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!!!!!!!!!!!

Hard week.

So this week was a little hard. The most common answer we got was no. Also, almost all of our investigators fell. Bruno got in a bad accident and his mom asked us not to come back, Silvana said she got an answer and it was to follow her church. Nooooo! On Wednesday it rained really hard, and then a car splashed me. So I was soaking. And Sister Waite was soaking. In my journal I wrote the following: If I could write my life story, today would say, Things were looking rather bleak for the young sister missionary. It was also really funny though so I laughed about it. Sister Waite and I also sang On My Own in the rain. It was great. Although it was hard, we have tons of potential people to teach which is golden. Bianca let us go to her school and talk to her students because we are real Americans. We got a solid reference, and I am really excited to see how she progresses! The whole week went by kind of ehhh, but then on Sunday the miracles happened. Obviously. They always happen. First, a man we taught two weeks ago showed up at church. He left early during the lesson (he wasn磘 even the person we were visiting, he was just there) and said he would come to church sometime. Everyone always always says that though and they never come. But he came! He is so so so smart. He also seems so prepared. We are WAY WAY excited to get to teach him this week! We had the oppurtunity of teaching Nadia again this week, she is the daughter of the Elder Quorum and Relief Society president. She lives in Sao Jose during the week and Lorena on the weekends. When we taught her yesterday, we felt the Spirit so strongly. She has accepted everything, she just wants until Wednesday to be totally sure. Pray for Nadia! She is a special girl. I am so grateful to be on a misson. I learn so much daily, and I already feel like I have changed for the better. I am short on time, so have a great week you lovelies.

This week. Oh man.

So this week so many funny things happened. Where to start! So on Tuesday morning I got back to Lorena after we had our zone meeting. I LOVE LORENA SO MUCH AND I LOVE SISTER WAITE! I missed it in just those four days. Next transfer is on the 17th and I am nervous, because I just love it here! So on Wednesday we almost had a bible bash situation. Que chato meu. We visited this contact named Priscilla and we met the rest of her family, and if we talked for 10 minutes it would be a miracle. We would start to say something and boom they would interrupt and go on a rant of what they believed in. They told us they felt bad for us because we were confused and tricked, and they could tell we were good girls who loved God. Uhm, no actually I am not confused or tricked because I know for a fact the church is true. Yeeeeeeeea! What a blessing. We didn磘 argue of course, so we felt it was best to just go. Right before we were leaving they asked if we could go to other churches. We said yes of course, and they invited us to go their磗 so we told them we would go to theirs if they went to our磗. We went to their磗 on Friday and we heard lots of glorias and halleujahs. I also think the pastor took a picture of the congregation to put on facebook so look up Igreja quadangular with Pastor Andre. It was a good expereience, I like experiencing new things. Unfortunately, they didn磘 hold up their end of the deal and go to church with us yesterday, mas tudo bem!! On Wednesday we got new mattresses! YES BEDS THAT DON碩 SMELL LIKE B.O.! The simple joys in life make you so happy on the mission. I was freaking out. On Thursday we had lunch at a member磗 mom磗 house and I had my first experience with exotic food. They made a dish called mocoto and it is cartilage of cow磗 feet. It looked like clear pieces of rubbery bone. I graciously declined. I knew it wouldn磘 end well if I ate it. I also had my first experience with a bug in our house yesterday. Sister Waite was showering and I went to grab my brush in the other room and there was a big big roach. I started screaming and Sister Waite probably thought I was being kidnapped or murdered. She asked what was wrong and I said a roach. I stood on the couch and just stared at it for a little but then it started to move so I mustered up all my courage and killed it with a piece of cardboard. I really missed Will in that moment. I am learning to overcome fears here people. Now for the spiritual highs of the weeek! Tereza! She is the mother-in-law of a member in the ward.She got baptized this week. Everytime we teach her she is always so prepared. She pulls out her notebook and has notes written of what she has studied in the Book of Mormon and pamphlets. She was truly so so ready to be baptized. I love her. Every time we taught her she would give us the biggest and tightest hug. I love baptisms, there is always the sweetest spirit that is felt there. Even more tender was when her extended family got up and sang Families Can Be Together Forever. It was so good. I just love the mission!! Yesterday was fast sunday and guess who was back after a month of being bed-ridden. CLAUDINEI!!!!! Wow, that man honestly just floors me. Normally it take 3-4 months of someone who had his surgery to recover and he took 26 days. He is walking miracle. He bore his testimony and as soon as I heard his crutches moving I started to get teary. He has such a strong testimony. I felt the Spirit so so strong and I had one of those this-is-why-I-am-here moments. I know there are more people to teach like Claudinei and I am so excited to find them. The church is true! Yesss! This week I truly felt the Savior's love for each one of us. The more I study the scriptures, the more and more my surety of that is impressed upon me. We never have a reason to be sad, because we are all children of God. He blesses us so much, just reflect on all the blessings. Having a good attitude is the best thing ever. I hope you all can feel that so much too. That is pretty much it for this week, I hope all of you are doing so great!

Sister TiffCarv

PS Congratulations to all you engaged people! Wowie wow wow, I am so happy for you guys! SIster Waite laughs each Monday because I think there has only been 1 week that we have been together and someone hasn't gotten engaged. CONGRATS!

Tereza's baptism!!!!!! 

A sister told us that if you drink water soaked in eggplant for 24 hours with lemon you would lose weight so I tried it. It is literally brown

Ta da this is where I live! The yellow house. The church is next door pretty much. I live a charmed life

Send me letters!

First off, I would pretty please like letters. Like if I got letters it would make me probably jump for joy. Just kidding, I am a spaz, I would jump for joy. Except four people have asked me now what my address is so I don't think anyone knows it. Here it is:

Sister Tiffany Carvalho

Brasil Sao Paulo East Mission

Rua Caa- A 229 Belenzinho

SAo Paulo- SP Brasil

03171-020

This week was kind of strange. It was really great, don't get me wrong, but it was not your typical mission week. So Monday was P-day, then Tuesday my poor mission mother, Sister Waite got so sick. She could hardly get up but she wanted to go to lunch because Josi had references for us, and she wanted to visit Tereza who is getting baptized this week. Dedication much? She is awesome. So we did that and then went home. I read conference talks, made a passion fruit mousse, and cleaned up the kitchen. Then we picked up Sister Borges and Sister Melo because Wednesday we had our first mission conference! It was sooooooooooo good. It made me so much more excited to do this work. One of my most favorite parts was this video they showed, and anyways I won't explain it all due to time, but the message was are we going to make Christ's sacrifice worth it? I want to! I have a firm testimony of the Savior and His love for us. I can feel it so much here on the mission. I want others to feel it to, and I want to serve my Heavenly Father by bringing others unto Christ. I know He lives. Everyone else should know it too and come unto Him! So I have got to work, work, work! I read an old Ensign that talked about Elder Bednar because it was when he was first ordained an apostle. His son said that his dad would tell him the following on the mission, when it gets hard, go to work and success will come. When the success comes, remember that God gave it and you did not earn it's That isn't it exactly because I don't have the quote with me but it is so true. This is the Lord's work. Something I have also been reflecting on lately is obdience. Obdience with exactness. We have heaps of rules on the mission, but it is for good. I won't ever forget Sister Ashby and her testimony of being obdient with exactness. When we are obedient, blessings WILL come. It doesn't matter how small the commandment or how big, the Lord will always bless us. D&C 82:10 says the Lord is bound when we do what he commands us. Don't we want blessings? Ai, this gospel is so simple, but we complicate it so much. We will either obey or we won't. Grey areas don't exist. I was trying to go into the grey by telling myself it was okay to get up at 6:45 if I woke up at 6:30 and just laid there. But justification isn't real. Either we are obdient or we aren't. Either the Lord blesses us or he won't. He never gives us half blessings, so why would we give half obdience? I know that as I try my hardest to be obdient, Heavenly Father will truly bless me, and he will bless Sister Waite and I as we teach and try and find more people. In other news, I am currently in Cachoeira Paulista and I have been here since Friday. We are on splits and I am with Sister Melo and will be here until tomorrow morning. She is such an example to me! She is a model and actress, and has only been a member for 11 months. President Ferrin let her serve a short mission (corto prazo, it doesn磘 esist anymore) and she left her whole life to serve. Solid. I am so exicted to be in Brazil. I can feel myself growing and changing, which is good. I am so excited to serve Heavenly Father. I can feel the blessings coming. Just today I read some of the best news ever and just sat here crying out of joy. That has happened lots while emailing. I hope all is well in your lives, and that you all have a splendid week.

Hello Everyone!

Hello everyone! So these past two weeks have been a little slower. So we looked in the area book and tried finding people that we felt had potential. Two of them were Claudimision and Mariza. When we prayed with Mariza she just started crying so much in her prayer. I felt the Spirit and I know that she felt it too. She has been a little flakey though so hopefully she will pull through because she has so much potential! I think that is something that can be frustrating sometimes. You see the potential in so many people, and you want what is best for them, but sometimes they just aren´t wanting it yet! It is like Elder Holland said though, salvation was never easy. Claudimison is the son of a less active member. He was really quiet during the lesson, but he accepted baptism. He even called us Saturday night to tell us he couldn´t make it to church. I am excited for him. On Wednesday we did a fast as a zone to find more people. The power in fasting is so real, it is incredible. Just that day we recieved a contact from Patrick, a boy in our ward and we met a man at Claudinei´s who is so prepared and good. Miracles, ahhh! The next day at lunch there was a member´s mom (Silvana) and we had already plans to visit her later that week but she happened to be there, so we taught her after lunch. She accepted to be baptized but she said the only thing that was holding her back was her smoking. Silvana said though that is so strange though because lately she hadn´t been feeling like smoking anymore. She would only smoke one cigarette a day or half of one. The Lord prepares people so so much!!! There are so many miracles like that happen daily. I know that Heavenly Father is constantly looking after us in our lives. SAturday and Sunday were the highlights of the week though. So on Saturday we taught one of the city´s politicians who also happens to be an ex-Catholic minister. Padre Coelho!! We met him because his wife is Suely´s sister and he stopped being a padre because he wanted to marry Rosana. Ah it was so neat. We felt like Ammon teaching King Lamoni or something because not only is he super well known, but everyone loveeeees him. He is such sweet man. They were so respectful and receptive throughout the whole lesson. When I taught the first vision I don´t think that I have ever felt the Spirit so strong. I was almost in tears by the end of reciting JSH 1:16-17. Ah I just know these things are true. There is so much more to life than the everyday hustle and bustle. We have the restored gospel on the earth people! Doesn´t that make you just want to scream? They said they would certainly read The Book of Mormon and pray about it so we will see how it goes! On Sunday we had an FHE at at a member´s house so we could teach his mother-in-law named Tereza.  Sister Waite and I are starting to become famous for our FHE´s. At the end of the lesson, we invited her to be baptized and she accepted. She said I have been to your church so many times but no one had invited me before. I have always wanted to be baptzied. AHHHHHHHHH. Yes!! Yes yes yes! Wow. The mission is great. That is all. Have a great week. Love you lovies!

Love,

Sister Carvalho

Hello!

Hello! I don't even know where to begin! So last pday after emailing we bought stuff to make yakisoba and we went home and made it. We were seriously about to sit down when our doorbell rang. We were really confused because no one comes to our house to talk to us. I looked out and it was Diana and Jose. I yelled for Sister Waite to come because my first thought was that something might have gone wrong with Claudinei's surgery. We ran down and they said they had bad news, but before we could even panic, they said Claudinei was fine. What a relief! Then they told us the bad news. Cida has had kidney stones but is scared to get them out and with being nervous for Cladinei they acted up and she was in loads of pain so they rushed her to the hospital. Then Jose spent all his money saved for the wedding because his motorcycle and Claudinei's car broke. Also, both the parents were in the hospital so how could they get married that week? So the wedding has been pushed to September. Their faith is incredible though. Jose said he had prayed so much, and they are still super firm on being baptized. I just love them! Cida and Claudinei both got home from the hospital on Friday and we happened to get there right when Cida got home. When we saw Claudinei he just said my sisters! We asked how he was and he said this week was a good week. Uma a boa semana mesmo. I knew that my church was praying and fasting for me. As long as I have faith everything will be okay. He even shared the gospel with some 19 yeard old girl he met from Taubate and she said she would look up the church. That my friends is how the gospel is spead. I love them so much. This morning we went and made them smoothies and french toast for breakfast! Camila was baptized yesterday! She was so ready and so excited. I have noticed that something hard always happens before someones baptism. Some things had happened to Camila but she was still there firm and excited! She was also telling me and Sister Waite about how she was telling her friend about the gospel. When people are truly converted, they want to share the gospel with all the people they know. It reminds me of the talk at conference about the tomatoe seed and how it spreads and can grow into a million tomatoe plants. That is how missionary work is! I am out of time and have loads more to say. The theme of this week and last week for me is Work will win when wishy washy wishing wont. We are trying to find more people teach, and I know that with hard work we will! Love all of you loads, send some letters, would ya?

Ana put her flower clips in my hair and Yasmin wanted to take a picture.

These are Bishop´s daughters, Ana and Yasmin. We are best friends, everytime they see me they run up to me and hug me and play with my hair or ask to play hide and seek. You would never guess it, but Ana (she is 3) likes worms and cockaroaches. Once we showed up at church and she drew one on the chalkboard. Hahahaha. She kills me.

Love this one of Camila! She was so excited.

Us and Camila

Have faith! 

Our zone p-day a fewe weeks ago! The two girls on the end aren´t sisters. Sister missionaries that is.

Oi pessoal! {Hi guys!}

Oi pessoal! It has been another grand week in Brazil. But what is new there? The week started off with Sister Waite and I going to Sao Paulo for P day since we had to be there the next day anyways so Sister Waite could renew her visa. We went bowling and then had to hurry to another area because President wanted us to stay with sisters that were closer to the mission office. When we got to there house, SIster Bruno had forgotten the house keys with her companion that was on splits in another area in Sao Paulo. Lets just say I was tired afterthe whole ordeal, but it was a great adventure. This week we really tried to focus on the Galvaos and Camila. Camila is amazing. Holy cow she is amazing! Everything we teach her she just soaks it all up and does her part by studying as well. We taught the Word of Wisdom and one of the scriptures I read she had just read that day. Weird little coincidences like that keep happening with her but I know it isn't coincidence! The Lord truly prepares us all. On Saturday we had the oppurtunity of going to a fireside that Elder Cruz of the seventy was speaking at and we got to bring Camila and her daughter Raisa with us. I felt the Spirit so strongly. It was so strong! He played a video of how the Atonement and missionary work go hand in hand. Sometimes it easy to get frustrated, but my favorite part of the email was when Elder Holland said Salvation isn't easy. It was never easy It is so true. I know and can testify of who we alll truly are. Sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. I know that He loves us, and I know that our whole purpose in being here is to reutrn to live with Him again someday. That is why I am on a mission. I want that for everyone. And no it isn't easy. Life is hard. But life is also so good! And we can be so blessed through the gospel. Camila cried through it and felt the Spirit so strongly as well. It was an awesome experience. The Galvaos! So Dianna and Jose are getting married this Saturday to be baptized on Sunday. I love those two, I feel like they have been my friends forever. Dianna and Jose were a little scared that they would do what is wrong after, but after talking to them they are solid! That family just wants to do what is right. We had a super tender moment with Claudinei when we said goodbye to him because he is having a major surgery. I think it is a hip replacement. I know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be and that these people I am meeting, I was supposed to meet. I love them. I am so grateful that I get to be here in Brazil serving a mission. I know that if we pray to know of the veracity and truthfulness of this gospel we will know. I encourage all of you do so because I promise you will recieve an answer.

A cool wall in São Paulo 

Claudinei with Alessandro! Alessandro baptized Claudinei. I just love Claudinei. Ilove  love love th Galvaos! 

Bowling in Sao Paulo. SIster Ab

reu in the yellow is from Portugal. She is hilarious I love her.

São Paulo 

The wedding! CLaudinei was baptized the next day!! Dianna and Jose are getting married this Saturday and baptized on Sunday! Woooooo. They are such a good family

We went to Sao Paulo so SIster Waite could renew her visa and we got to go bowling for pday with some of Sister Waite´s other missionary friends. There was a McDonalds. Never have I ever loved McDonalds more in my whole life.

It got freakishly cold, but it is hot now again. I had two layers of tights here.

Claudinei´s baptism. Apparently no one likes to smile. Hahaha. But Claudinei is incredible. I have learned so much from him.

Pedro KAuan! He is such a special little boy. I expect great grat things out of him. When Bishop confirmed him, healso gave him a blessing and blessed hiim that he will serve a mission. He will be a powerful missionary. I can just see it now!

Real acai!!! It's sooooo good