July 24, 2017- Final Email!!!

Minha Família!,

Another week of miracles, and I feel beyond blessed to see the Lord´s hand activily in my life.

Highlights:

- The branch thew a cute little wedding for Cíntia and her husband Paulo. Many pitched in helping with decoration, cake, brigadeiros,  mayonnaise sandwiches (ekkkkk...definantly not my thing), and salgadinhos. But the greatest moment was seeing Cíntia enter into the waters of baptism. She has been eggarly waiting for this moment for over a month now, and was anxious to follow Christs example. When we asked her what baptism meant to her she said "It will be one of the most important days of my life. It will be celebrated like my second birthday because I will be born again!" The baptisimal font heater didn´t end up working, and Cíntia was baptized in water so cold that it basically had ice cubes. When the branch president asked her if she was still up for being baptized and she responded, "Well, if it is for me to be born again, let´s DO IT" The poor thing looked like she almost passed out because it was so cold, but she was a trooper. Definantly a moment that she will never forget...

- I have been praying a lot recently,asking Heavenly Father what I still need to change/do better in this last feel moments as a misionary.  I wanted to know what else he wanted me to learn and take with me to appy for the rest of my life. Well, I asked for it, this week Elder Aidukaitis (the area president of Brazil visited our mission and the answer hit me like a ton of bricks. His training was basicall putting the hammer down about how we need to elevate the way that we plan and make goals. His words were strict, forward, a bit harsh, but truly needed to be heard. He said that we need to dominate the techniques and principes of making goals and plans becuase it is only through doing this that we will make a great difference and reach our full potential What is the difference that you will make? How will you get there?

I can´t believe that my time as a full time misionary and represenative of christ is coming to an end... I know that I will never ever get this time back, so I will use every last drop of energy. Choosing to serve a mission was the best choice that I made, and truly has changed my life. I can´t even begin to express my gratitude for this unbelievable experience. I have been blessed with so many spiritual experiences, miracles, and tender, unforgetable moments. I remember when I was preparing for my mission I kept thinking "serving a mission will be such a huge sacrifice, because there are so many things that I will leave behind." But what I have come to realize, is that serving a mission isn´t a sacrifice, it is a privilage. It is an honnor to be doing what Christ would do if he were on the earth today: going to house and house teaching the gospel, loving the people, and giving hope and light to those in need.

I have seen so many lives changed, especiallly mine.
I am proud to say that I truly gave my all. 

I have learned so many things over this past year and a half, but of all the things I have come to strength my testimony that Christ lives, he is our beloved Savior, and that  his church is on the earth today. I have come to know my Savior, and feel his close, constant presence in my life. I know that he payed the price for our sins, and knows our every need. He felt our sorrows, pains, sicknesses, frustrations, stresses, doubts, and our burdens. He knows each and everyone of us perfectly. He loves us.

I love the people of Brazil. My heart feels like it is tearing apart....but I know that he Lord has a plan for me.

So greatful all the support that I have been given....I have the best family in the world!

com amor,

Sister Hannah

July 17, 2017

Querida Família,

-I just can´t believe how many miracles we have had here in Campo Bom...the Lord truly blesses us in double when we are dilligent and obediente in keeping his commandments. Highlight of this week was that FINALLY after about 4 months, Jackie and Sergio were baptized!! Our branch helped us throw a wedding for them on Friday, and on Saturday they entered the waters of baptism. Sister Jolley and I sang a mix up in English and Portuguese of “Families can be together Forever” and “I love to see the temple” It was such a special experience to see them all in white, making a sacred promise and covenant with Heavenly Father.  Can´t even explain how happy I am!!


-This Sunday there were 4 confirmations in sacrament meeting: Lisangela, Jackie, Sergio, and little 8 year old Bruno. One of those speical moments that I will never forget...
-Another highlight was that this week Sister Jolley and I had a ROAD TRIP with President and Sister Campos! We went to the coast of the Rio Grande do Sul to visit Tramandaí, Osório, Imbae, and other áreas. Finally I got to visit the beach...so that was increadible. We stayed in a Hotel over looking the ocean, and were spoiled to wake up to watch the sun rise. Talk about a missionaries dream coming to pass.  I know that the Lord blesses us  imensly when we do what he asks, the rewards are wonderful!


As part of this road trip we participated in the  the Osório Zone meeting, and also did inspections of the missionaries apartments. Let me just say....Elders are such slobs!! My goodness. I don´t know how they stand to live in such smelly, dirty, grows atmospheres. The bathrooms, refridgerators, and basically everything was just nasty I swear, there was mold and fungus living in those walls..Poor Sister Campos has to make these visits weekly. It was quite an experience....unforgetable actually. But hilarous how afterwards Sister Campos got on their tails, and inverviewed them about the importance of cleaning and even taught them how to do so.


-Sister Jolley and I have been doing insanity for a few weeks now, and finally our apartment complex has complained...apparently there is too much movement and jumping around during the “silent hour”...  now what?
-Or recent convert, Adilson, asked us, “Why are missionaries so happy? “ Well, it´s because we are privelaged to serve all day long. It´s because we forget ourselves, and are always looking to help Heavenly Father´s children. It´s because we have come to feel the Lords constant presence and unconditional love in our lives. It´s because we are helping the Savior in his sacred, urgente work to share the gospel to all the world!

Te amo!
Sister Hannah

July 10, 2017

Família!,

Só alegria aqui em Campo Bom!
(Only happiness here in Campo Bom) 

Here are some highligts of this week:

-Lisangela was baptized!!! I still am so astonished by how increadibly prepared she was by the Lord to be baptized. We met her only 9 days before she was baptized, and it was my greatest pleasure to teach her. She is an increadible mother, and is looking for a change in her life. She has such a desire to serve, and live the commandments with exactness. She was baptized by Aldroaldo, a recent convert who gave us her referal. Aldroaldo also baptized his 8 year old son with Lisangela, which was a special experience for him and us. Great news is that 3 of Lisangela´s kids went to the baptism, and they are all interessted...especially knowing that one day they too can go to a foreign land and serve a mission like us!

-Glad to hear that your fouth of July went well! A member here, Vanessa, made homemade hamburgers completely American style. Hand made patties topped with cheese, pickles, homemade guacamolé, onions, lettuce, tomatoe, BBQ sauce, mustand, ketchup, doritos, and a side of fries. And for dessert brownies.....it was glorious. Almost the best meal that i´ve had here in Brazil....Jk i love the brazilian food too.....

-So our mission, Porto Alegre North, is on fire!!!! Out of the 34 missions in Brazil, our mission is ranked #4 in the number of convert baptizms! That´s right, we are in the top 5 with the Rio, Fortaleza east, and Recife. Our mission presidents are  incredible, and they are always helping us get motivated and to realize that we are capable of so much more!

-Campo Bom is also progressing immensly!! Finally our branch has been approved to move our local to a larger space!! The little blue house where we are at now is just horrid.....and not to mention that it has been broken into many times (including a few weeks ago). We are moving into a building where we will rent the whole bottom floor.. The best part is, the building is completely new, so we won´t have any more issues with ant infestations, or issues with the roof falling apart, and rain drenching all the sacrament meeting chairs.
When they announced the great news to our branch, there was such a burning strong spirit. Everyone has been working so hard giving us referals, and inviting their friends to church. I know that after acts of faith and hard work is when the miracles come. 

I feel so imesnsly blessed! So many great things are happening....

Love you all! 

Sister Hannah

June 27, 2017

Oi Minha família!,

-Miracle was that Kevin was baptized! He truly was prepared by the Lord, and put in our path. We met kevin 3 weeks ago when he showed up at church one sunday morning. he said that 2 women talked to him on the street and told him that he needed to go to our church. They explained how to arrive, and he followed their request. he describled these 2 women as missionaries like us but the interesting part is that Sister Jolley and I are the only sisters here in campo bom. I can´t help but think that heavenly father send some of his angels to lead kevin to the truth. he had been looking for the right path, and was ready to start a new life. He got emotional at his baptism, and it was such a special experience to see Kevins progress. I know that Heavenly Father is knows each of his children by name, and knows their personal needs. 

-Sister Jolley and I got to go to the airport to recieve the new missionaries from the CTM. 8 sisters arrived and 1 elder. It was so increadible, they were all glowing with excitement to arrive in the best mission in the world: Brazil Porto Alegre North. Arrived a lot of Sisters from The North East of brazil, that are already dying of coldness....the poor things. Winter has not even arrived yet!

-This week we taught a man named William who was giving us a hard time. he kept inturupting us during the lesson, asking questions that had nothing to do what we were teaching, etc. But Sister Jolley and I exercised our patience, and answered each and every question delicatly. Finally, William got all quiet, and he asked, "Do you love what you do? Do you love being a missionary?" Sister Jolly and I looked at eachother, and uncontrolably smiling I said, "yes, we love it will all of our hearts". William looked us straight in the eyes, and said "I know, I can feel it and see it in your eyes" The sucker said that  he was trying to "test" us to see if were "true cristians". And he told us that the way that we reacted with him, gave him the certainty that we are true represenatives of christ, and that what we teach is the truth. hopeing that Willliam will be baptised here in a bit!

-There was an activity in our Stake about missionary work, and a few members shared their experience of their conversion story. So many of them couldn´t stop the tears, when they explained how their lives completly changed when they found the truth, and when they were baptized. I know that with the restored gospel in our lives, we are so increadibly blessed, and we need to recognize the value of this.

I know that Christ lives, and that his church exists on the earth today.

Love,

Sister Hannah

June 19, 2017

Caro Família,

This week went great! Sister and I spend a bit of time out of our area because of trainings in Porto Alegre, but the Lord truly blesses us with miracles! Like President Campos says: for much is given, much is required. And for much required, much is given.

Here are some highlights:

-Training reunion with missionaries with 6-12 week in the field and their trainers. I love working with new missionaries, so so much. A lot of them were having struggles, and a bit discouraged. I shared some stories with them about how the first few weeks in the field were some of the hardest weeks of my life. We talked a lot about trusting in the Lord, and his plan, and being pacient with yourself. We got them all excited to continue working with joy, and forgetting yourself and going to work!

-Star meal of the week: sunday we had churrasco with lamb, pork and chicken... with sides of broccoli and rice hmm. Dessert was crepes with chocolate, banana, sweet and condenced milk, and marshmallows.

-A member invited us to her english school, Wizard, to speak english with the students. And man did Sister Jolley and I have trouble speaking english....every time we tried, Portuguese came out! The kids did not believe that we were Americans because we literally could not speak straight enlgish sentances. Finally we had to show our licences, and idenities so they would believe us. There was one kid who asked me why I painted my hair red, and another asked if he could teach us swear words in portuguese....hahhaha

-Miracles!!! Kevin (with prayers and fasts) will be baptized this sunday! He shared his testimony with us about how the Lord is blessing him and opening up lots of opportunites for him. It is so clear that the Lord has been preparing him to be baptized. He was a drug addict, alcoholic, smoked, etc. but has stopped for 10 months now. wooohooo

-And Jackie and Sergio´s wedding is all marked! Now we just need to get on doing the wedding invintations, and decoration! July 14=wedding, July 15=baptism, and july 16<x-apple-data-detectors://2> = confirmation!!

-Our mission, Brasil Porto Alegre Norte, is reading the Book of Mormon together in 90 days! My testimony of the book of mormon has been strengthened imensly. It has a power, and outstanding influence in my life.

I know that Heavenly Father hears our prayers and our pleadings. He is aware of our every need. He loves his children, and his greatest desire is that we return to his presence!

Love you all!!

Sister Hannah

June 12, 2017

Oi família!

Hope that you all are doing well, here are some highlights of my week!:

-Finally stopped raining afer almost 3 straight weeks! And it is getting chilly...YES!

-Favirite meal of the week: rizotto, BBQ ribs (with homemade BBQ sauce), salad with mango, and mint lemonade. Irmã Helena is the best.

-So not sure if I already mencioned but our district is pure American blood.  Sister Jolley from Texas, Elder Foote from Arizona, Elder Gallop from Salt Lake and me. It´s quite a hilarious sight seeing 4 Americans speak portuguese without 1 word of english slipping by.

-We are teaching a 19 year old boy named Kevin, who (we think) is living on the street...but he showed up at church last week and said that he wants to change his life. We marked to teach him in the chapel on Tuesday at 2pm with a member, but he didn´t show up. Sister and I had such a huge hope that he would be there, so we were a little bummed in the moment. But miracles exisit, because Irmão Paulo found Kevin on the steet and Kevin said that he was running behind, but still really wanted to hear our message. We taught him the Restoration, and he could not stop smileing when he heard about Joseph´s first vision. He wants to be baptized, and when the time comes, serve a mission!

-This week our recent convert, Adilson, hit the streets with us to bring us to his friends houses. He gave us more than 8 references this week, and still has so many more to give! One of his miracle references was Samuel, a 20 year old guy who lives alone with his 3 year old daughter. The mother of his daughter left him and their daughter to be a prostitute... and Samuel is really upset and broken up inside about this. Their house is very, very small (i think the size of a walk in closet), and in the house there is only 2 chairs, a bed, a fridge, and a small-ripped up couch. When we taught Samuel, we focused on faith, the repentance process, and how through baptism we can be pure from all of our sins, and begin a new life. Samuel needs to stop smoking, but has such a determination to be baptized, and it will happen in no time! 

Have I mentioned that I just love being a missionary?! I know that Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I am so thankful for the atonement and the strength that we can receive. 

Com Amor,

Sister Hannah

Sorry, but I don´t have my camera with me to send pics!