Week 6

Holy hannah. Yikes. Wow. Craziness. (and all the other expressions in English that I can´t remember too).Today was transfer day.

We received a call last night from our leaders and they told us that we would be receiving 3 new sisters in our ward and that only I would be the only one of our companionship STAYING. 

I sceamed. Loudly. 

What in the world?? I only have 5 1/2 weeks in this country. 

They didn´t tell us anything more than this and this morning we hopped in a taxi for transfer meeting. When we arrived they announced the missionaries that will train this next transfer.  Then, the read my name. I would have screamed again but we were in the chapel and so I only whimpered. All new missionaries will arrive tomorrow and I´ll meet my poor companion tomorrow night. God has a sense of humor, I ´ll tell ya that much.

 In case you were wondering, I am yet to be able to understand people all the way , I don´t know our streets or how to navigate and all the Brazilian 2 years olds speak better portuguese than me. I am needing a miracle right about now. 

I know that "tudo vai dar certo" buuuuuut in the meantime I´m more than a little worried. 

It´ll be great. I´m so glad that I get to stay in this area with our ward and incredible investigators. This week was lovely. On Friday, I was fighting grumpiness. As a missionary there´s just no time to not be happy and helpful and so it was a struggle. We were at a member´s house that night and I asked to use the bathroom. I went in to the bathroom and just cried a few frustrated tears and told God that I needed Him to fix my attitude because I didn´t like it. After we left the member´s house we headed over to the neighborhood of an investigator. She was taking a shower when we arrived so we waited for her on a bench outside her house. About 1 minute after we sat down we I had 5 kids run upto me asking me what language I speak and a million other questions. I started "teaching" them english and 5 minutes later I was surrounded by honestly, probably 20 or more kids. We laughed and talked and they literally just loved all over me- playing with my hair, stroking my foot, trying to hug me asking for church pamphlets. I was totally in Miss Brown teacher mode and it felt great. They introduced me to all of their parents and I think I taught like 3 or 4 lessons on the street and handed out a ton of pamphlets and BOMs.

It was such a beautiful answer to my prayer! God has been answereing a lot of my prayers through children and I love it. They all are so patient with my inablities to speak Portuguese and love to laugh and my failed attempts and teach me. 

I have such a testimony that God is so very mindful of all of His children. We are so important to Him and He has such a unique, individual plan for each of us! I also have such a testimony that He loves us and will answer our prayers. I am so excited for conference this week! I hope you all make time to watch/listen to all of the sessions. We are SO blessed to have living prophets and apostles on the earth today. Do not take this for granted. I want to challenge all of you to write (not just think of) a specific concern or question in your life and then to watch conference and listen for your answer. If you seek with real intent you will receive an answer. 

"Ask and ye shall receive. KNOCK and it shall be opened unto you." God wants to answer our prayers and give us blessings but we have to ask and act. 

I love you all. I would REALLY REALLY REALLY appreciate some major prayers for my language and navigational abilities. Also pray for my new little companion that she won´t hate me because I´m not a fluent Portuguese speaker... yikes...

Hugs and love and kisses from Brasil!!

Sister Brown