Hello Fam!

Yes, I would like you to know that it is officially 111¨F today. We have made it through a few weeks of Spring now and things are looking great and hot. I am pretty sure I have never been in a place so hot it my entire life. Just wait for Christmas! I´m pretty sure it is a lot hotter this year than last year, but maybe cause I just remember the good things from a year ago. Anyway, I´m going to be a suntanned babe by the time I get home!

This week has been incredibly busy and wonderful, basically a good description of every week. We actually did two divisions this week which both went really well. I am loving divisions more and more now. I am learning better how to just be their friends and teach by example. When the Sísteres trust you they are willing to accept and learn quickly, even if you don´t say anything they will learn and apply faster because they are more open to change. I am learning a lot about leadership on the missão and have been studying it a lot in personal study and reuniões de conselho. One thing I learned today was about the importance of designating responsibility for others. Even if you could complete the task effectively, often it is better to designate for others so that they can have the opportunity to learn and grow. After studying and seeing the wide scale of how members fulfill their callings here, I definitely will cumprir my callings differently when I come home. I never realized how incredibly important everything in the Church is! The sucess of the Lord´s Kingdom on the earth will affect us for eternity. This is literally between life and death! I need to do my best to give everyone the complete oportunity to choose to follow Christ and to work how He knows is right. There is nothing better and no greater happiness than following the commmandments of God.

Clarisse is the best. She is reading up a storm and learns so quickly. She came to Church again this week and is loving it all. She is also telling all hew family about it. I think that is a sign of a true progressing investigator--when they start telling their family and friends about the Church before you even talk about missionary work. She is such a cutie, and you can really see how the gospel is changing her life. She is coming to Church every week and has a baptismal date for this next Saturday! I know she can do it. She has a testimony of everything and is going strong. We taught her about fasting the other day and she is fulling like crazy! She is fasting at least a few hours EVERY DAY to help her stop smoking. She also received a priesthood blessing this week. She is a very determined person and I know she will conseguir. I love this woman so much! I truly believe she is the best pesquisador that I have ever had.

I know this Church is true more than ever. I was sitting in a Reunião Familiar this week and had a sudden anxiety and fear of coming home to the real life. I know I still have quite a few months left, but I have never really felt that before. I love the people here so much and love their strength and love for the gospel. It is hard to stay strong these days in an evil world, but this is the time we need to stay strong in the gospel more than ever. Don´t you quit! Don´t ever give up, even when callings are really stressful, someone offends you at Church this week, or you just don´t feel like reading the scriptures today. It is all worth it. You will be so grateful for the good choices you made here (in your four minutes on earth**) for the rest of eternity. Emerse yourself in the gospel and never doubt. "Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith". I´m praying for you all! Life is so great when you know your fate! Believe in Christ and you will always know where you will go.

I love you until the ends of the earth!

Síster Marchante

P.S. Tip of the week: Bloody liver doesn´t go so well with rice and beans. Especially when your companion gives you her extras. Gotta do what you gotta do. 

Olá Presidente!

Dia após dia após dia---só alegria. Estou tão feliz! Ainda quando coisas difíceis aconteçam, vencemos rápido e estamos felizes de novo. A Síster Sperry é muito paciente e trabalhamos bem juntas. Temos uma confiança forte entre uma à outra e muito boa comunicação. Nunca me sentia tão amada na missão. Ela é um exemplo excelente para mim.
Visitamos Bebedouro esta semana. Saí com a Síster Vaneza e a Síster Sperry saiu com a Síster Morales. Elas são missionárias muito boas e poderosas. Fizemos muitos contatos juntas e tivemos uma lição maravilhosa com um pesquisador inteligente onde explicamos simples sobre o batismo e marcamos uma data. O Espírito foi forte e aprendi muitas coisas. A Síster Vaneza tem o desejo e disposição aprender e tentar novas coisas. Ela tem muito coragem e com certeza age como um líder. Ela ainda é nova na missão e não sabe o que fazer em todas as circunstâncias de ensino, mas vai voluntariar tentar qualquer coisa. Tenho muito respeito para ela. Forem ao médico esta semana e estão proativos com sua saúde. Boa saúde é algo muito importante para mim, então tentamos focalizar em comer bem e BEBER ÁGUA, e sempre fazemos exercícios divertidos juntas nas divisões. Eu sei que isto não resolverá todos os problemas mas acho que vai ajudar alguns.
Também fizemos divisões com as Sísteres aqui em Irajá esta semana. Parece que estão fazendo muito melhor agora. Saí com a Síster Jales. Ela ainda tem dias muito difíceis, mas a Síster Sena entende mais como reagir e ajudá-la. A Síster Jales mudou muito durante sua missão e é muito madura e confiante em se mesma agora. A divisão foi muito boa e fácil, sem pressão. Ela sabe liderar e ensinar super bem. As três de nós na casa são mais unidas agora e ajudamos uma à outra a vencer tristeza. Sempre acho que esta transferência foi muito inspirada.
A Síster Sperry e eu estamos muito bem. Temos o melhor pesquisador na missão, a Clarisse. Ela está fazendo tudo certo e aceita tudo. Ontem ela foi à Igreja e assistiu uma aula sobre dízimo, e imediatamente depois estava preenchendo um formulário para doar. Ela é tão eleita e só tem que completamente parar de fumar para ser batizada. Eu a amo tanto e quer o melhor para ela! Ela recebeu todas as lições e está tão perto; ela acredita em tudo. Não posso esperar até o batismo dela!
Nossa única dificuldade real agora é o pé da Síster Sperry. Está piorando e as vezes ela tem muito dor. Estamos indo ao médico hoje depois dos emails, e estamos orando e jejuando para respostas. Sei que o Senhor providenciará!
Amo a missão e me senti um amor super grande para com os membros esta semana. Vida é boa.
Síster Marchant

English Translation

 Hello President!

Day after day after day --- only joy. I'm so happy! Even when difficult things happen, quickly won and we are happy again. The Sister Sperry is very patient and work well together. We have a strong trust between each other and very good communication. I never felt so loved in the mission. She is a great example for me.
Trough visited this week. I left with Sister and Sister Vaneza Sperry went to Sister Morales. They are very good and powerful missionary. We made many contacts together and we had a wonderful lesson with a clever researcher explained where simple on baptism and set a date. The Spirit was strong and learned many things. The Sister Vaneza have the desire and willingness to learn and try new things. She has so much courage and certainly acts as a leader. She is still new in the mission and do not know what to do at all times of learning, but will try to volunteer anything. I have much respect for her. Are the doctor this week and are proactive about their health. Good health is very important to me, so try to focus on eating well and DRINKING WATER, and we always do fun exercises together in divisions. I know this will not solve all the problems but I think that will help some.
Also did divisions with Sisters here in Irajá this week. Looks like they're doing much better now. I left with Sister Jales. She still has very bad days, but Sister Sena understands more how to react and help. The Sister Jales changed much during their mission and is very mature and confident is the same now. The division was very good and easy, no pressure. She knows how to lead and teach very well. The three of us at home are now more united and help each other to overcome sadness. Always think that this transfer was very inspired.
The Sperry Sister and I are fine. We have the best researcher in the mission, Clarisse. She is doing everything right and accepts everything. Yesterday she went to church and attended a lesson on tithing, and immediately after was filling out a form to donate. She is so elected and only have to stop smoking completely to be baptized. I love her so much and want the best for her! She received all lessons and is so close; she believes in everything. I can not wait until her baptism!
Our only real difficulty is now the foot of Sister Sperry. It's getting worse and sometimes she has much pain. We are going to the doctor today after the emails, and we are praying and fasting for answers. I know the Lord will provide!
Love the mission and felt a super great love for the members this week. Life is good.
Sister Marchant

Wow!

It´s the most wonderful weekend, of the year! I love General Conference so much! There were so many miracles. Síster Sperry and I were talking that Conference is one of the most special things for us because it is perhaps the only time in the whole year when we know that our families are doing the exact same thing. We sustained with you and wrote with you and sang with you this weekend. I hope that you watched every session so that I could share this special time with you all! It was a weekend full of happiness.

We watched all four sessions in the Stake Center in Planalto Verde which is about 30 minutes away. We were able to watch it almost all in English (except for the Portuese talk! What a wonderful gift!) in a little room on the side with all of the Americans in our stake. It was so fun and the Spirit was strong. Síster Sperry and I were super excited and wanted to do something special to remember so we brought in a bunch of mini sandwich fixins like the good ole days in the nasty Nati. It was simple and fun and a success. Then on Sunday we brought in brownies that went super fast. There was only us two and Síster Shipp as sisteres (yay! She is back in Ribeirão so I see her all the time:)) so we did our part as the Relief Society. I love Brazilians so much, but every once and a while it is wonderful to be with a bunch of Americans as well. This was a very memorable conference for me.

I saw so many miracles there! I loved the talks by the 70s this conference. My favorite talk was probably by Jorg Klebingat of the 70 who talked about the 6 ways you can feel good about yourself and find peace in this life. I really want to read this talk again and apply it in my life. I thought of Grandpa when I saw Clay Christianson playing on the orgão, and I also saw one of the brothers who Síster Shipp and I taught in the TRC in the MTC who sings in MoTab. It was a great treat. Allan F Packer of the 70 really reminded me of Dad too, só seu jeito, and when he started talking about Family History I almost did a double take to make sure it wasn´t Dad for real. And the final talk by Elder Bednar was perhaps the best. It was such a miracle because the Sunday Afternoon Session was the only one that our investigator Clarisse came to (see more deats below). She is progressing so well and it brings my heart such joy every time I see her! The only thing left to teach her is tithing and she will be ready for baptism. We are doing a fast with her today to help her officially stop smoking. She called hoje da manhã and said "ok I´m calling to tell you that I´m am starting my jejum." She is only doing it for two hours but she is very serious about it and is very devoted. We reminded her to start and end with a prayer and she said, "claro que já fiz". She is the best pesquisador that I have ever had. I love her tons and cannot wait to see her make it to the water.

It was a huge joy for me to see the conference in Portuguese! And the other languages too. Who says that Americans should get all the blessings of hearing all of the speakers speak in their own language? There have been various Brazilians who have told me that they want to learn English just so that they can hear the prophets and apostles speak in their own language. And the Americans who translate into English are EXCELLENT. Although the Portuguese translators are amazingly great as well, usually in Portuguese it doesn´t come through quite so calm and perfect (we watched the Women´s Conference in Portuguese last weekend. I understand all of it now (wahoo!) but I don´t remember very much because I am more focused on the words than the message). It really touched my heart to hear Elder Godoy speak in Portuguese and it was much easier to understand than the talks that are translated into Portudues. I don´t think we appreciate the added affect of having the talks in the intonations and personalidades of the speakers. It makes a huge difference. This Church really is an international Church and is the Church of God, not of America or of the prophet. I love being a part of this wonderfully divinely inspired organization. It is such an honor to share the truths of Jesus Christ with all the world.

Love you tons! Tell me all you learned from Conference!

Síster Marchant

Olá Presidente!

Minha vida é maravilhosa! Estamos sempre feliz e estamos sempre aprendendo. Esta semana foi um pouco diferente porque não tivemos muito tempo para trabalhar na nossa área. Tivemos uma ÓTIMA divisão com as Sísteres em Jaboticabal. Eu saí com a Síster Huamani e a Síster Sperry saiu com a Síster Corrêa. Foi um dia maravilhosa. A Síster Huamani trabalha muito arduamente e está muito disposta a tentar coisas novas, mesmo que seja difíceis. Fizemos muitos contatos diferentes e bons e achamos uma família de ouro. A Síster Huamani tem um testemunho muito forte e sabe porque está aqui. Uma dos melhores qualidades dela é que ela é humilde e quer melhorar muito. Ela aceita qualquer conselho facilmente e está buscando maneiras para melhorar. Tenho muito respeito dela e sei que terá uma missão de poder. Ela está muito bem com saúde. Ela é uma missionária jovem ainda e tem muito aprender no trabalho, mas está melhorando rápido e vai saber fazer tudo logo.

A Síster Sena está fazendo maravilhas com A Síster Jales. Ainda tem alguns dias ruins, mas elas estão trabalhando muito bem e vendo sucesso. Elas são semelhantes em muitas maneiras e estão ajudando uma à outra. Amo morar com elas!

O treinamento da historia da família foi ótima e ajudou muito. Estamos muito animadas aplicar isso mais com nossos pesquisadores e com os membros. Acho que ajudará muito.

Conferência Geral foi maravilhosa! Tivemos tantos milagres. Nosso pesquisador a Clarisse foi no último sessão, qual também foi minha preferida. Ela estava planejando ir Sábado anoite, mas não deu certo. Depois, estava planejando ir domingo da tarde, mas tinha que votar. Finalmente ela conseguiu ir domingo da noite. O discurso do Élder Bednar foi perfeito para ela. Imediatamente quando ele falou, "Quero dirigir meu discurso para as pessoas que não são membros da Igreja," tudo mundo na nossa sala de Inglês gritou, e estávamos quase chorando pelo fim. Amo Conferência Geral! Realmente foi uma resposta de orações. O Élder Bednar também recitou quase toda a história de Enos, que nós se sentimos que devemos dar para Clarisse na verdade DUAS vezes para ler. Estamos fazendo um jejum especial com ela hoje para ajudá-la parar de fumar completamente. Ela parou de beber café já e está lendo o Livro de Mórmon mais do que qualquer outro pesquisador que já tinha. Amo ela tanto! Quero ver seu sucesso até o fim tanto. Não conseguimos trabalhar com muitas pessoas esta semana, mas com aqueles que trabalhamos, estamos vendo muito progressão.

Amo esta área e amo a Síster Sperry. Estou muito abençoada aqui. Tivemos um estudo do sacramento muito especial esta semana e depois dois discursantes falaram tanto sobre ele na conferência. Também estávamos estudando no "Adjusting to Missionary Life." Naquele parte atrás do livreto (página 52 in inglês), me sinto finalmente que estou na parte de "stage 4 de adjustment: Emotional Self-Reliance". Eu continuo a aprender todos os dias e estou amando meus dias aqui. O tempo passa rápido!

Obrigada,

Síster Marchant

 

 

English Translation:

 

Hello President!
My life is wonderful! We are always happy and we are always learning. This week was a bit different because we have not had much time to work in our area. We had a GREAT room with Sisters in Jaboticabal. I went with Sister and Sister Sperry Huamani left with Sister Corrêa. It was a wonderful day. The Sister Huamani works very hard and is very willing to try new things, even if it is difficult. We made many contacts and good and find a family gold. The Sister Huamani has a very strong testimony and know why you're here. One of her best qualities is that she is very humble and wants to improve. It accepts any advice easily and is seeking ways to improve. I have much respect for her and I know that will have a quest for power. She is very well in health. She is a young missionary and still has much to learn on the job, but is improving rapidly and will soon learn to do everything.
The Sister Sena is doing wonders with The Sister Jales. Still has some bad days, but they are working very well and seeing success. They are similar in many ways and are helping to one another. Love living with them!
The training history of the family was great and helped a lot. We are very excited to apply this more with our researchers and members. I think it will help a lot.
General Conference was wonderful! We had so many miracles. Our researcher Clarisse was the last session, which was also my favorite. She was planning to go Saturday night, but it did not work. Then I was planning to go Sunday afternoon, but had to vote. Finally she was able to go Sunday night. The Elder Bednar's talk was perfect for her. Immediately when he said, "I want to address my remarks to people who are not members of the Church," all the world in our room shouted English, and we were almost crying by the end. Love General Conference! It really was an answer to prayers. Elder Bednar also recited almost all the story of Enos, if we feel we should give Clarisse actually TWICE to read. We are doing a special fast with her today to help her stop smoking completely. She stopped drinking coffee already and reading the Book of Mormon more than any other researcher who had. Love her so much! I want to see your success as much to the end. Not many people were able to work with this week, but with those we work with, we are seeing much progression.
I love this area and love Sister Sperry. I am very blessed here. We had a very special study of the sacrament this week and then two Ranters talked much about it at the conference. Were also studying the "Missionary Adjusting to Life." That part behind the booklet (page 52 in English), I finally feel that I am part of the "fourth stage of adjustment: Emotional Self-Reliance." I continue to learn every day and I'm loving my time here. The time goes fast!
Thank you,
Sister Marchant