You're Gonna Miss This (Aug. 5)

Hey there family!

So......... I´m gonna be home and talk to you all in three weeks from now.......... so I´m gonna be quick about this today. 

This week was AWESOME. 

It started out with our pday at the parque with Isadora and another family from our ward. They have an American football!! so we threw that around a bit and enjoyed ourselves. 

Learning how to make bife milanesa at our lunch at Renata´s house!

Tuesday, at our district meeting, Presidente and Sister Perrotti decided to give us a surprise visit and showed up to participate in our meeting and practices. I got to practice teaching Sister Perrotti. heheh. 

ANDDDD, they decided to bring with them the two "training sisters" and their companions. Since the mission is receiving so many sisters now, they are starting up this program with training sisters who will do divisions with all of the sisters in the mission to help with training and stuff. Kind of like zone leaders for the sisters. In our mission, they just called these two sisters and started up this program this transfer. 

SO, Sister Brandão, Sister Aspitia and their companions came to our district meeting as well. 

ANDDD our district has 5 sisters that are all living together and dividing one ward in Itatiba.... 

So we had 11 sisters there at our meeting Tuesday morning!!

SURPRISE!!!!!! =]

District meeting with our surprise visitors!! Did you ever think we would have so many sisters????!?!?

Then, Sister Aspitia and her companion Sister Gomes stayed with us to work with us for the next day and a half. Sister Alexandre got to work with Sister Gomes and I got to work with Sister Aspitia. And we got to sleep with the four of us smashed in our tiny room......... Mattresses from one wall to the other!!! hahaha. Great fun. 

Wednesday night was Isadora´s despedida--- farewell party. And she went into the CTM Thursday morning. WOW. Crazy how fast time flies!! It seems like yesterday she was sending in her papers.... 

And it seems like last week I was there in the CTM myself!!! hahah. 

Despedida da Isadora!! she is going to Missão Brasil Vitoria!

We spent the entire week teaching José and Suely. 

We had invited José to be baptized this week, but he wasn't exactly sure about it.... This week we taught him at the praça where he sells ice cream in the center of Atibaia. He is still worked up about a lot of things he has to change in his life and a lot of repenting he has to do, but he wants to get baptized---so much. So we planned everything for him to get baptized with Suely this Saturday. Unfortunately, there were a few things he hadn't told us that he shared with the elder who did his interview, and he is going to need a little more time to prepare. BUT, that´s okay! He is doing really well and came to watch Suely´s baptism and came to church again yesterday. This extra time for him to prepare will be good for him. 

Suely is SUPER ELEITA and was completely ready for baptism, and this Saturday she got baptized and yesterday she was confirmed!!! WOOOO!

She was SOOOO excited for her baptism. I can't even describe to you all how excited she was..... ah. And it was so adorable. This little, 60 year old lady that has gone through so much in her life. But she is always ALWAYS happy. No matter what is going on. I love her!

BATISMO DA SUELY!!!

Saturday, we had a problem with the water heater.... We couldn't figure out how to turn that stupid thing on!!! So one of the Irmãos from the branch helped us out and turned it on....... BUT, he turned it on to the setting "minimum" instead of "MAX"...... So when we got to the chapel about 40 minutes before the baptism was supposed to start, the water was cold. 

uh oh. We went into the guys bathroom and discovered the problem and switched it on to max, but it was too late.... The water was just warm enough to not be freezing anymore when Suely got baptized. 

Also, our bishop has been training all the priests in the ward to baptize. And so, one of the 16 year old priests was assigned to baptize Suely, and it was his FIRST time baptizing anyone..... Anyways, he was a little nervous and it took 3 times for him to be able to get her under the water all the way..... ahhh. Poor kid. And poor Suely!! haha. 

With Tomás, who did the baptism, and Irmão Robérico.... About 30 seconds after we took the pictures, he was already posting them on Facebook..... hahaha. maybe you all saw them! hahah

But, in the end it was really special, and both Suely and Jose were crying after the ordinance. 

Sunday, she got confirmed and is officially the newest, most EXCITED member of our ward!! =]

We also did a TON of contacts last week and found some new cool people to teach..... We´ll see how that goes this week. 

And we did some planning on how to work with the members and were able to plan with several people that are going to do visits with us this week, and we are planning a couple awesome activities for the next few weeks. 

I´m way excited. 

Me and Princesa Giovana at the Grupo do Tanque!! I LOVE this girl. She is soooo sweet! A couple weeks ago when we stopped by, she gave me and Sister Alexandre these little angel statue things that sit on your desk from her collection. She is the sweetest.

Grupo do Tanque!! (only some of the members.... Sunday before last there was a good 25+ people there...)

 

Sister Alexandre, Cinthia, Renata, Me and princesa Giovana!

Getting pretty nervous about coming home.....

Yesterday, I got out my oldest memory card with pictures and started looking at them. MAN, I was so pale!! hahah and my hair was darker...... are you guys gonna recognize me???

I hate saying goodbyes, and I´m gonna miss the people here so much....... I keep trying to forget how soon I am leaving, but people have a crazy way of reminding me..... like my companion Sister Alexandre, who has been counting the days..... hmph. Nice of her, huh??? hhahaha. 

Our new means of transport to go up and down all the crazy hills here!!! Still have to ask president about that one..... hahaha.

 

Check out who I found hanging out by the church!! HERBIE!!

anyways. 

I love you guys SO MUCH.

Random pony at a house we walked past...... SO RANDOM!!!