True Joy

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all had a great week! This week was a little slow for me and Sister Araújo. We worked hard, but overall we were both a little on the down side, not sick, just not always super excited to work and such. Weeks like this are a little hard, but we have to have opposition in all things, right? And if it means that I get to have the weeks and days of pure joy, I will take the hard moments (or hard weeks :) )

This week though I learned a little bit more of what true joy is. Yesterday I played the piano in sacrament meeting (again :) ) and that means that I sit on the stand. One perk of sitting on the stand is you see everyone who is at church and I was able to see our 4 investigators, our recent convert and a less active who has not been to church in I think monthes. My heart was so full of joy! There are moments in our lives when we have great joy, but I thought about the other moments when I have been really happy and they almost always had to do with materials things (besides experiences with my family). But the joy I felt yesterday was pure joy. The joy of helping other people come to the same knowledge I have. Helping other people change their lives, helping other people have joy. Watching people change is such a precious experience. The joy I felt yesterday was such a small small part of the joy of our Savior. When you recieve your mission call letter it says that you will receive more joy and happiness than you have yet known. When I recieved my call  (almost one year ago!) I thought that would be nice to receive more joy than I have yet felt, but really, truly it is so true. And it is not the kind of joy that can be replaced by any earthly thing. I wish I could describe to you better, but my heart is so full of joy and love for this work, for the people here, for the opportunity I have to be here and be doing this beloved work. True, pure joy is undescribable and beautiful. 

Another beautiful moment this week was when we were talking with our recent convert. He is so happy now. I thought back to when I met him and he is such a different person. I can see the light and joy in this life now. He has a purpose in this life. He knows what it is and he has more of an eternal perspecitve. The gospel is beautiful and true. The Atonement is real. Anyone can change. Anyone´s life can be improved and anyone can recieve more joy and happiness through the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Sorry I don´t have any great stories to tell this week. This week will be a great week though- I can feel it! I also have Conferência de Zona this week which will be so nice to see President and Sister Gonzaga again. I just have one picture to share with you all this week. If you want proof that I have been walking alot- here it is. Don´t worry, I am using new shoes now. I was waiting till the other one got a hole in it (which would probably happen anyday) but my feet were looking a little black at the end of the day, so I thought it was time for new ones :)

I love this gospel. I love my Savior. I love the experiences that we are able to have here on earth that bring us closer to our Savior, that bring us closer to the true joy and He feels. I know this church is true. I know that The Book of Mormon is true and that anyone can know if they will just read and pray. I love The Book of Mormon and everytime I read it I learn more and more. One hour of personal scripture study everyday isn´t enough! :) 

I hope you all have a fabulous week and a great start to June! I love you!!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

I love the mission!

Hello Everyone! What a week this was! I hope that you are all doing well! I cannot believe we are halfway through Maio! Where does the time go... :) We didn´t have any baptisms this week, but we are still teaching a bunch of people. Some ramdon things for this week. I am the only American in our house now! It is two Brasilians and a sister from Peru. I am also the second oldest in terms of time on the mission with my companion being the oldest with 9 monthes. I am still the youngest in age though :) It is still really hard to speak in English. A member in the ward was trying to speak with my in English to practice because he has been home from his mission for 2 years and he learned a good amount of English, but he never has anyone to practice with. Nossa, maybe I will just have to stay here because I think with another year I will have forgoten English... :) Tapioca! I am now addicted to tapioca. Yet another thing I will have to bring back to the states with me... That´s why you have Brasilian friends though who will send you things and I will send them things from the states :) I don´t know if you remember when I was with Sister Martin and I tried to explain tapioca to you all, but now I can buy it and make it in our house. So, you buy in in a bag and to make it thinner, you sift it though a little strainer. You add some salt, pour a little in a pan, flatten it out and about 30 seconds later is all kind of melts or sticks together or something, you flip is over and your good to go. You don´t have to put oil, butter or anthing in the pan, which is nice that is doesn´t stick. Then you can put whatever you want in it. In mine I have some butter and coconut, but really anything. I roll mine up too, but you can fold it in half if you want. It is also so filling which is nice. I hope that makes more sense now :) One thing that I learned more this week is the power of the Atonement. I am teaching people principles that I already know, but the more I teach, the more I learn. The Atonement is such a beautiful thing. Cristo suffered for all of our sins already and through the Atonement we can become better everyday. We are never going to be perfect in this life, but we just have to try to be better each day and Heavenly Father will be happy. He knows the intents and desires of our hearts; even just the desire to change and be better is great. I am so grateful for the Atonement and my Savior! Because of His sacrifice we can all live with our Heavenly Father and families eternally. What a beautiful message!  Also, if you have a chance read Mosiah 25, but verse 22 is what I like the most. One things I have been so grateful for is to serve outside the states. It is hard because it is a new culture, new things, new food and alot of things are difference, but I have really been able to see that the gospel is the same throughout all the world. You can go to church one week in Brasil, the next in Italy and you will learn the same princples and feel the same Spirit- how amazing is that! This really is His church.  I am so grateful to have this beloved gospel in my life and be able to share it with the world. Everyday I get the wear the name of the Savior and everyone who I talk to or sees me, knows it. I am so grateful to be serving this mission. I know now why everyone who is a return missionary always talks about their mission- because it really is this best thing ever. You learn so much, meet so many amazing people and have experiences that you will remember forever. I love the mission!  I hope you all have a fabulous week! I love you and miss you! Com amor, Sister Chilson    To make up for last week... pictures :) My baptism! Me my companion and the man we taught Me and the other sisters I live with by Sergipe river when we went to Centro last week The stake president lives in this fancy neighborhood type thing and there are some really pretty murals- a parrot and coconuts because this is Brasil :)

Blessings

Hello Everyone!

So news about transfers... I wasn´t transfered and Sister Araújo wasn´t também, so we will have another 6 weeks together here in Grageru. I am so happy because I love this ward so much! I don´t ever want to leave! :)

This week we had a batismo!! I am so sorry that I cannot attach pictures today because something is not working with the computer and cannot get pictures off my camera, but next week, I promise. I cannot describe the joy and happiness to watch someone go into the waters of batismo. I could not stop smiling and just thinking about it now makes me smile :) I could not help but think of the road that we traveled with him from when we started teaching him to now and the road that he will continue to walk in the gospel. This gospel is so amazing. In a talk by Elder Bednar he said that the gospel is to make bad men good and good men better. This is so true! If you are truly trying your best to live the gospel, you cannot help but recieve blessings and be happy. If you are living the gospel you are going to have a better life- that is just how Heavenly is, when you do what´s right, He is going to bless you. How wonderful!

We have so much faith that the brother of the man who was baptized Saturday will be baptized this coming Saturday. He just needs more time and watching his brother get baptized was such a good example. I love watching the gospel change people´s lives!

Nothing else crazy amazing happened this week, except that I was able to skype with my family! What a wonderful blessing! It was so hard to speak in English! I was literally translating words from Português into English to talk with them. I cannot imagine what it will be like at Christmas... Skyping is such a blessing though because it was almost like I was there.

Well, I guess that is all for this week! I will send pictures next week. I hope that you all have a wonderful day and to all of those mothers out there, I hope you all had a great Mother´s Day yesterday!! 

I love you and miss you!!

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

The Gospel is Beautiful and True!

Hello Everyone!

I cannot believe that it is Maio, that I have been on my mission for 6 monthes and that this is the last week of this transfer! Where does the time go!? :) We had another wonderful week here in Grageru filled with miracles. 

One of the biggest things is that we will have two baptisms this coming Saturday. It is two brothers who I talked about other weeks. The change in them is unbelieveable. This gospel is so beautiful and truly anyone can change. One of the brothers volunteers to give prayers at lessons, is reading the Book of Mormon two times everyday and walked to the adult session of stake conference alone at night. He even said yesterday to us that he can testify that this is the church of Jesus Christ. I wanted to cry because I am so happy and filled with joy that this gospel has made such a difference in his life and that I was blessed to be able to see this change in him. The mission is not easy, but when you meet people like this and are able to see such a profund change... it makes it all worth it. I wish that I could tell you all in person!! I guess I will just have to wait for my homecoming talk :) 

This week we also had entravistas with President Gonzaga and Stake Conference with Presdient Costa of the Seventy. It was probably the best stake conference I have ever been at, sorry everyone in Rochester. The spirit was SO strong. I am so grateful that I was able to understand pretty much everything. I am so grateful for inspired leaders who help lead and guide us. The adult session was all about missionary work and how every member is a missionary. The Sunday session was about missionary work também, but President Costa talked about how the gospel was created and everything we do here on earth is so that families can be sealed together for eternity. I know this is true. We are so blessed to have the priesthood authority and temples that allow us to make sacred covenants that bind families together eternally. He shared stories about people who travel days to get to the temple and the area I am in right now the closest temple is 10 hours away and you know what he said, they live close to a temple. I made me think about how I live 30 minutes away from a temple in Palmyra. I will make sure that when I get home that I always make temple attendance a goal and planned. We are so blessed to have the restored gospel here on earth- we need to us it and show our gratidue to our Heavenly Father!

This week was so wonderful and attached are some pictures. One with me and Sister Gonzaga and the other is a group of sisters who were waiting for entravista com Presidente Gonzaga. We are teaching more people this week, but Sister Araújo and I are so excited for our batismos this Saturday. We will finish this transfer well :)

I am so grateful for this gospel and the power it has to change lives. I know that we are never to far away to come back and there is not one person who cannot be changed by this gospel. I am so grateful to be able to see the change in people´s lives. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for trusting me with His precious children. I love this gospel. I know that our Redeemer lives!!

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

Com amor,

Sister Chilson

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