I survived.
This week was probably the busiest I've seen in my entire life. Here's an example of one (1) day we had, quarta-feira (Wednesday):
7am -- left the apartment and raked a member's yard
9:30 -- after running home to shower after the service, met with an enthusiastic member, who had planned with us to present Liahonas (church magazine) to the city officials in the city hall!! We watched the meeting of the officials, but didn't get to present because we had to leave for an appointment at...
11:00 -- waiting at the church for an investigator Marco Antônio, who didn't show up but called to reschedule
12:00 -- lunch
14:00 -- meeting with Marco Antônio at the church, a great but long lesson with some members, he's LOVING the Book of Mormon! He had run home and bought glasses after our first lesson so he could start reading it.
15:00 -- we passed by the home of Cristiane, the sweet women from last week who managed to stop smoking. We swept the house and left a scripture and message of encouragement. (2 Nefi 31:33)
16:00 -- meeting with the family of young Alice on the other side of the city, taught the whole family about the importance of baptism, challenged everyone to be baptized who wasn't already (two kids were).
17:00 -- running to the home of Lucas and Jandira and Josafá, to meet with the young men's president, who left a great message with the family. We also taught the family about the five love languages. (Mom, you'd be proud -- I'm informally teaching so many families about this over lunch, etc, and I really believe it's uniting families).
19:00 -- an appointment with a member family who brought us to the home of their friends, where we presented them with the Book of Mormon. A short, powerful lesson! I love teaching with members!!
20:00 -- running to yet another end of the city to teach Maria Nazaré, a wonderful woman who will be baptized soon.
20:30 -- back close to home, we finally were able to teach a strict father of two young boys who are preparing for baptism. This last lesson was not so good because we forgot to start with prayer, and this father was expressionless and stern.
21:00 -- HOME AGAIN. Yay.
Lots more days like this, but we survived to tell the tale!
I only have 8 minutes, but I just want to bear my testimony that I know my Savior lives. Jandira and Lucas, thanks to a miracle that took place in the baptismal interview, were baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Christmas day. This completed a family. Watching Josafá, the man we baptized a month ago, enter the water with his wife, and baptizing her just like we had practiced in his living room a couple hours before, was one of the most poignant experiences of my mission so far. This family has a lot to learn still, but they are in the best possible place to learn it. They have entered the door and are now on the path.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, late! Here in Brazil it's a feast on Christmas Eve and one or two presents for everyone, handed out before the feast. Christmas day is almost normal. I love the mission and I'm learning so much! This week will be almost as busy as the last, so I'll be sure to have stories to tell.
I'm a real missionary! Sometimes I still can't believe it!
THANK YOU ALL for your letters and for the zip-loc bags you've sent!
Much love,
Your missionary,
Sister Petty
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
In Which I Am Reminded That I'm Already Old, That This is Not About Me, and of The Power of Leadership
Folks--today I have eight months on the mission.
EIGHT MONTHS.
I having a bit of a mid-mission crisis (did I already write about this
or no?). Nine months is almost here! What does this mean? WAIT, time!
Let me catch up! I thought I was supposed to know everything by
now...that I was supposed to feel totally confident in all things, a
different missionary, and looking forward to going home.
Well...I'm still me. But a better version of me. I am learning to be
much more patient, much more confident, and to work harder than ever
before. However...I'm kind of in denial that I'm almost halfway
through. I still have SO MUCH to learn and so much I need to improve!
I've had at least three dreams in the last couple weeks that I went
home and had to take off my name tag, and I didn't feel like I'd truly
become a better person--that I hadn't truly given my best on my
mission. Each time, I woke up with a huge sigh of relief that I still
have time to grow, to learn, to love, to laugh here on the mission. I
still get to put on my name tag and represent the Church of Jesus
Christ.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, folks! It's here! In Brazil, it's Christmas too, but
it's hot. And the radios still play twangy Brazilian music in the
streets. I took the elders and some members caroling on Sunday night,
but it turned out funny because Brazilians don't know how to really
carol. We got invited in, people gave us water, and wanted to have a
conversation. I'm used to arriving at a door, singing until people
poke their heads out, smiling and singing some more while everyone
shivers and smiles, then singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" as we
head to the next house. But the Brazilian version was fun anyway.
This week I learned even more that this is God's work, not mine. We
went to the home of Cristiane, a less-active member, on Monday, and
talked with her about the importance of marriage. She is living with a
man she's not married to, and is afraid to approach the subject of
marriage with him. We offered to do a special fast with her to help
her have the courage and the faith to do this, and for his heart to be
open to the idea. She said, "Tomorrow?" we said, "Great. We'll come at
11am on Wednesday to break our fast with you." (lunch to lunch)
We fasted and prayed for her, and when we came back on Wednesday there
was a special calm in the house. We broke our fast with prayer, where
Cristiane said, "Thank you, Lord, that I made it. I did it." After the
prayer she opened up and told us something I didn't know -- that she
had been a heavy smoker, 20 cigarettes a day -- and had managed, in
this fast, to stop. Although we had all planned to help her with her
problem of marriage, the Lord had a different plan for her. I know the
Gospel is real! Lives are changing!
Another highlight of the week was on Saturday, when I had the
privilege of working with my zone leader (E. Buarque) and my district
leader (E. Conceição). They came with us to visit and get to know our
possibilities for batismo this week.
Watching these elders work was a huge eye-opener for me. Before my
mission, I admit that I thought elders would be something to
"aguentar" on the mission, them being so young (and being male). But
ever since I arrived, I have been more and more impressed with the
elders here, and my testimony of the Priestood -- the authority of God
that these young men hold -- has grown immensely.
The lesson these leaders taught to our investigator Lucas was
incredible. It opened and closed with a prayer, but in between felt
more like a Spirit-filled conversation than a "lesson." These elders
didn't preach a thing to Lucas (16 years). They simply asked
questions, read some of 2 Nephi 31, and asked more questions. They
helped Lucas discover for himself the answers, learn for himself how
to pay attention to his own feelings. These young elders then bore
powerful testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, of
Christ, of their own calling to preach the Gospel, and specifically of
their authority to be here in Bahia teaching Lucas. "We are here to
hear you," they said. "What can we do help you feel ready to follow
the example of your Savior, Jesus Christ?"
As I watched them teach, and added my testimony to theirs, I felt the
powerful witness of the Spirit that what we are doing is truly
approved by the Lord. We missionaries are truly called by God to serve
His children. I know this work is changing lives, uniting families,
and saving souls.
I know the Book of Mormon is true and that Jesus Christ lives.
Let us all remember why we are celebrating Christmas this year. Christ
was born so that He could save us, and this is what he did. De
verdade.
Amo vocês, amo brasil, amo a missão.
Com amor,
Sister Petty
EIGHT MONTHS.
I having a bit of a mid-mission crisis (did I already write about this
or no?). Nine months is almost here! What does this mean? WAIT, time!
Let me catch up! I thought I was supposed to know everything by
now...that I was supposed to feel totally confident in all things, a
different missionary, and looking forward to going home.
Well...I'm still me. But a better version of me. I am learning to be
much more patient, much more confident, and to work harder than ever
before. However...I'm kind of in denial that I'm almost halfway
through. I still have SO MUCH to learn and so much I need to improve!
I've had at least three dreams in the last couple weeks that I went
home and had to take off my name tag, and I didn't feel like I'd truly
become a better person--that I hadn't truly given my best on my
mission. Each time, I woke up with a huge sigh of relief that I still
have time to grow, to learn, to love, to laugh here on the mission. I
still get to put on my name tag and represent the Church of Jesus
Christ.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, folks! It's here! In Brazil, it's Christmas too, but
it's hot. And the radios still play twangy Brazilian music in the
streets. I took the elders and some members caroling on Sunday night,
but it turned out funny because Brazilians don't know how to really
carol. We got invited in, people gave us water, and wanted to have a
conversation. I'm used to arriving at a door, singing until people
poke their heads out, smiling and singing some more while everyone
shivers and smiles, then singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" as we
head to the next house. But the Brazilian version was fun anyway.
This week I learned even more that this is God's work, not mine. We
went to the home of Cristiane, a less-active member, on Monday, and
talked with her about the importance of marriage. She is living with a
man she's not married to, and is afraid to approach the subject of
marriage with him. We offered to do a special fast with her to help
her have the courage and the faith to do this, and for his heart to be
open to the idea. She said, "Tomorrow?" we said, "Great. We'll come at
11am on Wednesday to break our fast with you." (lunch to lunch)
We fasted and prayed for her, and when we came back on Wednesday there
was a special calm in the house. We broke our fast with prayer, where
Cristiane said, "Thank you, Lord, that I made it. I did it." After the
prayer she opened up and told us something I didn't know -- that she
had been a heavy smoker, 20 cigarettes a day -- and had managed, in
this fast, to stop. Although we had all planned to help her with her
problem of marriage, the Lord had a different plan for her. I know the
Gospel is real! Lives are changing!
Another highlight of the week was on Saturday, when I had the
privilege of working with my zone leader (E. Buarque) and my district
leader (E. Conceição). They came with us to visit and get to know our
possibilities for batismo this week.
Watching these elders work was a huge eye-opener for me. Before my
mission, I admit that I thought elders would be something to
"aguentar" on the mission, them being so young (and being male). But
ever since I arrived, I have been more and more impressed with the
elders here, and my testimony of the Priestood -- the authority of God
that these young men hold -- has grown immensely.
The lesson these leaders taught to our investigator Lucas was
incredible. It opened and closed with a prayer, but in between felt
more like a Spirit-filled conversation than a "lesson." These elders
didn't preach a thing to Lucas (16 years). They simply asked
questions, read some of 2 Nephi 31, and asked more questions. They
helped Lucas discover for himself the answers, learn for himself how
to pay attention to his own feelings. These young elders then bore
powerful testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, of
Christ, of their own calling to preach the Gospel, and specifically of
their authority to be here in Bahia teaching Lucas. "We are here to
hear you," they said. "What can we do help you feel ready to follow
the example of your Savior, Jesus Christ?"
As I watched them teach, and added my testimony to theirs, I felt the
powerful witness of the Spirit that what we are doing is truly
approved by the Lord. We missionaries are truly called by God to serve
His children. I know this work is changing lives, uniting families,
and saving souls.
I know the Book of Mormon is true and that Jesus Christ lives.
Let us all remember why we are celebrating Christmas this year. Christ
was born so that He could save us, and this is what he did. De
verdade.
Amo vocês, amo brasil, amo a missão.
Com amor,
Sister Petty
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Marinalva, Douglas, e William
1--Overloaded truck
2-Bahian baby
3--Bus full of sisters
"Marinalva, Douglas, e William"
Sisters: "Licença, do you know where the Rua Aranere is?"
Random Baiano: "No. But you should ask that guy over there."
Sisters: "Licença, do you know where the Rua Aranere is?"
That Guy: "No...but I think it's in that direction. Ask that other person."
After about 4 more of these conversations, we arrived on a little dirt track of a road behind a motel. We needed number 73, but didn't see numbers on the houses (this is normal). I stopped and addressed two woman who were talking in front of a little house.
"Licença, we are looking for two boys named William and..."
Woman: "Douglas?"
Sisters: "YES!! Are you a relative?"
Woman: "I'm their mother!"
God guides His missionaries.
This woman, Marinalva, excused herself from her neighbor and accompanied us to the end of the little road, calling her boys (Douglas, 14, and William, 11) inside. We recognized the boys, because they'd been to church a few times with member friends. However, this was their first visit from the missionaries.
Marinalva welcomed us into the little brick house (all houses here are made of frail brick and cement) and we got to know this little family. They had a nearly-naked baby parrot in a box in their living room, who was calling to be fed. I automatically loved the family more. :-)
The lesson was perfect. When we asked if we could open with prayer (after the opening hymn), and asked if one of them would like to say it, Marinalva volunteered! Without ANY prompting! This is a first for me. After the prayer we went straight to the Livro de Mórmon. I drew a world map in the air, showing how the Bible was written in the Old World at the same time that the Book of Mormon was being written in the New World ("Aqui, nas Americas! Talvez aqui mesmo em Bahia!" I said).
They loved the lesson, paying good attention because I was on splits with another Americana and they HAD to pay attention to understand. :-) Afterward, Marinalva was excited. "I really understood about the Livro de Mórmon!" Her eyes were shining. "I'm looking forward to explaining this to my husband."
We committed everyone to read a chapter of the Book of Mormon, and then challenged everyone to be baptized when they received an answer from the Lord that the book is true. They all accepted. William and Douglas will be baptized this week. Marinalva needs to get married (but she said she's already started working on the papers! GAHH yay!) but she's sure to be next, along with her husband.
The family is excited to learn more. We'll teach them again tonight, 19h. (Brazilians use army time a lot. It's cool.)
I love the mission and I love Brazil. Thank you all so much for your support and love and letters. I can't tell you how much your letters keep me going (even though I try every week)!
There's a new American elder in our district. AWwww. Elder Smith. Poor thing, EVERYONE asks him if he's related to Joseph Smith!
A Igreja é verdadeira. A lingua está melhorando todos os dias. Amo minha companheira, mesmo que ela anda devegarzinho. Reclamava que Sis. Marciano andava rapido, então não posso reclamar agora. :-)
Focus this transfer: teach more straight from the scriptures, so people can gain a testemony of the Book of Mormon.
Merry Christmas, all!
Sister Petty
P.S. I made snowflakes and put them on my window. They're cool ones, too. I'm determined to have something that reminds me of the cold here.
2-Bahian baby
3--Bus full of sisters
"Marinalva, Douglas, e William"
Sisters: "Licença, do you know where the Rua Aranere is?"
Random Baiano: "No. But you should ask that guy over there."
Sisters: "Licença, do you know where the Rua Aranere is?"
That Guy: "No...but I think it's in that direction. Ask that other person."
After about 4 more of these conversations, we arrived on a little dirt track of a road behind a motel. We needed number 73, but didn't see numbers on the houses (this is normal). I stopped and addressed two woman who were talking in front of a little house.
"Licença, we are looking for two boys named William and..."
Woman: "Douglas?"
Sisters: "YES!! Are you a relative?"
Woman: "I'm their mother!"
God guides His missionaries.
This woman, Marinalva, excused herself from her neighbor and accompanied us to the end of the little road, calling her boys (Douglas, 14, and William, 11) inside. We recognized the boys, because they'd been to church a few times with member friends. However, this was their first visit from the missionaries.
Marinalva welcomed us into the little brick house (all houses here are made of frail brick and cement) and we got to know this little family. They had a nearly-naked baby parrot in a box in their living room, who was calling to be fed. I automatically loved the family more. :-)
The lesson was perfect. When we asked if we could open with prayer (after the opening hymn), and asked if one of them would like to say it, Marinalva volunteered! Without ANY prompting! This is a first for me. After the prayer we went straight to the Livro de Mórmon. I drew a world map in the air, showing how the Bible was written in the Old World at the same time that the Book of Mormon was being written in the New World ("Aqui, nas Americas! Talvez aqui mesmo em Bahia!" I said).
They loved the lesson, paying good attention because I was on splits with another Americana and they HAD to pay attention to understand. :-) Afterward, Marinalva was excited. "I really understood about the Livro de Mórmon!" Her eyes were shining. "I'm looking forward to explaining this to my husband."
We committed everyone to read a chapter of the Book of Mormon, and then challenged everyone to be baptized when they received an answer from the Lord that the book is true. They all accepted. William and Douglas will be baptized this week. Marinalva needs to get married (but she said she's already started working on the papers! GAHH yay!) but she's sure to be next, along with her husband.
The family is excited to learn more. We'll teach them again tonight, 19h. (Brazilians use army time a lot. It's cool.)
I love the mission and I love Brazil. Thank you all so much for your support and love and letters. I can't tell you how much your letters keep me going (even though I try every week)!
There's a new American elder in our district. AWwww. Elder Smith. Poor thing, EVERYONE asks him if he's related to Joseph Smith!
A Igreja é verdadeira. A lingua está melhorando todos os dias. Amo minha companheira, mesmo que ela anda devegarzinho. Reclamava que Sis. Marciano andava rapido, então não posso reclamar agora. :-)
Focus this transfer: teach more straight from the scriptures, so people can gain a testemony of the Book of Mormon.
Merry Christmas, all!
Sister Petty
P.S. I made snowflakes and put them on my window. They're cool ones, too. I'm determined to have something that reminds me of the cold here.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
More pictures. (:
1 - Me and my companion ("Ladybug") Sister Marciano!! Her fruit: pear. Sweet and white, but not mushy.2 - Awkward baptism photo, ha. Josafá and his family.3 - Big group of members at a place called "Tché Burguer." Burgers there are like...bigger than my head. Literally. Check out the walls of this place--yep, that's real mud brick.4 - Missionary ping pong world tournament, Brasil vs. Estados Unidos! (we didn't have the keys to access paddles...or a net)
Transfers, William, Novos
Transfer day! I am back in Dias D'Ávila, folks, and so happy to be here. In case you want to see in on Google Maps (did I already say this once?) it's very close to Camaçari. My new comp is Sister Piola, a jolly sister who has 10 months or so on the mission.
ANSWERS to my Mom's questions:
Do you use an umbrella, or a poncho, or both? Umbrella.
Is your hair all frizzy from the humidity and wetness all the time? Yes.
Do you keep an extra pair of socks in your pocket so you can change out of the wet ones? Nope. I just wear the wet socks all day long, and at the end of the day my feet are painful raisins. Ha.
What about rubber boots? Nope.
Does it rain every day? No. There's just been a few very rainy weeks.
Does it cool off at night? A little.
You mentioned cobblestone streets. Are they all that way, or are there a lot of dirt (mud) roads, too? LOTS of cobblestone, some pavement, some dirt. Some roads are completely undrivable. I'm in a little town.
Are they slippery when wet? No.
What holidays are celebrated big there? LOTS. You wouldn't believe. Lots of saints, Fathers Day, Mothers Day, Children's Day (yes, seriously), Day of the Dead....TONS.
Have you experienced any of them yet? Yes. I arrived in the mission in the middle of São Juão, a huge holiday here in Bahia. Parties all week, bonfires EVERYWHERE.
Do you fix all of your own food? No. We eat in the house of a member every day for lunch.
How is that going? Fantasticly. :-) The sisters in the ward are absolutely incredible cooks. I'm officially addicted to beans and farinha de mandioca now.
Do members ever feed you? See above. I'm getting chunkier every day.
Do you still have access to peanut butter? No. At least, I haven't been able to get to that store that has it. Alas. :-(
Any more questions, anyone? Send questions to my mom or a sibling, and I can get them answered. :-)
Gente, the week was a good one. I love the mission more every day. My favorite part of this week was I saw William walk into church on Sunday. William is a man in his mid-30s, and is absolutely enormous (I think his arms are bigger around than my head). However, like some character from a movie, he's also a complete mommy's boy, and raises rabbits. Ha! He's the neighbor of a member, and we taught him twice this week. Each time, was said we'd just talk for "cinco minutinhos," but these turned into more than an hour because of all the questions he and his mom had. We loved the questions.
And then he showed up at church--NOT what I expected--in button-up shirt, black pants, shaven and chique! Even with the right clothes, he looked a little like that proverbial bull in a china shop, lost and awkward. However, the members grabbed him and helped him feel welcome. YAY!!!
Josafá, our baptism of a couple weeks ago, gave a prayer in sacrament meeting last week, bore his testimony in church this week (there's absolutely nothing like this feeling for a missionary), and will give a talk in church on the 18th. I'm so grateful for our wonderful bishop who is integrating him so very well.
My friends, I love you all. I received a handful of letters today in Salvador (transfer day, remember?) and nearly fell over with happiness. THANK YOU for all your love and support, my friends! I can't tell you how much your letters -- each one of them -- touch my life as a missionary. And when you include things you've learned recently, experiences you've had at church or in the scriptures, I learn so much from you. Truly. Thank you, from my heart.
I know my Savior lives. The Gospel changes lives, not just here on this earth but in the eternities. And it is changing MY life, right now. I thank the Lord daily for this opportunity to be here, giving my all to Him.
Much love,
Sua missionária,
Sister Petty
P.S. Our washing machine isn't working lately. Now the words "hand wash cold, separately" have taken on a whole new meaning to me.
ANSWERS to my Mom's questions:
Do you use an umbrella, or a poncho, or both? Umbrella.
Is your hair all frizzy from the humidity and wetness all the time? Yes.
Do you keep an extra pair of socks in your pocket so you can change out of the wet ones? Nope. I just wear the wet socks all day long, and at the end of the day my feet are painful raisins. Ha.
What about rubber boots? Nope.
Does it rain every day? No. There's just been a few very rainy weeks.
Does it cool off at night? A little.
You mentioned cobblestone streets. Are they all that way, or are there a lot of dirt (mud) roads, too? LOTS of cobblestone, some pavement, some dirt. Some roads are completely undrivable. I'm in a little town.
Are they slippery when wet? No.
What holidays are celebrated big there? LOTS. You wouldn't believe. Lots of saints, Fathers Day, Mothers Day, Children's Day (yes, seriously), Day of the Dead....TONS.
Have you experienced any of them yet? Yes. I arrived in the mission in the middle of São Juão, a huge holiday here in Bahia. Parties all week, bonfires EVERYWHERE.
Do you fix all of your own food? No. We eat in the house of a member every day for lunch.
How is that going? Fantasticly. :-) The sisters in the ward are absolutely incredible cooks. I'm officially addicted to beans and farinha de mandioca now.
Do members ever feed you? See above. I'm getting chunkier every day.
Do you still have access to peanut butter? No. At least, I haven't been able to get to that store that has it. Alas. :-(
Any more questions, anyone? Send questions to my mom or a sibling, and I can get them answered. :-)
Gente, the week was a good one. I love the mission more every day. My favorite part of this week was I saw William walk into church on Sunday. William is a man in his mid-30s, and is absolutely enormous (I think his arms are bigger around than my head). However, like some character from a movie, he's also a complete mommy's boy, and raises rabbits. Ha! He's the neighbor of a member, and we taught him twice this week. Each time, was said we'd just talk for "cinco minutinhos," but these turned into more than an hour because of all the questions he and his mom had. We loved the questions.
And then he showed up at church--NOT what I expected--in button-up shirt, black pants, shaven and chique! Even with the right clothes, he looked a little like that proverbial bull in a china shop, lost and awkward. However, the members grabbed him and helped him feel welcome. YAY!!!
Josafá, our baptism of a couple weeks ago, gave a prayer in sacrament meeting last week, bore his testimony in church this week (there's absolutely nothing like this feeling for a missionary), and will give a talk in church on the 18th. I'm so grateful for our wonderful bishop who is integrating him so very well.
My friends, I love you all. I received a handful of letters today in Salvador (transfer day, remember?) and nearly fell over with happiness. THANK YOU for all your love and support, my friends! I can't tell you how much your letters -- each one of them -- touch my life as a missionary. And when you include things you've learned recently, experiences you've had at church or in the scriptures, I learn so much from you. Truly. Thank you, from my heart.
I know my Savior lives. The Gospel changes lives, not just here on this earth but in the eternities. And it is changing MY life, right now. I thank the Lord daily for this opportunity to be here, giving my all to Him.
Much love,
Sua missionária,
Sister Petty
P.S. Our washing machine isn't working lately. Now the words "hand wash cold, separately" have taken on a whole new meaning to me.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Pictures of a Sister's Conference
"PICS from a sisters conference! Woo hoo! ALL the sisters in the mission. We have total about 140 missionaries." --Anne
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
In Which I Talk a Little More About Bahia, and Realize My Bubble's Mostly Gone
FACT: Until last week, I had never seen this blog since I left home.
FACT: My "quick" blog posts aren't really that quick. Heh.
FACT: My sister, Becca, is doing a fantastic job! This is my public thank you to her for keeping this all updated and bonitinho.
Well, my friends -- it's that time again. Transfers. I absolutely don't believe it. If you think you've seen time fly, try serving a mission. 6 weeks goes by faster than you can say "Chaves Indicadores." I have loved this transfer, loved my companion Sister Marciano, and loved my district and city. I will probably stay here for at least 6 more weeks. Whew -- Christmas with a ward I love!
I have been working hard, sweating more than should be allowed, and talking with literally everyone I pass on the street (even if it's just a smile and "Boa tarde!"). I know that numbers are NOT everything...but I'm pleased to be able to say that my companion and I are reaching all our goals these last few weeks. We're teaching an average of about 8 lessons a day, and are leading the zone in the numbers we count as missionaries. This is not what matters, though. It's the people that matter, and I'm grateful to be able to say that we are truly working hard for these people.
Being in a different country, I see things that are different that seem little, but really throw me off sometimes. Here are some of them (sorry if I'm repeating myself):
Little Brazilian Culture Things
~toilet paper goes in a little trash can, not in the toilet. I think I'm finally getting used to this, but it sure took awhile.
~horses aren't a recreational activity. They are a mode of transport. Every day, I see people riding through the streets on horseback, or sitting in rickety little wooden carts pulled by rickety little donkeys. These horses and donkeys are used to cars whizzing by them (and I mean whizzing. Drivers here are absolutely crazy, and motorcycle drivers even more so).
~whereas I, as an American, eat just fine with a fork in one hand, everyone here in Brazil eats with a fork in one hand and a knife in the other. They use this knife to cut meat (of which they eat a lot) or to help guide their food onto their fork. If they're not using their knife, they still hold onto it, and it sits poised above the food ready for action.
~Brazilians eat cake and soda like I've never seen before. Cake is at LEAST a once-a-week occasion, if there isn't an occasion to eat it. Baptisms, birthdays, gatherings, all things have cake. An example of how Brazilians think about cake, one morning at about 7:
My Brazilian comp: *baking in the kitchen*
Me: "O que você está fazendo?"
Comp: "Bolo."
Me: "Por que?"
Comp: "Não temos pão."
~handwriting is taught well in schools. People here have beautiful, tidy handwriting, and everyone writes in cursive. Men and women both.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As many of you know, I grew up in a bit of a bubble. Not only was I raised in the church, but I was homeschooled. I knew that drugs, alcohol, cigarrets (don't know how to spell that in English, ha), and such things existed, but only in a distant sort of way. Now, I come in contact with these things every single day. In many ways, my childhood bubble has been popped. Almost nothing I hear or see surprises me anymore.
This all sounds a bit sad, but my point here is not to be sad. I think I'm trying to get around to saying that the world needs the Gospel. The more I see of the world, the more I realize the enormous power of family, and the truth of the statement found so often in the scriptures: If you keep the commandments of God, you will prosper in the land. A child of 13 that I know very well has already experienced homosexuality, violence and abuse in her family, has been in prison, and worse. Now she is a baptized member of the church, and I know that her life will improve unimaginably. These commandments are real and solid and change people's lives!
The Gospel is true and real. The Savior lives and loves me and all of you. I am so grateful to be here in Brasil, teaching the Gospel every day! I love Brazil and I love Bahia. My companion, Sister Marciano, is teaching me so very much about how to be a good missionary. I am so grateful for her and for all my other companions.
MERRY EARLY CHRISTMAS, everyone! Enjoy the snow! I will make snowflakes, but it just won't be the same.
If you want to give me a Christmas present, I would absolutely love your personal testimony of Christ.
I love you all.
Com amor e carinho,
Sua missionária,
Sister Petty
FACT: My "quick" blog posts aren't really that quick. Heh.
FACT: My sister, Becca, is doing a fantastic job! This is my public thank you to her for keeping this all updated and bonitinho.
Well, my friends -- it's that time again. Transfers. I absolutely don't believe it. If you think you've seen time fly, try serving a mission. 6 weeks goes by faster than you can say "Chaves Indicadores." I have loved this transfer, loved my companion Sister Marciano, and loved my district and city. I will probably stay here for at least 6 more weeks. Whew -- Christmas with a ward I love!
I have been working hard, sweating more than should be allowed, and talking with literally everyone I pass on the street (even if it's just a smile and "Boa tarde!"). I know that numbers are NOT everything...but I'm pleased to be able to say that my companion and I are reaching all our goals these last few weeks. We're teaching an average of about 8 lessons a day, and are leading the zone in the numbers we count as missionaries. This is not what matters, though. It's the people that matter, and I'm grateful to be able to say that we are truly working hard for these people.
Being in a different country, I see things that are different that seem little, but really throw me off sometimes. Here are some of them (sorry if I'm repeating myself):
Little Brazilian Culture Things
~toilet paper goes in a little trash can, not in the toilet. I think I'm finally getting used to this, but it sure took awhile.
~horses aren't a recreational activity. They are a mode of transport. Every day, I see people riding through the streets on horseback, or sitting in rickety little wooden carts pulled by rickety little donkeys. These horses and donkeys are used to cars whizzing by them (and I mean whizzing. Drivers here are absolutely crazy, and motorcycle drivers even more so).
~whereas I, as an American, eat just fine with a fork in one hand, everyone here in Brazil eats with a fork in one hand and a knife in the other. They use this knife to cut meat (of which they eat a lot) or to help guide their food onto their fork. If they're not using their knife, they still hold onto it, and it sits poised above the food ready for action.
~Brazilians eat cake and soda like I've never seen before. Cake is at LEAST a once-a-week occasion, if there isn't an occasion to eat it. Baptisms, birthdays, gatherings, all things have cake. An example of how Brazilians think about cake, one morning at about 7:
My Brazilian comp: *baking in the kitchen*
Me: "O que você está fazendo?"
Comp: "Bolo."
Me: "Por que?"
Comp: "Não temos pão."
~handwriting is taught well in schools. People here have beautiful, tidy handwriting, and everyone writes in cursive. Men and women both.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As many of you know, I grew up in a bit of a bubble. Not only was I raised in the church, but I was homeschooled. I knew that drugs, alcohol, cigarrets (don't know how to spell that in English, ha), and such things existed, but only in a distant sort of way. Now, I come in contact with these things every single day. In many ways, my childhood bubble has been popped. Almost nothing I hear or see surprises me anymore.
This all sounds a bit sad, but my point here is not to be sad. I think I'm trying to get around to saying that the world needs the Gospel. The more I see of the world, the more I realize the enormous power of family, and the truth of the statement found so often in the scriptures: If you keep the commandments of God, you will prosper in the land. A child of 13 that I know very well has already experienced homosexuality, violence and abuse in her family, has been in prison, and worse. Now she is a baptized member of the church, and I know that her life will improve unimaginably. These commandments are real and solid and change people's lives!
The Gospel is true and real. The Savior lives and loves me and all of you. I am so grateful to be here in Brasil, teaching the Gospel every day! I love Brazil and I love Bahia. My companion, Sister Marciano, is teaching me so very much about how to be a good missionary. I am so grateful for her and for all my other companions.
MERRY EARLY CHRISTMAS, everyone! Enjoy the snow! I will make snowflakes, but it just won't be the same.
If you want to give me a Christmas present, I would absolutely love your personal testimony of Christ.
I love you all.
Com amor e carinho,
Sua missionária,
Sister Petty
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Survival...and baptism!
hello north america! so...i hate doing this, because i love to write correctly, but this keyboard is a blivin' pain. so i'm not gonna use shift. i hope you can all forgive me, even you english majors out there.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dearest Angela Bosselman, who's been home from a wonderful mission in California for...some months now! Also, GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH congratulations to my dearest Courtney Fernelius, who got called to serve in the BRASIL JUÃO PESSOA MISSION!!! Not only my dear country, but the same REGION! I just about had a heart attack when I read her letter, then commenced dancing and yelling non-words of joy and laughing and crying for about 10 minutes in our once-quiet apartment. My poor companion didn't know how to respond, so she didn't. :-)
I LOVE MISSIONS.
i'm sure getting used to certain things about the culture here. when I go back home, it'll be hard to be surrounded by UNcolorful clothes, and people who don't hug and kiss at the beginning and end of each encounter, food that isn't glorious rice and beans and farinha de mandioca, and FRUIT FRUIT FRUIT. Bananas and mangos...literally grow on trees! LOL. in the streets, in people's yards...gente. I love it.
one thing I'm learning here is to understand that people are truly different from me. and to have patience with this. now, when my companion doesn't respond to everything i say (which is a lot, heh) or makes a decision withing letting me know, or little things like this that used to really irk me, i am getting better at remembering, "oh. that's just the way she is. she's quiet. i'm loud. I'll try to quiet down for her."
maybe I already wrote about this...but the other week I was washing dishes against the will of the irmã who gave me lunch (this is normal) when i started wiping a beautiful little goblet-y glass cup. Suddenly, it broke in my hands, slicing my finger. embarrassed, i stuck my finger in the water, trying to decide how to tell them i'd broken their cup. when i finally let them know (blood spattering the sink) they came running to my aid, and the weirdest thing was I started to feel like i would faint. it was extremely unpleasant...all this business of fainting being romantic is hogwash, my friends. anyway, i had to lie down (que VERGONHA) and recover, i'm really not sure what happened because i didn't lose that much blood. After the fact it was all very funny.
the talent show that i've been preparing since I arrived in DD finally happened...without any support of the ward, because our ward mission leader had a tragedy in the family and wasn't able to help. it was somewhat of a disaster, starting an hour late and with a bunch of last-minute, unplanned acts, but i think some people enjoyed themselves. we all laughed a lot. the best part is, it's over! woooot! lesson learned: don't try to plan ward activities alone. especially when you're trying to be a missionary, too.
this Saturday, we finally baptized Josafá! he is such a great man, has been coming to church for several weeks now, and his family (wife and two kids) will soon follow him into the waters of baptism (hopefully this saturday). we are so happy. the baptism was PERFECT, with almost 40 people, a talk given by his neighber who referred him to the missionaries, a welcome from the bishop and quorem president, and even a choir of almost 10 people! Thank you, bishop Márcio! it was such a beautiful thing to see Josafá receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and be confirmed a member of the church on Sunday...watching from the piano bench (my usual function in whatever ward I go to) i couldn't keep a smile off my face.
This work is so true and so good. I am so grateful to be a missionary. I am growing more than I ever imagined...if I hadn't come on a mission...i don't even want to think how it would be. i needed this SO much.
Two little matters of business. First, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for your letters!! They lift me and inspire me more than I can express! You've been using an address that's fine, but THIS is the real, official address that will maybe get your letters to me a bit faster:
Antônio C. Magalhaes 3247
Sala 402
Pituba - Salvador, BA
400275-000
BRAZIL
Second thing. If anyone wants to give me a Christmas present, I know just the thing. There is an extremely sad lack of safety pins and zip-lock bags here in Bahia, so if anyone wants to just stick a baggie or couple of safety pins in your envelope with your Christmas letter (nudge nudge :-) that would be so cool. Oh, the things we take for granted.
Also, and much more importantly, I would love to hear from you all your testimonies of your Savior, and what He means to you in your life. This is what Christmas is about, and your testimonies will truly strengthen mine...which in turn will strengthen the people I'm teaching.
I love you all and am so grateful for your support and love. Stay strong, always read your scriptures and pray, and if you're considering a mission....JUST DO IT. You won't regret it.
Com amor e carinho,
Sua missionária,
Sister Anne Petty
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dearest Angela Bosselman, who's been home from a wonderful mission in California for...some months now! Also, GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH congratulations to my dearest Courtney Fernelius, who got called to serve in the BRASIL JUÃO PESSOA MISSION!!! Not only my dear country, but the same REGION! I just about had a heart attack when I read her letter, then commenced dancing and yelling non-words of joy and laughing and crying for about 10 minutes in our once-quiet apartment. My poor companion didn't know how to respond, so she didn't. :-)
I LOVE MISSIONS.
i'm sure getting used to certain things about the culture here. when I go back home, it'll be hard to be surrounded by UNcolorful clothes, and people who don't hug and kiss at the beginning and end of each encounter, food that isn't glorious rice and beans and farinha de mandioca, and FRUIT FRUIT FRUIT. Bananas and mangos...literally grow on trees! LOL. in the streets, in people's yards...gente. I love it.
one thing I'm learning here is to understand that people are truly different from me. and to have patience with this. now, when my companion doesn't respond to everything i say (which is a lot, heh) or makes a decision withing letting me know, or little things like this that used to really irk me, i am getting better at remembering, "oh. that's just the way she is. she's quiet. i'm loud. I'll try to quiet down for her."
maybe I already wrote about this...but the other week I was washing dishes against the will of the irmã who gave me lunch (this is normal) when i started wiping a beautiful little goblet-y glass cup. Suddenly, it broke in my hands, slicing my finger. embarrassed, i stuck my finger in the water, trying to decide how to tell them i'd broken their cup. when i finally let them know (blood spattering the sink) they came running to my aid, and the weirdest thing was I started to feel like i would faint. it was extremely unpleasant...all this business of fainting being romantic is hogwash, my friends. anyway, i had to lie down (que VERGONHA) and recover, i'm really not sure what happened because i didn't lose that much blood. After the fact it was all very funny.
the talent show that i've been preparing since I arrived in DD finally happened...without any support of the ward, because our ward mission leader had a tragedy in the family and wasn't able to help. it was somewhat of a disaster, starting an hour late and with a bunch of last-minute, unplanned acts, but i think some people enjoyed themselves. we all laughed a lot. the best part is, it's over! woooot! lesson learned: don't try to plan ward activities alone. especially when you're trying to be a missionary, too.
this Saturday, we finally baptized Josafá! he is such a great man, has been coming to church for several weeks now, and his family (wife and two kids) will soon follow him into the waters of baptism (hopefully this saturday). we are so happy. the baptism was PERFECT, with almost 40 people, a talk given by his neighber who referred him to the missionaries, a welcome from the bishop and quorem president, and even a choir of almost 10 people! Thank you, bishop Márcio! it was such a beautiful thing to see Josafá receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and be confirmed a member of the church on Sunday...watching from the piano bench (my usual function in whatever ward I go to) i couldn't keep a smile off my face.
This work is so true and so good. I am so grateful to be a missionary. I am growing more than I ever imagined...if I hadn't come on a mission...i don't even want to think how it would be. i needed this SO much.
Two little matters of business. First, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for your letters!! They lift me and inspire me more than I can express! You've been using an address that's fine, but THIS is the real, official address that will maybe get your letters to me a bit faster:
Antônio C. Magalhaes 3247
Sala 402
Pituba - Salvador, BA
400275-000
BRAZIL
Second thing. If anyone wants to give me a Christmas present, I know just the thing. There is an extremely sad lack of safety pins and zip-lock bags here in Bahia, so if anyone wants to just stick a baggie or couple of safety pins in your envelope with your Christmas letter (nudge nudge :-) that would be so cool. Oh, the things we take for granted.
Also, and much more importantly, I would love to hear from you all your testimonies of your Savior, and what He means to you in your life. This is what Christmas is about, and your testimonies will truly strengthen mine...which in turn will strengthen the people I'm teaching.
I love you all and am so grateful for your support and love. Stay strong, always read your scriptures and pray, and if you're considering a mission....JUST DO IT. You won't regret it.
Com amor e carinho,
Sua missionária,
Sister Anne Petty
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Pictures! Woohoo!
--my new district!! And my first! I`ve never worked with Elders in the same city before. It`s very neat to be part of a team like this. The redhead is Elder Thompson--we knew each other in the MTC in Sao Paulo.
--The donkey was checking out the goods...
--A group of my Catu peeps. YAY CATU
--Catu companions--Tiburcio and Santos
Ladybug, Crazy Week, Baptisms
9 minutes, GO!
HELLO WORLD! I'm so happy with my life! I have a companion that reminds me of a ladybug, I laugh a lot at how much soda and cake Brazilians drink (we're buying FIFTY liters of soda for a ward activity. Like 100 people. Is it just me, or is that a lot?), Sister Marciano and I worked our tails completely off last week, and this week we have someone power baptisms! It'll be a week of crazy, because I'm also trying to put on this ward talent show. Everything is on top of everything else (if my dad saw the week's schedule of ward activities, he would die), but we'll try to enjoy it and laugh instead of cry.
Church on Sunday was so neat. Friday, we talked with this great family about baptism on Sunday, to see if they were feeling ready. They weren't. They needed more time to study, wanted the whole family to be baptized together, wanted to feel more prepared, all that that everyone always says. Then on Sunday, the father of the family (Josafá) came up to us before Sacrament meeting. "Remember about baptism?" he asked. We remembered. "Well, I decided I don't need to wait for my family. You two can pick a day--I want to be baptized."
Missionary's dream. We both contained ourselves and told him, yes, we could help him with that, while inside we were jumping up and down yelling with joy.
Another power experience. A wonderful women we are preparing for baptism was hesitating because she wanted more of a rock-solid confirmation that this was the right path. We knelt with her, and invited her to pray and ask God right NOW for an answer about baptism this very week. We promised her that she would get that answer if she prayed with faith. She did, and I felt the Spirit more strongly than I can describe. Afterward she said, "yes, this is the way."
I LOVE THE MISSION.
Happy birthday to my dearest bro Taylor! Josafá's baptism will be tomorrow, on your birthday. How cool is that?
My mom wanted to know how I'm doing. Here are the questions she asked:
"You mentioned that it's raining all the time. Do you use an umbrella, or a poncho, or both? Is your hair all frizzy from the humidity and wetness all the time? Do you keep an extra pair of socks in your pocket so you can change out of the wet ones? What about rubber boots? Does it rain every day? Does it cool off at night? You mentioned cobblestone streets. Are they all that way, or are there a lot of dirt (mud) roads, too? Are they slippery when wet? What holidays are celebrated big there? Have you experienced any of them yet?
Do you fix all of your own food? How is that going? Do members ever feed you? Do you still have access to peanut butter? :-)"
Mom, I love you and love your questions! I will try to answer them next time!
LOVE YOU WORLD
HELLO WORLD! I'm so happy with my life! I have a companion that reminds me of a ladybug, I laugh a lot at how much soda and cake Brazilians drink (we're buying FIFTY liters of soda for a ward activity. Like 100 people. Is it just me, or is that a lot?), Sister Marciano and I worked our tails completely off last week, and this week we have someone power baptisms! It'll be a week of crazy, because I'm also trying to put on this ward talent show. Everything is on top of everything else (if my dad saw the week's schedule of ward activities, he would die), but we'll try to enjoy it and laugh instead of cry.
Church on Sunday was so neat. Friday, we talked with this great family about baptism on Sunday, to see if they were feeling ready. They weren't. They needed more time to study, wanted the whole family to be baptized together, wanted to feel more prepared, all that that everyone always says. Then on Sunday, the father of the family (Josafá) came up to us before Sacrament meeting. "Remember about baptism?" he asked. We remembered. "Well, I decided I don't need to wait for my family. You two can pick a day--I want to be baptized."
Missionary's dream. We both contained ourselves and told him, yes, we could help him with that, while inside we were jumping up and down yelling with joy.
Another power experience. A wonderful women we are preparing for baptism was hesitating because she wanted more of a rock-solid confirmation that this was the right path. We knelt with her, and invited her to pray and ask God right NOW for an answer about baptism this very week. We promised her that she would get that answer if she prayed with faith. She did, and I felt the Spirit more strongly than I can describe. Afterward she said, "yes, this is the way."
I LOVE THE MISSION.
Happy birthday to my dearest bro Taylor! Josafá's baptism will be tomorrow, on your birthday. How cool is that?
My mom wanted to know how I'm doing. Here are the questions she asked:
"You mentioned that it's raining all the time. Do you use an umbrella, or a poncho, or both? Is your hair all frizzy from the humidity and wetness all the time? Do you keep an extra pair of socks in your pocket so you can change out of the wet ones? What about rubber boots? Does it rain every day? Does it cool off at night? You mentioned cobblestone streets. Are they all that way, or are there a lot of dirt (mud) roads, too? Are they slippery when wet? What holidays are celebrated big there? Have you experienced any of them yet?
Do you fix all of your own food? How is that going? Do members ever feed you? Do you still have access to peanut butter? :-)"
Mom, I love you and love your questions! I will try to answer them next time!
LOVE YOU WORLD
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
To Be is Never Done
Hello, Northern Hemisphere!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jennifer Molnar!! I love you!
Lots and lots and lots of rain. 15 or 16 days of rain, nonstop. My
shoes will never dry. Ever.
Lots of beer encounters this week, haha--one thing I'm learning here
in Bahia is how to talk to drunk people (it's kind of like talking to
2-year-olds).
Thanks to a wonderful letter I received last week, I've been thinking
a lot lately about the concept of "To be," as in the talk by Lynn G.
Robbins in April of 2011. We are here in the earth to BECOME more like
Jesus Christ. To do this, we need to do the things he did. To do and
to be are very linked. One thing Elder Robbins says is that "To be is
never done." I love this. This life is a process, and my mission is
really helping me push along and refine myself and become more like
Christ.
This last week, in an attempt to get people to go to church on Sunday,
we focused a lot on the link between the Atonement of Jesus Christ an
the partaking of the Sacrament. "Do you think there's anything more
important than remembering the suffering of Christ for you?" I asked
several investigators. They said no. Then I said that going to church
was the best way for them to show this faith and love for the Savior.
Thanks to this week of thinking about the importance of the sacrament,
when I finally went to church on Sunday and partook of the sacrament
myself, it was very poignant and very special for me. I thought of the
torn flesh and spilled blood of Christ for me, and with bowed head
thought of His love for me and for all His children.
I invite everyone to take the sacrament seriously, because it is a
beautiful opportunity to remember Christ. It is the way He has asked
us to remember Him.
Another quick thought -- I am learning here more and more the
importance of fathers. We are teaching a wonderful family who's father
is completely involved, reading the scriptures diligently each day
(he's in JACOB), and motivating the rest of the family to do the same.
There are so many problems in the world due to lack of strong fathers
in the home. I have gained even more appreciation for my father, and
more motivation to marry a strong father who will set an example to my
sons--so they in turn will be strong fathers.
I love you all and I love the mission. I have 53 or so (I counted) bug
bites below my knees, and my feet are still wet, and I just want to
walk on a un-cobblestony street, and sometimes I have to talk to drunk
people, but I love this mission with all my heart and soul. I am truly
becoming what God wants me to become.
I have never regretted this choice, and never will. Thank you to all
who have supported me.
Much love,
Sister Petty
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jennifer Molnar!! I love you!
Lots and lots and lots of rain. 15 or 16 days of rain, nonstop. My
shoes will never dry. Ever.
Lots of beer encounters this week, haha--one thing I'm learning here
in Bahia is how to talk to drunk people (it's kind of like talking to
2-year-olds).
Thanks to a wonderful letter I received last week, I've been thinking
a lot lately about the concept of "To be," as in the talk by Lynn G.
Robbins in April of 2011. We are here in the earth to BECOME more like
Jesus Christ. To do this, we need to do the things he did. To do and
to be are very linked. One thing Elder Robbins says is that "To be is
never done." I love this. This life is a process, and my mission is
really helping me push along and refine myself and become more like
Christ.
This last week, in an attempt to get people to go to church on Sunday,
we focused a lot on the link between the Atonement of Jesus Christ an
the partaking of the Sacrament. "Do you think there's anything more
important than remembering the suffering of Christ for you?" I asked
several investigators. They said no. Then I said that going to church
was the best way for them to show this faith and love for the Savior.
Thanks to this week of thinking about the importance of the sacrament,
when I finally went to church on Sunday and partook of the sacrament
myself, it was very poignant and very special for me. I thought of the
torn flesh and spilled blood of Christ for me, and with bowed head
thought of His love for me and for all His children.
I invite everyone to take the sacrament seriously, because it is a
beautiful opportunity to remember Christ. It is the way He has asked
us to remember Him.
Another quick thought -- I am learning here more and more the
importance of fathers. We are teaching a wonderful family who's father
is completely involved, reading the scriptures diligently each day
(he's in JACOB), and motivating the rest of the family to do the same.
There are so many problems in the world due to lack of strong fathers
in the home. I have gained even more appreciation for my father, and
more motivation to marry a strong father who will set an example to my
sons--so they in turn will be strong fathers.
I love you all and I love the mission. I have 53 or so (I counted) bug
bites below my knees, and my feet are still wet, and I just want to
walk on a un-cobblestony street, and sometimes I have to talk to drunk
people, but I love this mission with all my heart and soul. I am truly
becoming what God wants me to become.
I have never regretted this choice, and never will. Thank you to all
who have supported me.
Much love,
Sister Petty
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
A New World
Oi oi! Bom dia, boa tarde, boa noite!! Falo isso provávelmente 100
vezes cada dia, talvez mais. Aqui in Bahia, pessoas não vão olhar para
você [strangely] se fala com tudo mundo. Eu amo isso, e vou sentir
falta quando eu voltar para casa.
I'm here, I'm happy, I'm talking to everyone!
TRANSFERRED. What a thing. There's really no way to understand what a
big deal a mission transfer is until you experience one.
Folks, change is a good thing. Here in my new area, Dias D'Ávila
(which I won't type again, it's a pain..."DD" from here on) I am
already growing and stretching. Desde the moment that I arrived, I
found that without my old companions to lean on, I'm taking what I
learned from them (which was a monte) and becoming that much better of
a missionary. I'm opening my mouth, talking to people on the bus, on
the street, in their houses...Brazilians of every type. Old, young,
men, women, sad, happy, sober, drunk, accepting, non-accepting. I'm
still awful with Brazilian names, and still get lost very easily
(thank you thank you Sis. Marciano for knowing DD), and I still trip
on the cobblestones at least twice a day, but I'm truly progressing.
Now, my biggest problem is that I need to let my new companion talk
sometimes, too. *grin*
CHANGES:
DD is flat. Catú had practically vertical hills.
DD has young women in the ward. A MONTE of them. Catu had only young
men. Weird...I'll have to adjust.
DD comp is quiet and organized and firm. Catu comps were wild,
unorganized, flexible. I will learn a lot here.
A bunch more changes, but I'm out of time. Snip of letter to pres:
I'm loving the city, loving the change, and loving my companion.
Because we both have the same amount of time in the mission, we're
both stretching and learning a lot. I'm finding myself leading much
more in the teaching, being more aware of the Spirit, and with more
energy to animate the ward. I had an idea my first day that has
blossomed into a reality -- we're gonna have a big two-ward talent
show here Dias D'Ávila on November 19th, and everyone's invited! The
ward mission leader is very excited about it, and we'll be encouraging
everyone to invite lots of friends to participate. It will be very
neat.
The Church is true, my friends, and the book is blue. Keep sending
letters, they keep me going. I'm sweating more than I ever have in my
LIFE, and walking too, and those letters make everything possible.
I love the Lord and I love the mission. Keep reading your scriptures every day.
Com amor,
Sister Petty
vezes cada dia, talvez mais. Aqui in Bahia, pessoas não vão olhar para
você [strangely] se fala com tudo mundo. Eu amo isso, e vou sentir
falta quando eu voltar para casa.
I'm here, I'm happy, I'm talking to everyone!
TRANSFERRED. What a thing. There's really no way to understand what a
big deal a mission transfer is until you experience one.
Folks, change is a good thing. Here in my new area, Dias D'Ávila
(which I won't type again, it's a pain..."DD" from here on) I am
already growing and stretching. Desde the moment that I arrived, I
found that without my old companions to lean on, I'm taking what I
learned from them (which was a monte) and becoming that much better of
a missionary. I'm opening my mouth, talking to people on the bus, on
the street, in their houses...Brazilians of every type. Old, young,
men, women, sad, happy, sober, drunk, accepting, non-accepting. I'm
still awful with Brazilian names, and still get lost very easily
(thank you thank you Sis. Marciano for knowing DD), and I still trip
on the cobblestones at least twice a day, but I'm truly progressing.
Now, my biggest problem is that I need to let my new companion talk
sometimes, too. *grin*
CHANGES:
DD is flat. Catú had practically vertical hills.
DD has young women in the ward. A MONTE of them. Catu had only young
men. Weird...I'll have to adjust.
DD comp is quiet and organized and firm. Catu comps were wild,
unorganized, flexible. I will learn a lot here.
A bunch more changes, but I'm out of time. Snip of letter to pres:
I'm loving the city, loving the change, and loving my companion.
Because we both have the same amount of time in the mission, we're
both stretching and learning a lot. I'm finding myself leading much
more in the teaching, being more aware of the Spirit, and with more
energy to animate the ward. I had an idea my first day that has
blossomed into a reality -- we're gonna have a big two-ward talent
show here Dias D'Ávila on November 19th, and everyone's invited! The
ward mission leader is very excited about it, and we'll be encouraging
everyone to invite lots of friends to participate. It will be very
neat.
The Church is true, my friends, and the book is blue. Keep sending
letters, they keep me going. I'm sweating more than I ever have in my
LIFE, and walking too, and those letters make everything possible.
I love the Lord and I love the mission. Keep reading your scriptures every day.
Com amor,
Sister Petty
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
A Colorful Page Turns
GENTE...("folks")...I left Catú. I am now in Dias D'Avila, about 30 minutes of busdrive away from Catú. I've been here for about an hour, so I can't tell you much about it. I am very happy. A chapter in my life...a little chapter, being Catú...is closing, and another opening.
I learned SO MUCH with Sisters Tiburcio and Santos...As Tres Nefitas. I loved them absolutely to pieces and learned more from them than I ever imagined I could. We saw the ward grow, we saw lives change, we saw testimonies blossom. My experience in Catú was beautiful. Now, I am very excited to bring what I learned in Catú to Dias D'Avila.
My whole experience of missionary work was Catú. I loved it there. I had three wonderful companions, four wonderful months. It was very hard to say goodbye to the ward that I had seen grow so much, through a few baptisms and LOTS of reactivation. This last transfer I truly gained a testimony of reactivation...that is, visiting and strengthening members of the ward who are not coming to church, or who are less active.
I haven't heard much about this area, but I do know that it was once the "best" in the mission. Now, it seems that things have slowed down and become a little "bleh." I'm seeing a lack of enthusiasm among the sisters that have served here. My goal: ANIMATE THIS ALA! (ala = ward = group of LDS members that attend church together, based on geographical boundaries). I will love the members with all my heart, strengthen them as much as I can, and get them excited about missionary work.
My advice of the month: love love love your companion. On your mission, in your marriage, in your work, tudo. This makes all the difference.
I am learning to open my mouth, my friends. I have stopped using the excuse "I'm American" to avoid leading, teaching, asking for addresses. I am learning to sit down in a little Bahian living room, look around at the family and friends who are there, gather the household, pray for inspiration to know what to teach them, and lead out in teaching the lesson. I am learning to love people I don't know, very quickly. I am learning to teach from the heart. I am learning to forget myself...although this is still a work in progress.
I love the mission. I love Bahia. Family, I love you all so much--the post finally started working again, and I got a bunch of letters today that made me so happy.Thank you SO much to all those who wrote. Family, I got your letter as well! WOO HOO!
The Gospel is true, Jesus lives, and Dias D'Avila will know it!
Com carinho,
Sis. Petty
I learned SO MUCH with Sisters Tiburcio and Santos...As Tres Nefitas. I loved them absolutely to pieces and learned more from them than I ever imagined I could. We saw the ward grow, we saw lives change, we saw testimonies blossom. My experience in Catú was beautiful. Now, I am very excited to bring what I learned in Catú to Dias D'Avila.
My whole experience of missionary work was Catú. I loved it there. I had three wonderful companions, four wonderful months. It was very hard to say goodbye to the ward that I had seen grow so much, through a few baptisms and LOTS of reactivation. This last transfer I truly gained a testimony of reactivation...that is, visiting and strengthening members of the ward who are not coming to church, or who are less active.
I haven't heard much about this area, but I do know that it was once the "best" in the mission. Now, it seems that things have slowed down and become a little "bleh." I'm seeing a lack of enthusiasm among the sisters that have served here. My goal: ANIMATE THIS ALA! (ala = ward = group of LDS members that attend church together, based on geographical boundaries). I will love the members with all my heart, strengthen them as much as I can, and get them excited about missionary work.
My advice of the month: love love love your companion. On your mission, in your marriage, in your work, tudo. This makes all the difference.
I am learning to open my mouth, my friends. I have stopped using the excuse "I'm American" to avoid leading, teaching, asking for addresses. I am learning to sit down in a little Bahian living room, look around at the family and friends who are there, gather the household, pray for inspiration to know what to teach them, and lead out in teaching the lesson. I am learning to love people I don't know, very quickly. I am learning to teach from the heart. I am learning to forget myself...although this is still a work in progress.
I love the mission. I love Bahia. Family, I love you all so much--the post finally started working again, and I got a bunch of letters today that made me so happy.Thank you SO much to all those who wrote. Family, I got your letter as well! WOO HOO!
The Gospel is true, Jesus lives, and Dias D'Avila will know it!
Com carinho,
Sis. Petty
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Oi oi família!!
Hello dearest family! This is for you and for the blog as well. I love you, family, very very much.
In two days, believe it or not...........*drumroll*.............I will hit SEIS MESES NA MISSÃO!! Six months, folks! Like my companion always says (and I picked up quickly), QUE É ISSO? I just don't believe it.
It's almost certain that I will be transfered. I've been here in Catú for 4 and a half months. I've never been transfered. I've been getting excited about a new area, and a change in my life (changes help me grow and set new goals), but I will be extremely sad to get a new companion. I've been with these two (Sisters Santos and Tiburcio) for two transfers, and I love them to pieces. I will miss their energy, leadership, and incredible examples. I will also miss the simple fact of a trio. It's such a bundle of fun to have three. Two will be very...quiet.
We have an investigator right now that is just wonderful. Her name is Simone, she's about 50 years old and has smoked for more than 30 of those years. We've been working with her for many weeks, and though she progressed slowly, she progressed! Now, she's gone almost TWO WEEKS without one cigar! Every time I think about her, and about this sincere and real change in her life, I want to leap for joy. The Gospel changes lives!
I'd like to publicly thank my home bishop, Bishop Tracy, for his idea in my ward in Raleigh, North Carolina. I snatched his idea and used it in a talk in church a couple Sundays ago: Invite! As members, there is such great power in simply opening our mouths and inviting. You're not gonna offend anyone, and you really have nothing to lose--why not just invite? Invite a friend to an activity, to hear the missionaries, to church. For those of you readers who are members, I have the same challenge for you way up there in the Northern Hemisphere. Open your mouth and the Lord will help you. Invite! Invite! Invite!
For those of you readers who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, consider yourselves invited now! To church, or to hear from the missionaries. This church is based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and can truly change your life. I know this because it's changing mine.
Sei que Jesus Cristo vive. Essa é a Igreja Dele. Joseph Smith é um profeta de Deus. O Livro de Mórmon é verdadeiro. Jesus Cristo viveu, sofreu, e morreu para que nós pudéssemos viver...para que nós pudéssemos desfrutar esta vida maravilhosa. Eu amo Jesus Cristo, eu amo ser uma missionária, e eu amo essa obra.
Com muito amor,
Sis. Petty
In two days, believe it or not...........*drumroll*.............I will hit SEIS MESES NA MISSÃO!! Six months, folks! Like my companion always says (and I picked up quickly), QUE É ISSO? I just don't believe it.
It's almost certain that I will be transfered. I've been here in Catú for 4 and a half months. I've never been transfered. I've been getting excited about a new area, and a change in my life (changes help me grow and set new goals), but I will be extremely sad to get a new companion. I've been with these two (Sisters Santos and Tiburcio) for two transfers, and I love them to pieces. I will miss their energy, leadership, and incredible examples. I will also miss the simple fact of a trio. It's such a bundle of fun to have three. Two will be very...quiet.
We have an investigator right now that is just wonderful. Her name is Simone, she's about 50 years old and has smoked for more than 30 of those years. We've been working with her for many weeks, and though she progressed slowly, she progressed! Now, she's gone almost TWO WEEKS without one cigar! Every time I think about her, and about this sincere and real change in her life, I want to leap for joy. The Gospel changes lives!
I'd like to publicly thank my home bishop, Bishop Tracy, for his idea in my ward in Raleigh, North Carolina. I snatched his idea and used it in a talk in church a couple Sundays ago: Invite! As members, there is such great power in simply opening our mouths and inviting. You're not gonna offend anyone, and you really have nothing to lose--why not just invite? Invite a friend to an activity, to hear the missionaries, to church. For those of you readers who are members, I have the same challenge for you way up there in the Northern Hemisphere. Open your mouth and the Lord will help you. Invite! Invite! Invite!
For those of you readers who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, consider yourselves invited now! To church, or to hear from the missionaries. This church is based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and can truly change your life. I know this because it's changing mine.
Sei que Jesus Cristo vive. Essa é a Igreja Dele. Joseph Smith é um profeta de Deus. O Livro de Mórmon é verdadeiro. Jesus Cristo viveu, sofreu, e morreu para que nós pudéssemos viver...para que nós pudéssemos desfrutar esta vida maravilhosa. Eu amo Jesus Cristo, eu amo ser uma missionária, e eu amo essa obra.
Com muito amor,
Sis. Petty
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Hello to the family--She didn't have time for a blog today, so we're willing to share! :)
Hello family!
I'm almost done with my third transfer in Catú. This will be 4 and a
half months in one area. I know the members, the neighborhoods
(bairros), the store owners, the internet man, the cracks and bumps in
the streets, the hobos, even the dogs...and they know me! I love Catú
SO much--it was the perfect city for me to start in. About 50,000
residents, I think, small and so very quiant (sp?). Many, many people
here were born and raised here, and their parents as well. Many of
them have been living in the same little house for more than 50 years.
Some grandparents are living in the same house they were born in.
Two of the things most important to a missionary, money and letters
(bank and post offices), are on strike right now. Actually, I think
they went "off strike" today, but boy that was stressful!
I'm about to undergo huge changes in my life, as I will probably be
transferred in less than two weeks. I love the mission and I love the
Gospel!
Enjoy the pictures!
Love,
Anne
I'm almost done with my third transfer in Catú. This will be 4 and a
half months in one area. I know the members, the neighborhoods
(bairros), the store owners, the internet man, the cracks and bumps in
the streets, the hobos, even the dogs...and they know me! I love Catú
SO much--it was the perfect city for me to start in. About 50,000
residents, I think, small and so very quiant (sp?). Many, many people
here were born and raised here, and their parents as well. Many of
them have been living in the same little house for more than 50 years.
Some grandparents are living in the same house they were born in.
Two of the things most important to a missionary, money and letters
(bank and post offices), are on strike right now. Actually, I think
they went "off strike" today, but boy that was stressful!
I'm about to undergo huge changes in my life, as I will probably be
transferred in less than two weeks. I love the mission and I love the
Gospel!
Enjoy the pictures!
Love,
Anne
Pictures! :)
FINALLY I'm getting pictures sent. This is top priority this time,
after my e-mail to president. If you could post some (or all) to the
blog, COOL! If not, that's okay. :-)
I have almost 700 pictures right now....I'll be making a CD to send
home soon, for security purposes. :-)
PICTURE DESCRIPS
-A street dressed up for São Juão
-My first district!
– beautiful children
– a painting in the President’s house. Missionary work in BAHIA!
– a tiny child shelling peas
– typical sight in Bahia—horses and motorcycles
– a thing I made out of dough
– A child eating one of the most delicious things in the world:
homemade maracujá ice-cream
- Me and Bianca
- Three of us, dressed up for a little skit for the elders
-lotsa kitties--(She meant to send another pic but selected this one instead.. oh well!)
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Attitude Adjustment
Hello world!
Conference was this week! We got to hear from a living prophet and his
twelve apostles. What a priviledge. Let me share a little miracle in
my life that kind of represents my thoughts and feelings as a
missionary right now.
When I arrived at the chapel in Alogoinhas on Sunday, in a bus full of
Catú ward members, I was super super excited. Conference has always
been a big deal at my house, and I was even more excited now as a
missionary to watch and learn and feel the Spirit. I had prepared
myself emotionally--I thought--to listen in Portuguese, knowing that
finding a place in English would be unlikely. But when I find out that
this was the case, and I really would have to watch in a second
language, I become a bit depressed. I admit that I pouted a little,
deep down inside. The whole first session, I listen and tried to
understand, but felt overwhelmed and helpless. I could only think of
how much BETTER and EASIER it would be in my own language, dang it!
This first session, I understood little.
However, at the end of the first session, my wonderful companion Sis.
Santos sat me down and challenged me to pray sincerely and ask the
Lord to bless me with the gift of tongues. If you do this, you will
understand everything you need to, she told me with the power of a
missionary. Her challenge and the Spirit it brought were powerful, so
I swallowed what I then realized was my pride and followed her
guidance.
I prayed, adjusted my attitude, and went to the second session with my
head in a completely different place. "What a great opportunity this
is to learn," I told myself. "How often will I get to watch conference
in Brazil?" I sat down, pulled out my notebook and pen, and focused
with all my mind and heart on the speakers. With my eyes fixed on the
floor in front of me, sometimes even eyes closed, I listened and felt
and understood. With the Lord's help, I really did understand
everything that I needed to. I felt the Spirit, I received revelation
for myself and for my work as a missionary, and had a completely
opposite experience than the first sesson.
I know the Lord lives. I know that attitude is everything, and with
the Lord's help we can truly have the attitude we need to.
I love you all. I love your letters and support. I can't thank you all
enough for your prayers. Keep 'em coming...this week my comps are
giving me a turn to be "senior" companion. GAh! So I'll need the
Lord's help even more.
Keep praying and reading scriptures every day!
Com carinho,
Sis. Petty
Conference was this week! We got to hear from a living prophet and his
twelve apostles. What a priviledge. Let me share a little miracle in
my life that kind of represents my thoughts and feelings as a
missionary right now.
When I arrived at the chapel in Alogoinhas on Sunday, in a bus full of
Catú ward members, I was super super excited. Conference has always
been a big deal at my house, and I was even more excited now as a
missionary to watch and learn and feel the Spirit. I had prepared
myself emotionally--I thought--to listen in Portuguese, knowing that
finding a place in English would be unlikely. But when I find out that
this was the case, and I really would have to watch in a second
language, I become a bit depressed. I admit that I pouted a little,
deep down inside. The whole first session, I listen and tried to
understand, but felt overwhelmed and helpless. I could only think of
how much BETTER and EASIER it would be in my own language, dang it!
This first session, I understood little.
However, at the end of the first session, my wonderful companion Sis.
Santos sat me down and challenged me to pray sincerely and ask the
Lord to bless me with the gift of tongues. If you do this, you will
understand everything you need to, she told me with the power of a
missionary. Her challenge and the Spirit it brought were powerful, so
I swallowed what I then realized was my pride and followed her
guidance.
I prayed, adjusted my attitude, and went to the second session with my
head in a completely different place. "What a great opportunity this
is to learn," I told myself. "How often will I get to watch conference
in Brazil?" I sat down, pulled out my notebook and pen, and focused
with all my mind and heart on the speakers. With my eyes fixed on the
floor in front of me, sometimes even eyes closed, I listened and felt
and understood. With the Lord's help, I really did understand
everything that I needed to. I felt the Spirit, I received revelation
for myself and for my work as a missionary, and had a completely
opposite experience than the first sesson.
I know the Lord lives. I know that attitude is everything, and with
the Lord's help we can truly have the attitude we need to.
I love you all. I love your letters and support. I can't thank you all
enough for your prayers. Keep 'em coming...this week my comps are
giving me a turn to be "senior" companion. GAh! So I'll need the
Lord's help even more.
Keep praying and reading scriptures every day!
Com carinho,
Sis. Petty
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
"Bubbling with ALEGRIA
Blog of one-liners.
I'm seeing myself changing, truly changing! I can't tell you all how
happy this makes me.
Leading more in lessons.
Bearing testimony with more power and authority.
Letting the pure JOY of the Gospel bubble over into my lessons.
Being more patient with my companions and with others.
Yesterday, while my comps slept (they were a bit sick), I cleaned the
whole house, Brazilian style! I felt cool. Firstly, because I was
cleaning like a Brazilian (basically throw gallons of water all over
the place and scrub walls and floor with a broom), and second because
I would surprise people I love. It was the exact same feeling I used
to have when I got up early and did my chores before Mom asked me.
Funny of the week: My companion, after we taught about the importance
of the law of tithing: "So, Irmã, are you willing to pay the Ten
Commandments after you are baptized?"
We about died laughing after this one.
This week we did what I've always heard about but never thought I'd be
able to do: preached the Gospel on a bus! We were standing because
there weren't any more seats, and we asked if we could sing a hymn. We
did, then we talked to the bus about Christ and the Atonement and
eternal families, then sang another hymn. It was extremely neat.
Oh my goodness. I almost forgot some very important news. I FOUND
PEANUT BUTTER. GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH in Camaçari! A whole little
section of peanut butter! And it wasn't weird and Brazilian and
expensive...it was Great Value, my friends!
The Gospel is so true and so real. Live the commandments and you will
be blessed. General Conference is this week: I bear testimony that the
prophet is real and talks with God.
I love you all.
Sis. Petty
I'm seeing myself changing, truly changing! I can't tell you all how
happy this makes me.
Leading more in lessons.
Bearing testimony with more power and authority.
Letting the pure JOY of the Gospel bubble over into my lessons.
Being more patient with my companions and with others.
Yesterday, while my comps slept (they were a bit sick), I cleaned the
whole house, Brazilian style! I felt cool. Firstly, because I was
cleaning like a Brazilian (basically throw gallons of water all over
the place and scrub walls and floor with a broom), and second because
I would surprise people I love. It was the exact same feeling I used
to have when I got up early and did my chores before Mom asked me.
Funny of the week: My companion, after we taught about the importance
of the law of tithing: "So, Irmã, are you willing to pay the Ten
Commandments after you are baptized?"
We about died laughing after this one.
This week we did what I've always heard about but never thought I'd be
able to do: preached the Gospel on a bus! We were standing because
there weren't any more seats, and we asked if we could sing a hymn. We
did, then we talked to the bus about Christ and the Atonement and
eternal families, then sang another hymn. It was extremely neat.
Oh my goodness. I almost forgot some very important news. I FOUND
PEANUT BUTTER. GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH in Camaçari! A whole little
section of peanut butter! And it wasn't weird and Brazilian and
expensive...it was Great Value, my friends!
The Gospel is so true and so real. Live the commandments and you will
be blessed. General Conference is this week: I bear testimony that the
prophet is real and talks with God.
I love you all.
Sis. Petty
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
I Like to Look for Rainbows
*clears throat dramatically*
Everyone...today is my FIVE MONTH mark on the mission! WOO HOO!! I
can't believe it!!
Quick story. Today in a little office store, I wanted some crayons.
But I didn't know how to say "crayon." Not marker, not pen, not
pencil, I told the lady. Colored, I said. Kids use to draw, I said.
Nope, companions and store lady had no idea what I was talking about.
Okay, different slant now. I'd try to describe that they were made of
wax! Bees make honey, right? I asked my companion. Right, she said.
How do you call that stuff they use to build their houses? HUH? she
said. GAHH! Finally, when in desperation I said that they were about
yea big, and that kids like to break them, everyone let out a big,
"Ohhhhhhhhh!!" She wants "giz de cera"!! they all said in unison. Upon
a bit of further study, I learned that this directly translates to
"chalk of wax."
OH man. But at least I got my crayons. :-)
This week, the first week of the transfer with the same two comps, was
really neat. One day early in the week, my comp talked randomly about
how life is like a rainbow--you need sun AND clouds, and there's gold
at the end, but you can enjoy the journey, etc. The next day, as we
arrived in Catu after transfer day, a huge rainbow stretched across
the sky! I pointed out that this was like the symbol God gave to
Noah--a fresh start to our transfer. After that, every single day we
saw a rainbow. Every day! One, in the house of an investigator while
talking about baptism! It was a beautiful, simple tender mercy of the
Lord, and something we felt was a little miracle in our week.
Pres. and Sister Hart, our mission president and wife, visited us in
our house a couple days ago! They were passing through. It was so neat
to get such special attention! They love us! :-) Pres. called us his
"Three Nephites".
This week we had a wonderful, powerful district meeting that was
focused on the doctrine of Christ. Again, during this meeting I felt
the power and truth of the Atonement of Christ, and the reality of the
fact that we need to share boldly with the world what we know.
Everything we are experiencing here on earth is made possible through
the Atonement. In a practice, a companionship of elders invited me to
be baptized. As he bore testimony of the Atonement, and of his
knowledge that baptism is truly of God, he choked up. I felt the
Spirit strong and warm in my heart.
Christ lives! The Gospel is real! Open your mouth and share!
I love you all so so so so so much, thank you for your letters and
support. I love hearing from you all. *nudge*
Have a great great week!!
Anne
Everyone...today is my FIVE MONTH mark on the mission! WOO HOO!! I
can't believe it!!
Quick story. Today in a little office store, I wanted some crayons.
But I didn't know how to say "crayon." Not marker, not pen, not
pencil, I told the lady. Colored, I said. Kids use to draw, I said.
Nope, companions and store lady had no idea what I was talking about.
Okay, different slant now. I'd try to describe that they were made of
wax! Bees make honey, right? I asked my companion. Right, she said.
How do you call that stuff they use to build their houses? HUH? she
said. GAHH! Finally, when in desperation I said that they were about
yea big, and that kids like to break them, everyone let out a big,
"Ohhhhhhhhh!!" She wants "giz de cera"!! they all said in unison. Upon
a bit of further study, I learned that this directly translates to
"chalk of wax."
OH man. But at least I got my crayons. :-)
This week, the first week of the transfer with the same two comps, was
really neat. One day early in the week, my comp talked randomly about
how life is like a rainbow--you need sun AND clouds, and there's gold
at the end, but you can enjoy the journey, etc. The next day, as we
arrived in Catu after transfer day, a huge rainbow stretched across
the sky! I pointed out that this was like the symbol God gave to
Noah--a fresh start to our transfer. After that, every single day we
saw a rainbow. Every day! One, in the house of an investigator while
talking about baptism! It was a beautiful, simple tender mercy of the
Lord, and something we felt was a little miracle in our week.
Pres. and Sister Hart, our mission president and wife, visited us in
our house a couple days ago! They were passing through. It was so neat
to get such special attention! They love us! :-) Pres. called us his
"Three Nephites".
This week we had a wonderful, powerful district meeting that was
focused on the doctrine of Christ. Again, during this meeting I felt
the power and truth of the Atonement of Christ, and the reality of the
fact that we need to share boldly with the world what we know.
Everything we are experiencing here on earth is made possible through
the Atonement. In a practice, a companionship of elders invited me to
be baptized. As he bore testimony of the Atonement, and of his
knowledge that baptism is truly of God, he choked up. I felt the
Spirit strong and warm in my heart.
Christ lives! The Gospel is real! Open your mouth and share!
I love you all so so so so so much, thank you for your letters and
support. I love hearing from you all. *nudge*
Have a great great week!!
Anne
Friday, September 16, 2011
Pictures!
One of a baptism of Juão, child of Gerffesson, one of JUNGLE by house of Christiano, one of me washing Binho's hair before cutting! Woot!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
As Tres Nefitas Ainda Estão Juntas!
Well, everyone...I'm at the start of my third transfer (transfer =
chunk of 6 weeks that the mission revolves around). And I can't
believe it. I think I'm finally getting used to things--the culture,
the language, the work of a missionary. I still have much much MUCH to
learn and improve, and will continue to have until the last day of my
mission, but at least I'm dog-paddling now (instead of drowning).
My second transfer, with Sisters Tibúrcio and Santos, was amazing.
They showed me missionary work to the max degree, so much that
sometimes I was overwhelmed by how wonderful they were and how much I
still had to learn. As this transfer came to a close, I felt sure I
would have to leave Catú, and I "fiquei muito triste." I still had so
much to learn from my comps, and so much to give to this wonderful,
calm, beautiful city! Much to my surprise and joy, the Lord let us
three stay together for one more transfer. Gente, this is a big
deal--trios are usually changed quickly. Hooray! The Lord is merciful!
We like to refer to ourselves as the "Three Nephites" (Tres Nefitas)
(if this doesn't make sense to you, ask an LDS friend).
I'll share two experiences this week that were very powerful.
First, we had an experience that felt like it was right out of a LDS
church magazine. We encountered a young, beautiful couple and their
child one day in the street, and had a great conversation with them.
It was a "power contact" that even ended with a prayer. Thanks to the
enthusiasm of the husband ("I'll be waiting for your call!") we made
them a priority to visit in the next few days, despite a very full
schedule. When we finally made it to their little house (which, by the
way, is right next to JUNGLE...a bunch of coconuts growing on a huge
tree were literally within arm's length of the window, and a little
further in I could see bunches of wild bananas hanging deliciously in
the tangle of green), they were very receptive, humble, and sweet.
They are youngyoungyoung (Maria José is almost 18, and Christiano's
20) but have plans and goals for their life. We taught them the
message of the Restauration, and they listened with attention.
Christiano was very serious throughout, and we worried a bit that he
wasn't enjoying the message. Afterward, however, we learned otherwise.
To make a long story short, after the closing prayer Christiano opened
up to us about what had taken place the last few weeks. "I saw you the
other day in a store," he explained, "and I knew you were
missionaries. I wanted you to come to my house and teach me." But for
some reason, maybe lack of courage, he hadn't approached us. "If it
was God's will that you come," he said, "He would send you somehow." A
few days later he had planned to stay at home one evening, but decided
to go visit his dad. On the way, he felt that he should take a route
that he usually would not take. It was that night that he met us on
the street, and a couple days later we came to his home. "This must
have been meant to happen," he said.
We really felt that Spirit that night, and left their home almost floating.
Second experience (will have to be short, I'm out of time):
One day we visited (without having planned to) the home of three
recent converts, young boys who live with their grandmother. They're
cousins, and the father of one of them is a bit of a disaster--smokes,
drinks, and uses almost every kind of drug. We found him at home that
day, and although he was drunk (as always) we were able to teach him
that he is a child of God. As we taught, I felt the Spirit very
strongly, helping me look into the eyes of this scraggly man and see a
divine soul. As he looked back at me, I felt his helpless plea: "Help
me."
After the lesson, on a sudden whim, we took this man and washed and
cut his hair and shaved his face. He will not be able to forget that
he is a new man.
The Gospel is real. The Church is true. I love being a missionary!!
chunk of 6 weeks that the mission revolves around). And I can't
believe it. I think I'm finally getting used to things--the culture,
the language, the work of a missionary. I still have much much MUCH to
learn and improve, and will continue to have until the last day of my
mission, but at least I'm dog-paddling now (instead of drowning).
My second transfer, with Sisters Tibúrcio and Santos, was amazing.
They showed me missionary work to the max degree, so much that
sometimes I was overwhelmed by how wonderful they were and how much I
still had to learn. As this transfer came to a close, I felt sure I
would have to leave Catú, and I "fiquei muito triste." I still had so
much to learn from my comps, and so much to give to this wonderful,
calm, beautiful city! Much to my surprise and joy, the Lord let us
three stay together for one more transfer. Gente, this is a big
deal--trios are usually changed quickly. Hooray! The Lord is merciful!
We like to refer to ourselves as the "Three Nephites" (Tres Nefitas)
(if this doesn't make sense to you, ask an LDS friend).
I'll share two experiences this week that were very powerful.
First, we had an experience that felt like it was right out of a LDS
church magazine. We encountered a young, beautiful couple and their
child one day in the street, and had a great conversation with them.
It was a "power contact" that even ended with a prayer. Thanks to the
enthusiasm of the husband ("I'll be waiting for your call!") we made
them a priority to visit in the next few days, despite a very full
schedule. When we finally made it to their little house (which, by the
way, is right next to JUNGLE...a bunch of coconuts growing on a huge
tree were literally within arm's length of the window, and a little
further in I could see bunches of wild bananas hanging deliciously in
the tangle of green), they were very receptive, humble, and sweet.
They are youngyoungyoung (Maria José is almost 18, and Christiano's
20) but have plans and goals for their life. We taught them the
message of the Restauration, and they listened with attention.
Christiano was very serious throughout, and we worried a bit that he
wasn't enjoying the message. Afterward, however, we learned otherwise.
To make a long story short, after the closing prayer Christiano opened
up to us about what had taken place the last few weeks. "I saw you the
other day in a store," he explained, "and I knew you were
missionaries. I wanted you to come to my house and teach me." But for
some reason, maybe lack of courage, he hadn't approached us. "If it
was God's will that you come," he said, "He would send you somehow." A
few days later he had planned to stay at home one evening, but decided
to go visit his dad. On the way, he felt that he should take a route
that he usually would not take. It was that night that he met us on
the street, and a couple days later we came to his home. "This must
have been meant to happen," he said.
We really felt that Spirit that night, and left their home almost floating.
Second experience (will have to be short, I'm out of time):
One day we visited (without having planned to) the home of three
recent converts, young boys who live with their grandmother. They're
cousins, and the father of one of them is a bit of a disaster--smokes,
drinks, and uses almost every kind of drug. We found him at home that
day, and although he was drunk (as always) we were able to teach him
that he is a child of God. As we taught, I felt the Spirit very
strongly, helping me look into the eyes of this scraggly man and see a
divine soul. As he looked back at me, I felt his helpless plea: "Help
me."
After the lesson, on a sudden whim, we took this man and washed and
cut his hair and shaved his face. He will not be able to forget that
he is a new man.
The Gospel is real. The Church is true. I love being a missionary!!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Still Smiling in Catú
Well everyone...it's another week. This post will be quick and scattered (sorry, I need to stop saying this. I think I always say this).
This last week was kind of a weird one, because of a big conference on terça-feira (Tuesday) and then one of my companions being away for a couple days thanks to a knee problem. Our week didn't really start until quinta-feira (Thursday). However, we were able to truly help families this last week, which is the most important. Our very special family, Jocélia and Gerffeson and children, are truly progressing. Yesterday we had lunch with them, and for the message I did that little object lesson with a jar of rice and rocks. Everything fits if you put the big rocks in first (the Gospel) then the rice (everything else in life). "Eu quero que vocês perguntarem para se mesmos," I said, "O que eu estou fazendo com meu pote de vida? Estou colocando as coisas de Deus primeiras? Vou ser feliz no ultimo dia [here, putting the cap on the jar to represent death] com as coisas que eu fiz?"
It was neat.
Oh. I need to say a quick, specific thank you. First, I need everyone to know that I love EVERY LETTER that I receive, and I feel so blessed that people are still sending letters--thank you with all my heart to those who have sent a letter in the last couple months. I truly am receiving them and they are lighting up my life here in Catu, Bahia. I received letters this week and that were POWER de mais for me. I was struggling a little these last few weeks to know how to not only study the Gospel, but actually APPLY what I am learning to my life. This is a lot easier said than done, and I have been thinking a lot about this.
One friend wrote that charity cannot be acquired without the help of Christ. "Change is a gift from God," he said. I needed these words. Another friend wrote about personal limits, and each day choosing to follow Christ or not. These were also just what I needed. I'm pretty sure the Lord guides the hands of my family and friends to write inspiring letters saying the words I need to here. Thank you so much, everyone, for your letters.
The work is true and the book is blue, everyone. I love the Gospel and I love Jesus Christ and I love Bahia, Brazil.
Until next week.
Com amor,
Sister Petty
This last week was kind of a weird one, because of a big conference on terça-feira (Tuesday) and then one of my companions being away for a couple days thanks to a knee problem. Our week didn't really start until quinta-feira (Thursday). However, we were able to truly help families this last week, which is the most important. Our very special family, Jocélia and Gerffeson and children, are truly progressing. Yesterday we had lunch with them, and for the message I did that little object lesson with a jar of rice and rocks. Everything fits if you put the big rocks in first (the Gospel) then the rice (everything else in life). "Eu quero que vocês perguntarem para se mesmos," I said, "O que eu estou fazendo com meu pote de vida? Estou colocando as coisas de Deus primeiras? Vou ser feliz no ultimo dia [here, putting the cap on the jar to represent death] com as coisas que eu fiz?"
It was neat.
Oh. I need to say a quick, specific thank you. First, I need everyone to know that I love EVERY LETTER that I receive, and I feel so blessed that people are still sending letters--thank you with all my heart to those who have sent a letter in the last couple months. I truly am receiving them and they are lighting up my life here in Catu, Bahia. I received letters this week and that were POWER de mais for me. I was struggling a little these last few weeks to know how to not only study the Gospel, but actually APPLY what I am learning to my life. This is a lot easier said than done, and I have been thinking a lot about this.
One friend wrote that charity cannot be acquired without the help of Christ. "Change is a gift from God," he said. I needed these words. Another friend wrote about personal limits, and each day choosing to follow Christ or not. These were also just what I needed. I'm pretty sure the Lord guides the hands of my family and friends to write inspiring letters saying the words I need to here. Thank you so much, everyone, for your letters.
The work is true and the book is blue, everyone. I love the Gospel and I love Jesus Christ and I love Bahia, Brazil.
Until next week.
Com amor,
Sister Petty
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Uma grande bagunça
Hello, North America!
This week I am completely unorganized and unplanned and have no idea
what to write to you all. Generally I plan everything out all
bonitinha, but today não.
Eu amo a missão, gente!! Eu amo Brazil. Eu amo batizar.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh....hooray for missions!
One neat experience this week was very spontaneous and very
"this-would-NOT-be-allowed-in-the-USA." My comps and I dropped in at a
school here in Catu to drop something off with an Irmã from the ward.
She was teaching a class of about 20 students, all about 12, 13, and
14 in age. Sis. Tibúrcio, half-kidding, said that hey! we could have a
super preaching-the-Gospel session in her class. The ward member said
sure! come on in! and we entered the classroom, surprised and pleased.
I was shocked, thanks to my North American upbringing around public
schools with amazingly rigid rules in regard to religion.
The students, skin of every shade from white to very dark, stared as
we introduced ourselves. Then, with the permission of our friend the
teacher, we taught a short version of the entire message of the
Restauration to the class, complete with questions and involvement
from the kids. I had the opportunity to recite the First Vision of
Joseph Smith to them. Knowing that I was Americana, they paid close
attention. (Here in Brazil, hearing an American speak is like candy).
I really saw that these young people were touched by the
message--Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, truly did appear
to a young boy in a grove of trees in 1820.
Afterward, we told them that if they wanted to hear more about this
message they could write their address down for us. Several did! It
was a very unique, fun experience. Afterward, a few meninos in the
back of the classroom whispered furtively something to the teacher,
eyeing me shyly. She grinned and turned to me. "Eles quer que você
dizer alguma coisa em englês." Very slowly, I talked a little about my
family. They LOVED it.
The Gospel is true, whether taught in the street, in the countryside,
in tiny homes, in huge homes, or in the classroom. I'm so very
grateful for the opportunity I have to be here doing what I'm doing.
The more I'm here, the more grateful I am for the Atonement of Jesus
Christ. It truly was something personal for each one of us. Because of
the Atonement, we have the opportunity to take part in the wonderful
plan that God has for each of us--to come to earth, gain a body, live
a life with the freedom (and responsibility) to choose and to learn
for ourselves, and to return to our Father again if we follow the
example of Christ.
Without the Atonement, I would not be able to be learning all that I
am learning here in Catú, Bahia, Brazil. I love Catú, I love my
companions, and I love brasil.
Thank you all so much for your support and love. Your letters lift my
spirits in ways that nothing else can--thank you all so very much for
writing. And please forgive me for the delayed response to get back to
you.
No matter what else happens, continue to pray and to read your
scriptures every day. If you do these simple things, you will be
blessed throughout your life.
If you still don't know much about the Church of Jesus Christ, check
out the website to the right--www.mormon.org. I know that the Church
is true and is of God.
Com muito amor,
Sis. Anne Petty
This week I am completely unorganized and unplanned and have no idea
what to write to you all. Generally I plan everything out all
bonitinha, but today não.
Eu amo a missão, gente!! Eu amo Brazil. Eu amo batizar.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh....hooray for missions!
One neat experience this week was very spontaneous and very
"this-would-NOT-be-allowed-in-the-USA." My comps and I dropped in at a
school here in Catu to drop something off with an Irmã from the ward.
She was teaching a class of about 20 students, all about 12, 13, and
14 in age. Sis. Tibúrcio, half-kidding, said that hey! we could have a
super preaching-the-Gospel session in her class. The ward member said
sure! come on in! and we entered the classroom, surprised and pleased.
I was shocked, thanks to my North American upbringing around public
schools with amazingly rigid rules in regard to religion.
The students, skin of every shade from white to very dark, stared as
we introduced ourselves. Then, with the permission of our friend the
teacher, we taught a short version of the entire message of the
Restauration to the class, complete with questions and involvement
from the kids. I had the opportunity to recite the First Vision of
Joseph Smith to them. Knowing that I was Americana, they paid close
attention. (Here in Brazil, hearing an American speak is like candy).
I really saw that these young people were touched by the
message--Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, truly did appear
to a young boy in a grove of trees in 1820.
Afterward, we told them that if they wanted to hear more about this
message they could write their address down for us. Several did! It
was a very unique, fun experience. Afterward, a few meninos in the
back of the classroom whispered furtively something to the teacher,
eyeing me shyly. She grinned and turned to me. "Eles quer que você
dizer alguma coisa em englês." Very slowly, I talked a little about my
family. They LOVED it.
The Gospel is true, whether taught in the street, in the countryside,
in tiny homes, in huge homes, or in the classroom. I'm so very
grateful for the opportunity I have to be here doing what I'm doing.
The more I'm here, the more grateful I am for the Atonement of Jesus
Christ. It truly was something personal for each one of us. Because of
the Atonement, we have the opportunity to take part in the wonderful
plan that God has for each of us--to come to earth, gain a body, live
a life with the freedom (and responsibility) to choose and to learn
for ourselves, and to return to our Father again if we follow the
example of Christ.
Without the Atonement, I would not be able to be learning all that I
am learning here in Catú, Bahia, Brazil. I love Catú, I love my
companions, and I love brasil.
Thank you all so much for your support and love. Your letters lift my
spirits in ways that nothing else can--thank you all so very much for
writing. And please forgive me for the delayed response to get back to
you.
No matter what else happens, continue to pray and to read your
scriptures every day. If you do these simple things, you will be
blessed throughout your life.
If you still don't know much about the Church of Jesus Christ, check
out the website to the right--www.mormon.org. I know that the Church
is true and is of God.
Com muito amor,
Sis. Anne Petty
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
5 minutes blurb on a week of miracles
This week we saw miracles in Catu. We are here to help families. We
are seeing miracles in the lives of families that they themselves
never imagined possible. A man who persecuted the church, and abused
his family, is now reading the Book of Mormon every day, working to
stop smoking and drinking, and went to church this Sunday with his
whole family. "Please help me," he told us last night with pleading
eyes. "I can't do this alone. I trust in you, and I want to come unto
Christ. Please help me."
The sight of this previously gruff, anti-Mormon, anti-missionary man,
sitting with his family reading the Book of Mormon out loud, brought
tears to my eyes. THIS is what the work is about.
I can't tell you how many tears of joy have been shed this week--by
Gefferson, and the ward, and the family.
The Gospel is real.
are seeing miracles in the lives of families that they themselves
never imagined possible. A man who persecuted the church, and abused
his family, is now reading the Book of Mormon every day, working to
stop smoking and drinking, and went to church this Sunday with his
whole family. "Please help me," he told us last night with pleading
eyes. "I can't do this alone. I trust in you, and I want to come unto
Christ. Please help me."
The sight of this previously gruff, anti-Mormon, anti-missionary man,
sitting with his family reading the Book of Mormon out loud, brought
tears to my eyes. THIS is what the work is about.
I can't tell you how many tears of joy have been shed this week--by
Gefferson, and the ward, and the family.
The Gospel is real.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
More pictures..(they don't all fit) YAY!
1 - a GORGEOUS cake made by a Brazileira in the ward. Unfortunately, we had a baptism and didn't get to eat it. *wink* not unfortunately--we're SO HAPPY ABOUT BAPTISMS
2 - we climbed up into a house under construction and talked with the workers! LOL, here Sis. Tiburcio is throwing bricks to a guy laying bricks.
Pictures! YAY!
1 - turtle! woot! pets of a family we're teaching
2 - a common sight in Catu. Horses and donkeys here are not for recreation, but transportation.
3 - Me and Sis. Bezerra, my trainer!
4 - me and a sun set. YAY!
5 - group in the MTC.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Tempo Verdadeiramente Esta Voando!
Hello world! I'm in a very happy mood right now, so warning there might be a lot of all caps and exclamation points today!
Everyone should look up a beautiful thing called "couscous." It's basically mashed corn, or something, that Bahians cook and eat with butter/salt/sugar/eggs. Kind of like Southerners in the USA eat grits, but cuscuz is amazing! Also, I LOVE feijão (beans) here so much. I will learn how to cook them and will cook for my children. Farofa is probably my favorite thing here in Bahia. Look that up, too.
My companions are basically perfect, my friends. I couldn't ask for a better bunch. Every day I want to be more like them.
A story to represent the things we do every day here in Bahia as missionaries:
As we were walking along a little cobblestone street one night, we passed an open house with a few rough-looking men inside. I would have continued walking, but when Tiago (our awesome ward missionary) recognized one of them, Sis. Tiburcio headed right for him. We entered the tiny house, shook hands all around, and taught a lesson to these men. One of them used to be a professional boxer, and is now one of the biggest people you've ever seen. If we baptize him we'll have to go to the beach. Anyway, during the lesson another man came to the door and grumped to the huge man, "Bira, cigarro!" and Bira, without looking his direction, barked "Estou ocuPADO!" (I'm BUSY!!) We continued talking with the men, and the cigar man kept coming back and wanting a cigar, and so ended up hearing most of the lesson. The irony was great--he wanted a cigar, but the sister missionaries were keeping him from it. Also during this lesson, a lizard landed on my companion's head while she was teaching--very entertaining.
I'll keep you updated on Bira and the cigar man, because the story continues. :-)
Maybe I said this last week, but I'm learning much more to be grateful for the prophet Moroni, son of Mormon. He was alone in a horror-ravaged, bloody, lonely world, writing for people who had killed his brethren. No wonder he wrote about faith, hope and charity, for without these virtues he himself would not have continued. I hope to be more like Moroni every day, continuing in faith even when I can't see the fruits of my labors, even when I'm alone and no one's watching, even when things are harder than I ever imagined they would be.
The mission is absolutely wonderful. I'm so glad I'm here. I love you all, thank you for your support and letters.
Com amor,
Sis. Petty
Everyone should look up a beautiful thing called "couscous." It's basically mashed corn, or something, that Bahians cook and eat with butter/salt/sugar/eggs. Kind of like Southerners in the USA eat grits, but cuscuz is amazing! Also, I LOVE feijão (beans) here so much. I will learn how to cook them and will cook for my children. Farofa is probably my favorite thing here in Bahia. Look that up, too.
My companions are basically perfect, my friends. I couldn't ask for a better bunch. Every day I want to be more like them.
A story to represent the things we do every day here in Bahia as missionaries:
As we were walking along a little cobblestone street one night, we passed an open house with a few rough-looking men inside. I would have continued walking, but when Tiago (our awesome ward missionary) recognized one of them, Sis. Tiburcio headed right for him. We entered the tiny house, shook hands all around, and taught a lesson to these men. One of them used to be a professional boxer, and is now one of the biggest people you've ever seen. If we baptize him we'll have to go to the beach. Anyway, during the lesson another man came to the door and grumped to the huge man, "Bira, cigarro!" and Bira, without looking his direction, barked "Estou ocuPADO!" (I'm BUSY!!) We continued talking with the men, and the cigar man kept coming back and wanting a cigar, and so ended up hearing most of the lesson. The irony was great--he wanted a cigar, but the sister missionaries were keeping him from it. Also during this lesson, a lizard landed on my companion's head while she was teaching--very entertaining.
I'll keep you updated on Bira and the cigar man, because the story continues. :-)
Maybe I said this last week, but I'm learning much more to be grateful for the prophet Moroni, son of Mormon. He was alone in a horror-ravaged, bloody, lonely world, writing for people who had killed his brethren. No wonder he wrote about faith, hope and charity, for without these virtues he himself would not have continued. I hope to be more like Moroni every day, continuing in faith even when I can't see the fruits of my labors, even when I'm alone and no one's watching, even when things are harder than I ever imagined they would be.
The mission is absolutely wonderful. I'm so glad I'm here. I love you all, thank you for your support and letters.
Com amor,
Sis. Petty
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Abra A Boca!
All I can say is, my new companions are fantastic.
Sis. Tiburcio, from Sao Paulo, meets people, laughs with them, and with 5 minutes has discovered and addressed the core difficulty in their life. Sis. Santos, from Mato Grosso, is the epitomy of organized-ness and teaching power. I'm learning SO MUCH.
On Sunday, Milena (my first baptism) got up to bear testimony in Church. My heart almost jumped out of my chest in surprise and joy. It was a powerful testimony and I cried.
Funny moments--we climbed up to a house that was under construction this week, and Sis. Tiburcio tossed bricks to workers while teaching them about church on Sunday. I tried to toss a brick and failed. Also this week, we stopped to talk to a man on a bench, sitting by a motorcycle. He was a "moto taxi," which is like a taxi, but on a motorcycle. In the next five minutes, we had five or six moto taxi drivers--it was their stop. We talked to each of them about the Gospel, and prayed with them right there in the street. It was neat.
The most recent and most powerful experience of the week took place yesterday. Due to a contact in the street, we were invited to a practice of some boxers of Catu. After 5 minutes or so of watching these men train, we invited everyone to listen to a quick message. I will never forget that message. We taught them about faith, six big, tough boxers leaning on the ropes of the boxing cage. They were rivoted. At the end, Sis. Santos invited them all to be baptized on the 28th of this month, with a response from the Lord that the Book of Mormon was true. Tudo mundo: "Sim." The closing prayer was powerful, too--I sneaked a peek to see these huge men bowing their heads in humble prayer.
Sorry this was so short. I love you all so much! More next time!
Sis. Petty
P.S. A Brazilian woman answering the phone in a post office: "Oi, meu amor! Quem è`?" (Hi, my love! Who is it?)
Sis. Tiburcio, from Sao Paulo, meets people, laughs with them, and with 5 minutes has discovered and addressed the core difficulty in their life. Sis. Santos, from Mato Grosso, is the epitomy of organized-ness and teaching power. I'm learning SO MUCH.
On Sunday, Milena (my first baptism) got up to bear testimony in Church. My heart almost jumped out of my chest in surprise and joy. It was a powerful testimony and I cried.
Funny moments--we climbed up to a house that was under construction this week, and Sis. Tiburcio tossed bricks to workers while teaching them about church on Sunday. I tried to toss a brick and failed. Also this week, we stopped to talk to a man on a bench, sitting by a motorcycle. He was a "moto taxi," which is like a taxi, but on a motorcycle. In the next five minutes, we had five or six moto taxi drivers--it was their stop. We talked to each of them about the Gospel, and prayed with them right there in the street. It was neat.
The most recent and most powerful experience of the week took place yesterday. Due to a contact in the street, we were invited to a practice of some boxers of Catu. After 5 minutes or so of watching these men train, we invited everyone to listen to a quick message. I will never forget that message. We taught them about faith, six big, tough boxers leaning on the ropes of the boxing cage. They were rivoted. At the end, Sis. Santos invited them all to be baptized on the 28th of this month, with a response from the Lord that the Book of Mormon was true. Tudo mundo: "Sim." The closing prayer was powerful, too--I sneaked a peek to see these huge men bowing their heads in humble prayer.
Sorry this was so short. I love you all so much! More next time!
Sis. Petty
P.S. A Brazilian woman answering the phone in a post office: "Oi, meu amor! Quem è`?" (Hi, my love! Who is it?)
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
In Which I Discuss Government, Laugh at Bahians and Almost Jump on Someone's Couch
Hello, dear world! How is America? How is everyone??
I am officially no longer a trainee. *does a little missionary-appropriate dance* I completed my first transfer of the mission, and now have TWO new companions! This is not normal, usually we work in pairs. My comps, Sisters Tiburcio and Santos, are maravilhosas, so I think this transfer will be fantastic. [my hands are hurting from lugging luggage across Catu, though. What is it with women and lots of STUFF?] My first transfer was definitely something. I laughed, I cried, I hurt, I worked, I bore testimony, I made friends, I ate a lot, I learned a lot, and I gained an even greater desire to continue firmly in the faith, teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world!
Last week I had an interview with our new mission president, Pres. Hart. During the interview, we found out that we both love history, and we got talking about George Washington! HA! I love GW, and I love discussions about anything historical. Anyway, I love that I have this connection with Pres. Hart. Twas fun.
CULTURE SNIP [because I have a teeny bit of time]:
Brazilians do everything really big, and really thoroughly. Specifically, and most noticably, cook and clean. This week Sis. Bezerra and I were eating lunch with a member (this happens every day), and I very much enjoyed watching a young adult son come in to eat really quick before leaving. He grabbed a plate and piled bastante rice, beans, chicken, beef, noodles, and salsa (with lots of very hot pepper). He topped it all off with a mountain of farinha (the flour of something called "mandioca"--if anyone wants to research a bit about this food, I'd appreciate it. I LOVE IT and put it on everything now!), like Bahians love to put on everything. Then he mixed it all up together and wolfed it down in about 5 minutes. It was SO CLASSICALLY Bahian, I wanted dearly to take a picture.
Buses are another thing. Has anyone seen "Fantasia 2000"? Remember that cartoon set in NYC, very stylized and set to Rhapsody in Blue? There's a part where a guy gets on a subway, and everyone is PACKED in, only space for one arm to stabilize the people standing, and they all get off in the same shape as they were packed. I don't know if that made any sense at all, sorry, but as vezes I feel just like that. Buses seem to be more of a private thing here, and buses are always slowing and stopping and yelling to people "Sojuca! Sojuuuuuca!" or whatever sity they're headed to, looking for more people to hop on. Some of these vehicles are very nice, and feel like an airplane inside. Others are downright sketchy, little closed dirty vans.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Now to my favorite moment of the week.
I have no clue what I wrote last week, sorry if I repeat myself. Last week we found, purely through a prompting from the Spirit, a young woman (menina) named Luciana who seemed to have great potencial. We taught her about the Restauration, left her with 3 Nephi 11 to read, and committed her to read, pray, and be baptized when she recieved an answer. This week we returned, prepared to follow up with those challenges. She completely floored us. Not only had she READ the entire chapter (rare), she had marked it all up, and without any prompting commenced reading to us key scriptures, summarizing what was going on, and applying the doctrine of Christ to her life. This 15-yr-old jewel taught us what we had come to teach her! I nearly got up and jumped on that little living room couch with joy. THIS is missionary work, my friends. Following the Spirit to the souls that God has prepared for us. I don't know what will happen with Luciana, but I do know that the Spirit led us to her. I learned a great lesson from this, and hope to continue learning. The Gospel is real!
I want to thank you all for the letters you've written. I am SO grateful to have received a beautiful stack of letters last week at a zone meeting--I treasured them, reading them one at a time over the period of several days. You are all wonderful! They took a bit to arrive, but they arrived safe. Thank you all so so so so so much.
Maybe I shared this last week, maybe not. I've been studying faith, and last week I encountered some scriptures that are perfect to describe what faith is. You know what, I think I already shared these. Faith, I believe, is first humility, then trust in the Lord, then action. We first recognize, "Lord, I don't know all things. I am very weak." Then we say, "Lord, I know I am weak, but I know that you can do all things, and will prepare the way for me." Then we ACT, following the Lord's guidance, and continually trusting that the Lord will provide a way.
I know this is real. I know the Lord truly does guide our footsteps when we trust in Him.
I love you all, and am so grateful for your support. Continue in faith. Read your scriptures every day, and never forget to pray. Even ONE scripture each day is better than none! I promise you will feel God's love and influence if you do this.
Com amor,
Sis. Petty
I am officially no longer a trainee. *does a little missionary-appropriate dance* I completed my first transfer of the mission, and now have TWO new companions! This is not normal, usually we work in pairs. My comps, Sisters Tiburcio and Santos, are maravilhosas, so I think this transfer will be fantastic. [my hands are hurting from lugging luggage across Catu, though. What is it with women and lots of STUFF?] My first transfer was definitely something. I laughed, I cried, I hurt, I worked, I bore testimony, I made friends, I ate a lot, I learned a lot, and I gained an even greater desire to continue firmly in the faith, teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world!
Last week I had an interview with our new mission president, Pres. Hart. During the interview, we found out that we both love history, and we got talking about George Washington! HA! I love GW, and I love discussions about anything historical. Anyway, I love that I have this connection with Pres. Hart. Twas fun.
CULTURE SNIP [because I have a teeny bit of time]:
Brazilians do everything really big, and really thoroughly. Specifically, and most noticably, cook and clean. This week Sis. Bezerra and I were eating lunch with a member (this happens every day), and I very much enjoyed watching a young adult son come in to eat really quick before leaving. He grabbed a plate and piled bastante rice, beans, chicken, beef, noodles, and salsa (with lots of very hot pepper). He topped it all off with a mountain of farinha (the flour of something called "mandioca"--if anyone wants to research a bit about this food, I'd appreciate it. I LOVE IT and put it on everything now!), like Bahians love to put on everything. Then he mixed it all up together and wolfed it down in about 5 minutes. It was SO CLASSICALLY Bahian, I wanted dearly to take a picture.
Buses are another thing. Has anyone seen "Fantasia 2000"? Remember that cartoon set in NYC, very stylized and set to Rhapsody in Blue? There's a part where a guy gets on a subway, and everyone is PACKED in, only space for one arm to stabilize the people standing, and they all get off in the same shape as they were packed. I don't know if that made any sense at all, sorry, but as vezes I feel just like that. Buses seem to be more of a private thing here, and buses are always slowing and stopping and yelling to people "Sojuca! Sojuuuuuca!" or whatever sity they're headed to, looking for more people to hop on. Some of these vehicles are very nice, and feel like an airplane inside. Others are downright sketchy, little closed dirty vans.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Now to my favorite moment of the week.
I have no clue what I wrote last week, sorry if I repeat myself. Last week we found, purely through a prompting from the Spirit, a young woman (menina) named Luciana who seemed to have great potencial. We taught her about the Restauration, left her with 3 Nephi 11 to read, and committed her to read, pray, and be baptized when she recieved an answer. This week we returned, prepared to follow up with those challenges. She completely floored us. Not only had she READ the entire chapter (rare), she had marked it all up, and without any prompting commenced reading to us key scriptures, summarizing what was going on, and applying the doctrine of Christ to her life. This 15-yr-old jewel taught us what we had come to teach her! I nearly got up and jumped on that little living room couch with joy. THIS is missionary work, my friends. Following the Spirit to the souls that God has prepared for us. I don't know what will happen with Luciana, but I do know that the Spirit led us to her. I learned a great lesson from this, and hope to continue learning. The Gospel is real!
I want to thank you all for the letters you've written. I am SO grateful to have received a beautiful stack of letters last week at a zone meeting--I treasured them, reading them one at a time over the period of several days. You are all wonderful! They took a bit to arrive, but they arrived safe. Thank you all so so so so so much.
Maybe I shared this last week, maybe not. I've been studying faith, and last week I encountered some scriptures that are perfect to describe what faith is. You know what, I think I already shared these. Faith, I believe, is first humility, then trust in the Lord, then action. We first recognize, "Lord, I don't know all things. I am very weak." Then we say, "Lord, I know I am weak, but I know that you can do all things, and will prepare the way for me." Then we ACT, following the Lord's guidance, and continually trusting that the Lord will provide a way.
I know this is real. I know the Lord truly does guide our footsteps when we trust in Him.
I love you all, and am so grateful for your support. Continue in faith. Read your scriptures every day, and never forget to pray. Even ONE scripture each day is better than none! I promise you will feel God's love and influence if you do this.
Com amor,
Sis. Petty
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