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