The eclectic post

This week, Taylor sent me the same journal entry that she did last week.....so all I have for updates are the comments made to me in our emails, and captions to photos.  I am sure that she will make up the difference next week. 

 Walking the streets of Rio

 HI MOM! This has been a great week, except for the BAD diarrhea I have right now, haha. Quote of the week (by Sister Brown): "I´m either constipated or have the runs. There just isn´t an in between"  I´m sick of hearing "drink coconut juice" or "drink more water" as a remedy for everything....I don´t have a fever, just upset stomach and lots of diarrhea. Sister Brown is feeling a little woozy and has a headache this morning, but I don´t know if she has any other symptoms. It could just be the RAPID change in weather that we´ve had--going from 100+ to about 75 overnight.

Oh man. I love 3 Nephi. I love the Book of Mormon! We got to teach parts of seminary TWICE this week and it was awesome! It was a goooood week down here.

We had a change of leadership and I feel like a huge weight has been taken off my back! I´m also learning to just do things the way that are effective regardless. It is all a good learning experience because it will not be the last time that I have to work in difficult circumstances.  I am settling into my job, and now that Sister Rosario is settling into the routine we´re having a lot more fun and things are a little more laid back.

Our FHE with Alcebiades last week

 

I would welcome any creative ideas for family home evenings? Especially simple and fun activities that we can do? Topics of particular interest are: temples and eternal families for older couples, and young families; and forgiveness and repentance for a variety of ages.

Antiga Alcebiades e Josefa <3

Lunch at Marcia´s!

Ramón

Our cute FHE with Eduardo and Jessica. The kids were SUPER cute, and when we pulled out the "necklaces", Guilherme yelled, "PEITOS PEITOS!" which is the equivalant of "BOOBS, BOOBS!" hahaaaaaaaaa! we all got a BIG laugh out of it.

SUPER cute kids!

"PEITOS PEITOS!"

Tal vez the most beautiful baptism I´ve had yet. I just love him!

Alcebiades´s baptism! Everyone in the picture is a non-member, minus Carlos, us, and Alcebiades!

Thank you Mom for my OCD tendencies.

This week we had another baptism. Do you remember the return missionary that I got so upset with?  His son was baptized and we had 3 nonmembers attend the service.  It was great!

Sorry for the incomplete update--I am getting lazy with writing in my journal because we are WIPED by the end of the day. It has been HOT down here until a day or so ago when it suddenly got very cold.  I will close with proof that I am capable of getting a tan.

My weird tan lines.

ADDENDUM:

Monday, March 17

Well shoot, another week just whizzed right on by.  It was Shark week for me…nuf said. Also it was 100 degrees plus weather and we had a string of rough lesson with stagnant investigators and there you have it.  Our poor District Leader got the worst of it.  He called to get our goals for the week and told me that I had to change my personal goals because I had lowered them from the pattern of excellence (after not hitting this goal…..EVER.)  He told me (fairly respectfully) that I need to maintain my faith and vision of what could happen.  I then went apecrap crazy on him about how leaders shouldn’t impose ridiculous numbers on missionaries.  I told him how setting dramatically unrealistic goals will lead to discouragement and apathy.  (think Mom rant X10, in Portuguese, on the phone.) To his immense credit, her responded incredibly well.  I remained pissy, then hung up, then felt terrible, then cried a lot, then spoke/ranted to myself in English, then my copm ran to get Sister Brown – “S. Colvin esta chorando e falcondo em Ingles bem rapido e isto NAO E NORMAL! Pode falar com ela, por favor?”

Sister Brown then came and patted my back until I calmed down a bit.  I then called Elder A. back and apologized. He actually was really sweet (really uncharacteristic) and shared that he had the same questions and doubts abut unrealistic goal setting.  I felt better afterwards. 

The highlight of the week was Al. baptism.  We did a lot of planning and it ended up just about perfect.  Jos. (his wife) said the closing prayer and it was so cute and heartfelt.  She thanked Heavenly Father for the “angels” that helped her husband be baptized – something that she has been praying for a LONG time (think 35+ years).  All of his daughters were there.  His baptism had 12 non-members present. It was awesome.  I sent a foto in for this week’s mission newsletter.  I got a call from the mission president congratulating us on our work, and giving us special permission to use a computer later in the week to send him the story so he can use it in training meetings.  ONLY one problem, it wasn’t us at all!  We just showed love and kindness to a family, and the Lord and Jos. did the rest.  I don’t like it when people associate miracle with missionaries. Hard work and being instruments in the Lord’s hands are a good thing to be a part of.