Post-Mission Sister Carvalho Who is Now Commonly Known as Tiff

So I know that Meags hasn't updated my blog for the last little bit of the mission, so I'll do that sometime.

Anyways, these are my real alive feelings on being home. It has been strange. Really strange, but really good? Upon getting close to going home I feel like Heavenly Father really tried to show me exactly what I needed to do and what attitude I needed to have so I could handle the situation. I felt "prepared" to go home if that makes sense. One day I was flippin through Liahonas and I found this talk from Elder Holland about Lot's wife and not looking back. Here is a power statement from the talk: " In short, her attachment to the past outweighed her confidence in the future. That, apparently, was at least part of her sin". That hit me SO hard. I couldn't be like ohhhh man, I just wish I was in Brasil, wow I want to be on my mission, my mission was the best time ever and I will never be as happy again because that was just the best. false. Here is another gem: "The past is to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead, we remember that faith is always pointed toward the future"  YES! Yes, that was exactly what I needed to hear. I have learned AMAZING things on my mission and have had AMAZING experiences, but I need to take that and try and improve even more. Sister Sirmans (another sister who is my instant BFF and was going home too) and I had a discussion about progression, and how each and everyone of us need progression. If we stayed on our missions our entire lives, we wouldn't progress! We need our missions. We really do, but the 18 month mission is part of a much bigger mission...and that is called life. It is like when we are trained on the mission. You get trained and it is like boom, be a star missionary. Well we were trained for 18/24 months to be the best member missionaries, and to know how to constantly and always help the Lord's work. So here are some gems of my first week:


Awkwardness:
I have honestly been awkward my ENTIRE life. Once on the mission, my sweet daughter (hahahhaha we hated the term "daughter") Sister Falcao told me "You are the most awkward person I have ever met, you just know how to play it off." Touche, Sister Falcao, touche. I feel like me being awkward is like people who have a disability, like blindness for example. Once in Lorena, I met a man who was blind but looked me straight in the eye. But he was blind. He learned how to deal. So it is to my awkwardness. People look at me and they say comments like, "Hey you aren't too bad!" Yeah, well I am faking it people, because I am awkward as heck.

So I went on my first date today. It was kind of hilarious because I just kept feeling like okay I am alone with a boy... ALERT ALERT ALERT WHERE IS MY COMPANION I CAN'T EVEN DO THIS. It was a lunch date and let me just tell you, I am a mess. We were chatting and eating and then some of my sweet pork salad fell out of my mouth....oh haaaaaai that's cool. Also, I just talked about my mission the whole time. Good times.

Missing Pangs:
The second day I got home my mom took me out to lunch. "Hey get ready Tiff!" Okay. Got on an outfit that looked atrocious, and then was like okay, badge. Badge badge badge, I need my badge. Then I realized I don't wear a badge anymore. Sad.

At the same lunch some guy was talking to his friend and said the word "SISTER" really loudly. I frantically looked around for who was calling me. No one was calling me.

That night my dad took me out to dinner and to thank the waitress I cheerfully said "Obrigada!" Then my family just stared. And I was like you guys, what? I said thank you. "You said it in Portuguese Tiff" Oh...

Then this week Aurora had her Evening of Excellence in Young Women's and I came along. I decided to look at my mission plaque in the hall. oh.my.gosh. Worst thing ever. Tears instantly swelled up and then mom was like okay we are leaving. We drove for a while then I broke down in the car and bawwwwwwwwled. You know it is hard. You really miss it. But I have found that if we just take our experiences and don't look back, and keep on being faithful, you'll be just fine.

Most Commonly Asked Questions to a RM:

"So how was your mission?" In those exact words. My answer: The most incredible experience I have had in my entire life.

"So what are your plans?" Work, maybe do a class or two online at ASU and go up to UVU/BYU (if I get in) for summer semester.

"So how are ya feelin?" I feel weird.

"So are you dating anyone?" NO. LIKE, I got home a week ago. BYE.

"So what did you like best about Brasil?" The people. Hands down the people. I love my Brasileiros.

Missionary Moment:

So I went to my Mom's work today to drop her off something and she goes, hey there are these people I want you to meet, I have told them all about you throughout your mission. Okay! So I went over to talk this older couple who were the sweetest ever and they just asked me all about my mission. Turns out they are non-members. My mom comes back around and laughingly just says, they are Mormons they just don't know it yet. And the man just says yeah I don't drink,smoke, or drink coffee. So we get to talking and talk about my areas, and how some were pretty Catholic and he told me about his own family and how his mother was a Protestant and his father was Catholic and how they just always fought and he felt it shouldn't be that way. YES EXACTLY. His wife then chimes in, you know I believe that all religion just started with people just having different opinions and then branching off, like Henry the 8th, he started the Church of England because the Catholic church wouldn't grant him a divorce. UH YEAH. So then I asked if they had met with the missionaries before, and the only the husband had once. So then I thought okay, calma, calma, Tiff. So I invited them to my homecoming this Sunday! And they are COMING! I could've done like 20 happy jumps. I am grateful for my mission. I am grateful for the experiences and blessings that the Lord has so generously given me. I am grateful for Christ and His perfect example. I am grateful for all the miracles I have seen. I am grateful that the Lord is still giving me oppurtunities to be a missionary. What a beautiful life we all live.

Elder Holland's Talk:
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2010/01/the-best-is-yet-to-be?lang=eng

Guess Where I am? 6/2/2014

Hi! 

How are all my favorite people doing? I am doing great, thank you. So guess where I am??? I GOT MOVED MISSIONS! I AM NOW IN INTERLAGOS! Just kidding. Got ya! Hahahahha Sister Beazer and I got blessed with staying another transfer together here in Cachoeira Paulista! I LOVE SISTER BEAZER. She balances me out perfectly, because she is so calm and the definition of the word sweet. Honestly, I am so grateful. We have HEAPS of work to do. Sister and Beazer and I really feel that the Lord wants His work here to move along undisturbed. We have the best people ever that we are teaching. I know that miracles will absolutely happen this transfer! 

As the week started we were pretty anxious. I am always a wreck the day before transfers, I can´t even lie. We visited all of our investigators, just in case. When we got the call, it was the best thing ever! So I know I haven´t mentioned Linda. But, oh my goodness. GOLDEN GOLDEN investigator. We actually met her mom first. I have been the queen of random street contacts here in Cachoeira that have been golden. Linda´s mom Tiana didn´t even really want to talk to us at first. As we kept chatting though, she invited us in. She just said, I really don´t know why I let you guys come in, I don´t even like talking about religion. Linda then came home (she is 15) and we taught them both the Restoartion. Tiana hasn´t been very interested at all, but Linda just kept saying wow, you guys have answered all the questions that no other religion has been able to answer! She come to church every single week, and is just the sweetest, most special girl ever. We even did her Personal Progress with her last week! She keeps every commitment, and goes to activities and church on her own. We really want to teach her parents as well though, but they always work on SUndays and never are interested in staying. Tiana did say a prayer though during one of the lessons and got really choked up and asked so earnestly that Linda would follow the church! Currently, Linda is marked to be baptized in August, and she always talks about how excited she is! I just love Linda.

We had two huge miracles happen along the way this week as well. One is that as we taught Marcelo, he told us he gets the cage off his leg either this week or next week! Which means that he will be able to go to church, and be baptized! He was telling us this week, how he is excited to be baptized with the right authority, and how he knows that The Book of Mormon is true. As we taught him, a little more about the PLan of Salvation, his cousin randomly burst in the room, and said how he was feeling sad about how his friend recently died. BOOM, miracle. His name is Ricardo, and he is really cool. We gave him a Book of Mormon and we wil be visiting him more this week! Please pray for Marcelo, that his surgery will go well!

We also have started to teach Vilma´s husband Batista. He is usually always drunk and not the happiest camper, but as we taught him, he just said he wants to feel happy. He wants his life to change. He looked Sister Beazer and I straight in the eye and asked, What do I need to do to get rid of all of this saddness and hurt inside of me? We responded that Chirst is the cure. He then promised that he would go to church the next day. Not only did he go, but he went in perfect SUnday attire, and totally sober. Vilma told us later that he drank NOTHING for the all of yesterday. MILAGRES!!! I know Chirst is the Healer and the only true comfort. When we repent, and we decide to follow Him, He will heal us. I think that it is incredible that whether it is mental, emotional, spiritual, or physical, Christ can heal each and everyone us. Despite what our lives trials may have been. I know that Christ can make us whole. We can have eternal peace and happiness through our Savior. I love our Savior so very much. I am so grateful. AH HAPPINESS!!!

welp, I need to be going! I love you all. MUITO. OH, also the world cup is coming. VAI BRASIL!!!!!!!!!!!!

love love love,

SIster Carvalho

Gems of the Week:

Subway and McDonald´s fries. My favorite thing to do now is do hangloose and say BELEZA in the most American accent I can do.

 I scream. You scream, We all scream for ice cream!

 Almost all of our zone stayed the same, except for a few new people. Our zone is the funnest ever. We had our zone meeting (in proselyting clothes, don´t worry), then played soccer, then we went and ate food. Obviously eating was my favorite part.

Let´s talk about how Dani is the CUTEST baby ever. (Mariana´s son)

 We told Laura (one of our super cool investigators) that transfers were the next day, and she said just in case, here are some gifts! I made hot chocolate in mine the next day!

 Have I told you guys I live on a balcony? Because I do. So we pretend our llife is Tangled all the time. Sometimes I even brush Sister Beazer´s golden hair and sing "Flower, gleam, and glow..."

We found this little (BIG) guy in our room. I shut the bathroom door and made Sister Beazer kill it.

 Laura!!!

 So my purse broke. And Elder Horton (hears a Who) fixed it.I like calling him Elder Horton Hears a Who because he is 6´8. SO TALL.

The Crazy Life of Sister Tiffany Carvalho 5/26/2014

Hello Lovely People,

I am so so grateful to be here in Cachoeira Paulista. I love this place.  We have had the best transfer here. We were really humbled at times, but have also seen the Lord´s hand in His work so much.

  We have had the privilege of teaching incredible people! I have mentioned Marcelo and Vando before. They are awesome! We became a bit discouraged when they would never come to church. (Marcelo can´t wake up due to medical reasons and Vando works) We passed by their home this week, and Vando said he visited the Universal church. My first thought, was just NO! He then continued on to tell us that nothing even made sense there. He also said that after he read the Book of Mormon he just knows that the church of the Mormons is true! He was like, you guys have it right! Now, we just to work on getting him to go to church. He is awesome though. Marcelo was a bit hesitant to read The Book of Mormon. He just kept telling us, but I know it is true already. I know it! So we just explained to him that he really had to read to know for himself. We visited again, and he had read! He is really desiring to read more and more now. Oh they are golden. They both have solidified my testimony of just how important The Book of Mormon is. It has such power that we don´t even realize. A lot of times I just feel like, wow, Sister Carvalho, you don´t even know. I know that the Book of Mormon is true with my whole heart. It adds depth and meaning to each of our lives, and the Lord always testifies to us through His scriptures.

I don´t know if I have ever mentioned Roberto and Cristina but I LOVE them. They are the sweetest family. They are very very firm in their faith. We even did a trade with them and went to their church one Sunday night, and this Sunday Cristina came with us to our church and she loved it. Her and her husband have also promised to go to stake conference. They really don´t understand the concept of the Celestial, Terrestial, and Telestial Kingdom. They think that it is just Heaven and Hell. The end. It makes me sad to think that people really think Heavenly Father would be so unmerciful. I think that both Sister Beazer and I testified of it so strongly, that it has made a lasting impression on me. I know that the Plan of Salvation is acutally happening as we speak. I know that Christ made this all possible for us! I think that with truly loving Roberto and Cristina, they don´t necessarily accept it still, but when we visited yesterday they kept telling us they wanted to go to eh Celestial Kingdom so I think that is a huge step!!

So the Elder Nelson got cancelled. There was going to be crazy protests and boycotts, so they thought it was best to cancel it. All the missions of Sao Paulo stayed home that day but I know it was inspired! 

Love love love,

Sister C

So I decided to have my very own conference since ours was cancelled. Why yes, these are all the conference Ensigns and Liahonas I could find in our house. 

 Jorge and Iraci are such cool investigators! They invited us over to have lunch at their home and they surprised us with.... CHUARRSCO! I LOVEEEEEEEEEEE BRAZILIAN BBQ!! 

Purple maracuja! (passion fruit) Also, let´s notice Mariana who tried escaping from the picture. GOT YA MARIANA!

 Weird fruit I have never seen in my entire life. It is called "fruta do conde". It is good.

ELDER NELSON ON WEDNESDAY!!!!!! 5/19/2014

Hey I am all out of time! But I love you all! I had so much to say about this week as well! No! Here are bullet points:

I LOVE the temple. Especially Campinas. I feel the Spirit so strongly each time, and I know with a certainty that we are children of our Heavenly Father. He loves us so much. You feel that so tenderly and strognly at the temple.

We found a golden investigator this week, Linda. She is AMAZING.

Miracles filled this week. 

I got sick and sounded like a man, but don´t worry I am all better now.

Love love love,

SIster Carvalho

Sister Beazer and Sister Carvalho love the temple.

 OKAY. I have found WILD WILD connections to people I know back home here in Brazil. This guy comes up to us and starts talking to us and says

Alan Soares: I just got back from the Bost-

Me: DO YOU KNOW ELDER STONES????????

Alan Soares: Yes! He is zone leaders with one of my close friends!

WHat the heck! Crazy! ALso, as I was leaving I talked to the temple missionary at the front desk. His name is Elder HAwkins, and mom  guess what, HE IS FROM THE GLENDORA STAKE!!!! I asked him and he know the Santos, and the Meisels! He is from Glendora 5th ward.He has been Sao Paulo South´s mission president, and now is a missionary at the temple in CAmpinas! Ahhhhhh my California ward!

 I demanded to be next to Sister Falcão....hahahahahha, I love that girl.

 Zone and the Temple! I love love love Zona Guara!

me: Sister Beazer, be excited for the temple!!!

The conclusion: I am excited and Sister Beazer is SASSY. I am teaching her well.

Also, can I just say I think the Campinas temple is my all time favorite temple. It is BEAUTIFUL.

Ah I love her!

 Bringing it back to Cumbica days with Elder Mckeon as our district leader! Also weird photobomber.

 Sister ALedo, me, SIster Sales, and Sister Lucas! Love them!

I should be a professional photographer.

An investigator gave me a Santos mug! VAI SANTOS! I have been on a grape juice kick lately, which is weird because I have never ever even liked grape juice.

 Linda gave me a One Direction sticker! YES!

 I am so out in the boonies here that we are super close to two other states, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro!

Sweet Week! 5/12/2014

Well Hello There World.

I was thinking about it and I write my whole life on these emails. Which is pretty weird, because I felt exposed or something. Do not worry though, I like being really detailed with everything that happens.

This week we continued teaching Marcelo. He is awesome. We also met his brother named Vando! Marcelo also gave us three references this week which was so cool. He is awesome. Unfortunately, he hasn´t been able to make it to church because of his leg. He can´t sleep at night at all, so he can´t ever wake up. Prayers for him to make it to church this week would be AWESOME! He has such faith, he even did a fast with us for him to wake up, but he still didn´t wake up. It is okay though, because I know that Heavenly Father will help him wake up this week!!

In other news, we met an AMAZING family Saturday night. We met the mom Tiana, and she gave us t he normal responses like oh, I am really busy, sorry I just don´t know when we can meet. After chatting with her for a while though, she just asked if we wanted to come in. We accepted and as we talked she just said, you know I am really surprised I let you guys come in. Usually I let no one come in. After a little bit, her daughter came home. We started teaching them the Restoration, and before the lesson her daughter was like I have some questions. Everyone always says their church is right. And there are lots of churches. So which is right? And what happens after we die? We we were just like WHOA! Tiana couldn´t come to church because she had  to work yesterdya, but her daughter and a friend came! We are super excited to teach them.

There is more, but I have got to run! I also haven´t forgotten about charity, and will write my thoughts next week!

Love love love,

Sister Carvalho

Gems of the Week:

SIster Beazer: Você.É.Loca.Sister. (she tells me this everyday)

Sister Beazer: I am starting a quote book for you.

Me: Awwww, are you serious? Thank you! (thinking she is giving me a book with quotes because I love quotes)

Sister Beazer: No, I am starting a book full of things you say.

Me: Oh.

This is where I am serving.Whoa.

The other night we bought Mariana a hamburger because she had helped us lots. Then she just said I don´t believe it, I just ordered you guys pizza. Here is our pizza.

The other day I bought MnMs. Mmmmm. Name the movie. Sister Beazer got it on her first try!

ELDER RUSSEL M.NELSON IS COMING TO MY MISSION MAY 21st! AHHHHHHH! 5/5/2014

Hi Lovely People!!!

I am sorry I am just so so so so so so excited about Elder Nelson coming. I think about it at least twice a day. Okay, let´s be honest, more than two times a day. Also, I am listening to this currently : https://www.lds.org/youth/music?lang=eng Christmas music in May. YES!

Wow. This week was probably the craziest week of my whole mission for a myriad of reasons. There was lots of miracles that happened here in Cachoeira. A total flip from last week! I think it is interesting that our entire mission is focusing on charity because I have pondered lots on charity this week. I was reading letters from my family and friends at home, and it sounds funny but I remembered that there is actually people that love me and I used to be around all the time at home. I just felt so much love and happiness for them. It then made me remember all of the people from my areas. Lorena, Cumbica, Vila Prudente, and Cachoeira. All of the sweet people I have had the privilege of teaching, all of the amazing members, and I just kind of sat on my bed and was just filled with gratitude and love. One of my favorite quotes says "All that we love deeply becomes a part of us" I carry all of these people in my pocket with me, I could never ever forget them. I believe that charity just expands and grows and all of a sudden pieces of your heart are just everywhere! On the flip side, I was also talking to a member in our branch who is a return missionary and she is awesome! We were talking about missions, and something she said impacted me a lot. On her mission, she was having a hard time finding people to teach and her president said "Have charity sister" to which she said, what I have charity, I pray for these people, I love these people. He then said no Sister, you just simply need to love everyone as Christ would. Not expecting to teach them, but just love them. It just hit me like a ton of bricks. If we see all of the people around us for who they truly are, sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father and had the purest love for them, we would treat each other very differently. This week I want to study charity more and develop more charity for all those around me. I want to encourage all of you to study Chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel, the charity section, and find all the scriptures you can! I will be doing the same and report next week.

     This week we had three huge miracles. The first was Tuesday night. We were walking to an appointment and this guy rode by me in a bicycle. Normally it is really hard to talk to people on bikes because they move speedy quick, but I felt like I should talk to him. I just yelled after him, Hey what is your name!?! He then stopped and his name is Ulisses. During a nice chat, he told us that he was really wanting the gospel in his life and that he has already taken the discussions and been to church. WHAT! We invited him to baptism and he accepted just like that! Unfortunately, he has been really busy this week so we didn´t get to teach him, but we are looking forward to it!! A similar incident happened, when we met Marcelo. He is the sweetest. He was in an accident and has his leg with a cage thing on it with pins that go through his bones. Marcelo has also been to church already, and when we taught him he said "I believe! I will be baptized!!" We then felt impressed to talk to him about the Word of Wisdom. He doesn´t drink, smoke, and when we asked about coffee, hw just says I never drink coffee I don´t even like coffee! I was FREAKING out. Marcelo has a date set for the 18th and we are so so so so happy for him. A complete miracle.  We also met a lady named Roseli, and as we spoke to her she just said she has been to a lot of churches and she just wants to find the right one. All of these people, are all people who have been prepared by the Lord. Two weeks ago I felt so strongly that the Lord was preparing people, and this week we have been finding these people who are prepared by the Lord. It so humbling to know that this is the Lord´s work. Not mine, nor Sister Beazer´s but His work, and if we are following His will, we can be effective instruments in His hands. More and more I am realizing that the whisperings of the Spirit aren´t a GO TALK TO HER, but it is very gentle, and subtle. When we follow the Spirit´s promptings, we can do the Lord´s will. It is awesome.

 

PLease please pray for Marcelo, Bette, Ulisses, and Roseli. Your prayers most defintely worked last week, because we found AMAZING people this week. I am grateful for all of you and your prayers!!! OH ONE MORE THING. Tomorrow are interviews with President and I am going to ask him if I can stay until December 16th instead of November 5th which is my current return date. If I leave in Novemeber I won´t even complete 17 months! On December 16th it  will be three days after my 18th month mark. PROJECT: KEEP SISTER TIFFANY CARVALHO IN BRAZIL UNTIL DECEMBER 16th! Love you guys!

Love,

Sister Carvalho

Gems of the Week:

We always walk by this fruit tree (acerola) and it smells SO good. Everytime Sister Beazer goes "Oh my gosh, is that a pear tree it smells so good" After the third time, I was just like "Sister, when have y ou smelled a pear tree?" 

Sister Beazer: " Uh, well I´ve smelled an apple tree and a pine tree."

Sister Carvalho: But not a pear tree? So how do you know what one smells like?

LOTS OF LAUGHING FOLLOWED.

This one day was a little hard so I took a picture pretending I was depressed. I think it is hilarious.

  Sister Beazer needed to get her foot inserts from Lorena so we went and had lunch at..... BIANCA´S!!!!!!!!!! I love Bianca!!! She has this fluffy snob dog named Toby. I like him.

 Bianca!!!

 Some of my favorite people! Carols and Lais took us to McDonald´s as a farewell. Notice our brick phone on the table. I might have been anxious to get transfer calls.

 I love this family SO much. Silvia got baptized this SUnday:) She is in the pink!!

 CREEPY bug. 

 Mark 16:15; Preach the gospel unto every creature they said. Okay!

 A cute member made me this!!

Last day with the bestest sisters!

 I LOVE LOVE LOVE STELLA AND ANA!!

 NADIA!!! AND IRMA LUZIA! Nadia is now a ward missionary and does visits every Sunday. Tender moments.

 These are real pictures I have taken without ANY effects, Brasil is BEAUTIFUL.

 The P-day before transfers Sister Jensen and I had a clothing exchange and we took a selfie. Hahahah

 We got an Easter egg from Mariana!!! She always tells me "Sister, I like offering you chocolate because you always accept!" Hahahahhaa

Cool poster!