So I grabbed a water hose and Sister grabbed a broom and metal dustpan and I threw water on him to stun him and then she started hitting with a broom and this whole time we are like screaming and Elder was on speaker phone listening haha then after a bit he started moving again so I grabbed the dustpan and started wacking!!! He died after that. But then we were acared to use that shopwer so we went to the other bathroom in our room but I left my shower stuff so I went back out and I saw a male scorpion in our doorway!!! But we scared him and he went away but he was so close to getting in...so we called Elder Duncan again adn he called president and told him our situation and president let us sleep at a member's house until we get rid of the scorpions. But no one answerewd their phones so we slept very badly with lots of fear...

Saturday- Today we did contacts and then we went and slept at Jussara's house!! It was really fun!! Love her!! :)

Sunday- Church!! We have some work to do here thats for sure!! But the members are so sweet!! :) Then we did contacts and then had a meeting and then went back to Jussara's house!! She is so sweet to let us stay!! 

--

Sister Emma Marion

 

Cuiaba Zone

 

Brazil - Week 37

Monday- So when I was talking to you I got a call from the Executive Secretary saying that they were on their way to our house. So we quickly left and got home and then they came and we left with them in a taxi van and they dropped us off at our LZs house and we waited out front for another taxi (haha it was a bit complicated) and when they were leaving the ex-executive sec., Elder Kay, told me that I left something in the taxi van and handed me a box from MY FAMILY!!! :D YAY!!! So I quickly opened it!! Haha I LOVED IT!!!!!!!! Especially the came!! Haha!! Its super cute!! And also the letters and food!! <3 Thank you all soooo much!!! Then I got on a bus at 6 and got to Cáceres at 10:30...it was a long day. :/

Tuesday- So we had a busy day today. We visited a referral named Josimar. She is really great and really interested! :) then we visited with an inactive member a bit then we visited with a new member named, Jussara. She is really awesome!! :) Then we taught this 9 yr old girl named, Yasmin. She is wanting to be baptized and her aunt is a member! She is really sweet. :) Then we visited with her aunt Tania. :) After that we went to the church for a meeting and then visited with another recent convert. One thing this area isn't lacking is new members!! 

Wednesday- So today after lunch with Jussara she went with us to visit an inactive member named Cristiana. It was really great! But Cristiana doesn't really want to go back to church with out her husband but he isn't a member.... :/ But in the end she said that she will go Sunday! :) Then we had a branch family night, it was really great!! It really helps the branch stay close!! :)

Thursday- Today we had our weekly planning then we went to try and visit these 10 yr old twins who were baptized recently but they weren't home so we visited a bit with their grandmother. Then we went and visited with another inactive member who isn't going to church because she doesn't like that it is only Sunday morning.....then we visited with another inactive member named Edineia. She is a bit complicated but she said that she will come to church too! Vamos ver! (Let's see!!)

Friday- So today we had a district meeting and then we used the only bus to go to lunch and then we walked to then end of the world and did some contacts and then we walked back and visited with an inactive member and then another that is only inactive because she had a surgery and can't open and close her gate because it is heavy.....so we offered to open and close it for her. haha.

Saturday- After lunch we went to the church and helped clean and an 8 yr old girl was going to be baptized so we had to clean the font....but the door was locked so we had a great idea.....we dropped a chair in the font and then Sister Martinez climbed down to the chair and then into the font and then she handed me the chair and started cleaning and then she turned on the font and then we started thinking about how she could get out without having to put the chair in the font again because then we wouldn't be able to get it out.... she she climbed on the stairs and then stretched out to the other side of the font and I grabbed her arm and pulled her over, haha it was SO funny!! But then she had to get back in to finish the last part of cleaning and then Jussara and her husband, Elton, came to help us clean the rest of the church and so Elton reached in and pulled her out again haha!!! Then we had the baptism, it was really cute!! :) Her dad got to baptize her...its been a while since I've seen that!! 

Sunday- Today was good, Cristiana and Edineia came to church!! Then after that we had a 5 minute meeting to talk about who wasn't at church and what we need to do to visit them....then we went to lunch really far away and then we visited with our inactive branch mission leader and talked a long time with him and then Jussara told us that she made us dinner so we went over there!! It was a good day!! :)

--

Sister Emma Marion

 

Finally received her "Hump Day" package

New area: Caceres, Brazil (100 miles from Bolivian border)

New companion: Sister Martinez from Buenos Aries Argentina

Same zone: Cuiaba Zone

 

Brazil - Week 36

Monday- We taught a man named Francisco. He is really awesome and really wants to be baptized!! But he has to come to church first and that has been the problem.... :/ But he already likes the Book of Mormon and really wants to follow its teachings!! :)

Tuesday- New Year's Eve!!! This morning the fireworks ALREADY started!! *.* But today we visited with this lady named Adriana. She has a life story!! Its crazy!! She was in the Military and a Sergent threw her against a wall and paralyzed half of her body for like 2 months then when she got better she tried to kill him.....0.0 Also her sister tried to kill her twice to get the house......her world is crazy!!! But she doesn't want to repent and forgive....so we can't help her. Its really sad. :/ But after that we went to Kelson's house and had a birthday party for his daughter, Nicole. We stayed there until 11:30! We got home super tired but we couldn't really sleep because we had to wait for Ediliane and her family to get home because we had to deactivate the alarm for them.....the ended up getting home at 12:30. 

Wednesday- So today we woke up at 11!!! 0.0 It was GREAT!! And really we only woke up because we got a phone call....then we had lunch and  ate sitting on the couch.....then we cleaned the house and washed clothes then sat back on the couch......then while sitting on the couch we painted our nails and I colored in my coloring book....then I made cookies and we took lots of pictures and I practiced reading the Book of Mormon out loud in Portuguese. :) It was a great day! :D

Thursday- We had weekly planning and then after lunch we bought a fan for Sister Gonçalves then we did contacts all day!!! :D It was really great!!! We got 12 contacts and 13 lessons done and got 8 new investigators!! :)

Friday- We had a meeting then I carried a box of 40 Book of Mormons to our house 10 minutes away.....it was sooooo heavy!!! BUT I made it! But I now have bruises on both arms and because of how I was carrying it I have 2 on my stomach and my arms are still a bit sore....then we did more contacts!

Saturday- We went to visit this referral we got named João Henrique. When we got to his house he wasn't there but his mom was. So we started talking to her and he told us that her daughter died 8 days ago in a tragic motorcycle accident. She was riding on the back of the motorcycle with out a helmet with a drunk man driving and he ran a red light and they got hit by a bus.....she was killed instantly. She was 21 and has 2 little boys. Its so sad. But when we were talking to her she asked us the name of our church and we told her and she said "Mormons?" When we said yes she look at us for a moment and said that before her daughter died she gave her a birthday present and part of it was a Book of Mormon. So we asked to see it and when we opened it it had Sister Gonçalves signature in it. We were really stunned because we gave that book to a drunk man in the park when he would leave us alone. Apparently he gave that book to her daughter and her daughter gave it to her. Amazing right! And she already believes in a lot of the doctrines that we teach....we are still in shock and amazement at how obvious it is to see heavenly Father's plan here. And turns out that the Elder that gave this referral actually got it from member and he actually visited the wrong house and gave the wrong João......look at that heavenly plan!

Sunday- Today after church we had lunch with the president of the Relief Society again and then we went home and studied and then we did contacts and visited with this lady who believes in crazy stuff.....like you don't need to be baptized just have a change of heart....strange.....and then we got transfers! I will be going to a city called Cáceres. Its close to Bolivia!! And its a branch there!! So that should be fun! I will be in the same zone still and I will be with Sister Martinez. She is from Buenos Ares, Argentina and actually her trainer was Sister Luca too!!! :D She got Sister Luca when I left haha :)

--

Sister Emma Marion

 

 

Rita, an investigator

Happy New Year!

Month 8

Month 9 (silly kid!!)

 

Brazil - Week 35

Tuesday- First off I taught Sister Gonçalves "Christmas Eve Gift." Hehe ;) Then the Relief Society president invited us and the Elders over to her house for a Christmas Eve family home evening and dinner! It was really great! President had opened the night (if we were with members and had a ride home) so we didn't have a bed time!! Woo hoo!! ;) Yeah we stayed with them until 12am......we were really tired. :( But it was really fun! 

Wednesday- CHRISTMAS!!!! We had lunch far away but then we went to Iolanda's house(relief society pres) and Sister Gançalves called her family then we went to Kelson's house and used Skype!!! :D But I had such a headache afterwards so we went home and SLEPT!!!! Haha that was our Christmas!! ;)

(I asked Emma why she had a headache after talking to us. She said because she had to concentrate so much on speaking English! - Cindy)

Thursday- We had weekly planning then we visited the mom of a member, Inêz. She was really excited that there is Sisters here again but she "doesn't have time" to go to church.....but she is really nice. and we planned a service project at her house for Saturday!

Friday- We had a district meeting it was fun! We had to find chocolate! Haha!! Then after lunch all of our appointments fell through and Sister Gonçalves felt like we should visit with Luci-mar because she wasn't at church again.....so we went and helped out there and talked to her and she said that she will come to church Sunday!!

Saturday- We visited with this really nice family, Jonie, Rosie, Talita, Talis, and Thaigo. They are really great. Only problem is Jonie likes to drink and doesn't think there is a reason for him to stop. But they made us dinner and we talked and he said that he would go to church if we went to his......ugh. We explained that we didn't want to and now I don't think he will come....

Sunday- So we gave a last minute lesson at church....Kelson told us to teach what we have been studying....welllll we have been studying the Law of Moses.....so we taught that!! Haha! And Luci-mar and Jeanny came to church!! It was really great!! :) After church we spent all night doing contacts with Erika, she is preparing to serve a mission!! :D

Monday- We got my package!!!! :D Thanks everyone soooo much!! I loved it!! <3 Y'all are the best!!! :)

--

Sister Emma Marion

 

Bookmark given to the missionaries from President & Sister Reber for Christmas

Christmas decorations made of bottles, in the local park

Emma titled this "Christmas present to ME"