Old friends...New digs.

Assistants to the President - great missioaries!

My MTC family! 

Elder Evan (or what's left of him), Elder Neu, me, Sister Tingey. We are all waiting for the arrival of Elder Mountain.

 Monday April 28, 2014

            We spent the entire p-day in public transportation and evaluation and training.  We ended the day at Alc. and Jos. house with our ward mission leader.  That was a hard good bye.  I really grew to love those people. Carlos bought an over-the-top cake and gave me a hair flower as a going away present, which he really shouldn’t have because he cannot afford it. But it sure did touch my heart.  He also wrote the most thoughtful, sweet letter that I have ever gotten.   He summed up everything that I wished to express t him.  I am really going to miss him.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

            My new area is Jacarepagua.  It is CITY city – lots of traffic, noise, and the “New York” rush type feeling. There is a stark contrast between the wealthy and the very poor.  I must say that I feel more comfortable sitting on a stool in a little room with a dirt floor than I do in a fancy top floor condo.  There is just a special humble spirit present when you visit people who have nothing – and are perfectly happy and content.

View from my new apartment- 10th floor!

Sister R. in a quiet moment

            Our area is huge and should be navigated by bus, except my new companion is crazy and walk/runs all over the place.  I am starting to think that Brazilian Sister Missionaries could make it big time in speed walking competitions.  Anyways, her name is Sister Ramao and she is from Santa Catarina (the south).  She has been out 2 more transfers than me, and she is TINY…4’10” max.  I am fairly sure she is insane.. in a good way.  She gets up to exercise at 6:30 doing “Insanity workout” type exercises.  This would be great for normal people, but for missionaries who are on their feet all day long…it’s a little crazy.  She is also crazy about doing contacts.  Yesterday for example, she stood up in the middle of the bus and announce herself as a missionary, shared a message about families, then gave everyone a pass-along card.  She has guts!  So I am thinking to myself, “this is what I get for wanting to be recharged.”  Who knows , maybe this tiny hyper-active extroverted Brazilian will  be the answer to my prayers. 

            (PM) Man, I am feeling tired! We literally walked ALL day without really doing anything.  We just have to establish a better area of concentration and find people to teach there. I am already missing Santa Margarida, especially the good , hard working leadership there.  They work so stinkin hard to build that woard.  Jacarepagua seems pretty cold in comparison, with members that are very spread out. I am also missing knowing details about my area – being familiar with the streets, sounds, smells, people, and rhythm. It is also going to take some time getting used to being a junior again. 

Clean, but almost sterile.

Our little bedroom.

City view from my apartment.

Friday, May 2, 2014

            This transfer I am working as a Sister Training Leader –which basically means that I have to sit is a lot more meetings and work harder.  Our next training meeting is planned on our P-day.  WHY?  It is possible that I won’t have a p-day this whole tranfer.  Augh!  I am really feeling the lack of p-day from this past week, and to know that I will miss another one make my body and mind tired.  Transfers are hard.  It’s like moving but you don’t choose where you are going, and you only have a day’s notice to pack up your things and leave.  I feel for elders who get transferred every transfer.

            I think that I am going to like my companion.  She is very funny and also very determined.  It is really nice to work with an experienced companion. We are still working out the kinks in our rhythm, but we are working well together. We’ll see how things turn out.

Sunday, May 4, 2014

             I can’t believe that I am SICK again! This time with congestion and a sore throat.  I can’t seem to say well here in Brazil. 

            We don’t have a lot of investigators here, but there is one family that w are teaching that is amazing!  Al. and Fr. have three little boys and have een taking the discussions for a few months now.  They live in extremely humble circumstances, but they are so happy and the spirit is strong in their home.  They were taught by the Elders a while ago, but they thought the Elders were too pushy so they stopped taking the discussions.  When our ward switched from Elders to Sisters a few months ago, the sisters re-contacted them and now they are ready to be baptized.

Monday, May 5, 2014

            10:05 p.m. Man I am worn out.  We spent ALL day in leadership training meeting.  (ie. 8 hours of pep-talks, importance of living the gospel, and the next key or secret to success type talks.)   I think that it is really cruel to schedule meeings, training, evaluations, etc. on a missionaries p-day.  Missionaries need time to recharge and rest.  If I am every a mission president’s wife…I will tell you, I would put my foot down and fight so that my young missionaries had their P-days protected. 

            Also disappointing was the fact that I didn’t get any mail this month.  I was hopeful for a few birthday cards, oh well…life goes on.  (NOTE: Apparently Sister Colvin forgot the package from the previous month that arrived early with her birthday present and cards inside of it! My timing is always off.)

            Man I am tired, and stuffy..and so tired!  I don’t think that I have ever walked up and down so may hills in my whole life.  This new area is all hills.  Sister Rom. has had to do a lot of clean up work here.  There were a lot of missionaries that served here and were major slackers.  They really caused a loss of the members confidence and so that is what we are working hard to regain. 

Jacarepagua - from internet