Wow familia!

My life just got flipped all around. I am leaving Campos Eliseos! Em fim, after nearly 9 months, I am moving to another area. I spent half of my mission there. It was very difficult to say goodbye to all of those wonderful members and recent converts lá. I LOVE Campos Eliseos! It will always be my home na missão. I am being transfered to the center of Ribeirão Preto, in Ala Jardim Irajá. It really is downtown, big city with tons of skyscrapers and lots of busy streets. What a new adventure! And it turns out...Síster Hoggan was transfered here with me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are whitewashing an area together. I was shocked when I heard the news. But super excited. The two sisteres who were serving here will take our spots in Campos Eliseos. I knew my time had come and that I would probably leave this transfer. But I never thought we would stay together! It turns out that our area here in Irajá actually borders the area of Campos Elíseos também, so I´m about as close as I can get (Debora (who is still our super active Young Women´s President and gaining a stronger testimony daily) said she is going to come and visit us twice a week. Silly Debora. I will miss her lots. Oh and she gave her first talk in Sacrament Meeting this week! It did my heart so good to see her grow so much in the gospel already and make many changes. Emily, her daughter who is 7 is also excited to get baptized next year. And after many weeks, her husband Marcos surprised her and all of us by coming to Church this week to here her speak. It was the best present for the my last day. Síster Hoggan and I also got to bear our testimonies in Sacrament Meeing to say our goodbyes. We then hugged all the irmãs lots and took LOTS of pictures. I love that place so much!) Síster Hoggan only has two more transfers left so I MIGHT stay with her until the end. I love her tons and am very grateful to continue to serve with her. Síster Hoggan is a missionary de poder and is not afraid of anything. She is a great example to me.

ANALIA WAS BAPTIZED!!! She entered a agua last night, in the last few hours of our transfer there. It was a challenge to get to this point and there were many moments I worried it would fall through, but she did super great and made it all the way. Anália has the very beginnings of Alztimers. She understands the important things but forgets things easily. But she has a heart of gold and truly wants to do anything possible to do what God wants for her. We went to get her Sunday morning and she forgot that she was going to get baptized that night. "What? Maybe someday but I´m not ready today." But she came to Church all three hours and met lots more people, and by the end she was ready to go. When we went to pick her up that night she was already ready and just leaving her gate. It was good we showed up when we did because she said she had forgotten how to arrive na capela although she´s been there at least 5 times and was about to ask her neighbors how to get there. Tadinha. Analia is wonderful and had a wonderful baptism. I played the Joseph Smith Medly piano solo that I have as my last hurrah de Campos Elíseos. (oh and yes, Grandma asked about music: I have still been playing piano in Sacrament Meeting and Relief Society and almost every other meeting that we have. I don´t know about here in our new area but I´m hoping the music will continue!) The Elders also baptized last night a dad and his son. It is wonderful to see my wonderful ward progressing so much and continuing to grow. With Bispo Fabio and Tiago at the head, they will continue to see lots of sucess. There is nothing stopping them.

Elder Kimball (our district leader) makes this wonderful lime mouse cake and promised us to make us one if we obtained 50 addresses through contacts this week. Yeah, conseguimos.

The World Cup continues to go on full force with Brazil playing today. I bought a Brazil shirt last week and have a full sized flag and am super cheering for Brazil. And the Estados Unidos seem to be doing good and will continue on as well. What madness this sport is.

So I am on to a new stage in my mission. I had the whole map and every name of every street memorized in Campos Elíseos. I knew where every member lived and where every pesquisador and ex-pesquisador lived and now I don´t even know where I live, let alone where the chapel is! We just dropped our bags in our apartment and ran here to write emails before everything closes early for the cup. (Yes, everything closes down and you can´t really do anything when Brazil is playing). Our new apartment seems similar to our old one with two bedrooms and a small sala and a tiny kitchen. It is an apartment still and not a house which I am very happy about because it is way safer and I don´t think we will have any problems. We will be living with Síster Kunkell who was already serving here in Irajá (she´s American and just got here 3 months ago after waiting a long time for her visa nos Estados Unidos--sorry don´t know much else about her yet). She will be training a novinha! I can´t get away from Brazilians. In Campos Eliseos now Elder Kimball and Elder Johnson will ficar, as well as Sister Rodriguez and Sister Casperson, but they will receive two new Brazilian sisteres and one new brazilian elder to serve with Elder Tolentino. There are still 8 missionaries in Campos Eliseos. The mission is also splitting our zone in two which is exciting. The mission is growing lots! When I arrived there were about 140 missionaries I think. By the end of the year there will be 250! Way to go all you young moços answering the call and serving a mission, especially in Ribeirão Preto, the best place in the world. I love my mission and am ready for this new adventure to come! 

Thanks for all the support!

Síster Marchant

P.S. I am having a hard time writing in Inglês today. I don´t know what it is but in my head I keep thinking in Portuguese. Missionary problems...

P.P.S. I am SSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad and grateful my package came through this week Mom!! What an answer to many prayers. It was actually super sweet because I really wanted it to come last week but got the impression that it wouldn´t, and then I feel like I received many confimations this week in my prayers that my pictures would arrive and they did this week! It is just a little tender mercy of the Lord but it makes me very happy :)

Olá Presidente!

Que uma aventura! Esta semana passou muito rápida. Nós acabamos de chegar aqui em Irajá e estamos começando em nossa nova área. Estamos começando de quase nada mas estamos animadas por este novo desafio do Senhor e vamos confiar muito Nele para abrir esta área desconhecida a nós duas.

Esta semana tivemos um batismo! Nossa boa amiga Anália Maria foi batizada ontem. Ela é muito velha e estava tendo problemas lembrar das doutrinas das lições, mas tentamos ensinar bem simples e repetimos muitas coisas. Nós oramos muito e jejuamos para que ela pudesse passar sua entrevista batismal, e ela passou muito bem! Nós conseguimos vê-la ser batizada em nossa último dia da transferência. Toda a família dela de outras alas que nós não conhecemos apareceu lá também! Foi a melhor bênção possível para nós. Amamos ela e estamos tristes para ir embora, mas sabemos que ela está em boas mãos e que a ala vai cuidar com ela.

Deixamos nossa área muito bem com o Livro de Área atualizada e pronta. Posso deixar meu lar de Campos Elíseos em paz. Foi uma época maravilhosa lá, mas eu sei que é a vontade do Senhor que eu trabalha aqui em Irajá agora. Estou animada conhecer novos membros e pessoas e enfrontar novos desafios a crescer. Com Deus e Síster Hoggan, tudo é possível. Tenho muita fé que vamos ver sucesso aqui!

Obrigada por tudo,

Síster Marchant

 

 

Translation Into English:

Hello President!
What an adventure! This week went by very fast. We just got here and we're starting Irajá in our new area. We are starting from almost nothing but we are animated by this new challenge from the Lord and we trust Him to open this very unknown to us both area.
This week we had a baptism! Our good friend Maria Analia was baptized yesterday. She is very old and was having trouble remembering the doctrines of lessons, but we try to teach simple and repeat many things. We prayed and fasted much so that she could spend her baptismal interview, and it went very well! We could see her being baptized in our last day of the transfer. Her whole family of other wings which we did not know showed up too! It was the best blessing for us. We love her and we are sad to leave, but we know she is in good hands and that will take care ward with her.
We left our area very well with the book area updated and ready. Can I leave my home to Elysian Fields in peace. It was a wonderful time there, but I know it's the Lord's will that I work here Irajá now. I'm excited to meet new people and enfrontar members and new challenges to grow. With God and Sister Hoggan, anything is possible. I have faith that we will see success here!
Thanks for everything,
Sister Marchant

Feliz Dia dos Pais, Pai!!!!

I just want you to know, you are MUITO, MUITO FANTÁSTICO E ÓTIMO E MARAVILHOSO E LINDO!!! I am super super grateful to have you as my Dad. I have learned SO much from you and your example and continue to think about you often and the things you taught me such as hard work and dedication, "if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear", and how willing you always were to do whatever the Lord or your leaders asked of you. I am not as good at you yet, but I am striving to sacrafice more of myself like you always do and to be willing to submit myself to the will of the Lord. Thanks so much for making my life so wonderful Dad! No matter what I´m doing or where I am way far away on the other side of the world, I will always be your baby girl!

This week was a little unnormal. We had the world cup terça-feira (which we won by the way) and so we stayed inside that day and everything else got a little mixed up. It´s fun to walk down the streets and see Brazilian flags EVERYWHERE and everyone dressed in green and yellow jerseys. We have two giant flags set up in our apartment as well and are super excited and ready for Brazil to win the whole thing. I am really proud of our Brazilian missionaries. The Cup only happens once every four years, and this might very well be the only time in their lives in takes place in their country (the last world cup was here in the 60s). I know some of them are dying to watch it, but aparently we found out that every one of the missionaries in our mission obeyed the rules and stayed inside to study on Tuesday. I hope muito that this continues as Brazil moves on to the bigger games. The French are camped out in Ribeirão Preto in some hidden place that we will never see them, and I think there might be one game here in the city, but not much. What an adventure this is to be here at this time!

We are teaching a man named Carlos now who had a stroke I think or some kind of accident and understands a little slower. He is always home though and always lets us in. He loved the Plan of Salvation and is learning quickly. Last time we went there he opened the Book of Mormon in the middle of Alma and read all the war chapters until 3 Néfi 11! He is really doing his part. He is still searching for an answer to know about authority of the Priesthood because he was already baptized twice in other churches, but I know with his diligence and faith he will get an answer. The Elderes had a baptism this week that he was able to attend and he liked it a lot. He originally came to the Church because of our english class which is still going strong, especially with four duplas with Americans agora. I hope I can see Carlos be baptized before I leave Campos Eliseos!

We are also still teaching our old friend Anália. She is currently not going to move to the nursing home like we before thought and we are continuing to teach her and perpare her for baptism. She has lots of dificuldades remembering things and doesn´t understand our Portuguese very well so we have to teach everything two or three times and very slowly, but she has a huge desire to follow the teachings of Christ the best that she can. She is always asking us when we can come back and loves it when we come. I hope she can understand well enough to pass the baptismal interview because she is keeping the commandments and is ready for baptism!

I am loving life and ready to follow the will of the Lord wherever he sends me from here. Life is great! Time goes way too fast. Síster Hoggan is beginning her "twelve week program to get trained back to normal life" here soon! How fast time goes!

Love you lots and lots e muitos,

Síster Marchant

Muito obrigada pelas suas palavras Presidente,

Eu sempre sou edificada e aprendo algo mais com seus emails. Esta semana fez divisões com Síster Freitas e Síster Morales. Eu saí com Síster Freitas. Foi muito bom conhecê-la melhor e falar sobre nossas forças e fraquezas. Eu amo minhas Sísteres muito e sou muito grata por esta oportunidade conhecê-las tão bem. Elas são maravilhosas e trabalhando com fé. Síster Freitas e Síster Morales estão ensinando muitas famílias agora. Acho que a divisão foi muito boa para nós duas. Eu continuo aprender muitas coisas com estas divisões. Demos um treinamento sobre felicidade e como mostrar mais alegria em nossos rostos durante lições e em contatos. Convidamo-las ler o discourso de Elder Bednar na Conferência Geral sobre aprender de nossos fardos e submeter-nos à vontade do Senhor.

Eu continuo aprender muitas coisas esta semana de meus estudos e os estudos de Síster Hoggan. Ela é maravilhosa e tem muita paciência comigo. Nós duas estudamos muita esta semana dos atributos de Jesus Cristo e os discursos da Conferência. Eu amo esta Conferência, e o lendo esta me ajudando em Português também.

Nós temos dois pesquisadores com muito potencial agora. Se chamam Anália e Carlinho. Eles são um pouco velhos e aprendem devagar, então estamos ensinando muito basicamente. Eles estão aceitando bem e estão cumprindo compromissos, alem de ir a Igreja. Quando os dois foram a Igreja mais uma vez, elas estarão prontos para batismo. Espero muito que posso ver pelo menos um deles ser batizados antes do que eu saio Campos Elíseos. Eles são muito maravilhosos, têm muito fé, e querem fazer o que é certo seguir o Senhor. Minha vida é muito abençoada agora.

Estou pensando muito sobre paciência, fé, e gratidão recentemente. Realmente, todos os atributos de Cristo são ligados, e todos apontam à Expiação. Eu sei que qualquer dificuldade ou fardo que encontro na missão ou depois tem propósito, e que com a Expiação de Cristo posso vencer tudo. Tudo vai ser maravilhosa e vale a pena nesta obra. Nada poderia melhor.

Eu amo minha vida!

Obrigada,

Síster Marchant

Oi é,

The sun is shining in Ribeirão. Oh wait, it always does! The heat is back and the heat of the world cup is continuing strong. I am so happy we don´t get to watch it! We will just study all night long. What a great life.

We traveled to Franca this week! Síster Hoggan has served three trasfers there in the past so it was a little dejavu for her, but it was a new adventure for me. We took this fancy charter bus with giant, comfy seats and foot rests and overhead baggage. It was a little under a 2 hour bus trip to Franca where lives Síster Castro, Síster Palomino, e Síster Ferreira. Síster Palomino is training Síster Ferreira in a trio with Síster Castro who actually finishes her mission next week. It was a great division. The best part was a lesson with a woman named Carmen. We were doing contacts and she had just barely gotten home. We started talking to her as she stepped out of her car and she let us right in. Brazilians are so nice. She started talking to us and as we asked her more questions she opened up her heart to us about her problems and concerns in her family. The Spirit was strong and she started crying and was really excited to read the Book of Mormon. I am working on trying to ask better inspired questions and it is slowly but surely making a difference in my lessons. I love talking to these people and getting to know all of their stories. There are so many wonderful people in this world just waiting for the gospel!

Yesterday we had a giant stake conference for all of the stakes in our area do Brasil. It was a broadcast from Salt Lake, and Elder Ballard and Elder Scott spoke! The Spirit was strong and we had two investigators there. What a blessing to have modern prophets and revelations! It was neat to watch in Portuguese too. Did you know Elder Scott speaks Portuguese? It´s hard to remember a lot of what they say when I am focusing on the Portuguese, but I can understand everything now and think that Portuguese is more beautiful than ever. I am so blessed to be speaking this wonderful language. They talked about missionary work and basically everything we need to do in the gospel: scripture study, prayer, family history work, temples, and family, family, family. I love you guys so much! Thanks for literally being the best family in the world. I have taken for granted all of my life how wonderful my family is and how rare it is to have a stable family where we all love each other very much! Thanks for all of your constant support.

I´m studying right now a ton about atributos de Cristo em Pregar Meu Evangelho. It is amazing to me how perfect Christ is. There are so many things I need to change and improve still, and I am learning a lot from the example of Christ. There are about 9 Christlike attributes in Pregar Meu Evangelho I think, and all of them can be learned from studying the Atonement. I never noticed really before how Christ had such perfect faith in God, hope, charity, humility, obedience, etc. when he fulfilled this ultimate sacrafice. I love the doctrine and material of the gospel because there is always TONS more to study and learn. I will continue to learn for the rest of my life.

Obrigada Presidente,

Esta semana terminou ótima com a Conferência da Estaca com o reunião de satélite de Salt Lake. Eu AMO ouvir as palavras dos profetas. Mesmo que eu não lembre todas as coisas que eles falam em Português, eu amo sentir o Espírito que eles têm e aprender as doutrinas do evangelho em uma nova perspetiva. Eu quero sempre estudar e entender as palavras dos profetas.

Esta semana fomos para Franca para visitar Síster Castro, Síster Palomino, e Síster Ferreira. Síster Castro estava muito triste para ir embora logo, mas nós (incluindo ela) sabemos que é seu momento e que ela serviu uma missão excelente. Eu tenho muito respeito e amor para com Síster Castro e tenho aprendido muitas coisas dela. Eu fiz divisões com Síster Palomino enquanto Síster Hoggan saiu com Síster Castro e Síster Ferreira. Síster Palomino é maravilhosa. Ela tem um espírito muito calmo e tranquilo. Ela sabe as lições MUITO bem e ensina com seu coração. Me senti o Espírito Santo muito forte em nossas lições, especialmente quando encontramos alguns novos pesquisadores. Fizemos bons contatos também e tivemos um dia maravilhoso. Gostei de Franca muito e sei que tem muito potencial lá. Síster Palomino é uma líder muito amoroso e vai ajudar Síster Ferreira muito. Síster Ferreira já está fazendo muito bem e parece confortável na vida missionária. Tenho confiança completa nas três. Demos um treinamento sobre fazendo perguntas e ouvindo durante lições. Síster Palomino e Síster Ferreira não tem tanta experiência na missão mas têm o desejo forte para trabalhar e fazer a vontade do Senhor. Eu amo elas muito!

Nossa área em Campos Eliseos está bem e os membros estão continuando ajudar. Vamos continuar correndo atrás pesquisadores e buscando para novos. Tivemos alguns contatos bem chiques esta semana e estão sentindo o Espírito forte. Eu estou amando estudar e estou aprendendo coisas novas em meus estudos todos os dias. Pregar Meu Evangelho realmente é um livro inspirado por Deus, e tenho confiança completa em tudo que é escrito lá. Eu amo estudar!

Obrigada por tudo,

Síster Marchant

 

 

 

English

 

Thank President,
This week ended with great Stake Conference meeting with the satellite from Salt Lake. I LOVE hearing the words of the prophets. Even though I do not remember all the things they say in Portuguese, I love to feel the spirit they have and learn the doctrines of the gospel in a new perspective. I always want to study and understand the words of the prophets.
This week we went to France to visit Castro Sister, Sister Palomino, and Sister Ferreira. Sister Castro was very sad to leave soon, but we (including her) know that your time is and that she served an excellent mission. I have much respect and love for Castro Sister and I have learned many things from her. I did divisions with Sister Sister Palomino while Hoggan left with Sister and Sister Castro Ferreira. Sister Palomino is wonderful. She has a very calm and quiet spirit. She knows very well the lessons and teaches with his heart. I felt the Holy Spirit very strong in our lessons, especially when we find some new investigators. We made good contacts and also had a wonderful day. Franca liked very much and I know you have a lot of potential there. Sister Palomino is a very loving leader and will help Sister Ferreira much. Sister Ferreira is already doing very well and seems comfortable in the missionary life. I have complete confidence in all three. Demos training on asking questions and listening during lessons. Sister and Sister Palomino Ferreira is not so mission experience but have a strong desire to work and do the Lord's will. I love them too!
Our area is well Eliseos Fields and members are continuing help. We will continue chasing and searching for new researchers. We had some pretty fancy contacts this week and feeling the Spirit strong. I'm loving study and am learning new things in my studies every day. Preach My Gospel really is a book inspired by God, and I have complete confidence in everything that is written there. I love studying!
Thanks for everything,
Sister Marchant

 

I have been very blessed here in Campos Eliseos for many reasons, especialmente healthwise. I haven´t really been sick at all my whole mission. I´ve had a few headaches and stomachaches here and there like anyone else, but I have never gotten the flu or worms like lots of other missionaries or had to miss any day of work at all. Thank you tons for your prayers! They are being answered here daily.

We had an interesting experience this week when teaching the Restoration. We had taught this one 13-year old boy named Guilherme once and went back to watch the short DVD of the Restoration with him. He was actually in the house of our menos ativo across the street. We didn´t know he was there but ran into him "coincidentally" and he reluctantly agreed to come back over to his house (that had the DVD player) to watch it with us. Then about half an hour later just after we had finished the film and were finishing the lesson, his other friend Alan who we had been trying to get in contact with that day had come to Guilherme´s house actually searching us out. "Sim as meninas da Igreja estão aqui!" we responded. He came in and was sad he missed the movie so we actually watched it again! I think I have seen the Restoration (20 minutes) now more times than any other movie in my life, but I never thought I would watch it twice in one hour. It turned out to be two really great lessons and they felt the Spirit strong, especially Alan. They both came to Church this week (wooooo!!!) and we are excited to go back and teach them again.

We also taught a great lesson to Débora about the Priesthood this week. I learned a lot from studying and teaching this lesson, and Débora said it really opened her eyes to see the gospel in a new light. Then the next day at Church there was a baby blessing and for fast and testimony meeting lots of members bore their testimony about the Priesthood. It was absolutely perfect and made me really excited that Débora was there to see the Priesthood in action so soon.

In Sacrament Meeting também Sebastião passed the Sacrament to me for the first time. He has been helping with the Sacrament for some time now but this was the first time he passed it to me in my corner behind the piano. He came over with a huge smile on his face and it made me super feliz. We had lots of little tender mercies from the Lord this week.

We also had a ward integration activity on Wednesday. This ward is really good at having activities. They just make it like a giant Family Home Evening for the ward. It is not a big deal, just a hymn, short message, game, and treats. This week there were LOTS of people there, and about half were investigators! The ward is really doing great to help integrate investigators, and with 8 missionaries we are seeing the blessings. When the activity was supposed to start we were all praying for members to come, not investigators, because we had so many visitors and few members to integrate them! But eventually lots of people arrived due to normal Mormon Brazilian time. We also had a mini miracle of the multiplicação do cachorro quente. We had hot dogs Brazilian style but not very many and had tons of people, so Síster Hoggan and I and Paola (wife of the bishop) said a prayer and started dividing and improvising to multiply these cachorros. It turned out great and there was plently for everyone.

For those of you who are curious, we got news this week that no, we will not watch the World Cup. For me I could care less and actually I am pretty excited because we will have more time to study. We will come back home half an hour before a game of Brazil starts (there are three marked so far) and have a few extra hours of study until the game ends. You would be amazed (maybe) at how much hulabaloo is going on by the copa. Everyone gets off of work and the whole country shuts down to stay inside and watch the game. I personally think it is a little ridiculous, but then I have never been a big football fan in the first place so who am I to say?

It´s starting to get colder (halleluiah!) and I am sleeping better these days with a blanket. That calls for strange dreams. But I am happy and using a jacket in the mornings. I miss the snow and ice, but at the same time it is hard to imagine going back to that again! It took a while to accostum to this hot weather but it will be very strange to be in a cold place again some day! I think I´ll stay here for a while instead.

I love you all! Stay cool and drink lots of lemonade (Brazilians think it´s weird that we like lemonade so much. Why would you choose lemonade when you have so many other wonderful crazy flavors of juice?)!

Síster Marchant

Obrigada Presidente!

Esta semana foi muito boa de novo. Síster Hoggan está um pouco resfriada esta fim de semana, mas esta melhorando agora com um pouco mais descanso. Eu acho que depois desta P-Day vamos estar com boa saúde e pronta trabalhar de novo. Nós tivemos algumas lições boas esta semana com novos pesquisadores também. Estamos ensinando dois rapazes agora se chamam Alan e Guilherme. Eles são jovens mas têm muito desejo para saber a verdade e parecem dispostos sacrificar para saber por si mesmos. Eles foram a Igreja esta semana sozinhos e estão fazendo sua parte. Nós não os ensinamos muitas vezes ainda mas temos esperança que eles vão progredir rapidamente.

O Conselho de Liderança foi uma bênção grande de minha semana. Aprendi muitas coisas e estou incentivada para ser uma Síster Treinadora melhor. Sei que tem muito mais que eu posso fazer como treinadora e também em nossa própria área, e quero dedicar tudo que tenho ao este trabalho. Vamos ligar nossas Sísteres mais e trabalhar mais arduamente esta semana.

O dia depois o Conselho eu decidi estudar da Liahona desta mês de junho para conhecer os escritos dos profetas e líderes da Igreja melhor. Encontrei uma artigo sobre o Sacerdócio que abriu minha mente muito. Nós ensinamos nosso recém-converso sobre o Sacerdócio aquele dia então foi perfeito. Aprendi tantas coisas que nunca entendi! Estava muito animada que o Senhor respondeu à minha oração tão rápido. A experiencia fortaleceu meu testemunho sobre os profetas vivos e as forças que ganhamos quando somos obedientes ao conselho de nossos líderes.

Também tive uma experiencia muito doce esta semana na Igreja quando meu recém-converso que recentemente recebeu o Sacerdócio passou o sacramento a mim. Foi tão bom para ver ele firme no evangelho e crescendo e aprendendo cada semana. Esta obra é maravilhosa.

Obrigada por tudo!

Síster Marchant