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

Copo do Mundo!

Hello Everyone!

I hope you are all doing well! Nothing too amazing happened this week, but I will fill you on what did happen. 

This week we had our exchange and I went to Eduardo Gomes for a day and worked there. We have an exchange once every transfer and either me or my companion stay in our area and the other goes to the other area. We always do the exchange with the Sister Treinadoras. They are pretty much Zone Leaders for the sisters. I always love seeing another area, but the hard part is that you teach people and I will probably never see then again! It is like only reading until the 5th chapter in a 20 chapter book! :)

This week Copo do Mundo (The World Cup) also started. We stay inside a little bit before, during and after the game. We just have to use our best judgement about when we should go inside and when we think it is good to left our apartment after the game is over. I knew that people were crazy about soccer (futebol here), but that is an understatment! There was literally no one in the road, not a single person or car, everyone was having a party at their house, everyone wears a jersey or at least the color of Brasil (yellow and green). And here, fireworks are legal for anyone and everyone to do. There are people who sell them in the streets and anyone can buy them. That is probably the more dangerous part and the part I have the more worry about. We had to stay inside and the two Brazilian sisters I live with were going crazy, while me and the other sister from Peru were just sitting and talking like normal. You don´t need to watch the game though to hear what is doing one though. You can hear all of Brasil screaming ´goal´ and fireworks don´t get just off at the end of the game, but at every goal. At the end of the game though you would have thought that they won the entire world cup because there were so many fireworks, but it was only the first game... If they win I have no idea when will happen... It really is a different world here. I will let you know how things continue as the World Cup continues. They play again tomorrow. 

A little bit of culture this week- Sister Araújo and I bought corn from pretty much off the side of the road, but don´t worry, it´s all good. 4 ears of corn for R$ 4! Literally there was just two people standing there and a huge pile of corn and you just walk up and buy what you want. Oh, how I love Brasil :)

This week I started reading Jesus the Christ and oh my goodness I love it. It is crazy long and you have to get into it a little because it is not one of those quick read books, but it is so good! I am so grateful for all the books, scriptures and words of the prophets we have to learn from. 

Well, that is all for this week. We find out about transfers next Sunday and I feel like I will be transfered. I have been in this area for 4 monthes- 3 transfers and I LOVE this area, so that means that I will probably be transfered... I love this ward, the members, the area we have to work... oh I love Grageru! :) 

I know that this is church is true. I know that Jesus Cristo is our Savior and that He will return one day. I know that it can be a day of joy or sadness depending now on what we do and what we choose. I am so excited for when our Savior will return. I know that it will be a marvilous day! (I am not ready for Him to come yet, I want to finish my mission first, but nevertheless, I am excited :) ). 

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

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

Hello!

Hello Everyone!!

I hope that you are all doing well!! Time is just flying by! It is so hard to believe that 1 year ago this coming Saturday, the 14th, I will have recieved my call. I feel like that was just yesterday. I was thinking about everything that has happened in this past year. Man time goes by fast!

Sister Araújo and I taught a bunch of people this week, but some exciting things that happened- our recent convert who was baptized on the 10th of May recieved the priesthood yesterday! We were able to be in the room and it was so sweet to be there. Now, he will be able to bless and pass the sacrament. I still cannot help but think of where he was just two monthes ago and where he is now. He is so happy and has a light about him. I am always so happy when we talk with him and I cannot imagine the joy that Heavenly Father must feel. He knows him perfectly and knows his whole life´s story where as we just know a little bit, but I cannot imagine being anymore happy for him! Oh, how I love this work!

Things are in full swing for São João here and the first game with Brasil for the World Cup. There is special food here for São João and it is everything with corn, which is wonderful because it means I can eat it! There are places that see special food and it is so cheap. Just this week we were walking and were hungry so we bought one corn on the cob that was already cooked and warm and ready to eat. It is just about $1. How I love my like here, eating corn on the cob walking through the streets of Brasil :)

This Saturday we were also able to do a service project with the rest of our stake for Mãos que Ajudam (Helping Hands). We walked around a certain neighborhood that talked with people about dengue. There are 5 different types of dengue here in Brasil and it is especially dangerous now that it is raining more. Attached are pictures. Please don´t be jealous of how amazing I look in my skirt and yellow vest :) It was so much fun and now I know better about how not get dengue :)

Well, nothing else too exciting this week... I will try to have better stories next week :) I love this gospel so much and am so happy to be apart of this great work. I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers every prayer. I know that He will always give us the strength we need to get through every trial, hardship or struggle. I know that He loves us each so much. He knows us each, by name and knows more about us than we know about ourselves. He wants the best of each of us and will help us become the best that we can be. 

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

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

Feliz Junho!

Hello Everyone!

I cannot believe that is it June! I realized that it will be one year ago that I recieved my call on the 14th of June. I feel like happened yesterday and here I am with 7 monthes of my mission gone! I really am no longer one of the new ones :)

This week was a normal week for us,but we did have Conferência de Zona this week. We spendall day at the church and Presidente and Sister Gonzaga speak to us, the AP´s,secretaries and have other training. It iswith all the missionaries who are serving in Sergipe so it is fun to catch up with people. I was able to talk with two Hispanic elders who left the CTM with me. I can understand everything they say now! Before I rarely talked to them or ifIdid it was notmuch because I don´tknow Spanish, Ididn´t know Portugués and they don´tknow English (although one of them had an American companion and theamericancompanion is teaching the hispanic elderabout the US,includinghow he shouldroot forthe Giants :). How wonderful it is when you know the language and you can communicate with people :) They are so awesome! 

As some of you may know, my mission president wascalled to be an area seventy and was atGeneral Conference in SaltLake inAbril and they hadsome training from some apostles andSister Gonzaga told us themain reasons for lowering the age for missionaries,one being theneedformissionaries andtwo to strengthen the youth. The world is not getting any better and it will notget any better and the youth needto stand strong to their values and keep strong testimonies and I canpromiseyou that there isnothing else that willprepare you for life,strength your testimony and keep you on the path likeserving a mission. Itis unbelieveable the growth you have,thethingsyou learn whileservingamission. I am SO grateful forthe missionandeverything I havelearned this far andI am soexcited to seewhatthe next 10/11monthes holdforme. 

Idon´t have any other amazingstories to tell, so I thought Iwouldtell you alittleabout the culture (because I have heardsomepeople have asked :) ). For foodhere,every mealwe have rice,beans, somekindofsalad/vegtables, chicken or meat and pasta.Sometimes there isalsopotatos andvariousfoods thatpeoplemake,butthisisthestaple. Thereisalways juice todrink too (juice thatismadefrom realfruit... yum!). It sounds borning, butit isnot that bad andI have yet toeatsomethingthatI had chokedown :)

Also, we are starting into The World Cup season and lifewillbedifferent here. Wewillnotbeabletoworkduringandafter gameswhereBrasil, the United States or Germany play. Literally everythingwillclosedown though when Brasilplays.Likeitisaholiday- no onw will go to work. We will have to stay in ourapartment...lifewill beinteresting :)

Also São João is aroundthecorner here too. It is really big here in the NE. Itisonly oneday, butit is the wholmonth of June here really. I don´t exactly know what thepurpose or reason for the holiday is,butyou can googleitandfindout more:)

Well,that´s all I havetimefortoday! Iam sorry that a bunch ofwords are puttogether- the space bardoesn´t really worktoowell...I hopeyou can understandthough. 

Ihopeyou all have a great week!! I knowthisgospelis true with allof my heart.JesusChristisourSavior. He died that we can each livewith ourfamilies again.How beautifulis thisgospel!!

I loveyou allandmiss you somuch!!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson