Hills, Wheels, and Complete Madness
OK, so sorry everyone that I missed last week, internet problems once again. I was on the internet, only that every letter I sent never sent... which made me quite frustrated, but what can you do... just laugh. So that’s what happened last pday.
But first off to talk about my new area- São ~Jõao da Boa Vista... its the prettiest area of all!! It is a beautiful city, not too big like Rio Preto or Ribeirão, buts its a good size. Its very, very hilly... San Francisco comes to mind, just that San Francisco has about 4 big hills... and here there are about 100. I only wish I was lying. The bairros (neighborhoods) seem close only that you have to go up and down about 5 hills before you get to them.. so its kind of funny. and the hills are waaay steep. But this city is pretty, and I am loving it- the views are beautiful, there are mountains (ok mountains for brazil, so like big, big hills for Americans) and the clouds are beautiful. This city is actually way close to Porto Ferreira, we passed through Porto when we were coming here, and I almost died seeing where I had spent the first 6 months of my mission.. it made me so happy, just driving through :)
But anyways, the branch here is pretty small- about 30 people. And so we have a lot of work to do. It’s always funny the life in a branch, because everyone knows the life of everyone else... it’s a lot of complication really. But the Bishop is very sweet and kind, he looks like a penguin because he always has his glasses on his forehead... but that’s beside the point. He has helped us out a lot this past week... I will go into this later.
The first week here was amazing; I had the strongest feeling that this is where I needed to be. We started teaching 3 families- which was so exciting. I have never taught so many families at the same time in my mission. 2 have to get married... but at least they have the desire, that’s half way there, so now we just have to pull some complicated strings in the blasted Brazilian paperwork, so this might take some months, but the point is that we are teaching some awesome people. One family is from Macieo, another from Goas, which is why it is so complicated, we have to get their paperwork from these cities... but with the help of the Lord, I am confident we can get this done.
Então, one of these families is João and Bete and Liticia, this is a very special family that came to conference this past week... João really wants to be baptized, but Bete has a lot of doubts about everything. It really is a miracle that they are coming to church, they are working through lots of problems- they almost divorced, and it has been so incredible to see how much the Lord wants to help them as Sister Cunha and I have been guided in what to say and teach. Last week I randomly felt impressed to study on Perdao...um, ah forgiveness. And then that night as we went to their house, Bete had a ton of questions on forgiveness. She is struggling through some issues, she has a ligament problem in her ankle, but this has been a blessing (she hasn’t recognized this yet) because she has time to listen to us. (She never had time before)
The other family is Claudia and Silvio. Claudia is an amazing woman who had a dream this past week about everything we had taught her. She had said a prayer that night, asking to know if it was true, and in her dream she saw a toon of light, more light than she had ever seen... and she knew that everything we had taught her was true. She was so excited afterwards that she was early to meet us to go to Conference. So we are excited to work more to help this family.
The last family is from Macieo. I am always thinking of Mike when we are teaching them- Marcio and Selma. They are hilarious, and talk soo fast... They call me Galega (white, blonde, and blue eyed person) and my comp Morena (black ) Which makes us laugh. Here in brazil, talking about another skin color isn’t so sensitive... its an everyday matter.
So there’s about the first week... which brings me to the second words in my topic- wheels.....So my companion is in a wheelchair. I am serious. She was perfectly fine the first week, but her knee started to ache, and ache, and ache.... and she was in so much pain that the Bishop rented a wheelchair for us... we went to the doctor, they said to come back in 10 days... gave us some meds... and that leaves us how is has been the past 5 days, me pushing her in this wheelchair.
To say that it has been hard would be an understatement. These hills make it quite difficult, I have to run after her in the downhill, because it is so steep that the wheelchair takes off, and then I think I am going to die when pushing her back up the hill. (Did I mention that we live on a huge hill?) It’s been funny, but at times I have wanted to cry... I don’t remember ever being more tired in my life. I find myself praying in every moment that I can have strength to push this wheelchair. And the Lord has helped me so much, with a second wind of energy, or a person who helps us.
I was so grateful that for the first time in my mission I saw the Saturday sessions of conference (we had pesquisadores that came with us) And it was exactly what I needed to hear… when Elder Worthlin started shaking, and ainda assim, he kept un talking until he finished his talk... it gave me so much force. Later that night as I was pushing the wheelchair home, there was a monster hill and I just didn’t have strength, but then I remembered this talk- and I thought to myself- Elder Worthlin finished his talk, I can push until the end!
So there you have my last week, complete madness... We are still working as hard as we can, we are still talking to everyone we see...but it is a bit funny. People tell us the funniest things, some think we are begging and try to give us the money, others ask if Sister Cunha was born this way, others tell us to pray to Jesus, that he will cure us...Its all very funny.
But here is a quote that has gotten me through all this: (This by the way is translated from Portuguese, so feel free to move it around to make it better in English) "He who walks alone can arrive faster, but He who is accompanied will arrive farther."
I love the mission, even though I am tired, it’s all worth it. :) There’s nothing better worth fighting for! Hoorah for Israel!
Com amor
Sister Monroe
But first off to talk about my new area- São ~Jõao da Boa Vista... its the prettiest area of all!! It is a beautiful city, not too big like Rio Preto or Ribeirão, buts its a good size. Its very, very hilly... San Francisco comes to mind, just that San Francisco has about 4 big hills... and here there are about 100. I only wish I was lying. The bairros (neighborhoods) seem close only that you have to go up and down about 5 hills before you get to them.. so its kind of funny. and the hills are waaay steep. But this city is pretty, and I am loving it- the views are beautiful, there are mountains (ok mountains for brazil, so like big, big hills for Americans) and the clouds are beautiful. This city is actually way close to Porto Ferreira, we passed through Porto when we were coming here, and I almost died seeing where I had spent the first 6 months of my mission.. it made me so happy, just driving through :)
But anyways, the branch here is pretty small- about 30 people. And so we have a lot of work to do. It’s always funny the life in a branch, because everyone knows the life of everyone else... it’s a lot of complication really. But the Bishop is very sweet and kind, he looks like a penguin because he always has his glasses on his forehead... but that’s beside the point. He has helped us out a lot this past week... I will go into this later.
The first week here was amazing; I had the strongest feeling that this is where I needed to be. We started teaching 3 families- which was so exciting. I have never taught so many families at the same time in my mission. 2 have to get married... but at least they have the desire, that’s half way there, so now we just have to pull some complicated strings in the blasted Brazilian paperwork, so this might take some months, but the point is that we are teaching some awesome people. One family is from Macieo, another from Goas, which is why it is so complicated, we have to get their paperwork from these cities... but with the help of the Lord, I am confident we can get this done.
Então, one of these families is João and Bete and Liticia, this is a very special family that came to conference this past week... João really wants to be baptized, but Bete has a lot of doubts about everything. It really is a miracle that they are coming to church, they are working through lots of problems- they almost divorced, and it has been so incredible to see how much the Lord wants to help them as Sister Cunha and I have been guided in what to say and teach. Last week I randomly felt impressed to study on Perdao...um, ah forgiveness. And then that night as we went to their house, Bete had a ton of questions on forgiveness. She is struggling through some issues, she has a ligament problem in her ankle, but this has been a blessing (she hasn’t recognized this yet) because she has time to listen to us. (She never had time before)
The other family is Claudia and Silvio. Claudia is an amazing woman who had a dream this past week about everything we had taught her. She had said a prayer that night, asking to know if it was true, and in her dream she saw a toon of light, more light than she had ever seen... and she knew that everything we had taught her was true. She was so excited afterwards that she was early to meet us to go to Conference. So we are excited to work more to help this family.
The last family is from Macieo. I am always thinking of Mike when we are teaching them- Marcio and Selma. They are hilarious, and talk soo fast... They call me Galega (white, blonde, and blue eyed person) and my comp Morena (black ) Which makes us laugh. Here in brazil, talking about another skin color isn’t so sensitive... its an everyday matter.
So there’s about the first week... which brings me to the second words in my topic- wheels.....So my companion is in a wheelchair. I am serious. She was perfectly fine the first week, but her knee started to ache, and ache, and ache.... and she was in so much pain that the Bishop rented a wheelchair for us... we went to the doctor, they said to come back in 10 days... gave us some meds... and that leaves us how is has been the past 5 days, me pushing her in this wheelchair.
To say that it has been hard would be an understatement. These hills make it quite difficult, I have to run after her in the downhill, because it is so steep that the wheelchair takes off, and then I think I am going to die when pushing her back up the hill. (Did I mention that we live on a huge hill?) It’s been funny, but at times I have wanted to cry... I don’t remember ever being more tired in my life. I find myself praying in every moment that I can have strength to push this wheelchair. And the Lord has helped me so much, with a second wind of energy, or a person who helps us.
I was so grateful that for the first time in my mission I saw the Saturday sessions of conference (we had pesquisadores that came with us) And it was exactly what I needed to hear… when Elder Worthlin started shaking, and ainda assim, he kept un talking until he finished his talk... it gave me so much force. Later that night as I was pushing the wheelchair home, there was a monster hill and I just didn’t have strength, but then I remembered this talk- and I thought to myself- Elder Worthlin finished his talk, I can push until the end!
So there you have my last week, complete madness... We are still working as hard as we can, we are still talking to everyone we see...but it is a bit funny. People tell us the funniest things, some think we are begging and try to give us the money, others ask if Sister Cunha was born this way, others tell us to pray to Jesus, that he will cure us...Its all very funny.
But here is a quote that has gotten me through all this: (This by the way is translated from Portuguese, so feel free to move it around to make it better in English) "He who walks alone can arrive faster, but He who is accompanied will arrive farther."
I love the mission, even though I am tired, it’s all worth it. :) There’s nothing better worth fighting for! Hoorah for Israel!
Com amor
Sister Monroe
posted by Bev at 9:17 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home