tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82565753018256084952024-02-19T04:51:13.056-08:00Mission: PossibleServing as a Missionary in BrazilMary Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06456721337191598529noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-28318801582133289772013-12-15T19:42:00.001-08:002013-12-15T19:43:49.054-08:00Mission Accomplished November 12, 2013<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Day Home</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming Home!!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sister</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brother</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with niece</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Mary Ann's Mom, Wow! Last e-mail from you Mary Ann </span><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">while you are on your mission. We have loved getting your mission e-mails. We love the spirit we feel when we read them. We are so happy you are coming home. We know you are a great missionary and that while you've been serving God that he has likewise been blessing you as well as the people you have taught. We also feel very blessed from you and your sisters serving missions. What do you most want us to fix you for dinner now that you haven't had American food for a year and a half? See you the day after tomorrow!!!!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Love,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Mom</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Mary Ann's Dad, Both scriptures are perfect! We look forward to you coming quickly and seeing you fact to face! <u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Amen to the comments of your mom!<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">How wonderful to receive the feeling of comfort and peace! This comes from Heavenly Father! Indeed, mission accomplished!! <u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">We will do well to have this comfort and peace as we live each phase of our lives. (D & C 88:3-4) <u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">You are a wonderful daughter, in whom we are well pleased!<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with parents</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">November 12, 2013</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I love you all!!!! And I´ll see you this week!!! WHAT?!!!!! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Thank you for all the letters and support that you´ve all given me while I´ve been here on a mission! I love you all and I am so excited to see you!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Today is our pday because of transfers, but it´ll end a little early so that I and Sister R can take the new sisters out to do contacts. Then she´ll stay with them and I´ll go to dinner with President and Sister C and the elders that are going home. I´m the first sister to go home from the Juiz de Fora Mission. Tomorrow morning, a van will take us to the airport in Rio. We´ll get there at around twelve and since the flight doesn´t leave until like <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1933114471" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">10:40</span></span> at night, we are all going to the Cristo Redentor Statue. I´ve been wanting to go there since I´ve gotten here, but didn´t think I would be able too cause of the mission split, so hopefully all goes well! :) Since I am the only sister leaving, I´ll just have to stay with a group of elders. But I am way excited! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Well I am SO grateful for the opportunity that I have had to serve a mission here in Brasil in Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais. I LOVE Brasil, the people here and their warm, loving culture. I am so grateful for all of the experiences that I have had and for the things that I have learned :) It has been a wonderful year and seven months :)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">The feeling I have now is definitely a bittersweet one. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone, but I´m grateful for the love that have gained for them and I know the difference that they have made in my life. I´ve had a good feeling these days though - pondering my mission and the way that I´ve served and its just a feeling of peace, a mission accomplished - missão cumprida - type of feeling. I feel like I´ve done what the Lord sent me here to do and that now he has other plans.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">well, I love you all:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">2 John <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1933114472" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">1:12</span></span> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">or is this one better?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">D&C 33:18</span></div>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-60215045184329211042013-12-15T19:34:00.005-08:002013-12-16T07:13:26.832-08:00November 4, 2013<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMXouzqaEFCQUPXhJglwnMXE2je5hJBRhgGTQ42LzM6hVwCGCmiU5sK7AAekQsvxFAfSA1baqd23dVXe63MpDa1nWxLnspcbrMJm9NN6HYVrZ3Lcu2MMksgN8GWgqEE62ecDkvkMqp8JK/s1600/Cemetary+activity.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMXouzqaEFCQUPXhJglwnMXE2je5hJBRhgGTQ42LzM6hVwCGCmiU5sK7AAekQsvxFAfSA1baqd23dVXe63MpDa1nWxLnspcbrMJm9NN6HYVrZ3Lcu2MMksgN8GWgqEE62ecDkvkMqp8JK/s1600/Cemetary+activity.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Cemetary</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">November 4, 2013</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">It definitely seems surreal to me that I will see you all in a little less than two weeks! what?! Crazy!!!!</span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">I love you!</span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Well.... This week has been a difficult one. My companion is awesome though. She is learning Portuguese super fast and is going to be THE best missionary ever. :) Sister P is super funny and great and really cares about each one of our investigators. I love her!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"> Not too much is new. Working hard and loving it as always. :) We did an AWESOME activity week for the day of the dead they had on Saturday. We all went to the cemetary with our zone and several members from our ward and stake. There were a TON of people there paying respects to their ancestors. The stake donated a ton of Liahona´s to give out and after that we used the plan of salvation pamphlets and pass-along cards. It was super cool to be able to talk to people about the plan of salvation and the spirit was super strong. :) it was great. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Which day is stake conference? The 17th what pictures did you send for that?? embarassing?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">This is an older picture from when I was with Sister C. This was the Baptism of A. C wrote me telling me that she passed away this past month. :( </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><br /></span>rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-21187070287069359232013-12-15T19:32:00.003-08:002013-12-15T19:33:07.879-08:00October 28, 2013<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyfeEmScyqPXI-7Xj42HRkT_uvyc-tCJcPogmxkiX-B-IieYOop0tAbvvwJ_Pl-s31aaueF917IsBk6n6XuOtbTbBW_3-mZuxEoF9bdN358oHs1wK8eWZKQcyeVMVFaJa-M7ndsEmr6Y9/s1600/Juiz+de+Fora+sisters.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyfeEmScyqPXI-7Xj42HRkT_uvyc-tCJcPogmxkiX-B-IieYOop0tAbvvwJ_Pl-s31aaueF917IsBk6n6XuOtbTbBW_3-mZuxEoF9bdN358oHs1wK8eWZKQcyeVMVFaJa-M7ndsEmr6Y9/s1600/Juiz+de+Fora+sisters.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juiz de Fora sisters</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">October 28, 2013</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Man! It´s funny how much changes in such short period of time! I hope you all know just how much I love you!! It sounds like you are all doing great!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">This week I went to Volta Redonda in Rio to do three exchanges. Anyways, I had a pretty legit experience there. The sisters were teaching this lady who has been a member of her church for about fifteen years and super happy with it and doesn´t want to change - she told us exactly that during the lesson - super firmly. We taught, bore testimony, etc and then she said that on Sunday she would go to church and see what it was like - but without any comittment whatsoever. But anyways, I knew that I needed to invite her to baptism, even with her responses. And so... I started talking about the Book of Mormon and how it is another testimony of Jesus Christ, etc. and she read the promise in moroni 10 and the spirit with that. we talked a lot about real intent as well. And guess what? She accepted to be baptized on the third of november. I´m just way glad that I followed through and invited her to be baptized even with the things that she said. She has already had several experiences that lead her to believe that our church is true and so that helped her a lot as well.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">We only go back from the exchanges on thursday afternoon - so we weren´t able to work in our own area as much as I wanted.... <i>but</i> the Lord blessed us a TON. This week we were walking down this HUGE set of stair that goes down a giant hill (did I ever tell you how hilly Juiz de Fora is? well. it´s like ridiculous! I´ve now seen a place with such rolling hills as they have here. sometimes they seem like mountains. Our house is actually at the top of a hill.... ) but anyways we stopped and talked to him, he let us in and we taught him and his entire family - there are like seven of them that live there. but yeah, it was a pretty normal lesson. Anyways, we went back Sunday morning and he told us that he was praying the other day for direction and then went out and sat on his front porch and well... that is when we came along. and his question after that was like - now what? He kind of recognized it as a response from God, but didn´t know what it meant for him - what he should do with it. So yeah. We used that experience that we has and of course invited him to baptism, which he accepted. His name is C and he got out of the hospital recently (i think something because of smoking) and realizes that his life was preserved by God, but now wants to know why and is searching for that. It was pretty sweet. </span></div>
rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-81979657909839136352013-12-15T19:15:00.001-08:002013-12-15T19:46:16.399-08:00October 21, 2013<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<span style="color: #38761d;">October 21, 2013</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">... has it really already been a year and a half?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">so.... the first thing I really want to do when I get home is go to the temple. .. Can we do that? We could even just go straight from the airport to there and that would be fine with me! :) And I´m not sure how getting released works, but I would really love to go before that if its possible:)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I love you mom and dad! Thanks for all of your love and support as I have been on a mission. I love you!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">You are the best parents EVER! :)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">O has his wedding date - it´ll be on December 7th and then he´ll be baptized on the 8th. I am SO happy for them! They are SUCH a wonderful family. And I´m glad that the Lord has been able to use us as an instrument in His hand to find them. A contact in the street to a family being completed and next year sealed in the temple! How exciting is that?! I won´t be here for the baptism, but they promissed to send pictures... </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">We are working hard, like always..... I love my companion, Sister P. She is THE best. t I can really see her learning things quickly - even though sometimes I don´t think she can see it. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I love being here and working. There are always challenges and things to confront, but those are the best learning experiences. I love that the mission is such a good opportunity to "forget yourself and get to work". I love this work and I love the people here. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">We are teaching a family who left the church about six years ago and you can really see the effects of that on them. They have one son who is now seventeen and the other is twelve - and never baptized. The one who is seventeen . It has really been interesting to teach him. He is super smart and has a TON of good questions. He questions everything. His questions are really valid too, but the gospel and the plan of salvation answer them all. We taught them on thursday night and I could really feel the spirit there. </span></div>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-18122383576096624972013-12-15T19:14:00.001-08:002013-12-16T07:08:25.957-08:00October 14, 2013<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Oct<span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">ober 14, 2013</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">We just watched conference in portuguese, which is fine by me! :) but we were only able to watch the sunday sessions :(</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">My companion is..... Sister P!!! The only american who actually got her visa. (there were suppossed to be like ten more) But she is AWESOME! I have loved being her companion!! She is super fun to be with and I love working with her! haha. It´s been good too cause she´s been helping me re-learn my english.. hahaha Never thought that would happen. Whenever president was talking the first day, I was translating for her and I couldn´t for the life of me think of the translation for the word - "cobertor". I sat there thinking for a minute and just said the closest word that I could think of - which was lençol or sheets. and she just started laughing. But I mix up my words/grammar like all the time in english. its funny. and kind of sad. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">She is twenty and is from Wisconsin. She stayed in the provo mtc and got to Brasil this past week. she is super dedicated and she is going to be THE best missionary.... :) I love her! I remember how hard it was for me whenever I got out into the field and its interesting being on the other side of the spectrum now. </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Here's a picture of all the trainer's and trainees:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWoJdNxR-BXd2Dsw4aOMbsd941AZk6k1WNEQOJ92c8F7BlVfN0RSJhuMjWtlrdbabrjviQjSaLYc8qAkCmrNPsu8B9NkAg4G63_Vi2HbPXRj5P-EuRVq1Mev5BMf4Q8IyHmnBxXJDj4Gs/s1600/sister+passey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWoJdNxR-BXd2Dsw4aOMbsd941AZk6k1WNEQOJ92c8F7BlVfN0RSJhuMjWtlrdbabrjviQjSaLYc8qAkCmrNPsu8B9NkAg4G63_Vi2HbPXRj5P-EuRVq1Mev5BMf4Q8IyHmnBxXJDj4Gs/s400/sister+passey.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">We had the mission counsel this week:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDLx-PM9MocvVgngaKW8PUfQJaShQhwqSQ2MVR9wny4M4VFCWBLVJALnN3JPUZjAh5I5lhjADTLGdTBLzCWfxU-zmovNIT27nb3InY6x5gVTHT8BHAMlhMb9vWut2CE3_9sfycMhyphenhyphenimpF/s1600/conselho+outubro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDLx-PM9MocvVgngaKW8PUfQJaShQhwqSQ2MVR9wny4M4VFCWBLVJALnN3JPUZjAh5I5lhjADTLGdTBLzCWfxU-zmovNIT27nb3InY6x5gVTHT8BHAMlhMb9vWut2CE3_9sfycMhyphenhyphenimpF/s400/conselho+outubro.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-36573696715219773882013-10-13T21:09:00.000-07:002013-12-15T18:13:32.317-08:00September 30 and October 7, 2013<div style="background-color: white;">
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Bishop and wife with Mary Ann</div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">October 7, 2013</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: 12.8px;">All is well here. We found out about transfers a few minutes ago. So yeah - remember how I was training two sisters just now? Weellll... BOTH of them will be training this next transfer!!!!!... opening areas and training :) I´m excited for them and hope that I was able to pass everything to them that they will need to be successful missionaries. I will be staying here and will also be training. There are only four new sisters coming on the mission and so it´ll be us three and one more sister training. I think President wants to keep me here in the big city because it is central to all of the sisters. He has a lot of the sisters areas here close and so it makes things easier with me here and doing divisions and such. I love my area though and so it´ll be way good to stay! And this is definitely the longest that I´ve stayed in one place! :) </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"> And yes mom, this is my last transfer!!! :( Crazy, huh? I am excited to work hard this transfer! It´s definitely going to be the best yet!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">September 30, 2013</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I´m doing good. I guess you guys have gotten a copy of my travel plans..... that seems so weird to think that I´ve been out for more than a year and five months! The time has passed by so fast! But I am so glad that I get an extra transfer to work and serve the Lord!!! </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Everything is going pretty well here..... They changed our bishopric on sunday which was a HUGE surprise! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></span>rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-56358402649738092862013-10-13T20:38:00.001-07:002013-12-15T18:15:40.686-08:00September 16, 2013 and September 23, 2013<div style="background-color: white;">
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<span style="color: #38761d;">September 23, 2013</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Sorry about the short emails. Its just cause everything is super crazy busy. We only have an hour to e-mail.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Everything here is going well... pretty normal.... The best thing to see though is the progress of the recent converts. V, who was baptized this month and bore testimony on the day of her baptism, was asked to give a ten minute talk this coming Sunday, which she accepted!!!! She was telling me before she was asked that to get her mom to come, she´d have to give a presentation or something as an excuse and so this´ll be perfect! She got a little nervous, but she´ll do great!!!! :) It was way cool...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"> Did I ever tell you about O? It was pretty cool. We were trying to find a street one day and asked a girl for directions. She said she was headed there and that we could go with her. On the way, we started talking and she said that before she was eight, her family had gone to our church for awhile and that she had been a part of the primary. she said that we could come back another day - her name is B and is about 24. We went back later, but she was leaving, but O answered the door and we talked to him for a bit. He didn´t show interest, but said that maybe his wife would be interested and he gave us her phone number and left a pamphlet of the restoration with him. but anways a member told us he would go to church the next day and guess what? he went!!! so yeah. His wife is a member - well actually they´re not married (it is pretty common here for people to live YEARS together and never get married legally). They´re working on their papers right now and in about a month, they´ll be able to get married and O and their son M will be able to get baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Marriage is a SUPER long process here and SUPER expensive as well. Its about a month´s salary and pretty much no one has that on hand. but O is super dedicated, already has all of his papers in order and everything is going super smoothly. Since we´ve met him, he´s already read into third nephi! he knows the book of Mormon is true and that this is the path that he wants to follow. A true miracle!<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">:)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">September 16, 2013</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">mannnnn.... things are so crazy here! but its a good kind of crazy. That is SO cool that </span></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Michelle</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> got her visa and is on her way to Brasil!!! That is </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">super</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> legit!!! She is going to LOVE it here. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Welllll.... Things are good, but different. I like doing divisions with the other sisters but it is also weird being away from my area and the work here. At least my companions are able to keep up the work with our investigators, but even still its kind of strange for me. Today I´ll be going to do a division.. I´ll stay there tomorrow and get back Wednesday afternoon. It seems like forever for me to be away from my companions and my area - especially since I´m the one training them and I´ll be leaving them to work on their own..... but they are super awesome and work super well!!! :) </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">We had a zone conference on Tuesday this week. It was super good! ha. And I got a call on Monday night asking me to give a talk in it on the book of mormon. :) </span></div>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-58201658986917785442013-10-13T20:26:00.002-07:002013-12-15T18:00:43.781-08:00TWINS! September 2, 2013 and September 9, 2013<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Ann, twins and Brazilian girl at baptism</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">September 9, 2013</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Things are going well here. i am really liking my new companions. It is really a lot of responsibility being sister leader as well as training two sisters. At least I have Sister R to help me now as sister leader. She is awesome . This week we went on a division with a couple of the sisters (we´re both in trio and so we left our companions working in our areas and went to help the other sisters) </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">September 2, 2013</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">On the mission we have this joke that when you train someone, you are their ´mom´or ´dad´on the mission.... well this transfer, I am a mom of TWINS! and yep. you understand that right. I am in a trio. My new companions are Sister M (from Natal, Brasil) and Sister S (from São Paolo, Brasil). They are both 22. They both arrived Tuesday from the missionary training center. It´s only been a few days since I´ve been with them and it´ll definitely be a new experience. At first I was apprehensive, but I am also kind of excited. It´ll be a new experience and there is a lot that the three of us have to learn together! And I have found that when the Lord calls us to do something, he prepares a way for it to be accomplished when we have faith and trust in him. I really like the both of them :) I just hope that I can train them well and help them be prepared to train in the next transfer, if need be. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">The companion that I was training, Sister F, is now training. I know she only had one transfer on the mission and didn´t even finish her own training, but there are so many sisters coming on the mission that they needed her! She´ll be absolutely great though! She is a great missionary, super dedicated and obedient :) I love her!</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Sunday, V was baptized. This was the fifth Sunday that she has come to church in a row. But man. I have really seen the influence of the spirit in her conversion. At first, she had a good impression of the church, but didn´t want to be baptized at the moment to be able to have more time to get to know it and such. She read, prayed and received a testimony of the Book of Mormon. Then it was her that decided to be baptized, but her mom wanted her to make sure it was what she wanted to do and wait longer. Praying and fasting, we took the bishop there to talk with the two of them. That was what really changed the mom´s idea. Last Sunday, V came to church and told us that her mom would authorize her baptism! Friday, we went there and she was still a little hesitant, but with some scriptures and the Holy Ghost, she accepted to come to church on Sunday to see what it was like as well as V´s baptism on Sunday. She was interviewed </span></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Saturday</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> and bishop called someone to take them to church on </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sunday</span><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> which was super nice of him to do. I was sitting by them both in sacrament meeting and invited V to go up with me are share her testimony - you know kind of like what we did at home - the I´ll go if you go kind of thing. When her other friend on her other side said the same thing, she accepted and the three of us went up to the stand together. V bore her testimony first and it was wonderful!!! I think it was especially good cause her mom was there to hear it :) After church, she was baptized and it was wonderful! I love that girl! :) The picture is of me and my companions, V and Z, her mom.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Ann and twins and Brazilian girl and mom at Baptism</td></tr>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-59191798765855926072013-10-13T20:11:00.000-07:002013-12-18T06:45:58.674-08:00August 26, 2013<span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Maan.... I wish that there was a way to put everything that I was feeling into words. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">This week has been GREAT! I´m not sure what made it so good, but its probably just cause I felt the spirit so strong...... Not everything went the way that we were wanting it to as J and V weren´t baptized on Sunday, but everything is in the Lord´s timing, I´ve learned. And I´ve seen many many miracles along with that. Friday, I fasted specifically for them. That day we went with our bishop (who is THE best!) to visit V and her mom. V is sixteen and we´ve been teaching her for awhile now. Since she started coming to church, she has always liked it and felt the spirit there, but at first it was her wanting to wait a little longer to learn a little more and meet more people. but she accepted to be baptized on this last Sunday (she´s so sweet! and has already received a testimony of the book of Mormon). but then her mom said that she wanted her to wait some more time and make sure that it was really what she wanted to do. (V´s older sister is a member, but inactive). The visit with the bishop went really well! He was able to help Z, V´s mom, understand and take away her doubts. It was super awesome! And then Sunday when V came to church, she said that her mom had agreed to give her permission!! Anyways, I don´t know if you can tell it from what I´ve wrote, but I´ve really felt the spirit these past few days - the peace and happiness that it brings - and I know that it was God answering our prayers and our fasting. I have really seen His working in the lives of these people that I love and want to help so much. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Today we had a p day with all of the sisters of the mission - all ten of us! It was super sweet - we went up a hill they have here - morro do cristo - that has a tiny little statue at the top and had a picnic there. Sister C planned it and it was super sweet to see everyone together :) I love the sisters here! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">but then it was super sad because Sister G left. She was called to serve for one transfer (so that it wouldn´t end up being uneven and having to have a trio) and just got her mission call to serve in Santos, Brasil - she´ll be going September fifth. but yeah it was super sad to say goodbye to her.... and they´ll be a lot more of goodbyes that I´ll have to say in the next few days because of the transfer..... the other sister´s are switching houses and either I or my companion will be transferred :( but yeah, I´ll let you know next week what happens!! There are nine sisters coming and we´ll meet them tomorrow, help them do contacts in the street and then they´ll all sleep in our house at night. But it is only on Wednesday when we find out who will be our companion! These sisters that I have been working with have really become some of my best friends! I love them so much! :)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">This is on our way up to the Morro do Cristo. The attributes of Christ were part of the activity that Sister C had planned. </span></div>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-4755839957239311082013-10-13T19:55:00.001-07:002013-10-13T19:55:52.777-07:00August 19, 2013 <div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">
<span style="color: #222222;">I</span><span style="color: #38761d;"> am doing well. I wish I could just tell you just how much I am learning here. I love the work of the Lord. I love the gospel. I love the influence that it has in people´s lives. and. I love you!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">This week we had several cool experiences.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Last weekend, I made a contact with a man, J. It was a normal contact and I ended up leaving a pamphlet with him and we marked to go back Tuesday at seven o´clock. And so - Tuesday at seven, we went there and tried to find his house, but we couldn´t find the number and so... we started walking away. As we were leaving, someone comes out behind us calling "moças, moças" </span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">(which means girls, girls)</span><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">. And so we turned around and lo and behold it was him :) (His house is on the street that we were looking, but there is a little stream that goes in front of it and a lot of trees around it, and it was also dark outside and impossible to find). So as we were talking to him there, he said that he had read the pamphlet that we had left (had a few questions about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, which we answered) and said that he wanted to go to church. It was awesome. So then we went back and taught him about the restoration and invited him to be baptized next </span></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sunday</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> the 25th. At first he said that it was really soon, but we talked to him about the blessings and he said that it was what he wanted. He went to church </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sunday</span><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> and really liked it and received a priesthood blessing to help him with the word of wisdom. It was cool how we ran into him though. I can really see the Lord guiding in situations like these and others that I have had. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">We´re also working with V. She´s sixteen and has a sister who is an inactive member of the church. She really wants to be baptized this </span></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sunday</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> and just needs permission from her mom. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I have really learned a lot here. I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives and the peace that it leaves us even in difficult situations. I am so glad that we can trust in the Lord and that he will lead and guide us. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">My companion is great. I love how ready she is to learn and to work hard. And well... she´ll end up training this next transfer because there are so many new sisters coming in, which´ll be hard but I´m sure she´ll learn a ton. I think its really in these moments of new responsibility that the Lord really streches us to help us learn and grow. Transfers will be next </span></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Wednesday</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> and so we´ll see what happens!! ahh!</span></span></span></div>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-90688756815721015302013-10-13T19:42:00.000-07:002013-10-13T20:39:58.875-07:00August 5 and August 12, 2013 Milagres (Miracles)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Training is going well. My companion is super awesome! I love her :) </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">There are 9 full time sisters here (with one who was called for six weeks and just got her actual mission call to Santos, </span></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Brasil</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> .... and so nine sisters here with nine more coming in. Which means the sisters who just barely got here will train even before they finish training! And... since I´m the sister leader trainer, I´ll be there to help them and train the trainers... haha. But I really hope that he calls at least one more sister leader! </span></span></span><br />
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August 5, 2013</div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">I am doing GREAT. If I had remembered, about two weeks ago, I would have written something to the effect of : "Tonight we´re gonna teach a pastor!!" And so... let me fill you in on the story. Sunday - A member brought a family to church - mom dad and three kids. That was the first miracle. And so we marked to go back and visit them </span></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Monday</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> night - and someone told us that he was a pastor in another church. We went there </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monday</span><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> night with the bishop a little nervous, but it went over perfectly. It was a perfect lesson and they accepted everything easily - including the baptismal date for this </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sunday</span><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> the fourth. We left super excited and happy. Tuesday night we went back - and thank goodness that we took a family to go and teach with us! Everything was off when we got there and we quickly discovered that they had been fighting and well... they continued their fight in front of us. But yeah, the family that we brought helped them to resolve these conflicts that they had been having and we left them with the spirit. We kept teaching them during the week, but when we went there </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Saturday</span><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> night, A didn´t even want to receive us. She pretended that she was sleeping and we just talked to T on the front porch. And so Sunday, only T went to church. Needless to say, we were bummed and not sure of what happened - I think it was just problems such as the church that she had been going to was a lot closer and easier and stuff like that and also another member that may have set a bad example, BUT the members in our ward are PERFECT. They went to visit them on their own and talked with her and helped her to see the blessings of the restored gospel. We could see a HUGE change when we went there next. We left a message with her and re-invited her to be baptized which she accepted with more conviction. It was awesome. So we continued teaching them and preparing them to be baptized. We also discovered some past problems that T had, but he also has a HUGE desire to change his life. Saturday.... the day of the baptismal interview...... was a funny day. Fist of all, pretty much everything went wrong for us and then when we finally go there with the elders, Elder S started interviewing them and well.... Then a group of women from the Pentecostal Church arrived - the church that T used to go to. And well... it was a funny sight. Four missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ and these four women (this moment definitely </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">strengthened</span><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> my testimony as to the authority that we have as Christ´s true representatives). They conversed with T during the other interviews and then the elders left and we decided that it would be better if we stayed until the ladies left. And so... we stayed there and listened to their message. It was a good thing that we did. They made a lot of side remarks that were meant for us and to deter them from being baptized. The most interesting part was whenever they prayed. They had the family kneel down and the four of them prayed at once, talking in loud voices and citing scriptures and praying, putting their hands on the family´s heads and such - it was a huge difference from the </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">quiet</span><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> manner that we´re used to praying. It was funny because in the middle of this, the youngest daughter - A - ran out from the middle of it and came and clung to us. She definitely noticed the difference in the spirit. And then they left and we stayed. We sang with them and then bore our testimonies, trying to help them notice the large difference in the spirit. A and the kids were firm in their choice to be baptized, but T started to remember the way that he had done things in the past and what he was used to and was a little less firm. Sunday came and T got there first and said that the others were on their way, but we started to worry a little bit when they arrived late to church - but it was just because there was a water outage and it took a little longer for her to get all of the kids ready. T wasn´t baptized on Sunday, but he´ll have another interview this week and we´ll help him to prepare so that he can enter into the waters of baptism. But I, A and Y were all baptized yesterday. Their baptism was beautiful :) The spirit was strong and they felt it as well. I love them SO much!!! But yes, a lot of fervant prayer and fasting went into it. I could definitely see the Lord protecting them, but also the other side trying to mess everything up. </span></span></span></div>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-57182602689046402013-08-04T08:05:00.001-07:002013-08-04T08:05:55.631-07:00July 29, 2013 Extending one more transfer!!!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiusJbsCq2kB_aoIaZltUlXPTXwmJziPsHb-Jr-kM7ioXfhHxerRlpr61dmoDSQ4Ff203k07gJd-FY7y20mWny0vErvc3-ZCsft0XofSNbNKL9WDMQ1s0-FWApC6EtRx0H3qiV9K3SobdZ6/s1600/mary+ann+baptism+with+sister+C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiusJbsCq2kB_aoIaZltUlXPTXwmJziPsHb-Jr-kM7ioXfhHxerRlpr61dmoDSQ4Ff203k07gJd-FY7y20mWny0vErvc3-ZCsft0XofSNbNKL9WDMQ1s0-FWApC6EtRx0H3qiV9K3SobdZ6/s1600/mary+ann+baptism+with+sister+C.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Ann and Sister C at Baptism</td></tr>
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Things are going good here. workin hard and lovin it. This week has been good. My companion is great!! <br />
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Also, I get to stay one more transfer on the mission!!!!!!!!! If that´s alright with you that is :) That´s until the <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_169813607" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">12th of November</span></span>!!! So I´ll get home at the perfect time :) right before all the holidays.</div>
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Oh and the second picture is S and R together. S was a reference to a member and R a reference from S :) Another picture of her baptism is here with Sister C.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Ann with S and R</td></tr>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-63846841270681977822013-07-23T11:11:00.002-07:002013-12-18T06:43:47.535-08:00July 22, 2013 Training!<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">This transfer..... well.... pretty much EVERYTHING got switched up. Pretty much all of the sisters switched areas - Only I stayed. They split my area and now the assistants to the president will be working on the other half. And well... I´m training, my companion is Sister F and she´s AWESOME :) She is 22 as well and from Terezina Piaui (not sure how to spell that?) I am also sister leader trainer - by myself!!!! Usually its the companionship and so this is different as well... And so I am responsible for ALL of the sisters here on the mission - all of which are training for the first time and the ones who just got here will probably start training this next transfer since there are a LOT of sisters coming!!! so yeah.... that´s a lot of responsability to make sure that they are all trained well. Thank goodness the Lord is here to help!! :) <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_884762982" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Tuesday</span></span> will be the first mission counsel, so that´ll be interesting. Man. When I first got the call, I definitely felt the weight of the responsibility, but I know that the Lord is here with me to help me and strengthen me. And it´ll be a wonderful opportunity. I´ve already had the opportunity to help some of the sisters adjust to these new changes and so that has been wonderful. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">And as there are so many sisters coming on the mission - I think president needs sisters with more experience to help out - There are a LOT of sisters coming and they´ll probably have to train before they even finish being trained. So. I´ll be home by Christmas, but that is as much as I know :) haha. I actually offered to stay and president´s taking me up on it :) </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">This week has been rushed with a lot to do, but its been good. Ri was baptized yesterday. She is 73 and is in a wheelchair. She was a reference from our recent convert, S. She is doing well and her baptism was beautiful. They had two people in the font to help her be baptized. It was beautiful! :)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">This is right before we found out who our companions would be with President. Mine ended up being Sister F - the one in the blue skirt :)</span><br />
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-43851436446879841102013-07-18T21:15:00.001-07:002013-07-18T21:16:46.373-07:00July 15, 2013<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">July 15, 2013</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">I am still in a trio - until Tuesday!! and then I´ll probably train. They´ll call us today and let us know everything. My companions right now are Sister R and Sister C. Sister C is 20 and from Rondonia, Brasil and Sister R is 19 and from Curitiba. and guess what? she has 20 brothers and sisters!!! Beat our family by a ton! Its funny whenever we meet people because whenever I say however many brothers and sisters I have, they give the usual surprised/ impressed response and then she says how many she has and well.... its just a really funny reaction. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">but yeah. the mission started with five of us sisters - there are four more coming tomorrow and so everyone will train and someone will be in a trio. and that´ll make nine sisters on the mission - pretty much doubled! and then the next transfer - president said that there are NINE sisters coming, which means that EVERYONE´ll probably train - even those who will get here tomorrow. well... at least that´s my guess as to what´ll happen cause I don´t really think he´ll put someone training two.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Hey Mom - what would you think if I decided to stay more time on the mission? please say yes! :)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Oh... and what is this article that they wrote about me, Laura and Michelle? I haven´t read it, but its made its way all the way to Brasil. haha. I think they sent a copy of it to President Lima, who sent it to our mission. And well... I think that its passed to everyone except to me! hahaha. Church <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_279917977" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(100, 100, 100); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; cursor: pointer; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Sunday</span></span>, one of the members who put his papers in to serve a mission, came up to me and showed me how he had put it on facebook and sent a copy to the bishop. Although I´m not sure how much they all understand cause it was still in English. haha but if you have a copy of it, could you send it to me? I think it must have been written awhile ago cause it said I had ten months on the mission. </span></div>
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Facts about Juiz de Fora, Brazil</h2>
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<li style="font-size: 12px; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: square; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 13px;">Juiz de Fora has a population of over 500,000 people.</span></li>
<li style="font-size: 12px; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: square; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Juiz de Fora is between three majors Brazilian cities- Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte.</li>
<li style="font-size: 12px; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: square; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Juiz de Fora is located in southeast Brazil.</li>
<li style="font-size: 12px; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: square; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Juiz de Fora is a very humid city with an average humidity of 80%.</li>
<li style="font-size: 12px; list-style-position: inside; list-style-type: square; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Juiz de Fora has temperatures year-round of about 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit.</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">President and Sister Cascardi-first president of new Juiz de Fora mission</td></tr>
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Brazil Juiz de Fora Mission</div>
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<em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Luciano Cascardi, 49, and Ines Sangali Cascardi, three children, Vila Prudente Ward, Sao Paulo Brazil Ipiranga Stake.</em></div>
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Brother Cascardi is a stake president, counselor in a stake presidency, high councilor, bishop, and missionary in the Brazil Recife Mission. Franchise co-owner and business administrator. Born in Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, to Francesco and Ivanete Lopes Cascardi.</div>
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Sister Cascardi is a counselor in a stake Relief Society presidency and is a former stake Young Women president, ward Relief Society president and counselor, ward Primary president, and counselor in a ward young Women presidency. Born in Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.</div>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-77449524887322343852013-07-18T20:53:00.000-07:002013-12-18T06:55:06.065-08:00July 8, 2013<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Juiz de Fora Mission</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Things are going great!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">We had a conference with the new mission on Friday and I attached the photo of everyone. The meeting was super spiritual. President and Sister Cascardi introduced themselves, along with their children, they discussed the new rules (as there are two misisons coming into one, they had to re-establish a couple of the rules that are different in each mission- for example the music we can listen to - now it´ll just be hymns, tabernacle choir, etc and not efy. but now we can run outside even though we couldn´t before). President also gave a training, which was wonderful! I loved it and learned a lot! I know that President Cascardi was called of God. I love him and Sister Cascardi. They are in our ward and came to J's baptism yesterday. First baptism of the new mission! It was super special. I´ll send you pictures later.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">But things are going well here. Things have been crazy lately being in a trio and working in two wards. We´ve been doing divisions like crazy to keep up the work in both of the wards when we can. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Saturday I did a division and well.... ha. It was awful - I felt really bad because everything went wrong. We went to visit some people, but no one was home. Then we went to a different part of the city further away and once again, we wern´t able to teach anyone. Sad day! It made me sad because I wanted her to have a really good experience, especially since she´s preparing to go on a mission. But then at church on Sunday, she bore her testimony and said that it was one of the best days that she had in her life. haha. She said that she could feel a little bit of what a missionary feels and that she was super grateful for the opportunity. Its funny how the Lord works sometimes. I felt the spirit really strong in her testimony. </span></div>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-12644826615471441022013-07-18T20:30:00.000-07:002013-12-18T06:49:43.511-08:00June 10 and June 18, 2013<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">June 10, 2013</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">So I guess I´ll stay in the new mission for sure then? I was pretty positive I would. It is exciting, but different as well. Even our investigators are having dreams about the mission split... hahaha. We went to visit a family yesterday and he told us how he had read the book of mormon and prayed about it and then had a dream.... he was walking along he street and passed by us, but he passed by pretending that he didn´t know us and hiding himself. but then he got to the house he was going to and there were more people there teaching about the Messiah. Then he left and the street was <em>full</em> of people teaching the same thing. It was funny cause we invited him to be baptized and he tried to get out of it, like he did in his dream, but he´ll look back on this experiecne and know that he already knew.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">June 18, 2013</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Laura and Michelle! Congratulations!!!!! You´re goin´on a mission!! I am so excited for you both! Laura, are you going up to Utah early, or just the day before? Michelle, did you get your passport and everything? Will you come straight to Brasil?! I love you both! Good luck and I am excited for you! Just one more week, can you believe it?! And make sure to send me your new emails :)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">weell.... the new mission will officially come the first day in July. President Lima already came and had a little farewell here. He talked And I went to Rio the last time yesterday :( I had to go back to the federal police to get my visa renewed so it was good to see Rio one last time as well as the group that I came with :) so that was cool. My companion will be going back to rio before the division (the 29th) and I will stay in trio until the next transfer.... We´ll be working in my ward and in the neighboring ward and so we´ll probably just try and go on splits everyday to keep the work up in both of the wards. There´s a lot of changes with the division, but its going to be good. The Lord´s work is really going to spread!!! I know that there are so many people being prepared to hear the message of the restored gospel!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">oh and make sure that anything you send goes to the new address, or else it´ll probably get stuck in Rio.. </span><br />
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-30422999336604521172013-07-07T19:50:00.003-07:002013-07-07T19:51:13.201-07:00June 3, 2013 Missão Juiz de Fora<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;">On June 7,2013, we received an e-mail letter from President Lima telling us that Mary Ann will be serving in the new mission of Juiz de Fora. They are forming a new mission because of the increase in missionaries. The new mission will be formed from part of the Rio de Janeiro mission and another Brazil mission. How wonderful to see the growth of the church and the great enthusiasm the young people have in going on missions!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">June 3, 2013</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">So... Things are going well. Tonight we´ll be traveling back to Rio for the mission counsel tomorrow and then back again to our area. whoop! But this week has been good. We´ve been praying to find families to teach and the Lord has been answering our prayers. It has been wonderful. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Everyday I learn a little bit more about the gospel of Jesus Christ and His atonement. I´ve learned that we can never be too low that He can´t lift us back up. I´ve learned that His gospel is for everyone - literally - it doesn´t matter who we are or where we´ve been, what mistakes we´ve made, we are all children of God and He wants us ALL back in His presence. I´ve learned that it is our responsibility and privilege to make this known unto others. I´ve learned that true happiness comes as we live the Gospel, having and exercising faith in Christ, repenting, keeping and renewing the covenants we´ve made with Him, following the Spirit, and never giving up, but keeping His commandments and enduring to the end. I know that God loves us. I know that Christ lives. I know that this is His gospel which will lead us back into His presence. I know that families can be together through His plan for us.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">oh yeah. And below should be attached a picture of A and G She´s been super active, and he´s the miracle I talked about whenever He came back to church. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRk7nEDdJCH_IRmOt3dx_GnbWglIFFHvK2CgQMf2S1fZV6mwsYvmeBeklZqYlYfuWmlaU9gBP87YqEg5KEU1qM0BX9JryJSkPbwsYMHbRK3zLvfEGNY8xNbk0yNjs8efUa3ssMMcwIafa/s1600/A&G+Brazil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRk7nEDdJCH_IRmOt3dx_GnbWglIFFHvK2CgQMf2S1fZV6mwsYvmeBeklZqYlYfuWmlaU9gBP87YqEg5KEU1qM0BX9JryJSkPbwsYMHbRK3zLvfEGNY8xNbk0yNjs8efUa3ssMMcwIafa/s1600/A&G+Brazil.jpg" height="237" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHL-t9Z7nrg7QolPNt9QXDidmxz5i0qFcZpgvnS29TjNFvZSPqCIqWnBP-SXvFfZJZE9cAOT61RucF0y8Yh0UuRGIi-HIF6LGTzQFBG_RrrLKJfWIliE5xfUHxKkUAnaFtTjLGEwhKgd8/s1600-h/017-006+blender+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #669922; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHL-t9Z7nrg7QolPNt9QXDidmxz5i0qFcZpgvnS29TjNFvZSPqCIqWnBP-SXvFfZJZE9cAOT61RucF0y8Yh0UuRGIi-HIF6LGTzQFBG_RrrLKJfWIliE5xfUHxKkUAnaFtTjLGEwhKgd8/s320/017-006+blender+web.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block;" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #555544; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 19px;"><b>Pineapple/Mint Juice</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555544; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">2 thick slices fresh pineapple, peeled and cored, in 1 inch chunks</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #555544; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">sugar to taste (I don't use any, but some might prefer a sweeter drink. Brazilians definitely do!)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #555544; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Put everything except sugar into blender. Blend until thoroughly amalgamated. Check sweetness, add sugar if desired, and blend again to dissolve sugar. Serve immedia</span>rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-48458244129318715102013-06-02T20:23:00.001-07:002013-06-02T20:23:26.238-07:00May 27, 2013<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="color: #38761d;"> I am doing well. <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_540209579" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Sunday</span></span> we had the baptism of A. She is a super special young woman we have been working with. One of her friends has been bringing her to church. After our first lesson with her, we invited her to pray about the things that we had taught. When we came back, she told us about the response to her prayers. It was super sweet. She said she prayed and felt peace in her heart and felt that God said that "yes" it was true en her heart. It was so cute. I love her!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">This week has been an interesting one...... Without light in our house. Before we got here, there were two months of electricity that had gone unpayed and so it got switched off on Wednesday, I think...... and well, its been payed since them, but they still haven´t gone back to turn the lights back on! It has been interesting though, taking cold showers, putting the iron on the stove to heat it up and pass our clothes, trying to be creative to figure out what to do with our here, and etc.... But I´ve also felt super grateful and blessed. I can really tell how the Lord has been looking after us. We have water and gas to cook food. And our neighbors are wonderful! There is a member who lives upstairs and a family of investigators of the other sisters that live above them and they have been absolutely wonderful to us!!! and our other neighbor as well! They have brought us food, let us use their emergency lights and etc. They are awesome! :) We really haven´t been in need of anything! And I can tell it is the hand of the Lord. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"> This week was transfers and I will stay here with Sister O! :) yes</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">This transfer was only five weeks and so it was a little bit shorter than the others, but yes, it has gone by way fast!! </span></div>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-89136982313448365212013-06-02T20:18:00.001-07:002013-06-02T20:18:34.236-07:00May 20, 2013<div style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="color: #38761d;">Yesterday we had an interesting experience. A miracle, in reality. Yesterday we had lunch with a sister in the ward and when we got there, we found out that she was married, but that her husband was inactive. We spent the whole lunch talking with them about the gospel, their daughter that is on the mission and well - spiritual stuff to help him. After lunch, I left the message, inviting them to prepare be sealed in the temple and inviting him to come back to church. It was really interesting because he kept saying no, that he needed to prepare himself first, that he would go next week, but not today. And so..... we kept talking to him - teaching and testifying - and the spirit was really strong. Anyways, all in all, we invited him to pray then and there and it was funny cause we just sat there with our eyes shut (praying for him as well) for a couple minutes. He finally started with our help, but pretty much said the whole prayer on his own after Dear Heavenly Father. He prayed for his family. And after that, the spirit did the rest of the work. He hopped up and said. eu vou! i´ll go! Then he went and grabbed clothes and got ready and we went with him to church. It was awesome! We talked to him after church and he said that he felt good, relieved, peace etc. And that he would come back next week. It is amazing to me how the spirit works on people. It touches the hearts of the individual. And I can also testify to how the gospel of Jesus Christ blesses the lives of all it touches. :)</span></div>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-88436091015294001962013-06-02T20:13:00.000-07:002013-06-02T20:13:46.905-07:00May 13, 2013<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0n8Q-NnHSI8iJM2OYP5US412E5zAJihyMy8HFIMylPb6zScR_bFMlHrvouir-8t20iiG_j7eMAnh76WCOrYfgRbn_7JZth6FGYjwMXahrsGy7a35ZO7Lp7Z95oR0x5BMuRZYxURdNTZFh/s1600/zone+photo+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0n8Q-NnHSI8iJM2OYP5US412E5zAJihyMy8HFIMylPb6zScR_bFMlHrvouir-8t20iiG_j7eMAnh76WCOrYfgRbn_7JZth6FGYjwMXahrsGy7a35ZO7Lp7Z95oR0x5BMuRZYxURdNTZFh/s1600/zone+photo+1.jpg" height="204" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">zone photo 1</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">haha. Mom - you don´t need to worry about the food that I eat - we actually eat pretty healthy here :) We eat soup, toast, fruit smoothies, etc. Depends on the day. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> (</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Mary Ann was answering the question about what the missionaries eat for breakfast and meals that aren't at the members homes)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A</span><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">nd yes, we do only drink filtered water. The mission reimburses the filtered water that we buy and it usually works out pretty well... So no, you don´t need to send one. Also, the blanket I have i super warm - they also keep more in each house so there are more if I need them. I´m doing pretty good on bug repellent and sunscreen - I still have a lot left. As for a coat - I wanted to ask you about that - do you think it would be better for me to buy one here, or for you to send one? The one that I´ve seen that´s actually good, is about 100 reais or fifty dollars.... what do you think? But I do still have my coat at home too.... but yeah, the only other thing I can think of that I would really need is clothes - shirts and skirts!!! and maybe an undershirt. but yeah, besides that, I can´t really think of anything. just maybe some church shoes....</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Weeellll.... To answer your questions:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tell us about the nice, thoughtful things members or investigators do for you. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This ward is really awesome!!! Our first Sunday here, the two wards that meet in our building were combined and we had a couple people come up to us and ask us which ward we were in - and then give us a bag of food! They gave us milk, crackers, and bread! And they do the same thing every Sunday What they give switches, but every week, someone from the ward gives us something! Which is super nice and thoughtful and helps us out a ton! I am so grateful for his ward! They are awesome :)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tell us about the nice things the missionaries do. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">So this is only the second transfer that I´ve lived with other sisters, but it is turning out to be really awesome! The other sisters are great! Everyone works together and helps each other out. Someone´ll usually make breakfast everyday, and we all kind of switch off without really having anything decided, everyone just helps and works together! :) It is super sweet! I love these girls! ha we even share clothes at times! :) as you will see in the photo! haha. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tell us about when you feel the spirit in a lesson and what you were teaching the people. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">So the other day we were teaching a lesson to a family that needs to get married in order to get baptized. It was a really good lesson and as we were bearing our testimonies about temples, he received an answer in that moment. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Tell us about the reactions people have to your message and their commitment or lack thereof to change. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">haha... This question has such a varied answer! It really depends on the situation. For example, we do contacts everyday in the street and there are <i>plenty </i>of times when people don´t even give us the time of day. Others when they listen politely, but really aren´t interested. But then again, there´s been some instances when we´ve started to talk to someone and they start to cry and say that we were an answer to their prayers. Ha. I had one time when I talked to a girl and she declined respectfully, but then about three minutes later, she came back and told us where she lived and when she would be home for us to come and visit. I think that when the people really let the spirit into their hearts, they become committed to follow the Lord. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">And the way they overcame their struggles and the testimonies that they share. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I LOVE the testimonies of recent converts. We went to visit a family of recent converts the other day and well, the spirit as they shared their testimonies was SO strong! The dad went from smoking and drinking one day, to getting married and being baptized. They feel the spirit and have the desire to share these same blessings with others. They´re working to go to the temple. It is absolutely amazing the change the gospel has on the lives of everyone who lives it! It brings so much more peace and happiness to our lives :)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">oh and the pictures attached are from the zone conference that we had. One is just our zone of Juiz de Fora and the other is our zone with the zone of Volta Redonda. These are the other sisters that we are working with and doing splits with :)</span></div>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-49527864813983363072013-05-12T15:49:00.000-07:002013-05-12T15:50:16.388-07:00May 6, 2013 <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">HAPPY MOTHER´S DAY!!!! This Sunday, right? So guess what that means? I get to talk to you!! :) I love you mom! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">The first mission counsel was way good. I was able to learn a lot! And it was cool to see the part that all the elder´s take a part of. President and the assistants each gave a training. I loved the part that the president gave, I could really feel the spirit. ha.... and with the assistants training - Sister O and I had to do a practice... well it was half voluntary, but still... :) And yeah, we do have a part in the zone trainings - we had one this past week and we both passed part of the training :) different, but it was cool...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">yeah the problem with apartments is is that someone sits down at the bottom and won´t let you in until they call the person in the apartment and they allow us to go up... and even if we can get past them, people will complain if someone comes in unannounced, so when we knock doors we usually just go to houses - but mostly we just talk to the people in the streets. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">So yeah, it is cold here. Well - to you guys it probably wouldn´t be that cold, but since what I´m used to is 95 degree weather like everyday, it feels pretty cold to us. And no, the blanket I have is warm enough, but some more warm clothes would be nice!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">As for vitamins, I still have a little of the vitamin c that I brought and I have that other one that you sent, so I think I´m doing good :)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Well, I hope that all of you are doing well!! I would love to receive letters from you :)</span></div>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-27185065247125936782013-05-12T15:37:00.001-07:002013-05-12T15:50:22.855-07:00April 29, 2013 /New Area<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">First week in my new area - Jardim América. It´ll be part of the mission Juiz de Fora... and more likely than not, I will be a part of the new mission. Also, I don´t know the name of the new mission president, but I´ve heard that he is from São Paulo. And they say that the new mission house will be near here.... so that´ll be interesting. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">And like you said, Sarah - it is a really good thing that they are having sister leader trainer´s. It was something that was needed - we were talking about this a few weeks ago even before it was announced and it´ll be way good to have the information passed directly from the president. Sister O and I will both be leader´s now together - it kind of works like zone leaders, except just with sisters. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We'll</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> go on splits with the other sisters, help them and train them. oh and we´ll go to the mission counsels, which is new. We´re gonna go back to rio tonight to have it tomorrow. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I am really liking Minas so far. It is super cold here though!!!! I never expected that and I only have two light sweaters!!!! Well at least its cold to me cause I´ve been used to ninety-five degree weather. So yeah. Tell Michelle to bring weather for the cold and for the heat cause she´ll need it :) especially after she has a summer there and then goes through the winter...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">haha. it´s kind of funny how the mission is different for everyone. This is my fifth area now and well, compared to a lot of other sisters, that´s quite a bit :) And this´ll be the third area that Ive opened (well not opened opened, but just switched from elders to sisters, but we both got there at the same time without knowing anything!) and its seeming to be the hardest. There are a lot of apartments - and I don´t know if you know this, but we can´t really knock doors there or visit anyone there unless we already have their name and they accept for us to go up. Also, our area is really big. but its good :) and I LOVE my companion. She is hilarious! and an absolutely fantastic missionary!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jardim America</td></tr>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-70321758125540059762013-05-12T15:21:00.001-07:002013-05-12T17:22:51.243-07:00April 15 and April 22, 2013 Sister Leader Trainers<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">April 15</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Well.... things are going well. This week´ll be the last week of the transfer and its been a good one. I love my companion and the work has been going well. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I´m sorry I´m so bad at writing.... What kind of stories do you want to hear? What do you want to know? I guess to me, things just kind of seem normal cause I live it everyday but they could be different to you, but things are going really well and I am loving the work! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">April 22</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">I don´t know if you´ve heard yet, but the church has started this new program of sister leader trainers. I <i>think</i> that it is something world-wide, but I could be mistaken. Well.... As for transfers..... even though I just got here in Anil this past transfer, I will be transfered to.... guess where??? Juiz de Fora. Yep. That´s in Minas Gerais - another state in Brasil and what will be part of the new mission - so.... more likely than not, I will stay on that half of the mission since it splits in July. and guess what else? I´ll be one of these sister leader´s thing. We´ll have a training on it later in the day, but from what I understand, we´ll pretty much do what a zone leader does, but for sisters. Go on splits and help train the other sisters. Also, we´ll be opening the area in Jardim de America. so... we´ll see how it all goes :) I´m pretty excited though. It´s gonna be a good transfer! My companion will be Sister O She is Brasilian. I´ve met her before and she seems way funny and awesome. My current companion, Sister C will be staying here in Anil to train a new sister :) I am so excited for her! She´ll do great! This past transfer has been great with her! She is a great sister - super motivated and with a good focus and I love her! She is great! :) It has passed by ridiculously fast though!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Oh. So we had a baptism yesterday. His name is D and we´ve been working with him for a few weeks now. I can´t believe how prepared he was by the Lord to receive the gospel. It was amazing. He was a referral from an AWESOME member, A. He has a great heart for missionary work! He takes us to pretty much everyone that he knows. He fasts and prays to have missionary opportunities and then takes advantage of them when they come! It is awesome. And it was through him and his faithfulness that we met D. Definitely something that we should all do as members :) D is eighteen years old and can serve a mission in a year! how awesome would that be?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">So can I just tell you a funny story that is not very typical of being a missionary? hahaha. Well... the other day we went to visit a family and we were calling at the front gate, but no one was answering. Since it was open, we just went in to call closer to the house, leaving the door open behind us. outside was a huge gate with concrete all around it and inside there were several houses on one side and a high wall on the other side made of concrete. but the family didn´ tend up being home and the neighbor (i think on purpose), shut the gate behind us..... and well.... we were stuck. no one else in the other houses were home either and.... so what did we do? well. scaled the fence and jumped it, of course. yeah, it was pretty epic. two sister missionaries climbing over a wall in skirts. but no one else saw, which was good- and well.. we made our escape! :) haha but it was a pretty funny moment.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Carolyn here: Here's an article about Sister Leaders.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865577611/Sister-LDS-missionaries-will-have-key-role-in-new-Mission-Leadership-Council.html?pg=all">http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865577611/Sister-LDS-missionaries-will-have-key-role-in-new-Mission-Leadership-Council.html?pg=all</a><br />
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This might be different then the gate they actually climbed over but I thought it was useful to visualize her story. </div>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-27281710399284992972013-05-12T15:04:00.002-07:002013-05-12T15:51:21.471-07:00April 8, 2013 Rio de Janeiro Temple announcement!!!!!!<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Can I just say that this was the absolute best conference ever? And it probably wouldn´t be hard to guess which talk was my favorite either.... :) </span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">So let me just tell you about my saturday afternoon. So we got to the church - the portuguese wasn´t working and so all of the missionaries were gathered in a small little room, knowing that if a temple were to be announced, it would be there during the first session. President Monson came on and as he got to the announcement of temples, we all got super anxious and well he said there would be two temples announced. The first? Cedar City, Utah. The second? all we heard was Brasil and then the sound cut off! Needless to say, we all went crazy with the suspense. It was a funny moment and my brilliant companion caught it all on camera :) You must also know that a temple has always been our goal. Everything we do is centered on building a temple here in Rio - helping families hear about and receive the restored gospel. Since I´ve gotten here its been the focus of the mission and my focus. But wow. It was crazy. SO a few minutes later - which was pretty much <i>eternity! </i>after getting to the right spot and trying to get the sound to stop cutting out, we all heard the announcement..... That there would be a temple built in Brasil, Rio de Jan..... and that is when all the screams broke out. It was crazy!!! WE`RE GOING TO HAVE A TEMPLE HERE IN RIO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<wbr></wbr>!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<wbr></wbr>!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<wbr></wbr>!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<wbr></wbr>!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited!!!!!! You have no idea!!! Definitely amazing moment, and I am SO glad that I can be a part of it all. Part of the building of a temple here in Rio. It´s amazing to me how the building of a temple starts long before a temple is announced. A temple! We have been working for this moment for so long and will continue doing so until its built! The blessings of living the gospel are amazing!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Announcement of Rio Temple</td></tr>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256575301825608495.post-15907275245108613082013-05-12T13:41:00.000-07:002013-05-12T15:52:09.595-07:00April 1, 2013/ Happy Easter<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Happy Easter!! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Well we´re doing good. This week was pretty great. The work is going well. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">So. One cool thing that happened was that I made a contact with a girl, invited her to learn more, she rejected and well we went about doing our work. But then..... she walked back to me and said that she changed her mind, that she would be at home a certain day and we could come by to visit!!! Its interesting sometimes how the spirit works with people.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">I have really been able to see the hand of the Lord leading and guiding us this week. Its funny some of the experiences we´ve had, running into members that had been wanting to talk to us and then having them take us to people who needed help or to new investigators. I have really been able to see how important and pivotal the role of members in missionary work. We went to visit two inactive families this week with the secretary of our ward and well.... It helped them a TON. It really helps EVERYONE - inactives, investigators, members - to see the love that members, and through these members, ultimately the Love that God has for them. </span></div>
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rtcarolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03188240018155962254noreply@blogger.com0