FAMILIA. (Jul. 1)

GUESS WHAT WE DID THIS MORNING????!

Yep, that´s right. We cleaned our house. 

Upside down and inside out...... our house is CLEAN. 

Cleaned that thing out Brasilian style...... with buckets and buckets and MORE BUCKETS of water, laundry detergent poured all over the floor, and scrubbing it with a broom. Weird as it may sound, it worked well. 

Better not find a SINGLE cockroach in our house this week! 

Did I mention that our house has been infested with them??? and I HATE cockroaches!!! One climbed on my foot and another one on my hand! aggggghhh. 

But moving on. 

Our house is clean and we have cockroach killing spray. So all is well. 

About this week....

We are dropping pretty much all of our investigators cause they aren't progressing...... ergh. Now we REALLY have to find new people..... 

Giovana and familia are doing so well!!! 

BATISMO DA GIOVANA!!! Giovana + FAMILIA  + Me and sister Menden! From left to right: S. Menden, me, Giulia, Giovana, Laura(their mom), Rafael (her boyfriend), a couple from the ward in Bragança, and Solange (their grandma from Bragança)

 They have been coming to our activities, and came to church again as a family for Giovana to get confirmed! Laura made some friendships in Relief Society and Giulia is doing soooooo great in Young Womens-----Did I mention that she told us that she wants to serve a mission!!!!???!?!

Us + Giovana + Guilherme (the young man that baptized her)

This week we watched the movie "Together Forever" with them. It was perfect because there was so many things in the different stories that applied to this family. From the first 30 seconds Laura was like "this sounds just like me!!". (it was a guy talking about how he had his priorities messed up when he was working way to much and neglecting his family) Anyways, it was good and got them thinking. As well as we got them to commit to do family prayer everyday and helped Laura to see how SHE needs to come back to church and not just her daughters.... It especially rang home because she had just marked a work appointment for Sunday morning (when Giovana would be confirmed), completely forgetting that going to church with her family should be the first priority..... After we watched the movie, she decided to re-schedule the appointment and be there at church on Sunday. =]

Luana is also doing really well. She is also getting more excited and making more friends in Young Womens. (SIDENOTE---Luana and Giulia live a street away from each other! and there are two other young women that live about 3 blocks down the hill from them! YES) 

ANDDDDD she is planning to leave and work with us, making contacts and teaching this Wednesday! =]

OHHHHH

and we are gonna have another NOITE DA PANQUECA this week!!! Basically, the same American pancakes with maple syrup activity that we did in Campinas, me and Sister Menden decided to do here. =]

WOOOOOOOOOOOO. And we have some awesome young women that help us out with activities every week, so it is gonna be great. 

So many people have already commented to us that they will be there...... yikes. Its possible that this thing will be HUGE. 

Did I mention that Brasil won the "Copo de Confederações" yesterday??? Yep. They were playing against Spain last night, and we knew Brasil had made a goal as we were walking down the silent, deserted street and all of a sudden we could hear cheering and screaming coming from inside ALL of the houses on the block...... WOW. 

Afterwards, we knew Brasil won because of all the fireworks.... hahah. 

Also, it has been raining a TON here..... cold and rainy and coldddddd. So glad I brought that giant rain coat/trenchcoat thing..... ahhhh. SO COLD. Totally gonna die when I get home and it SNOWS. 

Going to church in the rain was fun..... We walked to church this Sunday with Luana..... We figured she would bail and decide to stay home because of the rain.... but she went!!! All cute in her new skirt and high heels and umbrella!!! haha. and we trekked up and down the hills in the POURING rain. I totally stepped in a huge puddle on accident and my feet were soaked for the rest of the day..... But, it was strangely the funnest walk to church of my life. I remembered Uncle Ben´s "you´re always gonna remember this moment", and told Luana how she would be able to tell her kids someday when they start complaining about going to church that she went to church, trekking up and down the hills in the POURING rain...... hahaha. Good moments. 

andddddd its raining again. 

so excited to go buy groceries in the rain. YAY. 

playing UNO for our ANIVERSARIO DE ATIBAIA pday!

love you all SO MUCHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

boa semana!!!

Sister Ward