Heavenly Father Has a Plan

Hello Everyone!!

I hope you all had a wonderful week!! My week was... interesting. I am pretty sure that almost all of you know this by now, but I am home! I know it seems pretty crazy and really fast and it has been such a roller coaster and even though I am home, I am writing this letter to help explain everything. 

Well first, I came home early from my mission because of my health. I have been having pain in my hips since January 2014, my first transfer in Maceio. I started having pain at the end of everyday, but it gradually turned into having pain all the time, everyday, which is what it is like now. I have pain in both of my hips when I am standing, sitting and walking, which makes walking miles everyday difficult :) I went to a bunch of doctors in Brasil during my mission, but none of them could tell me what was wrong, they would just give me medicines that didn't help and tell me to rest for a few days. I was just continuing on with my work and just living and dealing with the pain. 

Then a few weeks ago, my mission president called me into his office. I knew he wanted to talk about my pain because I knew he was worried- I just didn't realize how worried. He asked me how I was doing and then just basically told me that I needed to home- now. I cried SO much and my heart broke right there in his office. At the time, I wanted to stay on the mission until I could not walk anymore. I wanted to give my all until the very end because I felt like I could still do more, but now I see that I needed to come home. I need to take care of my health and the last thing I want is to have a worse problem in the future because I stayed and struggled through. My heart broke thinking about all of the people I was leaving, the members, the other missionaries, Brasil! I love Brasil! I never would have ever thought that I would come to love a people, a culture, a country as much as I love Brasil. I love the states because that is where my family is, that's where I was born, but I absolutely love Brasil and part of my heart is there- and always will be.  

The first few days were really hard, thinking about coming home early, having to talk with everyone, what it was going to be like, but somewhere along the line, I got peace. I started thinking about why I couldn't serve a year and a half, that's what I signed up for and told the Lord what I would do, but I thought about how He gave me a beautiful, wonderful year, a year that I will never forget and be forever grateful that I had. Heavenly Father knew that I wanted to serve a mission, be a missionary and so He gave me a year to do that. Everyday that I was there was a gift and a blessing. Of course I am so sad that I couldn't spend 18 months in Brasil, but I know that Heavenly Father has a plan and that for some reason, I need to be home and that just means that I did what I needed to in Brasil, I learned what I needed to and helped the people I needed to, so He called me home. I know there is a purpose for everything and that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us. 

So what does that mean for me now? Well, I am here going to the doctor and I will start doing physical therapy and see what happens. My mission president said that I can go back and finish the last 6 months of my mission if I am pain free and everything, but there is no way of knowing that right now. So right now, I am home, resting and trying to keep busy. I am so grateful to be back and have the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family. I am freezing a little because Brasil is a little different than New York in the fall/winter, but I love this time so that's nice and I will get to see snow this year which I missed so much last year :) 

With all of this, I learned that Heavenly Father really knows each one of us personally. He has a plan for each of us. I know that everything happens for reason and that we have to take everyday as a gift. We shouldn't put things off and say 'Oh tomorrow I'll do that' or 'Next week I'll be different' because we have today Who knows what will happen next week, so we need to choose to change today. 

I loved serving a mission, I loved being a missionary and sharing this wonderful gospel with the world. I love Brasil and I miss speaking Portugues so much!! I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father who gave me the opportunity to serve a mission. This past year has been the best year of my whole life and if I had to choose to do it all again, even knowing that I would have all of this pain and have to come home early, I would do all again in a heart beat. I love my Heavenly Father and His Son. I know this church is true and that this life is not the end. My heart is so full of joy and gratitude to know all of these truths- we are so blessed!

I hope you all have a fabulous week!! This maybe the last letter that you get from me about my mission, but we will still keep in touch. I love you all so much!! Thank you for all the support, prayers and love. They were felt greatly. I love you!!

Com amor,

Sarah (Sister Chilson)

 

 

 

 

Halloween, Miracles and 1 Ano

Bom Dia tudo mundo!!

Wow, this week went by so fast!! It was so crazy and we didn´t end up teaching a whole lot, but we had alot of fun and helped strengthen the ward :) 

First, our Halloween activity was a hit! Everyone loved it! People came in coustumes, loved the games, food. There was a cake walk, bobbin for apples, music, sugar cookies... all things American :) Everyone loved it though because they have never had an activity like this here. We are hoping that next year they will do it again and keep a tradition. I went as a cook because it was really easy and I already had everything :) People thought my apron was really cute though (thanks Joanna :)

I also celebrated the 1 year mark of my mission!! What?! My district leader right now was with me in the CTM (he is from Bolivia) and we had our District Meeting the same day we hit 1 year so we took pictures together. It might be hard to read, but the paper I am holding says ´Feliz 1 Ano´which means ´Happy 1 Year´and Elder Pepper is holding the paper with our names on it. I cannot believe that I have lived in Brasil for 1 year! Time goes by so fast and I remember counting down the days until I hit 4 monthes or 5 monthes and now, the days go by so fast! I love Brasil so much!! I love the people, the food, the culture... Brasil is such a beautiful, wonderful country and when I leave after I finished my mission, it will for sure not be the last time I am in Brasil :)

This week we also had a wonderful miracle happen. So we had a meeting at the stake center and we wanted to get a ride home with a member and not have to take a bus and we got a ride from a member who lives in the José Tenório ward, but lives close to us. So we were on the way home right, and we dropped of the first sisters at their house and something came up about food and he asked if we were hungry and without even waiting for an answer, he said of course and he pulled over the car to a little resturant. We thought he was kidding, but then he got out of the car and opened my car door and was dead serious! He then went and got the other sister and he bought ´dinner´for us! We were all amazed and super grateful and we thought that was it. We dropped the other sisters of again and then he was taking us home when he asked if we needed food for tomorrow and we said no, but he said that we probably needed food, so we went to the grocery store. We thought he was kidding again, but yet again he got out of the car and opened our car doors, so in we went to the grocery store and he said we could pick out anything we wanted. He was just walking down the alies like he owned the place and we were following behind him and he would ask us what we wanted. I picked out watermelon because I love watermelon now :) After he spent alot of money again, he finally took us home. We thanked him  10 million times, but he said that everything he has isn´t his, it´s Heavenly Father´s and by helping us, he is helping the kingdom here on earth. It was really sweet ofhim. So now we have almost 50 eggs in our apartment and a bunch of other food... It was so sweet of him to reach out of us and even more amazing because we have only talked to him a few times in our lives. Milagres são reais! 

Well, that´s about all for this week! I hope you all have a fabulous week!! I know that Hevenly Father knows and loves each one of us and He has a plan for each of us that we can become the best that we can be. I love this church, I love this gospel and I love Brasil :)

I love you and miss you all!!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

 

 

 

Almoço and Halloween

Hello Everyone!

I cannot believe that we are nearing the end of October! Time goes by so fast! It is still as hot as ever here, but the sad part is it isn´t even summber yet! Oh, well, more time to work on my tan :)

This week we had almoço at a really nice place. There is on irmã who always takes the sisters to a place to eat and this week we went to a place with seafood with a riverside view. We ate shrimp, fish that I have never even heard of and of course rice (because this is Brasil:) My camera is not working today, so I will try to send pictures next week. We felt really special though :)

This week we are planning a Halloween activity for the ward. We have 3 American sisters and one Brazilian in the ward and we are always thinking of new ideas for activities and we thought doing a Halloween acticity would be fun because no one has ever heard of this here. We are hoping that it is a hit and that people enjoy it. 

Oh, how I love Brasil! The people are so giving and open here. The people are so open to hearing about the gospel here and we are teaching a bunch of people. I am learning so much from these people. I love Brasil! :)

I cannot believe that this week I will hit the 1 year mark of my mission. This has been the best year of my life and I am so grateful for all the experiences I have gained here. I love being a missionary and being able to teach people everyday about the plan of happiness that our Father in Heaven made for us. 

I know that Jesus Cristo is our Savior and that He lives. I know that Heavenly Father loves each on of us without measure. I know He wants what´s best for us and everything happens for a reason. I know that the power of the priesthood is real. I know that the Plan of Salvation is real and that families can be together forever. 

I hope you all have a fabulous week and a wonderful Halloween!! I love you and miss you!!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

Coachroaches

Hello Everyone!!

 

I hope you all had a great week and are enjoying the beautiful fall weather! This is my favorite time of year when all the leaves are changing colors, the smell of fall and wearing warmer clothes. What a beautiful time of year!

 

This week was not very eventful, the only real story I have to tell has to do with a little (but not really that little) bug called a coachroach (I have no idea if I spelled that right...). They are often in the streets here and they can show up in houses, but not usually apartment buildings. They just climb in through the windows and hang out in your house. We were at a members house on night and one showed up in thier house and they got the broom and took care of it and when we went on the talk about how we have never had on in our apartment. A few days later Sister Nielsen was taking a shower and I heard her gasp. Sometimes the hot water turns off and the water get´s cold real fast so I thought that was what happened and I went to flip the switch, but then I heard ´Sister` so I went to the bathroom and she showed me the coachroach in the shower. Yup, he was hanging out with out shampoo and condition, right in the shower. We just freaked out for a few minutes, but then remembering the wise words from a member I got the broom. Now, we have a thing that hangs on the shower wall that holds all of our shower things and he started climbing on the bar soap and that super gross so I knocked all the the things off with the broom. Then I knocked him off too and we just started at it. Then I got really brave and attacked it with the broom. Let me tell you, they are really hard to kill. I disabled him though (some of his legs fell off) and I swept him onto the dust pan and Sister Nielsen flug him out the window. I have no idea what our neighbors thoughts, but just think, two Americans girls trying to kill a coachroach with a broom at 10:00 at night... yeah, it was a good time :) I don´t think I will have any problem killing spiders when I get home after this :)

 

Nothing else really exciting happened this week, I had an interview with my mission president so we got to hang out in the mission office and Sister Gomes (the mission president´s wife) gave us a ride to almoço after in the really nice new car :) Perks of being a sister :) Yesterday at church I played the piano like always and I sight read the sacrament hymn when we were singing the sacament hymn because we don´t have it in English... Heavenly Father helped me and all was well. I am still glad that I haven´t lost all of my sightreading and piano skills :)

 

Well, life just keeping moving on here in Brasil! This transfer will be 7 weeks because my mission presidnet has his annual meeting in São Paulo and having transfers while you mission president is on the other side of the county doesn´t sound like a good idea :)

 

Well, that´s all for this week! I hope you all have a fabulous week! I know that Heavnely Father loves each on of us. I know He knows each on of us perfectly and He really does hear and answer every prayer. He wants us to be happy and He has a plan to help us get there, His plan just may not always be our plan, but if we follow Him, we will be truly happy every time.

 

I love you and miss you all so much!!

 

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

Rain, Energia and Chimarrão

Hello Everyone!

 

What a week it has been! I feel like this week went by so slowly, but here we are once again, Monday. This week there was aton of rain! It rain really hard for like 10 minutes, then there is sun and then the next day it is just raining all day... last week Sister Nielsen and I walked to our District Meeting at our church building and we got there soaking wet, like rain was dripping off our skirts... Yes, we had umbrellas, but there was wind and there isonly so much an umbrella can do. Anyway, we made it through and we are praying that the rain stops until next winter and we can have sun :)

 

Last night Sister Nielsen and I were sitting and talking and the light went out for just a second and we both gasped, but it came back on and we thought we were safe, until the lights went out again and didn´t come back on. What?! We talked a little in the dark and saw that it was at least everyone in our builiding and then I remembered that we have candles, so we lit two candles and walked around with them. But without energy, that means you don´t have lights, you can´t use the outlets, and such, but also that you don´t have hot water, so Sister Nielsen took a very cold shower (I showered before the power went out :) ). We had some fun and took pictures too, of course to remember the good times :) But it came back on later at like 11, so it was all good :)

 

Yesterday at almoço I tried this new thing called Chimarrão. I attached pictures, but it is basically like herbal tea, you just pour the herb stuff and VERY hot water and drink it out of what looks like a straw, but not because you have to try really hard to get it to come out. It is tradition in the south, but some people have it here and I loved it and now I want one :) It looks a little strange, but it is so good :)

 

Also this week I saw a woman that I taught when I was here in Antares the first time. I don´t know if you remember from when I was with Sister Martin, but it was her and her daughter and it was the first baptismal date that I marked. She was not baptized, but we taught her. What I left the first time, I always wondered what happened to her and this past week we were walking down the street, I saw her and she made a loook with her face that was like Ís it really her?!´ We talked and she was SO happy to see me. She caught me up on the past 7 months and told me that we made a difference in her life when we were here before and that she is so grateful to us. I was almost moved to tears to hear this- that we helped her and that she remembered me because looking back now, I have no idea how anyone understood what I was saying and would remember me, but she does! It is no nice to know that I leave an impression on people and that I can make a difference.

 

I know that this church is true and that the Atonement really does change lives. I know that Jesus Cristo is our Savior, that He lives and loves each on of us.

 

I hope you all have a great week! I love you and miss you!!

 

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

 

Cake and Conference

Hello Everyone!!

Wow, this week went by fast once again! Last Monday I made my birthday cake and me and Sister Nielsen enjoyed it greatly all week :) She had her birthday on September 24 and she turned 21 so we made it a cake for the two of us, I just turned 20 instead :)

I cannot believe that it is October and I hit the 11 month mark of my mission! The other months I was counting down the days, but this one just came and went without me having to count! We celebrated with tapicoa because we were hungry at night coming home from work. It was a little weird because it was the same place that I celebrated my 3 month mark of the mission just with Sister Martin. Man how time flies!

I LOVED General Conference of course and some of my favorite talks were Elder Richard G. Scott and President Henry B. Eyring. And of course, who could not love the story that Elder Bednar told about his sons :) It was also great to hear people speaking in thier own language too. A funny moment was when the elder started his talk in Portugês, but I didnt realize that it was Português until the second voice that translates didn´t come and then it hit me, ´He is speaking in Português!´It is so strange how our brains work. I can read something in English and switch to Português like it´s nothing. I don´t even think about Óh, I am, reading in English right now´or ´He is speaking in Português´. I just understand! How amazing is that! The gift of tounges is real :) I am SO grateful for the opportunity to learn Português and be able to understand people. I am so blessed!

Sister Nielsen and I watched ´The World Report´inbetween and it was like a 6 month update for us of what is happening in the world. Unless members tell us things, we literally know nothing. We realized that David Archeleta came home from his mission and that they have a ´Meet the Mormons`movie. What´s with that? 

One thing that I am so grateful for is I am able to be able to recongize more fully all of the work that people do to make this church going. I don´t know if that makes sense, but I recongize the sacrifices that people make to serve other people. Where ever you are, if you are a Stake President, Primary teacher, Relief Society President or nursery worker, I just want to say thank you for all the sacrifices you make to help everyone. It is the little things that may go unoticed by men, but make the difference and I know that Heavenly Father knows your doings and it grateful for your service. 

I know that this church is true! I know that Jesus Cristo is our Savior. I know that he is the head of this church and he speaks to us through his servants, our prophet, apostles and general authorities. I am so grateful to be apart of this great work!

I hope you all have a wonderful week! I love you and miss you!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

Photos- my cake, tapioca with Sister Nielsen for my 11 meses, and me and sister Nielen with my cake. She is making a ´1´because she turned 21 and I am holding the ´0´because I turned 20 :)

 

 

 

Antares, Aniversario, e Felicidade

Hello Everyone!!!

Wow, I think I am the happiest missionary in the world! I got transfered back to my first area and it is the best because I can talk with everyone now! They understand me and I understand them- beautiful :) They are all so happy to see me and hear how I am doing. I cannot believe that when I left here I had 3 months of my mission down and now I have 11 down! Time goes by so fast!! I love being here though and I feel like I am reliving a fantesy. It doesn´t get any better than this :) 

My new companion is Sister Nielsen. She is from Florida and is super sweet. We live just the two of us in an apartment (that is about and hour from teh church building... good times :) ) but it is so nice because it is just the two of us! She will finish her mission in January- just 3 months before me. I will try to send a picture of the two of us next week. 

I celebrated my bithday yesterday going to church- it was so amazing to relive things! I also have an unoficial calling of being the ward pianist :) 

I was also able to teach my recent convert, Alisson again. Man he has grown in just 7 months! I am so grateful to Heavenly Father that He gave me this opportunity to return to where I was ´born´:) I always said I would love to go back. I love this ward, these members and being back in Maceió, but man it is hotter here than in Sergipe! I am turning real dark again and we haven´t even hit real summer yet :)

I know that Heavenly Father knows each one of us individaully and he loves us with an infinite love. I know that this Church is true and that Christ is our Savior. 

I love serving a mission and being a representative of our beloved Savior. What an honor it is. 

Thank you to everyone who sent me things for my birthday and gave me well wishes. I love you all so much and I cannot believe that I am 20!! I am so old! Haha :)

I hope you all have a fabulous week!! I love you and miss you!!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

 

 

 

 

 

Itabaiana, Baptism and Transfers

Hello Everyone!!

What a crazy week this was! First off, probably what you are all wondering about is transfers- I will be leaving Itabaiana. I was transfered to Maceió, back to Antares! You maybe wondering, can that happen? It´s true, it can happen. The new mission president hears nothing about the other area we have served in, other companions, nothing, just where we are when he get´s here. I am so excited to go back to Antares. The area has changed because they made a new ward, but they meet in the same church building as before, and have som of the same members. I am so excited to show them by Português now :) There was something new with transfers this time with the new mission president. Before, we got a phone call Sunday night from our leaders telling us if we would be transfered or not, and this time we got an email today that told us if we would be transfered and where. It was much more stressful, but now it starts with the saying goodbyes, packing and all of that. I have to go to Aracaju, Siqueira Campos, at 2:30 tomorrow morning to get the bus to Macaió (don´t worry, this time I won´t go back :) ). I will let you all know how Antares is doing next week. I am so sad to be leaving Itabaiana, but so happy to be returning to Macieó :)

This week we also had Zone Conference and I decided to be ´springy´with my yellow shirt and skirt I borrowed from Sister Lopez because tomorrow is the first day of spring! :) Also in the picture is my LZ (they are so awesome) and Sister Nunes, Moura and Lopez. We are all getting transered, so none of them will be going with me to Maceió :( I loved this zone though! Zona Lagarto! :)

Saturday we also had a baptism for Nivaldo. He has been coming to church for 6 monthes now and the day finally came when he decided to be baptized. He always said he would, but just that the time wasn´t right, but he always said he would be baptized before Sister Lopez and I left and he was! I cannot describe the joy I felt when I saw him in white. Sister Lopez and I cried so much and it still doesn´t feel real... Such a wonderful day! Truly when you see people come unto Christ, everything- tears, pain, discouragment- is worth it.

Well, that´s all I have time for today! I hope you all have a fabulous week! I know that this Church is true and that Jesus Cristo leads and guides this church. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for everything and men cannot fustrate the plans of God.

I love you and miss you!!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

Brasil

Hello Everyone!

I cannot believe that we are already halfway through the month of September! I hope you all had a fabulous week! This week was pretty uneventful again, life just keeps moving here in Brasil.

First a funny/gross story- Sister Lopez and I were teaching a 17 year old girl and she has two huge dogs, like HUGE dogs. One of them is part pit bull and the other is a full bred of something that I can´t remember, but when they stand on their two legs they are just up to my shoulder. They are also crazy heavy, but very loving, they just go a little crazy when we come over :) Anyway, the owner had given them each a piece of bread to calm down a little and one of the dogs walked up to me and coughed up some of the bread he was chewing onto my skirt... Sister Lopez just looked and was trying not to laugh and I was trying now to get too grossed out. Don´t worry, the dog ate it again, so there was nothing left. Needless to say when I got home, I threw that skirt in the wash :) Good times on the mission :)

This week we also had a Branch Talent Show which was fun and us sisters always go to every branch activity whether we had investigators there or not because we are really part of the branch here, especially when the branch averages on 60 people every Sunday- and we are 4 of them! I love being apart of the branch though even though it is small, but I know everyone by name and everyone is so sweet.

Yesterday I had a little bit of a culture moment again. The son of a recém convert (she has been a member a little more than a year) passed away yesterday morning so the other sisters went to her house instead of church of help comfort here. After church and almoço Sister Lopez and I went too and stayed there the whole day. I don´t know if every death is like this because it is the first one I have really been apart of in Brasil, but he died, they had a wake, funeral and burial all within about 12 hours! I guess it is nice, because you can move on quickly, but it is alot. It was an emotional day yesterday for us and I didn´t even know the person who died! I had a lot of time to think yesterday and it is so hard to see the heartbreak that seperation brings, espcially when unexpected, but I thought that maybe that was what it was like for each on of us when we watched loved ones and friends come down to earth and be born while we stayed up in the premortal world until our time. Just like death here on earth, in heaven we knew that we will be able to see our loved ones again, we may just wait years here on earth and then years after when we meet in the spirit world after we had died. Seperation is always hard, but we had the assurance from a loving Heavenly Father that this life is not the end. Each one of us one day will leave this earth for a better world, one without suffering or pain. I know that this is true. Our loving Heavenly Father made a perfect plan for each one of us that allows us to grow, that be with our families forever.

Well, not much else exciting happened. I had a Zone Conference tomorrow in Aracaju which means that I can see some of my friends who are in other zones, that we are getting up really early tomorrow to get to the church by 7:30 in Aracaju, but it will be a good day :)

I know that this church is true. I know that we had a living prophet today. I know that the priesthood power is real, that it can bring miracles. I know that we are never alone here on this journey of life. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who wants the best for each one of us.

I hope you all have a great week! I love you and miss you!!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

The Church is True

Hello Everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous week! This week was pretty much normal for us here, just teaching, eating and sleeping :) This past Wednesday we had the mission tour with the general authority. We had the meeting in Aracaju with the rest of the elders in our zone and a few other companionships. We up at 5:15 to get ready and get there in time and then things started late... but we were there on time :) The meeting was good. It is always amazing to hear general authority speak and we learned alot of things of how we can become more productive in our work. Our mission president also used this time to change some rules in our mission, which ruffed the feathers of some people. It was nothing major, it is just hard to change :) This Saturday there was also a wonderful Relief Society activity about virtuous women. I don´t have time to explain it all, but there were women who dressed up like virtuous women from the scriptures (Eve, Sarah, Mary, Ruth etc.) and talked about the faith and such they had and then the actual RS sisters shared their testionies. It was to show how we are all important, all of us have faith and just because these women in the sciprtures did these amazing things, we are all the same. It was such a great activity and I will be keeping it in the back of my head for when I come home and have a calling in Relief Society  and we have to plan an activity :) I just wanted to share a quote this week from Preach My Gospel about hope. I don´t know what the exact words are because I was too lazy to go through my suitcase to find my English PMG, so I just tried my best to translate it in English from Portugues :) But more or less it says- Hope is the trust in God´s promises, faith that if we act today, the desired blessings with come in the future. James E. Faust. Hope can be dificult to have, but we can cling to the faith that we have, the examples in the scriptures that God´s always keeps His promises and that if we do the right things now that all with work out for our good and we are promised we will have eternal life in the world to come- happiness with our families without end. I know that this church is true! I love you all so much and hope you all have a fabulous week!! Com amor, Sister Chilson   Pics   Pizza Sister Lopez and I made my district right now (4 americans, and 4 brazilians) When Sister Lopez and I bough açaí açaí Us 4 sisters and the conference this week

Setembro!

Hello Everyone!

Happy Labor Day! How is it already September... School will be starting this week... Man, how time flies!

This week was a pretty normal week again. The entire town of Itabaiana celebrated the birthday of Itabaiana, so it was a holiday, everything was closed and the only people in the streets were the ones drinking... needless to say we tried to visit some people, but then headed home until we had our reading class because no one wanted to talk with us. There was a concert in the afternoon/at night and there was a amusment park too. I was right about one thing about Brasil before my mission- that they like to celebrate and big. The phrase ´go big or go home´ yeah, that´s Brasil :)

This week I celebrated 10 monthes of my mission and Sister Lopez and I went to eat açaí again. I took a picture this time. It is dark, so may be hard to tell, but hopefully you can get a better idea of what it is. I ordered açaí with cashews and sweetened condenced milk- yum!! I love açaí and it actually has some good health benefits too. Well, maybe without the sweetened milk, but whatever :)

Everyone here has a hard time saying and remembering my name, so I usually just end up ´sister´, but yesterday the brach president asked me to say the opening prayer for sacarament meeting. I was waiting to see how he said my name, and without hesitation he said ´sister chilson´´. After he sat down he gave me a look like ´was that right?´ I smiled and nodded and he gave the biggest smile in the world like he was so proud that he got it right. Then I just laughed. Good times in Brasil :)

Yesterday we were walking in the street to someone´s house and there was an older woman with popcorn that she has made and she was sitting there with two other people and as we passed by she told us to take some. Yup, we just took a handfull of someone else´s popcorn in the street. She was so persistent though and it smelled really good. That describes two things different about Brasil- first that people live in the street here. Especially after the sun goes down, people are just sitting in the street talking, eating, or whatever. Also, it shows how Brasil people love giving. Especially here in the NE, people always offer food, even if they have almost nothing, they always offer food to us and always tell us to eat until we are full. It doesn´t matter how humble they maybe, but they always give. I love Brasil and it is such a wonderful example of selfless people giving to others before themselves.

Well, I guess that is about all for this week. I know that this Church is true. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that Thomas S. Monson is our prophet today. We have a living prophet who speaks with God and then tells all of us- how amazing is that! We can know exactly what Heavenly Father wants us to know and we will have the opportunity to hear from the prophet, apostles and other leaders in about a month! How blessed we are!

I hope you all have a fabulous week, a wonderful, relaxing labor day and if you are starting school this week- good luck! I love you and miss you!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

Life in Brasil

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all had a fabulous week! I cannot believe that we are reaching the end of August! For some reason September feels really close to the end of the year... Time is going by so fast!

This week Sister Lopez and I were walking down the street and there was a little boy who stopped and pointed at us and said ´Jesus`. Sister Lopez and I just looked at each other and smiled. A few weeks ago too we were sitting on a park bench and two women walked by with a little boy who was probably a year old. He was walking, but he wasn´t walking really well by himself, but anyway, he was walking and then all of the sudden he stopped right in front of us and just smiled and stared. We smiled and waved too and they kept walking, but he kept looking back at us. I got to thinking with these two experiences about how children are pure, they don´t have sins like the rest of us and they are much closer to heaven then we are and how they can see the light of Christ that is in us missionaries. They recongnize that there is something different about us and how we have part of Christ with us as representatives of him. It was a sweet experience to see the meekness and humility of a child.

This week the Relief Society President made pizza that I could eat when we had almoço at their house! It was so sweet of her and was so good! Then later that day Sister Lopez and I tried to make some with the recipe that she had and it turned out pretty well! How I have been missing pizza!

One of the things I am so grateful for about serving a mission is because I am able to see great leaders and learn from their example. As a missionary I work with the branch president, and other leaders more and I have been able to see great leaders who care and who selflessly serve other before themselves. I will work with leaders of the church for the rest of my life so I am greatful now for the time that I have to watch and learn from good (and bad) leaders :)

Well, that is about all for this week. Life just keeps on moving here in Itabaiana :) I cannot believe that in a week it will be September, on Saturday I will hit my 10 month mark and that it is already week 3 of this transfer!

I know that Jesus Cristo is our Savior that he lives and loves each on of us. I know this church is true with all of my heart.

I hope you all have a great week! I love you and miss you!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

Time Just Keeps Passing By

Hello Everyone!

I feel like I say every Monday, Ìt is P-Day again already?!´ Time is going by so fast! I was thinking about how August is half over and everyone will be starting school again in a few weeks! I still feel like it is May or something...

Anyway, nothing super amazing happened this week, just teaching, eating and sleeping. It is so funny, there are some days when at night we plan, shower and don´t feel like eating so we go to bed at 9:45 or something... us sisters are getting so old! We are so happy when it comes time to sleep at night, it doesn´t really matter what hour it is! We walk alot though and are constantly doing things, so I guess it makes sense :)

They are getting ready for elections here in a month so that means propaganda! Which means cars with speakers going through the streets and you cannot hear what the person next to you is saying, and the occaional fireworks, and no not just at night, but anytime of the day :) But life is good here :)

This week in the reading class we were talking about people names and sounding them out. Then it came time for my name... She asked, what letter makes the ch in my name which is more of a sh sound here and one of the people said ´X´because x here kind of makes a sh sound. It was so funny, but maybe they will be say my name now... To so many people I am just sister, or her, or something like that. It´s all good though :)

I also thought I would share what I ate for lunch last P-Day. doesn´t it look good? And it was realy good, we just need sour cream and totilla chips which they don´t have here, but we make do.

Well, not much else exciting to share this week... I will try to have better stories next week :) I know this church is true. I know that Jesus Cristo is our Savior and that He loves each one of us. I know that personal revelation is real and that the heavens are not closed; that Heavenly Father talks with His leaders and each on of us. I love this gospel!

I hope you all have a great week!! I love you!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

Awkward Moment, Chili, and Transfers!

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all had a great week! We found out about transfers last night and... *drum roll* us 4 will stay here together for another transfer! We are excited! Hardly anyone was transfered. Presidente is still getting to know people, so he didn´t change much. I only have this transfer and 5 more left in my mission... I have already done 7 transfers... What?! Time goes by so quickly!

So the awkward moment this week was went we were teaching a woman and we started talking about the Word of Wisdom and how it talks about things we should and shouldn´t eat and then her neighbor comes out and gives her a cup of coffee! S. Lopez and I just looked at each other and kept going because we couldn´t turn back now. We got to the part about coffee and she was like, Oh, I know it is good for us and she said she would stop!  Woah! There was that moment when S. Lopez and I just looked at each other though and wondered what should be do... I was all good though :)

Also S. Lopez and I made chili this week without a recipe! We were walking home one day and I don´t know exactly how it started, but we decided to make chili. We thought about how we ate it at home and fumbled our way though and estimated things and thought about what things we could substitiue here for what we have at home and it worked! We tried out best and asked each other Does things seem right? multipe times, but it turned out really good, so now we are doing to try some more things. American companions... love it! :)

Well that is about all for this week! I hope you all have a fabulous week! I read a quote from a conference talk this week that I love. It says ´Prayer doesn´t change God. It changes me.`I realized that is so true. That God is not going to change His plan depending on what we ask and pray for, but prayer humbles our heart and turns our will more to God´s.

I love and miss you all so much!!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

August, 9 Meses and Americans

Hello Everyone!

I hope you had a great week this week! This week went by so fast and I have no idea where the time went. I was talking with out District Leader on the phone last night and he of course asked how our week was and I was just like Élder, I have no idea what happened this week. We worked hard and it just flew by´. Anyway, Happy August! I feel like this year is almost ending! I have no idea where the time goes... Speaking of time passing quickly, I hit the 9 month mark of my mission this week- halfway!! What?! It is so strange to think that I have less time here left than I have already done. I really am no longer one of the young ones! To celebrate, Sister  Lopez and I ate açaí together. We don´t have it in the states, so you are just going to have to google it. It is a type of fruit that get´s mashed up, but it is cold too and kind of has the consistency of ice cream... I had mine with cashews and sweetened condenced milk... my goodness it was so good! It is right across the street from the church so we maybe visiting there again... :) Sister Lopez also made ice cream for me! It is the flavor goiaba (I attached a pictures). I was so good too! Oh, I love my companion! :)

This week we also had the priviledge of living without water and gas for days. Gas is what you use to use the oven and stove. There is a tank filled with gas that sits by the stove and you can turn it on and off. It is expensive so we lived about a week without it, we bought more this morning. We also lived without water for 3 days... The adventures of a mission :)

Sister Lopez and I were walking yesterday in the street and a women asked us Áre you americans?´ in English. We said yes of course and talked with her for a little while. They are building a Baptist temple in our area. She had such a thick southern accent (she is from Mississippi) and Sister Lopez and I tried to speak English with her, but it was SO hard! We were literally transalting things from Português to English... I might actually have to get a translator to talk with my family at Christmas... that or start practicing my English now... :) She said there is a group of people coming from Alabama to help this week and we could stop by if we wanted. Maybe we will to practice our English. It is so weird and funny to hear English!

Well, that is all for this week! Also I attached a picture of our house. We are number 1333. 1333A lives above us and we live in the bottom. I love our house :)

I hope you alll have a great week! I love you and miss you so much!!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

The Adventure Continues!

Hello Everyone! 
 
I hope you all had a wonderful week! This week went by so fast for me (once 
again :) ) 
 
We had another batismo this week! It was the man who got married last week. It 
was an adventure though. So Friday night we found out that we still don´´t have 
water in the capel (it has been about 2 weeks now) and so we could not have the 
batismo there, but we called the elders in Lagarto and they said we could have 
the batismo there. So Saturday afternoon me, S. Lopez, Josè (who got baptized), 
his wife and the member who baptized him headed out to Lagarto where our 
wonderful LZ´s had the font filled and ready. It was just us who came in the car 
and our LZ´s at the baptism, but the spirit was the same. We sang, I gave a 
talk, there was the baptism and we had bolo afterward. One of our LZ´´s 
conducted the meeting. It was small, but it was such a wonderful day for all of 
us. We then took the hour ride back to Itabaiana. I am so grateful for wonderful 
members and that everything worked out. He recieved the Holy Ghost yesterday and 
it starts their one year wait untl they can be sealed in the temple :) 
 
We are also teaching a ready class here in the branch. It is us 4 sisters 
teaching it. We don´t have alot of people, but it is so worth it. A part about 
working in an interior is that pretty much no one over the age of 30 knows how 
to read or write. It is so rewarding to teach them and I am so grateful that I 
can help. Here I am speaking and writing in a second language and they don´t 
even know how in their first languge. They are so wonderful! 
 
Nothing else crazy happened this week... we are still teaching people and loving 
life here in Itababiana! 
 
I know this church is true and that Jesus Cristo é nosso Salvador! I know He 
lives and will return on day! 
 
I hope you all have a great week!! I love you and miss you all!! 
 
Com amor, 
Sister Chilson 







Sister Lopez and Sister Chilson




President and Sister Gomes

Wedding Couple with Missionaries

 

 Wedding Couple Baptism

 

 Baptism 15 year old boy

Birthdays, a Wedding and a Baptism

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all had a fabulous week! I cannot believe that another week has passed by! It feels like just yesterday I was here emailing all of you! This week went by so fast and we had alot of exciting things happen.

First, my companion celebrated her 20th birthday Saturday and another sister we live with celebrated her 21st birthday a week ago today. We had cake obviously and celebrated each one of them. I am now officially the only one in our house that is 19. I am still the youngest. The other sister is 20 também.

Sister Lopez and I had a wedding this week! We got up at 5:30 to leave our house at 6:30 to head to a members house to get her ready for her wedding. Here, getting married is so complicated and can take a while, so I think that is why pretty much no one is married legally... They had to be at the place at 8 in the morning. We didn´t actually get to see the wedding. It was them and 2 other couples and they all got married at the same time. I don´t know exactly how it all works, but they are married now! We had a little celebration at church that same night with cake, we took a bunch of pictures... it was so much fun! I will send pictures next week because I can´t send pictures from this computer, sorry! The woman who got married is already a member, but her now husband is not and he will be baptized this coming Saturday. They are so sweet and it was fun to be apart of a wedding :)

This past Saturday Sister Lopez and I had a baptism too! It was a young man who is 15 years old. It was so special to have a baptism. While we were waiting for him to have his interview, Sister Lopez, the companion to our district leader and I starting singing hymns with parts and it was so amazing! Here, people don´t really sing that well and sometimes it is without a piano if they don´t have one. I was singing soprano, S. Lopez sang alto and the elder sang tenor. The elder has an amazing voice and he played the piano while we sang. I felt right back at home singing with them and it was so amazing to hear the beautiful chords! I am still a music lover at heart :)

We taught a bunch of people this week too... overall, such an amazing week! This past week, I have been especially grateful for the Spirit that we can feel. The Spirit is so wonderful because it can help you do hard things, but have peace at the same time. It can be hard to accept the will of the Lord sometimes, but with the Spirit we can have peace with whatever happens. I am so grateful to be apart of this church, to be serving here in Itabaiana and helping move forward the kingdom of God here on earth.

Sometimes S. Lopez and I walk away from a lesson and we just look at each other and say ´This church is true. How can it not be true?´ When you feel the Spirit and see how this gospel touches people´s lives, there is no doubt that this is the true church of Christ.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!! I love you and miss you!!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

I love being a missionary!

Hello Everyone!

Nothing too crazy happened this week, Brasil lost 7-1 which was really hard and everyone was pretty mad here and they lost on Saturday too... But at least the states played well this year! Anyway, it is good that Argentina didn´t win because there would be alot more people angry because there is always the rivarly with Argentina.

This week though I had a Zone Meeting in Lagarto and us four sisters are the only sisters in our zone, so that´s fun. Also, after we had almoço with the four elders in our district in their area because we were just going to eat almoço in casa and it is an hour ride back, so we asked and they said sure (after they checked with the irmã of course :) ) 8 missionaries... we wook a picture becasue the family was so happy to see sisters. We are a rare thing in some parts here :)

I got to play the piano at church yesterday and it made me so happy. That is one thing that I miss you much- just being able to play the piano (and a good piano) when ever I want and play whatever I want, but I am grateful for the opportunities I have to play here and everyone is always so grateful.

The transfer is going by so fast! I cannot believe that this week is week 4 of this transfer! Luckily this transfer is 7 weeks, so we still have 4 more. The days go by so fast with Sister Lopez as my companion and the weeks go by even faster! Being a missionary is so amazing! The one goal that I had before my mission of what I wanted to be better after was be better at following the Spirit. I think it is a lifetime thing, but this week I was able to feel the joy more when I followed the Spirit. Don´t worry, I always follow the Spirit the best I can, but this week there were experiences where I could look back and say- Wow, that was the Spirit telling me to do that and I did it and this amazing thing happened and I feel so amazing. Oh, how grateful I am for the Spirit!

I am so grateful to be serving here in Itabaiana! I love being a missionary and watching the gospel change people´s lives. This gospel is amazing! The church is true!

I hope you all have a fabulous week!! I love you and miss you!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

Church meeting house

Itabaiana

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all had a fabulous 4th of July!! It was hard to be away from home because I LOVE the 4th of July, but Heavenly Father blessed me with an American companion this transfer and we enjoyed the 4th together as well as shared some American traditions with our Brazilian roommates :) I wanted to send pictures, but I don´t know how, so I will try to send them next week... sorry! We made a traditional meal with chesseburgers, watermelon, lemonade, potato chips and smores for dessert. You may be wondering how we managed smores- we just lit the burners on the stove and roasted the marshmellows that way. The creativiy of missionaries :) We also got the hear fireworks because there was a jogo do Brasil the same day and Brasil won (yeah!!) so there were fireworks. Not the same as in the states, but still a great day :)

I met my new mission presdient this week- President and Sister Gomes. They are super sweet and I am excited to get to know them better. President shared his new vision for the mission and I am so excited! I will have an iterview with him in a few weeks and them get to know them better. I still love the Gonzagas, but I know that the Gomes´ are called to serve here for a reason.

I love working in a branch and an interior do Brasil, but that means that things are far away, like we had our District Meeting at the capela where our DL meets and it is an hour away- one way by bus! It is fun though to travel and see different places. I love working in a Branch too. It maybe smaller in size, but it is strong in Spirit and there are wonderful members here and I am so excited and grateful to learn from their example of service and dedication.

Sister Lopez and I also taught a bunch of people this week too. I was thinking this week about how a mission is hard, and at times I wish I could go home because my life would be a whole lot easier that way. I then get to thinking though about all the people I never would have met if I didn´t serve a mission. Not just the other missionaries, but all of the members, the people taught... I start to tear about just thinking about what a blessing it is to know these people. Even if they don´t get baptized, I still am so grateful to have met them and I still remember them. Each person I have met, I will remember. I love the mission and it is hard, but oh so worth it! Our Hevaenly Father is merciful, loving and oh so wonderful! I am so grateful for the experiences I have had thus far on the mission.

I hit my 8 monthes mark this week and now I can say that this month I will be half way done with my mission... How crazy is that?! I think time has been going by so far and these past monthes were the slow ones!

I love this gospel. I know that our Savior lives and loves each one of us.

I hope you all have a great week! And if you live in the Rochester area, please go to Pageant for me! :)

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

Adventures in Brasil!

Hello Everyone!! Well, I made it to my new area safe and sound, but with quite an adventure. There is so much to tell, but I will try to make it simple and that you can understand... So when your District or Zone Leader calls Sunday to tell us about transfers he only tells us if you will be transfered and if you will be staying in Sergipe or Maceio. My LZ told me that I was getting transfered to Maceio and I had to be at the church at 5AM, so I got up at 3:30 that morning to get ready, shower, get all of my stuff down the the taxi and such. We got there, but the person with the list of people who should be on the bus said my name wasn´t on it, so I talked with my LZ who called the secretaries in Maceio and said it was fine and so I made the 6 hour ride to Maceio. Once I got there I was so excited to find out where I would be serving and one of the secretaries came up to me, looked at the list of areas and companionships and then looked at me and said, ´Sister Chilson, uhh, there was a problem... a little mix up´ and he started walking away and I was like Élder! Where is my area? He told me that I was be staying in Sergipe, serving in Itabiana with Sister Lopez- significa that I needed to make the 6 hour bus ride back to Sergipe. So that´s why my name wasn´t on the list... Sadly, I walked back onto the bus and made it back to where I started at 5AM. I am serving not in the capital though so it is another hour bus ride to my area and it was late, so I ended up sleeping the the exact same apartment that was slept in for the past 4 monthes... Literally all I did was take a 12 bus ride... The following day though I headed to Itabiana and met my companion- Sister Lopez! She is an American! We are already planning our 4th of July party :) She just has one more transfer than me in the mission. She is so awesome and I am so excited for this transfer! This transfer is 7 weeks so by the time it ends we will be in August- crazy! We did not work much this week because where I am there are always partys in the street and it is not safe to work. Some fun facts about my area though- it is a branch not a ward and we don´t have a chapel- we meet in a house! How cool is that! I will send pictures next week, I promise. There are woodent benches and it felt like I was in Little House on the Praire because of the wooden benches in a house. I love it though and am so excited to work here! Presidente and Sister Gomzaga went home this week and we meet Presidente and Sister Gomes tomorrow! I cannot believe that tomorrow is July... this year is half over! I also hit my 8 month mark today... I am almost half way done with my mission! This is crazy! I love Brasil so much!! I know that this church is true and that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I know that The Book of Mormon is true. I know that the power of the priesthood is real. I love this gospel!! I hope you all have a fabulous week! I love you and miss you! Com amor, Sister Chilson

Festa de Nina, a Lesson, and Transfers!

Hello Everyone!

I spent some time this week things of a fancy title for this email... I hope you like it :)

My goodness so many things happened this week! First off, sobre transfers... I am getting transfered to Maceió! I leave on a bus at 5AM tomorrow as we will end up in Farol at about 11AM/12PM. I have no idea what area I will be serving in or who my companion will be, but I am excited. I am so sad to be leaving Grageru! I love this area, but I have a wonderful 4 monthes here and I know that I need to move on. The worst part about transfers though is packing your suitcases. At least I am the only one getting transfered so I have my stuff basically everywhere, but the other sisters are fine with it :) I somehow always get more and more things every transfer... Oh well. I will let you all know where I will be serving next week and who is my companion!

We had our last meeting with President and Sister Gonzaga this week. They are so amazing, but President Gomes is officially my mission president on the 28th of June. I am excited to meet him and his wife, but so sad to see the Gonzaga´s go, but with President Gonzaga´s new calling he get´s to travel to the states once a year (and probably to Utah), so I will see them again and we will be friends on Facebook after the mission :)

This Friday we had the Festa de Nina activity at church (São João) and let me tell you- it was a festa! Brazilian know how to party :) Don´t worry, I obeyed all the rules that I have, but I have made it a personal goal that I will return to Brasil and Sergipe during this time of year because it is the best time of year. There was SO much food- so many things will corn that I could eat! I will have to get the recipes and make them when I get home. I will have a tradition of Festa de Nina in my house :) There was also a trio that played music and let me tell you. You think the music is loud at the stake dances... nope. You literally can not hear people talk, but everyone is dancing and it is so much fun. Totally not something I would normally like, but I think I am becoming a Brazilian :) Speaking of becoming a Brazilian- I am becoming a Northeastern Brazilian because now I always sleep with a green kind of flees blanket every night and in the beginning of my mission I would wake up sweating with just sleeping with a sheet. I tell myselft that it is not cool at all, but my body is used to the weather now... I think I will actually die when I get back to the states, especially when I spend the winter in Logan, UT... Anyway, I am becoming a Brazilian and loving it :)

So the lesson I learned this week (well one of them, I learned many). We were suppose to have a baptism this past Saturday and we talked with him Friday, everything went great in his interview, he came to the ward activity and he was so excited. Then Saturday came and he did not show up for his baptism and he doesn´t have a cell phone. We went to his house and he wasn´t there, but we talked with him mom and she said she was tell him to go to church yesterday, but he didn´t come. We have not been able to talk with him again, but Sister Araújo will keep trying to find him after I leave and make sure he is baptized. The change in him is amazing and I know that Satan is working hard on him.  My heart literally broke when we got home and I literally just cried because I was so sad that he didn´t show up for his baptism and I realized that is exactly how Heavenly Father feels. He is so sad when we don´t follow the path and do what´s right. But I now Heavenly Father has a plan for him and He can see the bigger picture. 

Well, that is all for this week! I have attached pictures. I took so many pictures this week, but because I took so many I have to choose which ones I will send, but it´s so hard! Well, anyway, I hope you like them :)

I hope you all have a wonderful week! This church is true and Jesus Christ is our Savior. Heavenly Father hears and answers every prayer. Pour your heart our to Him. He is listening and He will comfort your heart. 

I love you and miss you!!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson