Week #11, Sao Paulo, October 2-8, 2017

A week of firsts for us!  I hosted Girls Night Out for the first time for the senior sisters at our apartment.  We had a wonderful time visiting and crocheting baby beanies.  I have a new assignment as part of my mission, along with Sister Barrett, addressing the envelopes to the stake presidents containing the mission calls to all the Brazilians getting their calls.  We don't get to see where they are assigned but it is a fun job just knowing they contain the letter stating they have been called of God to serve a mission and that they will be getting their "white envelope" in the mail in just a few days!  It's such an exciting time for a missionary and their family when they open that letter and read where they will be serving! 

Here's a flashback to Hannah receiving her call to serve in Brazil in 2013!

This week we had our first Geezer Band jam session!  We had a great turnout and everyone had a fun time playing all of the different percussion instruments that were available.  Mike was definitely in his happy place. 

This week was my first time going out with our mission president's wife, Sister Ellen Thomas, to go teach with sister missionaries!  We hope to be able to do this every week.  It was definitely a highlight of my week.  I love any chance I can to work with the young missionaries.  Sister Barry and Sister Albuquerque were amazing!  They have such an excitement for the work and it was a very special opportunity for Sister Thomas and I to be able to teach with them.  We both got to bear our testimonies in Portuguese about the Book of Mormon.

 Every home and apartment complex here is gated and has high walls around it.  It is very common for people to clap loudly in front of someone's home to let them know you are there.

We stopped to see this beautiful park (it has exercise equipment like a gym) that was located in the neighborhood where we were teaching.  Our appointment wasn't there so we walked around the park just a little bit to see if we could see any of the monkeys (macacas) that live there.  We didn't see them, but we did see the security guard who the sisters know from previous visits here, whom the sisters proceeded to teach about the Book of Mormon.  It was wonderful.  We all bore testimony to her that the Book of Mormon is a companion to the Bible and it bears witness that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.  It teaches us how to live our lives so that we can have His Spirit to be with us, it contains answers to all of life's hard questions, and reading it gives you peace and understanding in a troubled world.  She was so happy to receive a copy and said that she really wants to read it.

We attended our first senior missionary Mexican fiesta put on by Elder and Sister Shumway.  They are finishing up their mission this month and returning home to Tempe, Arizona.  They made fabulous carnitas and we all brought foods to add to make a truly Mexican feast!  I made Mexican rice (first time from scratch for a huge crowd) and it turned out perfectly.  I was so worried about it not turning out that I said a little prayer as I was making it and it was perfect!  Tender mercy!!

We love our mission!  Helping others is what brings true joy into our lives.  Helping others find light in a dark world is the greatest of all! 

This week lets all do something that's hard for us!  As we learned in conference last week, Hard is Good!  That's my new catch phrase!  Sometimes it means we have to stretch and reach outside of our comfort zone in order to do hard things, but we can do them with the help of the Lord and with a little faith in ourselves!  One of our past Apostles stated this, "One of the greatest weaknesses in most of us is our lack of faith in ourselves."  L. Tom Perry

Have faith in yourself and in God!  Great things will happen!  Have a great week!!