Another Week!

Oi Everyone,

I hope that you all had great weeks! This week felt like it went by really slow this week, but I feel like it was just yesterday I was emailing all of you! 

I don´t have any big amazing stories this week about investigators or baptisms, but Sister Martin and I are working hard and teaching everyone we can. We walked the whole length of our area this week multiple times. I timed it one time and it is about and hour and 40 minutes, one way, from the start and finish of our area (the length only). There is one big road that divides our area from the other sisters in our ward and there are little road and stores that are off of the one main road. 

One not so awesome thing that happened yesterday- we had no water in our apartment (and not like we didn´t have hot water... we had no water). I was taking a shower and the water was crazy hot, but then it just stopped. I didn´t know if it was just me, but then one of the other sisters who was trying to take a shower said the same thing. We tried our best with what we had, but one of the sisters got some water from somewhere and we washed ourselves with water and buckets. The water was still not on after church and when we got home last night and I am not sure if it is back on now... I will see when we get home :) So that was not really fun and of course the one Sunday it happens is when President Gonzaga (my mission president), the stake president and a member of the Seventy is in our sacrament meeting. I thought something was going to happen like a change in the stake presidency or something because having all of them there at once is stange, but nothing big happened. The member of the Seventy spoke in sacrament meeting and that was about it. 

We also lost power one night this week and we could tell because you hear all of the fan go off. It was not off for very long, but still not having water and losing energia in the same week... good times :)

We got a little glimpse of what it is going to be like here during the World Cup this week. One day we tried to call and visit so many people, but no one was answering. We walked by a bar and then we realized the was a soccer game on... so that is what everyone was doing. There were so many people crammed into the bar to see the TVs and everyone was wearing jerseys... they mean business here :) So basically during the World Cup we are going to be doing nothing because everyone will be watching the World Cup :)

Sister Gonzaga also visited our apartment one day this week and she went to our almoço appointment também because she was going to spend the day with the other sisters in our ala. And of course who had the give the message? Me. I was so nervous, but I think that it actually went okay and after Sister Gonzaga said I did a great job. She has to say that though, right? Being the mission president´s wife? :)

Well that is about all that is happening here. Nothing super fun or amazing, but I have gone to baptims for the other sisters in our area and it always brings me so much joy when someone else get´s baptized. I know that this church is true and that our Savior lives. He died for each one of us and I know He will return one day and what a glorious day that will be. I love this gospel with all of my heart. 

I hope that you all have a great week! I think about Rochester and the beautiful state of New York everyday. I pray for you all. I miss and love you all so much!!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

Pics: My old district, me by the beautiful beaches of Maceió. There are times when I wish I could be somewhere there is snow, and then I walk by these beaches... Can I have both? :) Also, a picture of the entire mission. Can you find me? :)

1st Transfer

Oi Everyone!!

I made it through my first transfer!! I cannot believe that I have been here for 6 weeks, I honestly feel like I have lived here for months... Anyway, I am staying in the same area with my same companion for the next 6 wees, which I what I thought because she is my trainer and my training doesn´t finish for another 6 weeks. The other 2 sets of sisters in my district and who I live with stayed the same as well and actually there were so few changes made, but that just means that next transter the mission is basically going to get turned upside down because 6 sisters go home and there are 5 of us who finish our training, so we will see what happens, but I am very hopefuly for these next 6 weeks :)

Right now my heart is so full of love and joy that I cannot help but keep smiling! I wasn´t like this all week though. Through my whole mission I have had ups and downs, days where I feel like I can talk with anyone and days where I feel like I know no Português at all. At the beginning of last week I was feeling pretty down. I knew that transfers were coming up, but I felt like I couldn´t communicate with people and that I didn´t know if I would be able to make it another 6 weeks with my same companion. On Wednesday we have entravistas (interviews) with President Gonzaga. We email him every week and have an interview with him every 6 weeks. Our whole district has interviews on the same day and President set up a schedule and I had my interview last out of everybody, which I was fine with. Anyway, I explained to President how I was feeling and he told me that I needed to really talk with Sister Martin and explain to her what I was feeling. I knew this was what I needed to do and espcailly coming from Presdient, but I was a little hesitent. Anyway, I was feeling better after talking with him and then on Saturday I had a huge miracle happen. We were just walking around Saturday night and all of the sudden Sister Martin asked me if President told me that we should talk. Of course I told her yes, but I was so shocked that he told her that because her talked with her before he talked with me. Needless to say, I know that President listened to the Spirit and told Sister Martin needed to talk. We sat down on side of the road and talked. I was able to explain how I was feeling and she was as well. If definatley brought us closer together and since then I have been having totally peace and am so much happier. I am so grateful for a mission president who is so in tune with the Spirit and looks out for each one of his missionaries. He is so amazing! I feel so much more confident and I know that this next transfer will not be easy, but I know that I can get through it and I know Sister Martin and I will continue to get closer over these next 6 weeks. 

As for the rest of my week, nothing crazy happened. On Tuesday we went to the place for almoço with a member where there is a big buffet and then people come around with all different types of meat and you can have as much as you want. I tried so many different kinds, I don´t even know what I ate, but I know that I ate chicken heart and I loved it! Super strange and not like me, I know, but for some reason I was feeling adventeous, so I tried it knowing full well what I was eating and I loved it. I´m sure I depends on how you cook it, but my goodness, they did such a great job :)

We had our first missionary correlation meeting this week at our ward mission leaders house and someday I will take a pictures, but my ward mission leader look exactly like Jacob Black from the Twilight movies- I swear. He was on his mission when New Moon came out and so many young girls started calling him Jacob Black, but he had no idea what they were talking about because he hadn´t seen the movie. Super funny and I will get a picture with him next meeting :)

Sorry for no pictures this week, the computer isn´t taking my camera, so you will just have to wait another week... sorry! 

I guess that is all for this week! I hope that you are all doing well and enjoying your January! I know that Heavenly Father loves each of us and is in the details in our lives. He watches over each one of us and I know that he always does what is best for us and what is going to help us become the person he knows we can be. I love this gospel with all of my heart and am so grateful to have it in my life and to hvae the opportunity to share it. 

I love you all!!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

Pioneer Children Sang As They Walked and Walked and Walked...

Oi Everyone!!

It sounds like it is a really cold winter up in Rochester and I am very sad to be missing it because I love the snow, and I pretty much sweat all day here, but it´s all good :)

I am reminded of the Primary song Pioneer Children Sang as They Walked because sometimes that is how I feel here- we walk and walk and walk and walk :) But I know that this is the Lord´s work and that He never gives us more than we can bear.

So last P-Day we went bowling! It was me, Sister Martin, the other 4 sisters from our apartement and 2 other sisters who must live close by. It was alot of fun, and even though I am really bad, it was nice to relax a little and do something fun :)

On Tuesday I had my first Zone Conference. My zone leaders are awesome and we have the financial secretaries and the AP`s in our zone, so it is fun. Nothing too amazing to share, we talked about teaching and how we can meet our goals for this month. It is always nice to do someting different though and talk with other people- even if they are missionaries :)

I went on my first exchange this week with the sister training leader. She goes and spends one day in every area to see how the sisters are and the area is doing. She happens to live with me, so we didn´t have to go anywhere. but it was fun to take her around for the day and show her our area :) I stayed in our area and my companion worked in the other area that day. I learned so much from her.

We will hopefully be moving into a new apartment some time this week (an apartment made for 4 people and 4 people live in it... weird, I know :) ). I don´t exactly know when, but it is do beautiful and I am so excited to finally have space for my things and not be living out of a suitcase :)

Not alot is happening with out area. Sister Martin and I have lists of names that we try everyday and maybe one of them is home or answers the phone, so that is difficult, but I know that we are doing the Lord´s work and it has to happen in His time. 

We talked again with the other investigator that has a baptismal date again. She will not be getting baptized this Saturday and maybe never, but I am okay with that. She is really stuggling and I just want to help her and I know that we can provide comfort throught the gospel- whether she get´s baptized or not. 

I know that every person we meet, we meet for a reason. We either needed to learn something from them or they needed to learn something from us. That is such a beautiful thing. No one we meet is for no reason. There is a purpose behind everything that happens in our lives. 

If you have time, you should read 1 Nephi 22. I read it again this week and it is such a wonderful chapter. Nephi says many times that ´the rightoues need not fear´ and I know that is true. If we are following the commandments and trying our best to follow the Savior, then we never need to fear for the future or anything. 

I know that our Savior lives and that He suffered and died so that He would know how to help us in our trials, sickness, and pain in this life. If we turn to Him, He will help us- He will always help us, but we must turn to Him first. I know that Heavenly Father loves us each more than we wil ever know and that He is in the details of our lives. I love this gospel and know it is true with all of my heart. 

I hope that you all stay warm and have a great week! I love and pray for all of you!

Com Amor,

Sister Chilson

 

Feliz Novo Ano!

Happy New Year Everyone!

I cannot believe that 2014 is here! On New Year´´s Eve we had district meeting in the morning and then we had to be in our house by 6PM because it was New Year´s Eve and so we hung out for a little while, but then we made some amazing food- this awesome chicken dish, rice, french fries and two different types of juice and after we have pipoca (popcorn). It was so awesome to just enjoy ourselves (me and the other 5 sisters I live with). We put on jeans for the evening which felt really weird and we hung out. We stayed up until midnight to ring in the new year, which we probaly weren´t suppose to do.... But anyway, there were a bunch of fireworks that went off at midnight and some were super close to us and we could see then so clearly in the night sky. Different from how I would have celebrated at home, but such a good time.

The following day (New Year´s Day) we still got up at 6:30... that was hard,but we did it :) There was no one out in the streets though, because it was NYD, so we didn´t do much work. 

We don´t have many investigators, but we found one this week and she is amazing! It is her and her daughter who is 5. She lost her son a few months ago and she is still really struggling with that, but I think we were able to give her some peace. We invitied her to be baptized on January 18th and she said yes! We are going to keep teaching her, so she will be ready. I hope she ends up getting baptized because I know that the gopsel can bring her so much peace! She daughter is so cute too, which is nice :) Let me tell you, Brazilian children are so stinkín´adorable! (American children are still adorable too :) )

Because it is new year, we switched church times, so now church starts at 8:30 for me and we have Relief Society, Sunday School and Sacrament meeting last. Yesterday was my first Sunday like that and I think church actually went faster because of that, but we will see :) I heard church starts at 1 for all of you back home... Mine got earlier and yours got later :)

The members are so sweet at meals and one of the most commom phrases is `Comer mais, sister` which basically means eat more sister :) I always leave almoço appointments so full and I have yet to had a bad meal here in Brasil. Thank goodness I am walking so much! People are so nice here in the north east and it is funny because we have such a hard time leaving a house because people are so open and will talk to you forever about anything and everything. I´ll take it though :)

Well, that about wraps up my week. I have my first Zone Conference tomorrow, so that should be fun and there are no holidays this week, so that should mean a normal week. I hope that you are all doing well!!

I know this church is true with all of my heart. I know that Thomas S. Monson is our prophet today and that His words are the words Heavenly Father wants us to know, so we need to listen to them. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redemer and that because of Him and His sacrifice we can return to live with our Father in Heaven and our family for eternity.

I miss and love you all!!

Com Amor,

Sister Chilson