Everything is Awesome 27 January 2013

Everything doesn't have to be perfect to make you feel like you have an awesome life. Take some time and count your blessings. 

Hello Everyone! 

So this week was awesome! They all are, but I haven´t been actively thinking of creative ways to start my letter. 

So yeah. It was a good week, but my companion was sick for most of the week so we had to stay in and weren´t able to do everything we wanted to. Don´t worry its not contagious, just bad reactions to some of the food and stuff.  But we still saw amazing blessings and the hand of the Lord working in our lives! 

For example, after lunch in Senandes (a neighborhood super far away from all the others) we only had a few people to visit in the neighborhood, so we went to visit a recent convert, Alexandre. We were expecting a super short hello goodbye how´s it going kind of visit, but we got talking with his mom, Marcia. She didn´t know a lot about the church, or really any church in general,  but she shared a little about what she personally believed. For example, she said something along the lines of ´I just can´t believe that people only have physical bodies, I believe that we all have spiritual bodies as well and that after we die, our spirits leave our physical bodies and continue living´ and we were like yes! That is what happens! We explained the Plan of Salvation in its entirety and she was really attentive. She still has some doubts/questions but it was an unexpected blessing to find her. She also showed us her backyard, where she basically keeps a billion chickens, cats, dogs, ducks, geese etc. It is kind of like a garden of Eden because none of them ever fight, and all of them roam free until the end of the day when they calmly return to their houses and sleep for the night. She gave us 2 dozen ovos caseiros (homemade eggs) to take home! It was pretty sweet. All of the animals were lovely except for this one chicken. She was pretty old, had lost most of her feathers, and the ones that were left are gray and sticking out every which way. I can safely say that it was the ugliest chicken I have ever seen. 

Also, I taught the lesson in Relief Society yesterday! Most of the Relief Society Presidency is traveling right now, so they needed a teacher. The topic was President uchtdorf´s talk from the Priesthood Session of last conference. It is a super great talk! I decided to take the viewpoint the atonement of Christ helps us 1) overcome weaknesses 2) become whole and clean from sin and 3) realize who we truly are. I prayed as I was preparing that I would be able to teach with the spirit and help the amazing Irmãs. I was kind of nervious that I wouldn´t be able to ask and answer the right questions and stuff, but it was great! I really felt the spirit guiding the lesson and am grateful for that help. Proverbs 3:5-6 teaches us about trusting in the Lord. The way He will direct our paths is usually through the promptings of the Holy Ghost so we must always be worthy and listening for them. 

I hope you all have a fantastic week!!

Love,

Sister Smith

20 January 2014

Hello!

So basically this week was awesome!!!!! We have key indicators for each week, and this week we were challenged to have more lessons with members. We decided to reach out to the members and really ask for their help and the results were amazing! 

First off, there is a young man in the ward named Samuel. We didn´t even have to ask him, he always invites friends to church and stuff. He has a friend, Igor, that he invited to church and has been sharing the gospel with him. We already taught Igor once, and he said that since the first lesson, he hasn´t been able to stop reading the Book of Mormon! He was also excited to learn that just a month or so after he gets baptized, he can go to the temple! He really wants to go and already has a testimony that it is a sacred and beautiful place where you can feel the most marvelous feeling. After the lesson, we showed him a Mormon Message and he just kept clicking on more and more. He especially liked the message by President Hinckley that has the story of the two boys who decided to put a coin in the man´s boots instead of stealing them. When the younger boy suggested that they steal the boots, Samuel was shocked and said "Que feio!" which literally means ´how ugly´and is an expression you use when something is not very nice or is something shameful. He and Igor are exemplary young men and it was amazing to see how powerful a friend can be in bringing others to the gospel. Igor is ready to be baptized, but his mom wants to get to know the church a little better first. They live really far from the chapel, so we need your prayers to help them be able to come to church next week!

Also, we went on splits with some of the Young Women in the ward this week. Kelli, one of the young women, is amazing and is literally counting the months until she can go on a mission (she still has quite a few). When I was with her, we visited a less active member (Noemi) that Adriano (a young man in the ward) remembered hadn´t been to church in years. We clapped in front of the house (that´s how you knock here) and she came to the window. At first, she was kind of cold and said she didn´t really want anything to do with the church members and stuff but then she recognized Kelli because she and Kelli´s mom (Adriane) are really good friends still! She warmed up to us and invited us to come over for pancakes another day! Members can be an amazing help in ways that only Heavenly Father has planned. 

Also, a while back I mentioned Priscila, who is an amazing investigator who has such a strong testimony of prayer. We spent Christmas with her and her family and she wants to start a Zumba class at the church with the Young Women and Relief Society.  She is amazing! She has wanted to be baptized for a while but isn´t married to her "esposo" yet. She was pretty firm in her decision to marry at the end of this year when she graduates and has a party and a house, etc etc. We were sad, but glad that she is still going to church and stuff. We were thinking about her and planning and praying and we decided to set a date this week with her for baptism, even if it is way in the future. After we taught her about the Word of Wisdom, we suggested setting a date for baptism, and to our surprise she said that she and Jonathan had been thinking about getting married earlier in paper so that she could get baptised! It was an unexpected and amazing surprise! She said that she wanted to be baptized on her birthday (March 25) so they are preparing everything to be able to be married before then. Yay!!! It has truly been a week of miracles. 

Never give up on anyone. Heavenly Father is taking care of all of His children and knows exactly how to help them and in their time and in his own time, they will come around. If we decide to never give up on someone, we will have the privilege of being there when they need us most and being an instrument in the Lord´s hands in helping His beloved children. I don´t remember the chapter, I think it is Matthew 9 or maybe not. Hmm. I forgot to bring my bible. But anyway, remember the story of the man who sat by the pool of water waiting to be healed for 38 YEARS!?!?! That is a long time. And no one was there to help put him down into the water. BUT! Guess what happened? Christ came along and healed him. Just like that. After 38 years of thinking that his only hope was this fantastical pool of water, he comes to find out that the actual solution to his problem can be found in Christ. Christ is always the answer. He has the power to heal us of all our infirmities and the power to help each one of us in our moments of need. Sometimes we have to wait a long time, but help will always come. He will not leave us comfortless. Be that comfort to those who are waiting. 

I love you all!

Sister Smith

Two for One! 13 January 2014 and the week before

In case you didn't know, Kieren is a sweetheart. I really enjoyed her kind words and the nice update from the past two weeks. She left as an incredible person, but you can tell how good the past few months have been for her. Take the time to enjoy this letter, and send her some love when you get a chance (email: kieren.smith@myldsmail.net)

Hello Everyone!

So last week as I was about to write, the computer blacked out. I only had 15 or so minutes left of computer time so I didn´t want to make a hassle. So. Sorry for not writing, but it was a great week last week! Lots of good lessons and stuff. 

The theme of these past two weeks is: reactivation!!!!!! I have learned time and time again that often all people need to come back to church is someone to take notice and care about them. Read the talk by Elder Uchtdorf from the last conference. I think it is called, Come, Join with Us or something like that. It is incredible and helps us gain perspective about how everyone is struggling with something or another, and we have the potential to act as God´s angels and help his beloved children. The talk explains how when people stop coming to church it is usually not for just one reason and not because they lack a testimony. There is a girl in our ward here that has been active since birth, goes every week, attended seminary daily, sometimes being the only one there, but is thinking about stopping going to church because she feels that there is not a single person there who cares about her or even notices that she is there. No one goes up to her and talks to her and she just sits in the back with her mom and leaves without having interacted with anyone. Imagine what difference it would make if just one person went up to her each week and talked with her for 2 or 3 minutes. It would make all the difference! 

Also, Miguel Janes, who went to the choir concert, came to church last week! And this week! And all we did was pass by his house, see if he was home, talk to him for a bit, and invite him to come back. This week he even brought his daughter, who is not a member! Last week, when he didn´t show up at the very beginning of church, we passed by his house and I yelled ´Miguel!!!´ until a very irritated sister of his came to the window and said he was getting ready but he was definitely going to come. It was such a wonderful feeling to see him at church. It had been years since he had come to church, and now he is even bringing his family. And all it took was a little reminder that someone was thinking of him. 

Also, a lady in our ward (Danielle) was concerned about her cousin Paloma, who hasn´t been coming to church for a while. We visited Paloma (super sweet, quiet 15 year old) and helped resolve some of her concerns. And guess who was at church on Sunday? Paloma. :)

Also, we had been visiting a girl named Gabriela for some time now. She is a single mom and works 6 days a week with only Sundays off. She is incredible. And she came to church last week! After years of not going! (She wasn´t there yesterday so we will have to see what is up and visit her). But people. It is so simple. Extend a hand of friendship. Notice those who are not in church, or those who are there but sitting along. Be the friend that Christ would be. Sometimes it is not that simple. Sometimes people won´t come back after one visit from a friend. But sometimes they will! And even if they don´t, the visit is well worth it. 

We often visit a less active member, Maritania. She has a son, Tiago, with Down´s Syndrome, and he is quite active and makes life pretty difficult for her. This visit, I sat on the couch with him and sang hymns. Every time we do that, he completely calms down and becomes practically a different person. I was also able to talk to him and calm him down when he was attacking my companion with chocolate. It sounds kind of funny probably but it was a really great experience because after we left, my companion said she was really impressed with how I was able to connect with Tiago. When you are in a foreign country and don´t know the language or culture perfectly, and you have a native companion, sometimes it feels like you don´t really have a lot of influence or make a big impact on people. I am also generally more reserved and don´t talk a bunch, but this experience was a testimony to me that all of us are needed in different ways and that there a place for each person´s gifts and skills to be used to help God´s children. 

Also, this week we were teaching an investigator named Anna. She recently moved from São Paulo and is having a hard time adjusting. She says she constantly thinks about desisting and gong back. She has a daughter, Mariana, and stays at home with her while her husband works at the Pier. When we were teaching a lesson with her, she told us that she had prayed that we would come back because she felt an emptiness in her heart and felt that we would be able to help her fill it. She is incredible and has great faith to stay here and work through her problems with the Lord´s help. It was a wonderful blessing to be an answer to her prayers. This is not the first time this has happened and I am sure it will not be the last. When we are doing the Lord´s work, He will always use us to answer the prayers of his beloved children. Don´t wait for someone to pull you out of your house or tell you they need help, just go do something good for someone else and you will be surprised with the results.

The worth of souls is great in the sight of God. Each heart you touch is of inestimable worth. God is watching over each one of us. Christ is the good shepherd. He knows His sheep and they are numbered. 

Have a wonderful week!

Sister Smith

1 January 2014

A wonderful letter from Kieren.  It was so much fun to see her on Skype and talk to her on Christmas.  She looks more beautiful than ever,  radiant through the deep tan!  (read below)

Enjoy!


Dearest loved ones,

So, Christmas came and went and it was absolutely fantastic! I kind of forgot it was Christma week because in my mind Christmas is so closely associated with snow, so it was more or less a normal week. But it was great fun! 

In Brazil, the biggest celebration for Christmas is at midnight on the 24th. As missionaries, we have to be home by the latest at 9:30, but President Castro extended our curfew to 11 on the 24th. We spent it at Priscila and Jonathan´s house. Jonathan is a member and Priscila is an investigator. She is amazing and has such a beautiful testimony, especially of prayer (all she needs is to get married and she is working toward that goal :D). She was so kind to us and made a HUGE dinner with a roasted turkey, potato and mayonnaise salad (a staple here),  various other salads and fruit and vegetable dishes, and three desserts of giantesque proportions. I don´t know how I still ended up looking adorable in the photos we took after eating all that food. It was a Christmas miracle. I will send the photos later as soon as I figure out how to avoid all the viruses on public computers :D They open their presents then, too, and she had wrapped up presents for Sister Hodnik and me as well. It was super fun :)

The day of Christmas, we went to Irmã Carmen´s for lunch and again, their was a mountain of food. She had made churrasco (the Brazilian barbecue with giant meats on giant skewers) as well as the potato-mayonnaise salad, other side dishes, and ice cream. And chocolate. And basically food here is a BIG DEAL. Because its not just on Christmas that we eat alot. Its every day. And everyone not only wants you to eat alot, but they also want you to eat more than you at at the other Irmã´s house, etc etc etc. So basically we eat to please. And we are pleased to eat. However, my companion and I have decided that we must maintain our health and therefore will be commencing a new years diet. We will see how it goes. 

After lunch and skyping with the fam, we went Caroling! La la la! There was another companionship of sisters with us so we sounded super lovely all harmonizey and stuff. I think it is much easier to carol in the heat than it is to try to sing in the snow, so that is a blessing. 

I bought a hat! It is one of those super cute beach sun-hat things. Sister Castro authorized us to use hats because the sun here is super harsh. We use a mountain of sunblock but I´m still getting darker. I have never been so tan in my life. My companion (who is from São Paulo) is lighter than me. But that is because she is of Italian descent. Anyway, this letter is probably sounding a bit scatterbrained. The power was out this morning in the neighborhood so we are emailing in the afternoon, to which I am not accustomed. 

Anyway. We are teaching this amazing family! We found them while tracting. The mom is named Adriana and the dad is Adriano. They are married!!!!!! (Which is kind of a big deal. Here the biggest problem with investigators is that they are not married. So many people only need to get married to get baptized, but anyway.) And they have 7 kids!!! They are all so cute and funny and they think I am hilarious which is always a good sign. I did a fist pump the first time we met with them and they thought it was the funniest thing and now everytime they see us coming all of them always fist pump. It is super cute. 

Oh! And Irmã Carmen got to go through the temple for the first time on Saturday!!!! We visited her the day before and helped answer some questions and stuff. She was so excited and looked radiant on Sunday at church. She has only been a member for about 3 years, and she is always helping out. She gave a talk and told the whole ward that they should help out the missionaries (us). She is so sweet and truly an example of Christlike love and service. 

Anyway, it was a lovely week. I was reading a really good talk from this past conference that is about the enabling power of the Atonement. I don´t remember who gave it or the exact title, so you should all just read all the talks with Atonement in the title! Also, another cool thing I read today was in True to the Faith, under the section about the Holy Ghost. When we learn more about the Holy Ghost, it welcomes him more into our lives. Just as when we converse with a friend and find out about their lives we become closer, so it is when we learn about the Holy Ghost, or study about Jesus Christ, or our Father in Heaven. The more we know about them, the closer friends we can become and the more influence they will be able to have in our lives. Also, as we learn more, we can become more like them, until we ´receive the image of Christ in our Countenances.´  Each member of the Godhead plays a specific and vital role in our lives. Heavenly Father (Matt 7:7-11) Jesus Christ (Alma 7:11-13) and the Holy Ghost (Moroni 8:26-see also Preach My Gospel section about the Holy Ghost). God is our loving Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. The Holy Ghost testifies of the Father and the Son and guides us, consoles us, and protects us. I know that they love us and know us individually. They can be our best friends and help us in times of need as well as celebrate with us in times of triumph!

Have a beautiful week :D

Boa semana!

Beijinhos!

Sister Smith 

23 December 2013

Hey everybody! Kieren had her birthday and Christmas is coming up so it was a big week. I really enjoyed this letter because you could see how happy she is. Everybody if you missed her birthday it was the 21st and I know she would love a shout out from all her dear family and friends. Much love to all this special season!

Dearest Family and Friends,

I hope you are all ready for Christmas because it is basically here!

This week-Happy Birthday to me!!!! My Birthday here on the mission was fantastic! In the morning I got a call from Sister Castro (mission president´s wife) wishing me a happy birthday from her and the family. My companion was super nice and remembered and helped make it a special day. For part of companion study we watched some of the documentary of President Monson´s life. He is truly an inspiring man and amazing example.  Iam so glad to have the guidance of a living prophet and to learn from his example. After a day of normal work, including making contacts in Praza Tamandaré with Felipe (a 10 year old boy from the church who dressed up like Santa and was super adorable in giving out pass along cards and candy) we went to the Sister´s apartment in Cidade Nova and had a surprise pizza/cake party! We also had a fantastic lunch with Rosane (a sister in our ward) and I loved my presents from the family! At church yesterday a bunch of people wished me happy birthday and I got calls from some of the other missionaries in our zone. I definitely felt special and remembered and it was a super great day :)

Yesterday we had Encontro de Corais where all the ward choirs meet and have a grand presentation. The chapel was overflowing with people! It was great to see so much support for the activity. But the best part of the night was probably when Miguel Janes and Caroenne walked in. Get ready for a long back story.....

So. last transfer Gisela and João Arthur (remember, the guy in a wheelchair -see picture above) were having us over for lunch. We asked them if they knew of anyone we could teach or who needed a visit and João Arthur mentioned Miguel Janes, a less active member. We noted his name, but he did not have an address, just a phone number. We thanked them, said goodbye, and went on with our day. The next time we saw João Arthur he mentioned Miguel again but we hadn´t visited him. Fast forward two or three weeks and I have a new companion, Sister Hodnik. During a visit with our ward mission leader, Elizandro Castro, he also mentioned Miguel and pointed out where he lived. By then I was like, we definitely have to go there. We went, but he wasnt home.  We decided to start using the ward directory more and one day I was just looking through the directory and saw Miguel´s name and also Caroenne, who is his daughter, who we found out was also a member. So yesterday we went there and they let us in and they were super nice and had some pretty hilarious relatives visiting including twin aunts who aren´t afraid to speak their mind. One aunt, Nilza, told us she thought we were older than 21 and 22 because we were using old lady clothes hahaha. But anyway, we had a great conversation and it was after church was over, but we invited them to the choir thingie. Normally people don´t actually come to things, but the first surprise was when they said they would come and the second was when about 30 minutes in, they both actually came!!! We were so happy to see them, especially after so many people hadn´t shown up to church that we were expecting. So basically we are going to work with them and help them come back to activity. Miguel has a lot of questions and Caroenne has a lot of things she doesn´t want to leave behind just yet, but they are both such kindhearted people and we are excited to work with them. They talked to a lot of the members who were at the choir peformance and it looks like they have a lot of friendships in the church that will help them feel welcomed.

Chrismas is in two days!!!! Woohooo!!!! I have super cute tree that my family sent in the apartment and Priscila(investigator) and Jonathan(member) showed us that they already have presents under their tree for us (we are having Christmas dinner with them :D)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! Remember Christ and why he was born. We celebrate his birth not just because he was born on this earth, but because of what he did his entire life and especially how he overcame death. He knows exactly how to help us through all of our trials and loves to rejoice with us when we are happy :D

Isaiah 41:13

Love you all!

Sister Smith

16 December 2013

A nice long letter from Kieren ............a great Christmas Present to be able to read it!




Dearest Friends and Family,

So this week was awesomely crazy!

New companion is Sister Hodnik. She is from São Paulo and is super nice and fun! Since I stayed in the area Jardim do Sol and my companion left, I basically felt super stressed about showing her the area, making sure I didn´t forget anyone, etc etc. I still feel a lot of reponsibility in remembering all the people and stuff, but I know that the Lord will help me, and this week I had an experience that helped reinforce that. My first week in the field, we were knocked on a door (actually clapped in front of the gate, that´s how it is done here) and a nice elderly lady named Maria let us in and we taught a lesson, etc. Basically I was still super new and overwhelmed and didn´t know anything that was going on. 5 weeks later, we passed her on the street and I didn´t recognize her and my companion was like -remember that was Maria, etc etc. I was super stressed because I didn´t get a good look at her and everything and out of the thousands of people we talk to I had no idea how I was going to remember everyone. However, the next week, after my companion got transferred, we were walking in the street and I saw a lady walking our way and I looked at her and it was so clear in my mind that it was Maria, and I remembered my experience meeting her and we went over and talked to her and it was just great because I knew in that moment that the Lord would help me remember the names, faces, and needs of all the people that we need to talk to and teach because He knows every one of his children by name.

Yesterday was super crazy awesome. So we had great classes (Relief Society is first, then Sunday School then Sacrament Meeting) and I was just enjoying church and not suspecting anything when a counselor in the bishopric came up to me and had the "you are going to give a talk" face on. It was a huge surprise because I just gave a talk a few weeks ago and usually they tell us before any of the meetings start, not right before Sacrament Meeting. I had already used my prepared outline in this ward, so I was kind of stressed but I was like "sure sounds good." So in between playing the hymns for sacrament meeting I frantically prepared an outline, praying to be able to speak well and say something intelligible. When I went up to speak, it was amazing! It was definitely not perfect, but the words kind of just flowed out and the best part was that I used a bunch of scriptures that I had not planned to use and flipped right to them, like my scriptures were just opening themselves. I feel really blessed to have received help from Heavenly Father through the Spirit because that is the only way I could have given the talk and timed it so well. Also, the only reason I could access those scriptures was because I had memorized them in seminary. When we treasure up the words of Christ and the scriptures, they truly can come to our minds in times of need, but only if we have sudied them before. 

Also yesterday, we decided to visit a less active member, Gabriela. She is super nice and welcoming, but when we walked in, we realized that they were having an engagement party. We were like "oh, we can come back at a different time" but she insisted we stay. So it was kind of super awkward. She took us to the back of the house where they were preparing food and left us with a bunch of her relatives because she had to prepare some things. So there we were, sitting in this back room with a bunch of very nice ladies who were smoking and talked a million miles per hour. It was quite an adventure. And then, someone from the front of the house called everyone to come listen to "a message." They sounded very excited but I had no idea what kind of message it was going to be. In our area there are a bunch of Jehovah´s Witensses so I was sure it was them and I thought to myself "man this is going to be fun." But it wasn´t them, it was a car with a loudspeaker attached that started to play a message that went somehting like this- "prepare your hearts to be touched etc etc " And at this point I was sure it was either some evangelical church or the universal church or something, but it actually turned out to be none of these. It was just a message for the engaged couple wishing them happiness and felicity in their marriage and lives. It was quite strange and interesting and I hope the happy couple loved it. The visit overall was quite good though. We talked to Gabriela and some of her concerns surfaced about why she is not going to church and struggles she is having. She also gave us cake and chocolates which were homemade and amazingly delicious. Many blessings.

So this week we weren´t having much success finding people at home and teaching a bunch, but we were doing everything we should, like waking up on time, studying, etc. Our own efforts weren´t amounting to much, but the Lord truly gave us a miracle. We were walking to an appointment when a woman called out to us from her house. Her name is Tânea and she lives literally right next to the church. She just moved there, but says she probably wont be staying for much longer. However, she told us that she is feeling lonely and looking for a church and wondering if we could help her. Obviously, we were elated. We invited her to church and said we would pass by on Sunday. We did and she was right ready to go which is super rare! She said she wasn´t sure if we would come and decided if we didn´t she would go to that church right by her house (ours) so basically the Lord is directing her to the true church because she is earnestly searching for what is right. We told her of course we are here and that we would definitely not forget to pass by. She went to all the meetings and loved them! She had been previously attending various churches, mostly Universal, and said that she had been feeling really really confused. She is going through some tough times and she said that she felt that maybe it was because she didn´t pay enough tithing (in the Universal church they pass around a sack or tray asking for offerings of the most valuable thing you have, the most money you can offer, etc. Some people turn in cellphones, the keys to their cars, even their houses at times). I said of course it was not that and explained to her how tithing works, how it is all in private and the money doesn´t go to the preacher/pastor but directly to building chapels, temples, helping the needy, etc and that at the end of the year you receive a record. She said that made so much more sense and that she really liked that. She said multiple times that here everything was so much more clear and that it made perfect sense and that she felt really good. She is someone that was definitely prepared by the Lord. She is probably going to move to Florianopolis on Friday, but we are going to pass by today and make sure she knows how to find the church there, etc. It was a marvelous blessing to meet her and a testimony that the Lord will place people in our path if we are doing what is right. 

Another miracle this week was when we had a lunch appointment in Bolaxa, which is one of the areas we have to take a bus to get to. Our area is HUGE. It has 9 bairros, or mini-town/city neighborhood places. Not sure how to describe it. Consequently, we have to take the bus a lot. Also consequently, we can´t visit every area every week and there are some areas I haven´t even visited yet, usually ones without members or investigators. So basically I was stressed because we had only gone there once and I wasn´t sure how to get there and my companion had never been there so we were kind of going off of faith. We got some vague directions from Shélem´s mom (we were going to the house of Shélem (member) and Claudio (investigator)), however after we descended the ônibus, we asked a man how to get to Rua 129 and he said it didn´t exist. So we said thanks and started walking, not sure how everything was going to work out. As we went along the road, we heard  a man call out "Irmãs!" We turned and it was Claudio! He was working (he is a bricklayer) at a house nearby. He gave us clear directions how to get to his house (it was pretty close) and said he would join us in a few minutes. The Lord truly is watching out for us every second of the day. Lunch was great and we were able to teach Claudio a bit more. He is very kind and giving and is going to make a wonderful member of the church. He sometimes doesn´t like to come to church because he doesn´t read well and is embarrassed, but we are trying to help him overcome that.

Also this week, we had Natal Branco (White Cristmas) where some wards in our stake realized some baptisms and the missionaries sand in a choir (I played the piano :D) It was a lovely evening. This week we have a zone conference in Pelótas and we get to have lunch with President Castro! I´m excited. 

I am getting burnt to a crisp even though I have SPF 50 sunscreen. Yay tanlines!

I have been enjoying the scriptures that my family sent and reading them as part of my personal study. Thanks to everyone that sent cards and mail. I am always super excited and happy to read them. Thanks for all the updates on everyone. Merry Christmas season! It is truly the most wonderful time of the year when we take time to focus on the reason we celebrate Christmas- the birth of the greatest life that ever walked this planet. He truly fulfilled His mission perfectly and understands all of our struggles and difficulties. (Alma 7:11-13 Isaiah 53:3-5)

Love you all <3

Sister Smith

Kieren is doing great!  She received the Christmas Birthday package we sent.  If any of you want to wish her a Happy Birthday it is the 21st of Dec.  She will be 21 so it is her GOLDEN Birthday!

Thanks to all the support you are all giving to her.  She is so happy!


Dearest Family and Friends,

First Transfer has arrived! I will stay in Jardim do Sol but I will be receiving a new companion tomorrow, about whom I will write next week. 

A great experience we had this week was when we changed our plans and went to go visit a less active member, Nilsa. We talked to her for a while, and she said she felt bad about drinking coffee and knew that she should be going to church and stuff, and Sister Mileib asked her if it was just coffee that was making her so sad, and she said no, and started telling us about some challenges she is having. Her son won´t talk to her or let her see her grandkids and her boyfriend said he was going to leave her in January. She said she is really afraid to be alone. We cried with her and sang some hymns. We encouraged her to start getting her life in order because that will truly bring happiness and help with a lot of the issues she is having. We will be working with her these upcoming weeks to help her make changes and come back to the fold. Elder Uchtdorf´s talk from the last conference has been very helpful in learning how to relate to and help those who have for one reason or another left the church. I would encourage everyone to re-read it. 

Yesterday we had churrasco (barbecued meat on spear-like skewers) at two peoples houses. And at each house there are tons of types of meat and you have to eat a lot. Also there was a lot of fat on the meat, but some people consider that the best part.  I was looking around like "are they going to eat that part?" because we follow the host´s exapmple and all that. When they ate it, I was like "here we go, ready to gain some weight" It wasn´t too bad and aside from the fat, the meat was amazingly delicious! Also I don´t think I will be eating for another few days. 

The work is great. Lots of investigators with potential, but there is always some sort of barrier to overcome, like they have to get married, quit smoking, get parent´s permission, etc. Satan really works to make sure people don´t get to baptism, but we ork even harder and we have the Lord on our side, who is more powerful. He truly knows everything and we have to trust in His timing (see Isaiah 55:8-9)

Love you all!

Sister Smith 

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