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Tuesday, November 26, 2013

November 25, 2013:2nd week in Brazil



November 25, 2013

I had a pretty good week. Portuguese is still hard, but I´d say that I understand about half of what is going on. I´m speaking better and I actually got to teach a part of a lesson this week. It was pretty cool because I usually just give my testimony. I struggled a bit, but our investigator totally understood what I was saying. So neat! I feel bad though because Sister Lopes pretty much does all the talking. But nevertheless, I keep trying, haha. I´m excited for this week because I started reading and marking up a Livro de Mormon. It´s actually been super helpful, so that´s another neat thing.

I love Brasil. The people are amazing, the country is beautiful, and I get to be a missionary here. So amazing. To put my love for these people into perspective, I willing took and ate tomatoes for a member during lunch. They were disgusting and awful, but I love these people so much that I didn´t care. I LOVE BRASIL!!!

Aside from tomatoes, the food here is amazing too. Food of the week was definitely this pudding stuff. I have no clue what the name is, but it tastes like if someone took a bunch of hostess snowballs and made them into a pudding. I was in heaven! Also, the meat here is pretty dang good too. Needless to say, I don´t go hungry.

The work here is going pretty well too. We have a couple of investigators that are preparing for baptism, so that is pretty exciting! Talking with people here is super easy because they love to talk. Even if they´re not interested in the gospel they will still talk with us about it. It´s pretty cool.

My favorite thing though, is talking with the members. They think it is hilarious when I speak Portuguese so they make me talk a lot. I really love them too, because they help me with my pronunciation and learning new words. And when I do mess up, they think it´s even funnier. Like the other day we were having lunch with a member after church. I was helping 2 of the ladies with the dishes and they asked if I was going to get married after my mission (Utah Mormons would do really well here because it´s the usual to get married at 18, yuck). I was like, in Portuguese, No, I’m afraid of marriage, which I thought was a good response. Unfortunately, I said something along lines of No, I don´t give a `swear word’ about marriage. They almost died they were laughing so hard. Oh, gosh.Obviously I am still learning:)

Well, I love you all and I hope that you have a fantastic week! Peace and Blessings!

Sister Whitney



 

Minha Companhera! Sister Lopes
(Notice the graffiti as well as the spiral barbed-wire on top of that wall!)

(Looks like Lauren gets the baby bed! Good to see a fan in there cuz its H.O.T.!)


The Bathroom (totally leaves something to be desired).


The front room where we study and plan.

(She has lost a bunch of weight and someone needs to help her with that hair! Can't wipe that smile off however! Just what a Mom needs to see!)



Monday, November 18, 2013


NOVEMBER 18, 2013

Brasil!

Ok, so there`s about a million things I want to talk about so I´ll try to type fast. First off, I LOVE BRASIL!!!!!!!!!! California was great and all, but I can tell that I was meant to be here. It is so comforting to know that I was set a part to teach these people and that this is where I am supposed to be. I truly never felt that way in California. I thought I did, but now I know I didn´t.

Anyway, the plane ride here was so long, but incredibly worth it. And, I met up with three other sisters from my MTC district in Sao Paulo! I missed them so much and it was so awesome to have them to talk to while we drove 2 hours to Piracicaba. The weather here is so hot and I always have frodo hair. Always. My stupid straightener and blow dryer don´t work here, so feel free to send hair suggestions :) I don´t mind too much though.

So the first day here we had our interview with President Canuto. It was really short because he doesn´t speak English, but it was also good. It´s kind of weird being around a bunch of people who are talking and not be able to understand them. IT gets better every day though. I still can´t speak very well, but I understand more and more each day.

After our interviews, we went and met our trainers. We went to the church, which is dang pretty, and sat down to talk about stuff I didn´t understand because it was in Portuguese. We sang a hymn next and while we were singing, our trainers came in. It was so cool! Then President called our names and suspensefully called out our trainers name. I was second and I almost died I was so excited. MY trainer´s name is Sister Lopes and to say that i love her is an understatement. SHE IS THE BEST!!!!! Also, she doesn´t speak a word of English, so that´s been really fun as well:) Now, I love the trainers I had in California, but Sister Lopes is my real trainer. I love her so much and she is such a great missionary. Que Bom!!!

The rest of the week has been simply amazing. Our casa is nice, we spent all day cleaning it so it´s also clean, which is good. I don´t ever go bare foot though. Too many yucky things. Also, we have lizards that live in our yard area. I love them and sometimes I get anxious to hold them.

The food is amazing here. They have lunch as their big meal, so we usually eat that with members. I´m pretty sure if you don´t eat a store full of food then it´s considered rude. So I eat a boatload. I would feel bad about eating a truckload except our area is all hills and we walk everywhere. I am convinced my 8 half marathons and the whole marathon were to prepare me for these hills. They are awful, but I love it:)
I adore the members here. They just come up and talk to me and keep talking to me even when I have no idea what they are saying. The people we teach are the same way. IT was so hard to teach lessons in California because no one would talk to us, but here everyone talks to us. They may not be interested, but they still listen. so dang awesome.

Not knowing Portuguese is a little frustrating (actually a lot), but it´s getting there. I probably sound like a dang fool, the people here don´t care and love that I´m trying to learn.

I love you all, and I am so grateful that I get to serve in Brasil now. Thank you for your prayers. They worked!

 

Te amo!

Sister Whitney

 

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Hey, keep your pants on:)
We had P Day on tuesday this week because we got to go to the temple. I'll talk more about that later. But for now, I GOT MY VISA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT'S TOTALLY OFFICIAL AND I LEAVE ON THE 11TH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS MY BEST DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On friday we went to the mission office because it was sister Grant's birthday and she had some packages to pick up. I didn't really want to go because the zone leaders were going to get them anyways and I didn't want to waste time. But we ended up going down anyways and chatting for a few minutes in the office. We were just talking with the secretary, Sister Wade, and all the sudden she was like, "you know that you got your visa, right?". I thought it was a joke so I laughed it off, but she was like "no really, look at this paper". And much to my surprise, she wasn't pulling my leg and I really had received my visa!!!! I couldn't speak for like 15 minutes I was just so happy and then I cried a little bit in the bathroom, but that's not important. The take home message from this is that I got my visa and now I get to go teach people in God's language:)
It could not have come at a better time too. I love Anaheim, but I've had a hard time focusing on working here. Thankfully, now I get to be a missionary in my mission and teach people I was set a part to teach. Thank you so much for all of your prayers in my behalf. They totally worked:)
Now about the temple. Every other transfer the missionaries get to go to the temple and I was lucky enough to catch one of those trips. The Newport Beach Temple is incredible, definitely in the top 5 of the prettiest temples I have been in. I really needed this trip too. Since I received my endowments, I've gone to the temple at least once a week. But since entering the field, I haven't been able to go. I'm ok with that though, because it's my job to do missionary work among the living, not the dead. However, that doesn't mean that I haven't missed it.
This trip totally recharged my batteries and gave me a feeling of peace. So this is my plug for the temple: if you haven't been in awhile, go now. I promise that it will bless your life and that you will be able to overcome the hard times in your life.
Ok, I'm done being preachy:)
Other than those two major events this week it's been pretty low key. Actually, just kidding. With halloween and sister Grant's birthday, there was a ton of partying missionary style (mostly frozen yogurt parties). Also, the Elders in our ward baptized a man named Will. It's actually an amazing story. 2 weeks before I arrived in anaheim, the ward had a special fast for the missionaries so that they could find people to teach. Then, after general conference, 2 guys, Will and Daniel, just showed up at the church and asked to be taught. Will was baptized on saturday and Daniel is scheduled to be baptized next saturday. Talk about a miracle. It has definitely strengthened my testimony of fasting. I love food, but miracles are so much better:)
Well, the next time we chat, I will be in Brazil:) I leave the 11th at 8:15 am and don't get down to Brazil until 8:15 am the next day. Whoot!! I love you all so much and I appreciate all the support and love that you have shown me.
Eu amo voces!!!!!!! Eu estou indo a Brasil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sister Whitney
 
(from Mom) yayayayayay!!!!!! HOOOORAAAAAYYYYY!!! Its my best day too!!!! I am so dang excited for you!!!! I just mailed you a package that should reach the mission home on Thursday and mailed a couple of letters too. Watch for those before you  head out!!!!!!
HOLYYYYYYY COOOOWWWWWWWWW!!!
I LOVE YOU SO DAQNG MUCH!!! MOM
 
(from Lauren) love you so dang much too, mom:) you are the best and I miss you.
 
Classy Halloween costume I found outside in a free costume bin.

These are all the sisters in our zone. Sister Grant, me, Sister mulitalo, and Sister napigkit. I adore Sister Mulitalo and Sister napigkit. They are the best missionaries ever. Plus they like taylor swift
                                    
 
Sister Grants birthday, we may have had an icing fight....

Yeah. I'm the only one doing a dorky face!
 

Wills baptism! He is golden!
 

This is Sister Ames. She's basically my bff out here and she was also a visa waiter. Luckily, we both got our visas so we get to be travel companions again (we flew out here together)! I love her so dang much!
 





Triplet Sister Missionaries!

Santa Rosa Temple
 
 
Ward halloween party. We set up a spook ally for the kids. Do you recognize the mask? haha
When Lauren was about 3, she discovered my mask that is exactly like this skeleton. She was terrified of it and it also glowed in the dark. If you know Lar, you know that she doesn't let anything frighten her. She wore that mask for days until it wasn't frightening anymore. Here are some previous Halloween costumes that I found down memory lane.
Joan of Arc, 5th grade

Hula from Aunt Jenny in Hawaii, Age 4

Oh Jafar! This was everyday, not just Halloween.

Witch costume I made for all 3 girls age 9.

Zena the warrior princess age 3