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

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