July
7, 2014
Today
was not p-day, because this stinkin world cup is dragging on forever. It has
really interrupted our routine and rhythm for the past few weeks – we literally
have not had one normal P-day yet this transfer.
This
morning I started my PT school application. After about an hour of trying to re-learn how to use a
computer properly, I ended up accomplishing very little and decided to print
the 50 pages of instruction (there goes $20). It was a really good choice to print them off though because
I had the chance to read it thoroughly on our 2 hour bus ride to Cabo Frio for
our district meeting. Now I have a
lot better idea about what I need to do!
I think I’m going to try for the early admission application to
Eastern’s program – which means that I have to get everything done really
quickly.
July
8, 2014
Sister
Burris and I are sitting at home at 5 pm on a Tuesday night. I’ve taken a 2
hour nap, figures out how to use our oven, swept the kitchen…and that’s it. It is raining hard and Brazil is
playing Germany in the semifinals of the world sup. We worked a few hours this morning, and had more people
asking us who we were than ever before.
We excitedly told them that we were missionaries, and then after about 5
seconds they were like, “oh, you are not German?” Uh, nope. Then they would say, “Good, because if you were,
it would be really dangerous for you guys today.” We seriously had like 10 people stop us and say this exact
thing to us. One elderly lady even,
ever-so-lovingly, described how a man had recently been decapitated here in Rio
dad Ostras, and how they found his head floating/bobbing along the ocean shore
a few days ago. Oh…thanks?! We
seriously have at least one person every day warn us about our “dangerous”
area, or tell us details of some terrible something that happened.
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| Watch out, Brazilians are upset. |
On
top of that, our zone leaders call just to say “don’t leave your house under any
circumstance. Germany has scored 5 goals in the first 30 minutes and the
Brazilians are MAD. You two look
German and you have to be extremely careful today and tomorrow. If something seems strange, call for
the President right away and go home and stay there. “ Uhhhh??? AHHHHHHHH….the crazy
Brazilians are going to decapitate me!!!!
Well,
other than that, things are pretty shill around here. I really DO love this area, which probably means that I will
get transferred next week gosh dang it. L
July
10, 2014
Today
I hit the big one-year mark on my mission, and I am not gonna lie, I am feeling
TRUNKY. I’m going to be really
ready to head home when my time here comes to an end. I love my mission and the work we do here, but I would be
lying if I said I don’t ever get homesick, miss my family, imagine how my
post-mission life will be, etc. I
figure that I have to acknowledge that these feelings are present, an then just
move on with life. Usually I’m really good at the “moving on” part of things,
but this week I’ve been particularly distracted. Maybe it is because of the school application, upcoming transfers,
FINALLY hitting the year mark, I don’t know, but I’m needing to re-focus on the
peole and the work down here.
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| Cookies from Mom! |
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| My Comp decorated my desk! |
My
sweet companion decorated my desk this morning and wrote me a nice note for my
“anniversary”. It really meant a lot. She is a great companion, I’m really
going to miss her if she gets transferred (or if I get transferred) I’m nervous
about what will happen.
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| Celebrating one year mark at McDonalds |
Cool
part of today was our lesson with L.
We did a follow-up of the Plan of Salvation, and he explained what he
understood which was an impressive recount of the plan. It was better than most members could
give. I am so thoroughly impressed
by his understanding and spiritual maturity.
July
11, 2014
Oh
my goodness. I am so so
tired. Today was one of those days
where EVERYTHING fell through.
Every. Single. Thing. Even
our lunch fell through. It was a
long long day. We tried to make
the most of it, but after being on your feet and walking for more than 6 hours,
you just feel like curling unto a ball and sleeping for about 100 years. Add in the fact that it’s raining a ton
down here and the roads are completely flooded with human feces –infested
cess-pool water, getting splattered with said mud and water, and forgetting
your umbrella in the van (Sister B left hers, poor thing), and you have a hard
day that just kind of tries your faith.
I
guess that one cool things that we are trying is to have quality contact and
today we tried out a new thing, a “religious survey” with 4 quick
questions. Just about everyone we
talked to wanted to participate.
The questions are:
1.
Before we were born, where were we?
2.
What is our purpose here on Earth?
3.
After death, but before we are judged, what happens to our spirits?
4.
Do you believe that families can be eternal?
It
is really interesting to hear all of the different results and it was shocking
to realize how few people have stopped to think about where we came from, or
potential, and where we will be if we are obedient. The Plan of Salvation gives us so much identity and purpose.
Saying goodbye to so many people:
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| Last District meeting in Cabo Frio |
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Our last family home evening in Rio das Ostras--with Michelle, standing on the far right
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| One of our ELECT investigators in RdO.
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Remember that cute little girl who saved our tails the first day in Rio das Ostras? This is her!
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| With our amazing relief society president, Sabrina. She is a return missionary and is just the BEST.
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| CUTEST kids in the world! |
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| Roger e Ramy--we love them!
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| With Carol, Magda, and the kiddos. This family was so stinkin cute, and Irmã Magda is one of the strongest ladies I know. Her husband is inactive and works on a big boat, so he´s gone a ton of the time. She singlhandidly does everything!
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Our going-away present haha! They always called us the "Barbies" and gave us these cute presents so we can always remember them.
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