Another Week...

Hello Everyone!

I cannot believe that another week is gone. I am already halfway done with this transfer because it is only 4 weeks long... Where does the time go?!

This week was a little slow, nothing crazy amazing happened, but last P-Day we went to the zoo! It is nothing compared to the Seneca Park Zoo, but it was nice to do something different. Attached are some pictures of some parrots (because this is Brasil :)), a picture with me next to the sign at the entrance of the zoo with a member who decided to jump in the picture too and a picture of my ´family´ the mission. From right to left it is, S. Moraes, my grandma, S. Martin, my mom, S. Soares, my aunt, S. Barratt, my sister, me and a different S. Araújo (not my companion) who is my cousin. It will be the last (and only) picture we have together because S. Moraes goes home this transfer. 

This week we had 3 investigators come to church again which was amazing. One thing that I had the priviedge to see this week is what how trials in the lives of 2 of my investigators brought about such a change of heart in them. I think back to when I met them just a few short weeks ago and to hear my talk and hear their desires now is so amazing. I am so grateful that they had this trial in their life, but to see them now, their have different focuses and they are such different people. That has been one the many blessings that I have recieved here on the mission, being able to watch the Lord work in the lives of people and watch people change. I am so grateful for that!

Nothing else amazing happened this week, Sister Araújo and I taught people, walked, ate almoço with members and taught and walked... :) 

I hope that you are all doing well! Oh, one other picture I attached is of me and my companion by a sign that translates roughly to `Place where I feel sad and miss (fill in the blank with qualquer coias you miss, family, home, your jeans that you want to wear). I don´t really know how you describe saudade... maybe google translate? Or you just have to know Português :) 

Well anyway, that was my week! I hope that you all have a fabulous week as we welcome in Maio! Where did that come from?! 

I know this church is true with all of my heart and I am so grateful to have the gospel and all of the knowledge is brings in my life. 

I love and miss you all!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

 

Feliz Páscoa!

Hello Everyone!!

I hope that you all have a wonderful Easter yesterday! Easter is not as big here as it is in the states, but they eat alot of chocolate... I ate so much chocolate this week it is crazy. Quase cada membro gave us chocolate and my district leader even gave each of us sister a big chocolate bar. It is bigger than a king size Hershey bar in the states. He knows how to get the sisters to work with him :)

I met my new companion this week too! Her name is Sister Araújo. She is from Fortaleza and has been out on the mission for 9 monthes. She is super awesome and we are getting to know each other and figuring out how to teach together and such. Attached is a picture of my district with my new Zone Leaders. My Zone Leaders are on each end of the elders. One is from Peru and the other from Colorado. Also attached I have the last picture of me and Sister Castro together.

This week we didn´t teach that many lessons because Tuesday I waited at the stake center with a bunch of other elders and sisters who were waiting for their companions from Maceió. It is a 6 hour bus ride and they got to Sergipe at about 6 a noite. Then we headed to our apartment and got her settled in. Also this week Friday was a holiday and today is a holiday so there are not many people in the streets and not many things are open. 

We did teach some lessons this week though and we are going to work from the area book this next week to find novo pessoas to teach. I will keep you all posted though!

Sorry, this email is not as good as the one from last week... Every week cannot be amazing otherwise it wouldn´t be amazing! :) 

I know this church is true with all of my heart. I am so grateful for our Savior who sacrificed for us that we can all live with our Heavenly Father forever. I am so grateful for the gift of prayer. We can pray anytime and anywhere and He is always right there listening and ready to help. How wonderful is that! 

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

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

The Best Week of the Mission

Hello Everyone!!

What a wonderful, miracle filled, joyous, amazing week this was. This week really was the best week of my mission thus far. My heart is so filled with joy and happiness that I wish I could tell all of you in person, but I guess an email will have to do for now. 

First off, We found out about transfers yesterday and I will be staying in the same area, but my companion, Sister Castro, is getting transfered to another area in Sergipe. This transfer went by SO fast and I was hoping that we would have one more transfer together, but the Lord always has a bigger and great plan for us. I will find out tomorrow who my new companion will be for this new transfer. This transfer will only be 4 weeks though which is not really a transfer espcailly because we will have stake conference, entravista com Presidente and skype with our families this transfer... Many things to look forward to! It has to do with switching over to our new mission president in July (the different weeks in transfers). I will let you all know next week about my new companion!

So this week, we taught 23 lessons and had 3 investigators come to church...3!! I complete miracle. We are teaching one man who has some addictions, but it is so amazing to see the change that is already taking place in him. He has such a sincere desire to change and it is so beautiful to watch him take it all in as we teach him the gospel of Cristo. I cannot describe to you the joy I felt when we walked up and knocked on his door to take him to church and he was already to go. I love serving the Lord and His children!

We also taught a woman this week and we actually knocked on her door on accident looking for someone else, but she welcomed us right in and we taught her about the Plan of Salvation with her son and she came to church with us on Sunday and loved it and she is already taking about her next visit. Teaching our first lesson on Friday and then they are at church Sunday... it is all the Lord. It is so amazing to see the miracles unfold and I am so grateful to help these people come unto Cristo. 

My testimony was also strengthened so much this week. At our Reunião de Distrito esta semana my district leader said something that really hit me. He said that if we as missionaries study in the morning we don´t have to worry about what we are going to say when we are teaching.We just need to listen to the Spirit and we will know what to say. That really hit me because I am always worrying about what I am going to say after Sister Castro and if I will know the words in Português, but this week I really tried to just listen to the Spirit and it was amazing to see the Lord work through me. I love teaching and I love this work! The Lord will always give us what we need if we diligently seek Him. 

One last experience, this week I was able to see the promise of John 17:26-27 happen. Sister Castro and I went to teach a less active and Sister Castro asked if I would give a message and I was super calm, said a prayer, thought of a scripture and found it so easily and I haven´t look at that scripture in weeks. If we study and do our part, the Lord will help us in our times of need. 

Well that is all for this week...an amazing week! Oh, also, I am enlightening the children of Brasil about snow. They love that I am from the states and speak what little English they know with me, but I showed them the pictures of my house with snow because it is so sad they have new had the experience of snow. 

I know this gospel is true with all of my heart. Our Heavenly Father is so loving and merciful. He is in the details in our lives and if we just trust in Him, He will work through us and we will be able to see miracles unfold in our lives. I love this work!!

I hope you all have a great week and a wonderful Easter!! I love you all!!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

General Conference

Hello Everyone!

I hope that you all enjoyed General Conference as much as I did! It was strange going to church and watching in Português, but I understood more than I thought I would and the Spirit always fills in the pieces :) I am excited though to be able to read it in English though. Some of my favorite talks were by President Uchtdort, Elder Cook (it made me miss doing family history work and going to the temple so much!) and Elder Christofferson- all of the talks were great though :) All of the music was still in Enligh though which is forgot about, which is was nice to hear the Tablernacle Choir sing beautifully as always in English. 

As we worked this week we shared with so many people about how we would be able to hear the words of our living prophet and hear exactly what Heavely Father wats us to know for these next 6 months. How amazing is that! How blessed we are to have a prophet and apostles who lead and guide this church. 

Me and the other sisters were so excited all week for General Conference and it was funny because here, we do to the stake center to watch, but there are all of the other missionaries in our stake and so many other people so we want to look our best so we got all dressed up, but if I was at home, I would be just in my PJ´s sitting on the couch watching. Ironic to think about :)

Sister Castro and I are still teaching a bunch of people and we have so much faith that people will be baptized. I will keep you all posted though. 

I know that this gosepl is true! I know that Jesus Cristo is our Savior and this is His church. I know that we have a prophet who leads and guides this church today. I know that Cristo died for each of us so that we could return to our heavely home one day to live with our families eternally. We have such a loving Father! 

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

Com amor,

Sister Chilson