April 25, 2016-

I hit two months on the mission!! 

Where to start about this week.....here are some snippits:

Favorite food this week: Sister Copa) made us chocolate chip cookie sandwhiches with peanut butter and Nutella...HEAVEN

Worst food this week: MAIONESE. serisouly these brazilians go nuts over it. This week I was fortunate enough to eat it for every meal! (horrary.) I love eating pure mayoneese with a few pieces of potatoes here and there.

Weather: Oh how does it RAIN here. Rain cats and dogs. Yesterday my companion insisted that we didn't need an umbrella. Horrible idea. We got caught in a legit hurricane. Water was flooding down the streets and I had to fight back to keep my shoes on or else they would flow down the mountain. Sopping wet and freezing. But, I sang the whole time, and chantted the missionary purpose haha! Actually a great memory!

Investigators: We met 2 really really cool people from Brasilia! (shout out to seth) They are loving our messages, and I can´t wait to teach them about the happiness the gospel brings!

Julio-hopefully will be baptized on Thursday! Strangely enough he reminds me of little Elijah Cole...he has lots of energy and is always so happy and excited! 

Luemi and Fabiano- Working on getting them married!!

Dilva- Still not baptismal date, she is scared to death of her cathoilic daughter. 

Why I am glad that I chose to serve a mission:

I have truley come to recognize my blessings while here in brazil. Blessings that in the past I took for granted. #1 MY FAMILY. You guys are my support, my joy, my strength, my everything! I honestly don't know what I would do without you guys. I constantly think about how extremely blessed I am to have each and everyone of you. #2 oh how blessed I am to live in America. Life here for Brazilians is so different, and very very diffulcult. My heart aces when they tell me their stories. #3 I have come to recognize the love my savior has for me. He will with me always, and he is cheering me on! He gives me strength to press on, and without him I know I am nothing. Because of Him and Jesus Christ I am happy!! I dont need to suffer, but find joy!

Remember that it is the simple things in life that will bring us the most happiness. Reading the scriptures, praying, attending church, remembering our blessings, and stiving to be more like Christ! Everyone can improve and be better. Make each day better than the last! 

Love,

Sister Hannah

April 18, 2016-8 weeks

little snippits of experiences this week:

What I have learned from my companion:
how to CLEAN. I´m not talking about a little wish-wash, but deep deep deep clean. She made us clean in places that are even difficult for bugs to get too....very difficult to say the least. I serisouly got deathly ill from all the dust. Nose and eyes were running for dayzzz;

Challenging Experience:
The mountains in this area are INSANELY huge. My calfs are about 3 sizes bigger, and waist down you could basically consider me a body builder. My fitbit says that in one day we do about 140 flights of stairs.

Frustrating Experience:
We have an investigator who is 85years old. She has been to church numerous times, and loves our visits. But she will not be baptized!! and the reason is.........she won´t let her NUMEROUS boyfriends go. at 85 years old who would have thought....frisky..yeash.

Funny experience (kinda):
So I have the hardest time remembering not to put the toilet paper in the toilet....so difficult to break the normality of this! We had lunch in a members house who barely had enough money to feed us, and she lives in a little tiny tiny shack. Anyway, I FORGOT to put the toilet paper in the garbage and totally clogged the toilet (with serisouly the tiniest amount of toiletpaper). ahhh I didn~t know that to do. How could I tell this poor lady that I broke her toilet?? well....i....had to stick my bare hands in there and snatch the toiletpaper out. yeeeeeeaSH. Not my prettiest moment.

Anyways, this week I learned to much more about happiness! I came to realize that happiness is a choice. I chose to wake up happy, stay happy during the day, and go to bed happy. And man was my week truely amazing!! Try it!
This week, I invite you to think a little bit more about the importance of God and Jesus christ in your lives. And how we can become closer to them. SIMPLE THINGS!

Love you all! Life is great!!

Sister hannah

(pics from the CTM)

April 11, 2016

Hello Family!

This week was full of so many diferent experiences, lessons, and places! First off, last week on our P-day we went to a Museum of Life size famous people (for example, justin bebeier, madona, John Travolta, Michael Jackson, elvis, Obama, PIrates in the Carabian, Batman, etc.) Totaly took me back to America, I loved it! Gramado serisouly has so many cool places! We also went to Chocolate World. They had statues and sculptures completely made of CHOCOLATE. And at the end they gave us a cup of pure chocolate to drink...hmmm my favorite.

Anyways, a little bit about our investigators: We teach a 13 year old named Larissa, a 17 year old named Isadora who has a 3 year old son, a 70 year old grandma with 8 children, and many many more people who are together, but not married (which is a huge struggle here).

-Portuguese is coming along, more each and every day!

This week I thought about about, "What can I change in m life to be happier?" I actually wrote out things in my life that make me unhappy, and decided to change those things one and forall. And wow, did it make a differenence this week! I really felt as though I was a better person, and happier because of it!

Fun fact, I got 37 bug bites on my legs (all in 1 day)

This week when we were eating lunch at a members house, she broke down and started crying because she barely had enough Money to make us lunch, and she has 3 children to support. Hearing this broke my heart. But this Member, Jarjim, really is inspirational. Although she has hardely nothing, she Always remmembers the blessings in her life from the lord. She told us how greatful she is for us, because "missionaries are like angels". I know that this work isn´t easy, but it is totally Worth it.

-Something that totally changed my week around for the better, is when I stopped worrying about myself, and instead focused my thoughts on others. There are so many people here who have many trials, and difficulties, and I worry so much about them. I am learning to love other people, because we are all children of God.
A scripture that gave me strength this week was alma 26:12. I know that which the strength of the Lord, I can do anything! I am learning each and everyday to love this missionary work. I love my savior, and I trust in him more than ever here. I know he has a plan for me, and although these experiences are hard, I am learning and growing imensely. This week went by so fast!! Crazy how time flies.

Love,

SIster Hannah

April 4, 2016

Hello from beautiful Gamado!!!

Well this week has been FULL of new places, people, and experiences! First of all, like I wrote in my letter, my mission presidents are so so amazing. We spent 2 days with them, learning about our mission, the rules, goals, etc. We got to eat at a huge buffet resturante which was amazinggggg. So much good food, especially desserts. Like I wrote in my hand written letter, my companion is Sister Rodriguez from Argentina and has been on the mission for 3 months. She is extremely helpful and patient with me. Her parents are separated, and sadly do not write her. (serisouly breaks my heart). But her 3 siblings write her! I dont understand enough portuguese to know why her parents dont write her, but she is a very very strong individual for sure.

Anyways, the night we arrived in Gramado, The Elders (Americans from Cali) picked us up, gave us a tour around, and drove us to our apartment! It is on the 4th floor (with no elevator ha) so we dragged all 5 of out bags up. It is small, but definatly more than enough room for us two. The Elders told us that at one point there were 5 missionaries who lived in our apartment which BLOWS my mind. wow. I am very very greatful to just live only with my companion.

Gramado is serisouly unreal. Looks like no other part of Brazil that I have seen before. It is like I have moved from Brazil to Europe over night! It is so clean, and has so many stores including 21 chocolate shops, shoe stores, clothing  stores, and TONS of resturants. The decorations here are like nothing I have everseen before....im talking ginormeous bunnies in the middle of round abouts, christmas trees, statues, fountains, and Feliz Páscoa is everywhere. outstanding.

So basically Portuguese has been extremely difficult. A lot of times I feel pretty pathetic because all I do is stand there while my companion talks away. And you know me, I love to talk, so being mute really has taken a toll on me. Pretty sure i'm known as the mute sister who just smiles, nodes, but doesnt understand a single thing. But each and everyday I understand a little bit more, and I know that patience is a viture that I must aquire.

So we have 9 investigators who are interested in the church! I feel bad because my companion basically does all the talking, and I just say a few sentances here and there. We have a few baptisms marked, and I hope hope hope they follow though (fingers crossed!!)

Throughout this harder week for me, I have had to remember the WHY. Why I am here, why it is important to press on, why it is important to have faith, why I need to learn portuguese, WHY i am here on a mission. My mind deffinently wanders and doubts, but I know that I am here on a mission for a reason. I am here to bring others to the knowlege and truth of the gospel. Especially with Easter, my testimony has been strengthed immensuly of my savior. I know that repentance is a gift, and an opportunity for us to make corrections for our errors. I know that that the attonement of Jesus Crist is happiness, and that in Christ we have the capacity to do all. I rely on my Savior always, and trust in him now more than ever in my entire life. These experiences I am facing are difficult, but the lord gives us experiences so that we can learn, grow, and become humble. And even when we fail, we are blessed for trying. I know that missionary work isn't easy, because it isnt supposed to be easy. But I know that I am here because the lord kows I am strong enough, and he trusts in me.

So much to tell, but no time! I wish I could write all day to tell you guys all about my investigators, blisters, the food I eat, etc. but ahhh cant now!

Com amor,

Sister Hannah