Oi Oi Família!

I cannot believe you all are STILL having huge snow storms. I don´t really remember what snow is like. But actually we did have an experience this week where I got a glimpse of what my memories of snow. Slowly over the transfer our freezer froze over with big ice chunks so that eventually we couldn´t fit anything in it. We had to unplug our fridge/freezer for a day and let all the ice melt down to nothing. I was scraping away at the solid layer of ice and it reminded me a little of snow:) Broken freezers are the closest I can get.

This week we have been in a trio! This is all three of our´s first experiences in a trio. It is quite different but I am learning A LOT. There is a lot you have to organize and straighten out to keep everything equal between three people. But our new companion Sister Rodriguez is great so it´s not that hard. She is 27 and is from Porto Alegre. It is great to be serving with a Brazilian again too. She used to be a Portuguese teacher so she knows the grammer and everything about Portuguese really well. We are also starting to teach her English which is great. She doesn´t know anything right now so we are starting from the very beginning. It is neat to see her and imagine what it must have been like to try to teach me Portuguese from the beginning. Vish! There is a lot to learn about a language.

Debora is doing great. We visit her almost every day and she always has news stories about her life to tell us. It will be SUPER hard to give her up next week. So we are currently working in all of Campos Eliseos until Sister Rodriguez´s novinha comes from the MTC next week. Then we will split Campos Eliseos in half and give them half of our area like we did before with the Elderes. Debora is in their area (nooooo!) so after this week we will not be able to teach her much. I´ve never been so sad to leave an investigator but I know she is going into good hands and that Sister Rodriguez will take care of her well. We will still see her every week at our English class and of course at Church every Sunday :). She has a baptismal date for this Saturday. I don´t know if she will make it then but either this week or next week for sure. I really hope and pray she can get baptized while I am here.

Marisa´s family is doing great too! We are becoming good friends with them and developing a trust that will make it easier to teach. Marisa, Giovana, and Mariana (Bianca was in a different city visiting relatives this weekend) came to Church this week! I think the girls were a little bored in Relief Society and Gospel Doctrine (see below) but they said they liked it and I think they will come back again to try out as Moças when all of the young women come back from their trip. They are eager to learn and we are eager to teach. I love working with them! And yes, they are in our area for good.

I have been studying a lot about and trying to apply charity into my actions and work more this week. As I study the example and life of the Savior, I am learning that their really is always so much more we can give to help others. He gave every second of His life to teaching and helping us, and I want to be able to gain a sliver of the charity He shows for us. I know that just a little bit of charity can go a long way and that our service in the Church does not go unnoticed. Thank you so much to all of you who are fulfilling your callings willing and giving of yourselves to build the kingdom of God. Blessings overflowing (literally more than we can count) are available to us when we live the Gospel of Christ with all of our hearts. I love you all tons!

Love,

Sister Marchant

Olá Presidente!

Esta semana foi ótima. Estou aprendendo muitas coisas. Ter Sister Rodriguiz em um trio conosco é muito bom. Ela é muito inteligente e sábia e nos ajuda muito. E diferente ensinar e planejar com trés pessoas, mas Sister Rodriguiz é muito fácil. Nós estamos felizes e aprendendo coisas diferentes juntas. É uma oportunidade muito grande para aprender novas coisas. Sister Rodriguez está me ajudando muito com Português também. Nós falamos Português 24/7 e é muito mais fácil agora falar o que eu quero. Eu amo esta idioma! É muito bonita e muito legal finalmente entender quase tudo que todos os pessoas falam. Para mim falar é ainda a parte mais difícil, mas estou melhorando pouco por pouco. Tenho um desejo muito grande ser completamente fluente nesta língua.

Nosso pesquisador Debora está progredindo rápido. Ela foi para a Igreja esta semana de novo e gostou. Ela não trabalha então nós podemos visitar ela quase todos os dias. Ela entende o que nós ensinamos e já tem um testemunho que a Igreja é verdadeira. Sua dificuldade é que ela não tem a apoia de sua família. O irmão dela é um pastor de uma outra igreja e não quer que ela entre nossa Igreja. Mas ainda, eu acho que ela vai ter as forças para seguir Cristo e ser batizada ainda com desafios. Ela sabe que este evangelho está trazendo mais felicidade na vida dela. Ela está preparando ser batizada o próximo sábado.

A família de Marisa também foi para a Igreja esta semana! Foi sua primeira vez, e infelizmente todas as Moças estavam no acampamento durante Carnaval, mas eu acho que a família ainda gostaram e vão voltar. Nós vamos tentar ter mais lições com membros esta semana com esta família e com Debora para que eles possam ter amigos na igreja e ter mais incentivo frequentar. Temos uma reunião familiar planejada para anoite com Bispo Fabio que vai ser muito boa e especial. Estamos animadas para o progresso de nossos pesquisadores!

Tudo é bom aqui. Estamos trabalhando duro e estamos cansadas, mas felizes. É muito bom ser missionária.

Obrigada por tudo,

Sister Marchant