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!