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