Email sent: 11/18/2013

So this week we definitely saw the miracles. I always get so impressed with all the miracles that occur. It is the most solid proof that Heavenly Father truly truly loves us and is always watching over us. So as I have said before, we have had a little bit of a hard time finding people to teach. It seemed as if we would make all these plans to teach and then, boom, no one would be home. It can be disheartening, because it is just like AH, I JUST WANT TO TEACH PEOPLE . So we found some people to teach, due to the awesome members of this ward. Wow. They just all really wow me. So I got really really excited. Saturday night rolled around and for some reason, I just felt like good things were coming. Good things are happening. Sunday morning came though and it felt glum though. That soon vanished. We watched the Emma Smith movie with a member this week and it made such a profound impact on my testimony. Something I absolutely loved that she says in the movie is, ´´Sometimes God brings us down low, so He can lift us up higher´´I have seen that pattern happen in my mission almost every other week. It seems glum, but admist it all, Heavenly Father always blesses us. We had five people show up to church this week! One of the five was one of our investigators and at the end of church, we asked how she liked it and she started to cry because she felt the Spirit. Another was the husband of an inactive member and they are both so excited to learn. My prayers of finding people to teach were answered. Heavenly Father provided a miracle. He always does. My scripture study was so correlated to what I was learning as well this week. In Alma 28:14 ( I think it was 14, it was the last verse of the chapter) and it talks about ´´our great call to diligience´´. To me diligence is laboring with your full force despite what conditions surround you. Whether they be great or terrible. I know that as we labor with diligence, the blessings will come. I know that we as members and missionaries, we have this great call to diligence. Yay missionary work! I also read in Alma 27 and in verse 11 I think it says that Ammon´s strength was exhausted because he was so excited. I relate to Ammon because I think he is just as spazzy and crazy as I am. It makes me laugh. But en fim, I love this work. I love seeing all the blessings. Have an awesome week you great people! Also, congratulations to all my friends who got married. Reagan, you looked STUNNING. Seriously all of my friends are married. Hahaha.

Love love love,

Sister Carvalho

Last week on P-Day I got home from emailing and didn´t want to wear my cute
shirt anymore and wanted to be comfy. My companions laughed at me and took
a picture. I think this would make my mother roll her eyes at me. Threw up
some peace signs (hahahahahaha please tell me Iook Asian Meag, Al, and Em)

I have been five months out on the mission! Isn´t that just crazy? It FLIES
by. Whoa. My sweet companions took me to McDonald´s and got me a smoothie.
I love them.

Adventura

  SO this week was a week of adventures. I went to a different mission (sinner), lost the cell phone with one week of having a cell phone, our house is being attacked by bugs, and I have never laughed so hard in my life.  This week my testimony on prayers increased so much. I don´t think I have every prayed so much to see how to best help Sister Oborn and Sister Falcão. I just want to help them become better and feel happy and do good things! When I prayed, I immeadiately just got the answer to read the scriptures. When I read I read things about faith and the Spirit and it was what my companions needed to hear. It wasn´t me though. It was just the Lord acting through me. I just love receiving answers to prayers. I felt reallly low on Saturday. Just inadequate and like this week was a bust. Then I prayed that one thing would happen. Just one shiny moment that day to bring cheer and animo. One of the sisters in the ward was bringing us a chicken for lunch, but instead of just the chicken, she brought lettuce, tomatoes, mangos, bananas, milk, and a box of chocolate. It was exactly what I needed. Those happen to be my favorite things. Salad, chocolate, and shakes.( what I would give to have a costa vida, paradise, or wildflower salad. I miss those things SOOOO much. Nobody even understands)  I know that in that moment, that was a direct answer to my prayer. That Heavenly Father gave me that saving grace. Yesterday at church was so good as well. We had prayed that there would be people at church, but much to our dismay, no one was there. We had also been praying to find people to teach. Well what do you know? We got three references at church. YES! Milagres! And this week we already have kind of a lot of plans set forth. I want to work my hardest, I want to bring people unto Christ. That is our purpose! That is why we are here.  This week will be different, and it will be the best week yet. I have two of the best missionaries with me here in Vila Prudente. We are going to do great things! I know it, and I am excited. Also, another thing. Ramon went to church yesterday in full church attire, and a Preach My Gospel in hand. I wanted to scream in the chapel. It was great. I know that this gospel is absolutely true. I know we have a loving Heavenly Father who hears and answers our prayers. He understands us perfectly and will help us perfectly. All we have to do is kneel down and pray. An answer will always come, because he is our Father and He loves us. I know that everything we do here on the mission should be with love, because that is what our Father would have us do. Love is a powerful thing. I just know it. I know the gospel is true, and that sharing it with others is one of the most loving things we can do. Missions are the best.

   So now I will explain my adventures. SISTER OBORN HAS DECIDED TO STAY! YESSSS! Thank you to whoever prayed for her, I know it has made a huge difference. We went to the Interlagos mission to go to one of her doctor´s appointments, so it wasn´t rule breaking. That was an adventure, we had to take lots of subways! On Thursday I lost the cell phone on the bus....after having it for a week. Fail. We went and waited almost two hours for the bus to pass by again because I had faith there was still good people in the world but it had gotten stolen. Way to go Tiff! I have learned my lesson. This morning, Sister Oborn walks down stairs and looks at me and goes ´´WE ARE BEING ATTACKED!´´ There is a a huge huge amount of these black flying bugs. We also have an ant problem. It is grand. But not really becuase I loathe bugs. Sister Falcão is one of the funniest weirdest girls I have ever met.I love her. Last week for P-Day we went to the aquarium. There was an alligator exhibit and she just kept looking at it. We went to our zone meeting after then home. As we were laying in bed, out of no where she goes ´´I can´t stop thinking about the alligators eyes.´´ So we were cracking up and she goes ´´It doesn´t help that our zone leaders have eyes like the alligator´´ They are American and have blue eyes. So then I laughed so hard I cried. 

Love, Sister Carvalho

Sister Conference! I am hidden in the back because I am short. These are
all the sisters in my mission! Yahoo! Except Elder Bangerter and Correa.
They are the AP´s.

It's such a warm December

Someone please know what song I copied. So precisely to the day one year ago, I was certain I would go on a mission. Today is the year mark of when I got my patriarchal blessing, and even though it had already been confirmed to me, it was more than crystal clear that I was going on a mission. Now I am sitting in a hot lan house in Brazil, and have almost six months on my mission. How crazy is that? I couldn´t be more grateful that I am here. I love my mission so much, and it is going by so quickly so I really want to just soak up every single moment. I don´t want anything to be jaded. This past transfer went by in the blink of an eye, it freaks me out. This is the last week! Ahhhhhh! Missions are the greatest thing ever. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father answered me so clearly, and gave this once in a lifetime experience to serve. I am more than 100% confident I made the greatest decision in my life coming here.

   I am trying to work on the spacing of my emails, I realize I just send this huge ugly block because I am too impatient to space it nicely. Patience is a virtue. So this week I was refelcting lots on faith. In Alma 37:40 it talks about the Liahona and it worked ACCORDING to their faith. Everything is ignited by our faith. If we don´t have faith, how can we be led by the Lord? I know that Heavenly Father truly wants to lead us and help us each day of our lives, but we have to let Him. If we don´t allow faith in our hearts, then He can´t communicate with us. Miracles are worked by our faith! We can have them every single day like this verse says. We are in the month of December. Which means CHRISTMAS! I am obsessed with Christmas and all of my companions know it. In the Christmas season, there is just such a different Spirit. Everyone is happier and cheerier, and more miracles happen. Why? Because everyone has more faith. This faith comes from our Savior´s birth and the whole reason why I am here! I love my Savior so very much. I want to work my hardest ever this next month, because I would like that to be my gift. Something else I realized this week is that we are the Savior´s hands. It is all a perfect circle. We are in need, so we pray to the Lord. In turn, he helps to answer our prayers by sending another person to help that person. That helper person has problems too though, so they pray and the circle just continues on and on. If Christ were here, He would help everyone. He would love everyone. Sister Ferrin had an idea of us marking the Book of Mormon each day in December with specfic chapters marked about Christ for each day of December. On Christmas we will give it to someone! WAHOO I am so excited for that! This month is going to be great I can just feel it!

I have also been pindering creativity. I love creative things, and PMG is great because it allows you to be so creative on how you approach missionary work. I am trying to brainstorm some real good ideas. My patience has been tried here, because we have so many awesome potential péople. Seriously, so many. We plan each day to visit them, and then no one is ever home. I am going to think of a good idea. I think I am on the brink of something brilliant maybe. Maybe not, we will see! We met this awesome girl named N this week, and she really liked church! We also have S and R who are still solid as ever, but super busy. I am pretty excited though, because good things are happening. Really good things. It is just grand.

Now for funny things. My life is a mess seriously. Last Monday we ended our zone meeting and Sister Oborn and I were so determined to get McDonalds so we ran out of there. We ate whatever, got home and my keys were gone. I had left them at the office. So we had to go ALL the way back. Also, this great thing:

Sister Oborn: I hope you get to come to my wedding, I feel bad that all your friends are getting married without you.

Yeah... this is what my life is coming to. Hahahahha I love it.

Love love love,

Sister Carvalho

On This Week´s Episode of Teen Mom

Sometimes I think I am funny so I try and think of witty subject lines. So last week was transfers! Once again it was a HUGE surprise. We were at a member´s home when we got the call and Elder Bangerter called and said I was being transferred to Vila Prudente (capital! Yesss!) and I was training. WHAT. So I am opening an area and training. I had only been in Cumbica for one transfer so I was not expecting that. Or training. In the mission, you call your trainer your ``mom`` so I am referring to myself as a teen mom because I only have 3 transfers under my belt. My new companion is Sister Barbosa, soon to be Falcão because she is changing her name. She is from João Pessoa, and she is so cute! I love her heaps already. She has tons of MTC spirit and is just great. I love her. It really does feel like a mother daughter relationship. Vila Prudente is a dream. When Sister Waite and I came to São Paulo to renew her visa we had stayed in Vila Prudente and I had written in my journal that something about being in a big city made me feel alive. And now I am here! It is totally like New York City a little bit and we all know how I feel about New York. (Meags+Ash) This ward though. OH MY GOSH. I have never seen a ward like this. I haven´t even been here a week and they help so much. So my suitcases are broken, and a member came to pick them up for me. The ward mission leader has this idea of giving everyone in the ward the Christmas pass along cards with our (the missionaries) numbers on it, and then we get a reference and get to take the Nativity DVD to them. He did that. All on his own. The members give references here and they are more than willing to help with ANYTHING we need. Shoot, the Relief Society has a basket set up for the sisters and each member puts like a bag of sugar or whatever we ask. President can forget I exist and leave me here for a while. So aside from all this newness, this week was AMAZING! Seriously. So the previous sisters had taught a guy named Ramon 2 lessons and had his baptism marked for next Saturday. He was a reference from this solid solid member named Aderaldo. We taught him the Plan of Salvation and I just kept feeling the Spirit so strongly that he should be baptized this week. I didn´t know if there was a reason though for next week so I didn´t say anything. As soon as we left though I called Irmão Aderaldo and asked him why next week and he said there wasn´t a reason. So the next day I invited him to be baptized this Sunday and he accepted! I was soooooo happy. I love when you can recognize the Spirit and act upon it. It is a great feeling. I have a firm testimony that the Spirit is the most important thing in missionary work. Without the Spirit, or if you ignore the Spirit, you will miss out on huge miracles. But Ramon. Wow. This guy is amazing. His girlfriend broke up with him because he was being baptized but he didn´t even care. He has already said he is going on a mission because he wants to share the gospel with others now that he has found it. True conversion! AHHHH. Ramon has such a tender spirit, he is just pure. He had a questions about black and the preisthood, and we showed him 2 Nephi  26:33, and he goes ´´Perfect, I get it now´´. The scriptures. Man oh man are they powerful! The scriptures+The Spirit in missionary work is everything. Amazing thigs will always ensue. I feel like I am starting to actually ´´get´´ things you know? It is kind of awesome. I still have SO much to improve on and learn though. I am in love with my companions and Vila Prudente. So on Friday President called, (scary, I look at the phone and puff, President Ferrin is calling) and he asked how I felt about being in a trio. Sister Oborn is having some health problems and might have to go serve stateside and he wanted her to go to Vila Prudente and be in a trio with Sister Falcão and I. So now we are a trio. I love her lots, she reminds me of my BFFS back home. Especially Emily and Meagan. It is awesome. I really hope she gets to stay!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE pray lots for her. So yesterday, Sister Aledo(ahhhhh I miss her, I love her so much!) called and I learned lots. In Cumbica, it seemed like we would work and work and nothing would really happen. I knew people have their agency, and was fully aware of that, but still. So she called and told me that Karol was baptized! YESSSSSSS! I knew she would after last week and I was so happy. Her whole family came, (she is Tayná´s older sister) and Tayná bore her testimony so strongly. It brought me so much joy! Another couple we had taught also accepted baptism. FAMILIAS!!! So I am freaking out in this member´s living room because I am so excited about it. I learned that not everything is in our time. It is the Lord´s time. All we have to do as missionaries is our part. We may not always understand, but the Lord knows His children. He knows what is best for them, and when it is their time. So now I am just happy. Then she told me to brace myself, she had news about Kely (our friend from açai). I was spazzing out and was like what has she accepted to be baptized? Nope. She is pregnant and is naming her daughter after me.I screamed. I literally screamed in a member´s home and started to cry and they came to make sure I was okay. Hahaha. I am a spaz. Yesterday though, something changed. I was just beaming with happiness. It all started with Ramon´s baptism, I just kept thinking, wow I am so grateful I am a missionary. I love being a missionary. I love this. Then with Sister Aledo´s call, it just shot it through the roof. I love this work so much. I have always loved being a missionary, but just something is different. I am so in love with this. I am grateful I get to bring others unto Christ. I know He lives! This is the greatest work ever, and I love it. I love this gospel, and I know without a shadow of a doubt it is true. 

Love,

Sister Carvalho

PS I am in the mission office´s zone now, so I go there each week for zone meetings. Letters would be greatly appreciated. Peace and blessings.

Sister Barbosa! Minha filha! Eu amo ela muito!!!!

I have titled our house VP Mansh. It is huge. It has four rooms and really
cute stairs so I took a picture.

Halloween! Didn´t have black and orange so I did black and yellow. (black
and yellow black and yellow black and yellow) I also bought myself a
snickers bar because it is American. A member saw us walking home so she
offereed us a ride and her daughter named Laura was dressed up. Laura is 8
and resembles my little sister Laura. It is weird.

RAMON`S BAPTISM!!!!! YAYYYYY! President also walked in at the end of
sacrement meeting and stayed for the baptism!

One of our investigators(Marcos and Erika) lives in this apartment complex
and you can see the whole city from their balcony.

Erika and Marco´s baby. This is so creepy, but I want a baby just like her.
SHe is smiling like this the WHOLE time. She is the smilest cutest baby
ever. Her name is Camila, just like my sweet little cousin:)

My Thanksgiving banner is up and ready for business! Autumn!!!

AH AH AH AH BOO.

That was the first line of Laurie´s email to wish me a Happy Halloween and it brought me joy so I decided to make that the subject line for this week. I hope everyone has the best Halloween. I am buying myself candy for sure. We have transfers tomorrow! Have no idea what is happening, we will see next week:) I was reading in Alma this morning and I really enjoyed Alma 4:10. The members of the church were being a stumbling block to the non-members around them. What are we doing personally? A thought I had was, are we being a stumbling block to those around us, or a building block? Are we being good examples and loving so people notice that we have the greatest message ever to share with them? I would like to be a building block to help bring others unto Christ. In verse 13 it talks about helping others for Christ´s sake. We are representatives of Christ, and we should be acting as He would. Yahoo! Miracles happened this week,obviously. Miracles happen all the days, we just need to look for them! I had a break through this week. I was really thinking about why miracles like R and M happen,but then nothing after. WHY? Like is it something I did wrong personally? Am I not going after it, or just why do these people kind of puff dissapear? I think I have an answer. Because although it was in fact a miracle, not all miracles that happen around us are just for us. Maybe that was that person´s chance to hear the gospel, and they didn´t take it. Maybe it was to increase our faith if we are running on low, or Heavenly Father just wants to bless us. With all that happened this week I think that that is proof. We had a miracle with one of our investigators,K, and she chose not to follow. WHEN SHE HAD A MIRACLE HAPPEN INSTANTLY. This entire transfer we have worked with her. It is interesting because we had all these reasons to cut her, but Sister Aledo and I both feel that she will be baptized. We have been praying for her and thinking about her and her whole family heaps. On Friday night I prayed and the immeadiate answer I got was to testify with the Spirit. So then my prayers turned into having the Spirit present and having a miracle happen. We got there on Saturday and just told her we knew it was true. The Spirit was so so strong. My prayer was answered! I prayed throughout the lesson and I got a distinct answer that it was on the Lord´s time too. Heavenly Father is so aware of us though.  The miracle came. We all said a prayer on our knees and K ust started crying because she felt the Spirit, and so did Sister Aledo.  I felt the Spirit working through us as we taught. It was a miracle. K´s prayer was answered instantly, as soon as she was done praying! However, K decided not to be baptized yet(we set a goal for this week). People have their agency. Her decision makes me sad, but agency is one of the most priceless gifts we have. I am so grateful for agency. I am so grateful Heavenly Father is so aware of us.I knowthe thing He wants most is for all of us to be happy and follow Him. I want to do my very best at doing my part to make Heavenly Father proud of me. Sometimes I think of Him and Christ smiling at me and being proud of me, and just thinking about that brings me joy. I want that thought I have to come true, and it all starts with me and my choices! Yes! Have an awesome week you lovely, people!

Love love love,

Sister Carvalho

Great Things From This Week:

Sister Aledo and I have bruised arms because everytime we see a vw bug, we punch each other.

We had sister conference last week. Alll the sisters in the mission got
together. So guess who was there? MINHA MAE! Sister Waite!!!!!!! I snuck up
on her and ran speedy quick to her and then we started screaming out of
joy. I love her so so so so much! Also we matched and we didn´t even plan
it. Both wore pink shirts and black skirts. If that isn´t best friend status, I don´t know what is.

Our zone!

A tree got stuck on me. Cool. 

So I carved my pumpkin! And I was so happy! Then two seconds after I took
that picture I accidently knocked off my pumpkin from the counter. I
spazzed out, ran to grab it and got a little teary because I thought it was
smashed. Then it wasn´t smashed, and we were cracking up and Sister Aledo
captured the moment.

I love my pumpkin. 

Kely! She works at açai and is so cool. I love her. We are all BFFs.

Hi my name is Sister Carvalho. I am copying Sister Anderson. I´m a Mormon.

This week was an awesome awesome learning experience. So this week I have reflected lots on the Atonement. I have been trying to finish up the part of The Book of Mormon that I missed, I think I got here when we were in Helaman, so I finished it and now am going from Nephi to Helaman. I was in 15-20, and chapter 16 is so powerful. Christ is the light of the world, and in every human being´s life. He has paid for our sins. He loves us, unconditionally. Salvation and redemption is reached only through Christ. Itmade me think of all the people we  pass by every single day. Christ didn´t Atone for my sins alone. Or just my family´s and friend´s, but literally for every single person that has ever ever lived. When I think of that, it makes me so grateful. Heavenly Father has such a perfect plan for us. He only wants us to return to Him, and for that reason is why He sent Christ to us. I have felt the Atonement work in my life so much, and when I feel that comfort and it´s power it just fills me with happiness. A verse I just loved was verse 12, His arms are ALWAYS extended in mercy and they always will be, because Christ has ALREADY paid!!! How many people have no idea of that? Or don´t undertstand the importance of having a Savior. Everyone needs the Atonement in their lives, which just brings us back to our purpose as missionaries, to invite others to come unto Christ, because Christ truly is the light and saving grace. I am just really really grateful for that, and so happy. The gospel makes you happy, and I like being happy. Being happy is the best thing ever and I know that I can show my gratitude by helping all of Heavenly Father´s children come unto Him, because He wants all of His children come unto Him. On a sad note, one of our dear friends named Conçeicão passed away. She and her husband Nanal worked on the corner of the chapel selling spices and produce, and we would pass them almost every day. I still remember the first day we met them! When we got sick two weeks ago, they got so worried about us and gave us tea leaves to make tea and get better.  They were just the most loving people ever. It was always fun to get to talk them for a little. Having her pass away was hard, but it increased my testimony of The Plan of Salvation so much more. I know that I will see her again, and I know that this isn´t the end! Although I cried a lot, I feel peace at the same time, because of the Plan of Salvation. We went to Nanal´s yesterday and he just asked us to stay with him and all his family was there. One of his brother-in-laws said there was no medicine for the soul and I couldn´t help but mumble that there was. Christ is the cure for our souls, I get sad when people don´t know it! Him and all his family are part of the Assemblia de Deus and as they were comforting Nanal, they were like you will see her again dad! We all won´t recognize each other or know each other but we will all be reunited with God again. No!!! I know we will be reunited with our Heavenly Father. I know we will be reunited with our families if we remain faithful, because that is part of His plan! His miraculous plan that was made possible through our Savior!  I have faith that Nanal will accept the gospel soon, because the gospel truly is the medicine and solution to all of life´s sorrows. It made me so sad to see him hurt so much when I know the solution. I don´t know how to quite express my feelings, but I know these things. I know that although we are all missing her, there is so much more. I love this gospel. I know my Savior lives and that one day we will all be reunited with Him. I am so blessed to be here and so grateful that I am a missionary. 

Over and Out,

Sister Carvalho

Good Lines From This Week:

Me: DANG IT!

SIster Aledo: What?

Me: There is a scary teeny spider on my Jesus The Christ!

Sister Aledo: Kill it kill it!

Me: Sister, I can´t hit my Jesus The Christ!!

(Ps. Paul, read Jesus The Christ, I think you´d enjoy it)

Sister Aledo: Kensie!

Sister Aledo: Oh my gosh, I just called you my sister´s name. That means I really love you.

Also last night we were dummies and left our window and door open when we got home because it was hot. A cockaroach FLEW in. FLEW PEOPLE. There was tears in my eyes. Sister Aledo asked me to help, but I could only offer moral support as she tried to get it out. I hate bugs.

Why yes it has been raining a lot. It looks like I have a hunchback with my
backpack underneath my coat. Also notice the pumpkin I bought. I WAS SO
EXCITED TO FIND IT! I am carving that bad boy today. Everyone please go
drink some pumpkin hot chocolate from Starbucks in my honor. Ask for hot
chocolate with two pumps of pumpkin. That is all.

More Miracles

So this week we had a miracle and a baptism. It was so great. Miracles always happen after the hard times, and just at the perfect time. We have had a hard time finding people to teach so we are doing way more contacts. Hey I just met you, and this is crazy, but here is my number, can we teach you maybe? So we got sick this week. My stomach started hurting so bad on Tuesday. It felt like I had a towel inside me and someone was squeezing it the tightest they could. Sister Aledo felt the same way, and she got it way worse. I think it lasted until Saturday, whereas on ThursdyI felt fairly better. We think our water might be contaminated because apparently all of Guarlulhos is. So Em and Meag, as my best friends you two should probably start a campaign for People Water to come to Brazil. Thanks. We now have to buy huge jugs of water. Da hora.

                 

 Two of our baptisms fell after having fallen before so it was so sad. It is just like AH! Why don´t you get this? This is the key to being your happiest ever! Tayná´s baptism did go through this week though. She is such a special little girl. She reminds a little bit of my little sister´s. My sisters really are something else, man oh man. Everytime we would visit her she just had scriptures she had read and would show us her favorite verses. She is wise beyond her years. Right after she got dressed in her baptismal clothes she just started crying. And crying because she was so happy. There was the sweetest Spirit at her baptism. After Sister Aledo and I helped her come out of the font she just started crying even more because she was so happy! SHE IS SO SWEET OH MY GOSH. Her mom came in and asked how she felt and all she could say was she couldn´t explain it. I am so happy for her. I feel like amazing things will come out of that little girl, I just know it. And now for the miracle! Wowie. So we pick up all these children who were baptized before I got here to come to church each week. Yesterday we had 9 kids come with us and they aren´t the most reverent always. This week a dog of theirs literally followed us all the way from the favela to the chapel. After being stressed from the kids, we make our way to class when we hear scratching at the door. The dog was not leaving and was making the doors shake, and loud. Sister Aledo and I had to go out and stay by the dog otherwise it would disturb everyone and wouldn´t leave. I will not even lie, I was so so so ticked at that dumb dog yesterday, but now I am so grateful for it. As we were out there, a woman came by and she asked if there was a way she could see the hymns. Her sister was a member who had passed away a few years ago and had a favorite song she always sang. She said she was dreaming about her sister lately and she just felt like she needed to come to the chapel. OH MY MIRACLES. I also now have a love/hate relationship with that dog. We had a really sweet moment and we are going to visit her tomorrow. I have a really really good feeling about this lady. I am seriously so pumped, please pray for Marli! Also Maria, a lady who lives on our street, we are visiting her on Wednesday!

                

Another thing! This week we had interviews with President Ferrin. I love him so much! Seriously. I know he is truly inspired and called of God. Ah he and Sister Ferrin are great. While we waited for interviews, we watched this Mormon Message: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5FxdCgD-qI&list=PL4E784EC0770935C0 

and everything just started click clicking in my brain. This is why families are so sacred. Because our Heavenly Father feels the same way as he does as a normal dad for His kids. He cares about us. Ah this video just depicted it perfectly. Loved it. Mormon Messages are grand. That is all for this week! I love all of you lots! Thank you for the prayers they mean the world. Us missionaries can truly feel them everyday!

Love love love,

Sister Carvalho

Good Quotes from this week:

Sister Aledo: (said something about Christmas)

Me: Oh my gosh I love love love Christmas!

Sister Aledo: Obviously, you sleep with a Santa blanket every night.

Me: Touché.

So our LD busted his knee and might have to go home. So sad. Pray for Elder McKeon please. Tonight, because he finds out if he has to go home tomorow. But every night, Sister Aledo interrogates him on if he is taking care of his knee right. 

Sister Aledo: Are you elevating your knee?

Elder McKeon: Yes

Sister Aledo: Do you have pants on?

I laughed so hard I cried. She was trying to see if had shorts on because it is better circulation but it just came out wrong. oh my. It was too good.

 

I celebrated my most favourite season ever by making brownies with the
autumn themed things my sweet mother sent me.

I now know why all the boys love me. (that was sarcasm, obviously)

Last p-day. This mural is by our house and it scares me. 

I went to my first birthday party! This family is so sweet. The mom (Jeiza)
got baptized the week I got here. They already give references, and asked
for a list of people we are teaching so they can pray for them because they
saw it on conference. LOVE THEM!

I smelled this flower and got orange stuff all over my face. Typical. 

Adriana (Tayná´s mom) and Tayná!

I love her so so much!

Elder Diaz baptized her! He is from Argentina and he really helped Tayná
gain a testimony, he is great!

Great week!

I have learned so much this week, like whoa! Wasn´t conference absolutely incredible? The first session I cried through most of, because I was just so so happy! SO HAPPY! I love this gospel so much. The rest of the sessions I was able to compose myself. But honestly, I know this gospel is true with my whole being. I know  it! I am so happy I am serving a mission. While watching I had the thought, everyone needs to know there is a prophet speaking right now. Everyone needs to know that they are children of our loving Heavenly Father. Everyone needs to know that we have a Savior, and that He wants nothing more for us than to use His infinite Atonement. Then I thought, oh wait I am a missionary. I am having the oppurtunity to share this with the people of Brazil right now. Right now! Ahhh! I think conference kind of woke me up. It made me feel so excited and so refreshed to just tell everyone about this. To be honest and frank, this week was hard. It seemed we found hardly any new people to teach, and it seemed that almost all of our investigators fell. These things happen. Also, it seems that every tragic moment that has happened in my mission has happened in the rain. Which is kind of dramatic and awesome. But finding people to teach starts with me! Missionary work starts with me. I have the scriptures. I have the Savior on my side. I have all the right tools, I just need to use it more effectively. After Elder Ballard´s talk, and he was so direct and said we need to talk to more people if we want more people to teach. That hit me so hard! Ah. I want to be a better missionary, and I want to help people come unto Christ. All of the happiest moments in my mission thus far, have come from feeling the Savior´s love for me. They have come when others feel this as well and I can see them coming unto this joy I feel. So how important is this work? So important. I don´t think it has  ever been more apparent. Yesterday, we talked to two of our investigators about baptism because they were still a little unsure about the decision. I testified to them of the importance of baptism, and how much the Savior loves them and wants them to follow Him. In this moment, I could feel the Spirit working through me. I literally felt like I was just a vessel and I could feel the Spirit teaching and not me. I could see it in the investigator´s eyes and I could feel it. It was incredible. It was the neatest feeling. I feel like this week I have truly learned how to become a better missionary, and how to work harder than before. How great is all of this? How blessed are we? We are all so blessed.

Love love love,

Sister Carvalho

First week in Cumbica!

 This week was way good. Honestly, I don´t know how to start off these emails. Like should I say, hi ,hello, how are you? Greetings from Brazil? Every week is grand so I dunno. Cumbica is great! I love Sister Aledo. She is a gem! So on the Sunday of stake conference you had met David, an investigator who wasn´t feeling prepared yet. Well on Wednesday we marked an interview with him, and right before the interview he made it seem like he was wanting to get baptized. I only taught him once but he is so prepared you can just tell!! You can just feel it. After the interview we walked in and he decided to be baptized! YESSSSS! Ah it was so good. It is an electric feeling. This week I have really reflected on how much power the scriptures really have. They are literally the words Heavenly Father would want us to know/hear/live and they have the power of true conversion. I read about that in PMG this week and it just really stuck out to me. If anyone wants to be truly converted, then they need to read the scriptures. That will truly bring about a solid testimony and true conversion. I love love love the scriptures, I want to use them and know more so I can share powerful scriptures for every situation that I ever encounter. So I am kind in love with açai. And this week it totally paid off. On P-day I wanted açai so Sister Aledo and I grabbed some and as we were eating it, the lady that worked there started asking questions about The Plan of Salvation. She was kind of preoccupied so we tried explaining a little and handed her a pamphlet and told her we wanted to visit her. Later that week, we went over and visited and she hadn´t read it yet, but told us she was way too much of a sinner because she likes smoking and drinking, and that she wasn´t going to church because she gets bored at church. We went over on Thursday and she read the pamphlet. She loved it! She said she understood everything perfectly, and she really liked it. We bore our testimonies to her and we got one step further when she said she would come to church sometime because she was really interested. She seems a little tough, but I feel way good about her. Like it will take a little more work, but she has heaps of potential. I am excited to continue teaching her! Oh also, she owns an açai place and she said we could get free açai whenever. SCORE. Except don´t worry I am not going to freeload, I am going to pay obviously. On Saturday we had David´s baptism and it was so so good! I love baptisms. I can´t say it enough. To see how happy he was, and how happy we were for him? It just doesn´t get better. My birthday was awesome. My camera broke so all the pictures are on Sister Aledo´s camera. We are going to have a picture overload pretty soon here. Serious though, thank you for all the birthday wishes. It made me so so so happy. It feels good to be loved, and have such great people that love you. You guys are the best. Thank you so much for the prayers, letters, emails, and love!!

Loveeeeeeee,

Sister TiffCarv

Elder Pila & Elder Barbosa! 

Birthday Cake! 

I had always wondered what it would be like to walk down the side of the freeway. Now I know. It is kind of a thrilling feeling. 

Cumbica!

This place is gorgeous! 

I love Sister Aledo.

I want to come here every single Pday! I love it.

David's baptism! He is a guitarist & vocalist! He has such a strong testimony and has left so much behind to follow The Lord! Yes! 

I got transferred!

So guess what. I GOT transferred. To Cumbica. Favelas ate o po! Lots of tears were shed. President had called SAturday and had given hints that I was going to be a senior and he told Sister Waite to pack her bags. So logico nos duas pensamos com certeza ela vai ir. Monday we planned on visiting all of the recent converts and planned a family home evening with Bispo and Bianca, Our favorite families. I didn't even bother saying goodbye because of what President had said. So when we got the call, it was the biggest shock ever. I just cried. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LORENA. Amo amo amo amo.I love the members. I love the people we have helped come unto Christ. I love Sister Waite. I want to be her companion for the rest of the mission. I love our zone. I love our distrit leaders. I was so sad. It felt like leaving home all over again. So when we got to Bispo's, I walked in,, Stella saw my face and just hugged me and cried. Then Bianca hugged me and cried. Then the girls (Yasmin and Ana) came up tscreaming sister to hug me and then they were confused why I was crying. I told them I was leaving and Yasmin said she was going to protest. When I left Yasmin started crying so so hard and just hugged me forever so then I was crying again. Yikes I am a mess. Bispo called us at 4:30 am because he and Stella were worried about us getting there and offered to take us to the rodoviara. So when Elder Pila ( my ld) and Elder Barbosa found I was going, guess what they did? They sacrificed their p-day and called the financial secretary and begged for a reimbursment so they could go to Sao Paulo to help me with my bags. They got a bus at 5am to come to Lorena AND Elder Pila made me brigadeiros. When I said goodbye to them and thanked them, they both almost cried. Ahhhh. BUTTTTTT, TUDO TEM PROPOSITO! Disso eu sei. I know there are people for me to meet here in Cumbica. I am so excited to meet them. Everyone I have talked to has sad Cumbica is awesome and that they loved it. YES MISSIONS! I love missions. My new companion is Sister ALedo! She has been out six months and is from Washington! Her Portugeese is way good! She seems really really sweet. I think we are going to be really good friends too. I can feel it.I am excited to be in Cumbica! I know there is so much to learn and people to meet!. I am still getting to know the area but we have already met this awesome awesome family! The Mom is named Adriana and she has three daughters who wants to be baptized. They were going to be this week but they had drank coffee so they are getting baptized this week. Their desire to follow the Lord is incredible. Adriana wants to be baptized too and when I was teaching about baptism yesterday she felt the Spirit so strong and was crying and I felt it too! The knowledge that we have a Savior who loves us and has died for us because of that love is one of the most tender things ever. I am way excited to meet more people here and share this knowledge with them! There is a recent convert here and his name is George Michael. He was named after the one and only... George Michael who sings "Careless Whisper". I keep on saying "Booooooo, he doesn't like George Michael!" Michael is way neat though, he is preparing to serve a mission and he gives us lots of references! But Cumbica thus far is awesome. Love it. That is pretty much all for this week! Thanks so much for all who sent birthday wishes, it meant the world to me! Love you guys!!

On September 7th it was Independance Day so Sister Waite and I got all decked out. NO ONE is patriotic here, I think I saw more red, white and blue than yellow, green and blue. Everyone stared at us weird and I kept on saying Salve salve, and Patria Amada to Sister Waite. 

This is from the Pday we went to the ecological park. Obviously I should be a wildlife photographer when I grow up. This is a quality picture here! 

Sister Rodrigues is the sweetest and she gave me a present at transfers. She is the cutest and will forever be a lifelong friend! 

Favorite week!

This week I think has been my most favorite week as a missionary. It was SOOOO good. Funny how it was a total flip after last week! So it started off with the temple on Tuesday. I have such a love for the temple. There is no place like it. As the session started, I felt such an overwhelming feeling of peace. Ah. I just love the temple. I am so grateful for having temples. Whenever I go to the temple I just think, man, this is what it is all about. This is what matters! It was awesome. So on Tuesday night we were walking home and we ran into Sandra, a lady that had walked up to the chapel, asked about church, flaked on our visit at church, and then we never saw her again. She said we could stop by tomorrow so we were way way excited. When we got there on Wednesday, she was kind of like uhm, well today is kind of hard, but as we were talking to her she let us come in, and then eventually let us go upstairs to meet her son. His name is Rafael. He is having a really hard time with depression. He opened up his whole soul to Sister Waite and I, but it almsot seemed like he was just talking to Sister Waite. He is so good. He gets it. As he opened up to us, he said something really interesting, I just want to be normal. But almost everything he felt and views he had on life reflected gospel views. So neat. We haven't been able to find him again though which is a bummer, but we want to! The coolest thing ever though was Nadia. HOLY COW. We taught her throughout the week with Skype because she lives in San Jose Dos Campos during the week and weekends she lives in Lorena.We didn't get to teach her on Friday because she didn't get to Skype on time. As I studied Saturday morning to teach her, I got the impression to just let her be. So did Sister Waite. Sunday rolled around, and everyone in our zone had baptisms after stake conference. Sister Waite and I had already decided a while ago that we didn't care about baptizing with the rest of the zone. We wanted to what was right. Still even at stake conference we felt like it might happen so we came prepared with a towel. It didn't, and ironically after church we had lunch with her family. After we ate, her mom and dad left, and we taught her the ten commandments. We talked about so many gospel principles while teaching, and Sister Waite invited her to be baptized that night. I felt the Spirit so strongly even though I wasn't the one who invited her. There were tears in my eyes the whole time. She said she felt like she should, there was just one little thing she couldn't put her finger on. We called up Elder Pila and him and Elder Barbosa came right away. Elder Pila interviewed her, they resolved it, and she was ready! She wanted to wait until next week though. The elders left, and we were about to leave too, and all of a sudden she said let's do it tonight. WHAT!?! The elders came all the way back from Guara, and the baptism happened. I feel like it was truly a test of our faith. To see if we would do what the Lord wanted us to do, or if we would want to do it our way. The Lord's way is always the way to go! ETERNAL FAMILIES! Yessss! It especially tender because Luzia and Miled just got sealed in July. I love my mission lots. I love this gospel lots. It is constantly be re-affirmed to me that is so true. It brings me so much joy! I am so happy to see the joy it brings unto others. You can see the change in people. It is so rewarding and so gratifying. Tomorrow is tranfers. They have told us that one of us is leaving, and we don't know anything else besides that. It is kind of pointing towards Sister Waite though and I might be a senior. I just finished my training last week though and I still don't know everything that is going on though so yikes! We will see what happens. Have an awesome week!

Two P Days ago we went to this park with our district. It was way fun!

Campinas! 

The girls in my district! Sister Borges, Sister Waite, some weirdo, Sister Melo! I would like to title this: The many looks of Sister Carvalho because they are all wearing my clothes. Hahahah it was fun

Fave zone leaders ever! 

I love love love love my zone. 

I love Sister Mendonça! We share the same birthday!

President and Sister Ferrin! I love them lots.

#matching #wedidn´tevenplanit

Sister Waite took this sweet picture

Claudinei. I love love love love him. 

The closest I will get to Autumn in Brazil.

Nadia!!!!!!

Nadia´s grandma Claudina, Luzia, Miled, Nadia!!!!!!!!!!!