Week Thirty Three.

Hello there everyone!

So we had some changes in the area. Our mission president called Monday night and told sister Corrêa that she was going to be transferred. And open an area with Sister Harris (my M.T.C. companion). So sister Corrêa and Sister Harris opened an area, in the same zone, it is in a super small town. They said they knew everyone in one day, and you can walk from one side to the other in 20 mins. But she is in a new house and I got to go with her and get her all set up, I felt like a mom sending my daughter to college or something. It was very hard to see her go, and I do miss her. We worked very well together and we became very good friends. But we both still have a lot of time left. 

But now I have a new companion, and am in the same area still, I think I will stay here for the rest of this transfer (4 weeks) and one more. Her name is Sister Sheewe, and she is an American, form North Carolina. But this is her last transfer here; she now only has 4 more weeks of her mission. So it is very different being companions with Sister Corrêa at the start of her mission, and being with Sister Sheewe at the end of her mission, different views on things. It is weird; now in our house we have 3 Americans and one Argentinian, not one Brazilian. But everything is good. Sister Sheewe, is a very hard worker, and a lot different than what I thought she would be like. I like working with her a lot. She wants the last of her mission to be the best weeks of her mission, so we are trying to work hard and teach a lot. It is good to be with someone who has more experience then you do because they have a lot of different idea and ways to do things so I am able to learn a lot with her.

We were able to start teaching a lot of new families this week and i have a lot of faith that we will be able to baptize this transfer. We will continue to work hard and do everything that we can to bring our brothers and sisters unto Christ. 

(I now don’t have any more time to email, sorry..)

I hope all is well with everyone.

Love you all,
Becca

Week Thirty Two - Photos

All the American Sisters in our mission (before sister Dickson, but 2 leave at the end of this transfer)

Our Family in the mission: Sister Kikuchi(my grandma), Leite (my mom), me, Corrêa (my daughter) (the “family” line of training)

Sister Corrêa and I at the temple

Us at the temple, Sister Sampyo, kikuchi, me, and Corrêa

Week Thirty Two.

Hello everybody,

So yesterday was mother´s day, and I got the fine privilege to talk to my family! I loved it. So this week was different, but it was good, we were able to see a lot of miracle happen, finally our hard work is paying off. But first there were transfers last week, and Sister Sampayo, the sister from Argentina, is now training, and she is training an American, Sister Dickson, she is from Gig Harbor, Washington. What are the odds we live so close, know some of the same people, and are now serving a mission on the other side of the world. But she is a joy to be with and has such enthusiasm for this work. It also gave me a boost confidence with my Portuguese, because all week I have been the translator, and I realized I know a lot more then I realized I did. But I am glad that I am able to be here to help her. I think every dad me and Sister Corrêa are strengthening our relationship, not only as companions but as lifelong friends. I am so blessed to have her and we work very well together and are always on the same page. It truly is a blessing. 

But this week we decided to change things up a bit and try and move our teaching group. So we made even more contacts and got references from people. So we started visiting a few new people this week. And we have had a bit of a problem getting our investigators to church; they say that is usually the hardest thing to do in the mission. But some of the people that we started teaching this week, and have only made one visit with were already at church yesterday. It truly was a miracle, 3 of the new people we started teaching were there, and a few others. It was great, we were super excited. We truly have a testimony of prayer and fasting. Some of these people are very good too. They said they really liked church and want to come back next week already. 

This week we got a few references from less actives. One we have now reactivated, and we started teaching his mom. But the other, there was some problems at church where she doesn’t want to return to this ward, but has an amazing testimony. She said that a lot of people have visited her before and she hasn't had much interest and knew that they just want to reactivate her and didn't really care about her, but she told us that the last time we visited her she felt the spirit so strong and that she told a lot of people about the experience. (Our visit we were all laughing, praying, baring our testimonies, it was great). And she said that she wants to come back and she will work on it. To see how we touch some people’s lives like that means the world to us as missionaries. That is what we live for is experiences like these. 

This week we were able to help our ward a lot. They had a lot of activities, with mother’s day a dance (we didn't go but help set up), that we were happy to help serve. I ran into George, my second baptism again. I think I have mentioned how he is now at military school, but when he is home, he is always at church. He truly is a miracle; he just needs to serve a mission now. But we happened to have the same birthday, in about 2 weeks, but the problem was we didn't know if we would both be here or not. So he told me to hang on and wait at the church. He went and bought a cake and we celebrated our birthdays early with the people who were there at the chapel. It was very nice, and the first time people sang happy birthday to me here.

This week has been great, and I have a ton of faith that these weeks are just going to be better. I love this mission, all of the experiences that it gives me. I hope everyone has a great week.

Love,
Sister Rebecca Nelson

Week 31 - Photos

Week Thirty One.

Hello there everybody,

This week was pretty tiring, mainly because we were traveling, but this week was pretty great. First we had transfers today, however I am still here in Gravatá. So basically everything is still the same, and one of the two other sisters that we live with was transferred.  We will have a mini-transfer in two weeks, and I might go then, we never know. So I think for now if you will send anything to me here it's better to send it to the mission office.

This week we went to Recife, and had a conference with half of our mission. It was pretty neat. We also were able to go to the temple. It was the first time that Sister Corrêa went to the temple. They first told us that we were going to the temple Wednesday and the meeting would be Thursday and we would sleep there. So we canceled everything, because I tend to plan ahead, well this is the first time where planning ahead hasn't worked for me, ha-ha. They moved the day, so we were here for Wednesday, and then couldn't find anyone. We walked everywhere, and it was the first time on my mission where my feet were actually hurling. But it was worth it because we got to go to the temple. We left for our meeting Thursday and were there for a good part of the day. Heard from the president and his wife and the assistants, I learned a lot. I was also able to see some of the other sisters again, it was nice to see them all.

Afterwards we went to the temple and we wanted to sleep there, but we were informed that they had no room because the temple had just opened two days previously, but We tried anyway. We asked if they had any room at all, even a mattress on the floor. They said they had a nursery room. So we went in a room with cribs and everything. but they were very kind and brought in mattresses for us. So we slept on the floor but it was all very good, and we were grateful they gave us the room. But at night we were able to go to the temple. I love going to the temple. The next day we had breakfast with one person and lunch with another. So it took us awhile to leave. We then took a metro bus, to a train, then to another bus, it took us about 3 hours to get home. By this time my companion and one of the other sisters weren't feeling good. But the other set of sisters had baptismal interveiew. So I quickly ran with the sister that wasn't sick to the interviews, it was a very busy day.

But some miracles happened this week. At church, a family that we have been teaching for awhile, but whom needed to go to church, actually showed up. We even tried calling them in the morning and they didn't answer, but they showed up to church! Sister Corrêa about had a heart attack. it was great. They were even able to see one of the baptisms after church . They really liked it. We will see what they think now!!!!!

Another miracle that happened this week. A member who always helps us, was going to bring a friend to our English/Spanish class. However it was a holiday so we weren't going to have it, but he asked us to be there anyway. When he brought a person to the chapel we explained that we were sorry that we weren't going to have the class, but then we talked to him for a bit over an hour and started talking to him about our church. We also took him on a tour of the building and explained all the stories relating to the pictures in the hall with Christ. But towards the end I told them that we were practicing a song before he came and wanted to share it with them. We sang  I know that my redeemer lives first and second verse in Portuguese then the last two in English. It was quite amazing. Later he told his member friend that he loved how we explained everything to him and loved us singing. He couldn't come to church this week, but promised next week. We are quite excited to see how it turns out. It was a spiritual uplifting experience.

I love the things that happen here on the mission, whether for good or bad I love them all.

Love all,
Sister Rebecca Nelson

Week Thirty!

Hello there everyone,

So this week was pretty normal, but at the same time it was a bit interesting. The week started out a bit hard, but by Wednesday, the middle of the week, things turned around! So it was good to see. But from my experience these last couple of weeks this always happens. The week will seem to be hard and then it will turn around and be amazing. I know the Lord puts these challenges in front of us for a reason, sometimes I don't know why, ha-ha, but I do know they are to always help us become a better person. I know that one of the things that I really have been working on this week is trusting in the Lord´s timing. But I think that will be something that I will also work on my whole life, and with patience.

But we started teaching some good people this week. One of them is a girl, 15 years old, who takes care of the bishops children, they told us that we should start teaching her, we have only taught her once, but she was very interested. And it was very good. She promised to go to church. Another one is the father of my first baptism, we started giving him the lessons this week, and he was super interested as well. He said he knows that this is the Church of Jesus Christ. One day when we went to visit him and he told us; do you guys know, that God sent you here today to help me. We came right in a time of need for him. It was amazing. We were also able to set a baptismal date this past week for Isllam, the young man we have been teaching, actually we have only taught about 2 times, but he goes to church and even seminary! However we will wait until about May 21st, because he wants to be baptized on his birthday, which I think is pretty neat, but I don't know if I'll be here, or not. This week I also ran into George, my second baptism, who was our miracle. He has been gone these last couple of months at a military school in another city, and very rarely comes home, and when he does its for less than a day and never on a Sunday. But he came to church and I was able to talk to him, he is still very firm in his testimony and is super excited about everything with the gospel and missionary work. It was so good to see him again and see the fruit of my labors, and how the gospel has blessed his life.

We had lunch at Brother Lemos´ this week. It was I think one of the best lunches that I had with him. We four sisters went there together again. We always love lunch there and enjoy the conversation, and we always learn a ton when we're there too (he is the one who translated the scriptures and has worked with General Authorities for the past 30 years). But this week he taught us about the worth of women, and showed us all these scriptures, and things that we should look for in a husband. We just learned so much! (I think that is when my week changed, was after lunch with him and his wife that day). But he and his wife, Gé said that we are like family to them, their daughters ( I think by this point everyone at the table was crying) and that they prayer for us every day. It was a special experience. I really do love this mission and everything that I learn from it, and the relationships that I build with everyone here. Especially I am thankful for my companion. I am so grateful to have her. We are also very similar, which is good, but sometimes a bad thing when neither of us like making decisions on things that don't matter (like where should we eat), or talking on the phone, ha-ha. But I am grateful that I have had the chance to train her. We have some of the best experiences together. And I have learned so much from her, and her testimony as a recent convert is very strong, and she is able to touch people with this testimony that others can't. I love life. I love the mission. And I love every single experience that I have here.

Hope all is well with everyone. Until next week.

Love,
Sister Rebecca Nelson

Week Twenty Nine.

Hello there again everybody,

Again another week has passed by so fast. I keep forgetting that we are in the month of April and here we are at the end of the month already. I can't believe it! But this week was another good week. And at the end of the week we were able to see the fruits of our labors. Each week at the end of the week we tally up our numbers for the week as in the number of lessons taught and contacts made among other things. This week our numbers weren't that great, but we knew that! We had an amazing week anyway! Like I have said, these weeks we have been working more with less active members. Some of them are very good. We started visiting more this week. One of them, a young man, never knew any sister missionaries (sisters have been in the area for about a year and a half), so he hadn't been to church in all that time (he only said a few months). But he has been very grateful to see us and accept our visits and he came back to church this Sunday :) and will start seminary, and he wants to start preparations for a mission! It is great.

We have also been visiting another family, which consists of a mother and two boys. The mom wants us to prep her youngest boy for baptism, and they started coming back to church again too.

Another member we will really have to work with to come back to church, has strong testimony of the gospel, but something happened at to her church with some members, so she doesn't want to came back to the ward. But She has the strongest testimony ever! We visited her at home for the first time this week and she has pictures of the temple and the family proclimation, and all the church books and DVDs on a book shelf, and her daughter knows all the articles of faith. This family is sooooo amazing. We know that one day we will be able to change this family. It may take time, but we know they will be blessed.

This week we started teaching a young man who is a friend of a member. He was very resistant to receiving missionaries for a very long time. But we finally were able to teach him! And during the lesson he started asking a bunch of questions! And Sister Corrêa then got really excited because finally she knew all the answers to the questions. I think she has finally learned how to truly listen and respond with the spirit.

Then there is this family that we have been seeing for awhile I think I talk about them every week. The husband suffered an accident and can't walk very well. Well the wife this week went out and bought a shirt to wear to church and got the phone number for a taxi service and everything, then his brother moved his plans and wanted to visit Sunday, so they weren't able to came to church again! But it was funny because when we were talking about clothes, we asked Carlos, the husband what he would wear to church, and he said his normal clothes and that he wasn't going to dress as a Mormon. Then we asked him, and when you´re Mormon... he then responded with a smile on his face, then of course I will dress as a Mormon. This family really is amazing, and treat us almost as family. We always try to find ways to help them. We can see that we will have baptisms in the near future with some of these people.

On another note: Other things that we did this week. We had a zone meeting in another city which has a super huge flea market. Mainly it is just clothes. But everything is super cheap. So we decided that we would go early before our meeting, about 5 am and go to the flea market. Wow it was something different. A small city of booth! It was huge!!!! I spent about $60. And that went a long, long way. I bought a skirt, 6 dresses, and 2 soccer jerseys, and 2 shirts. A little money there went a long ways. Some of the things in the flea market aren't of the greatest quality, but if you are persistent you can find good quality items. I bought things there, because now I look more like a local and people will not think I always have money. I wore a dress yesterday to church and one of the sisters said wow you look so much happier and not so serious. I didn't know clothes made such an impression here. We also went to a lunch with the other sisters this week and got to see the other side of the city. Which it totally hills!!! It was way at the top of one of the hills. Next to the Christ statue, so we visited it again. One of the problems we have in this small little town is we almost never leave and there is nothing to do on p-day. So we always create our own things to do. This morning when we were cleaning we created a slip in slide... in the house. Every p-day morning we clean the house. One of the sisters started throwing a little water at another sister. (All the floors here are made of tile so we clean them by throwing soapy water on the ground). But then we realized we didn't have a squidgy or mop. So one of the sisters was trying to use her body and then realized we can slide around. We have a big tiled hallway, threw down water and soap/shampoo(because its more slippery) and had a slip-in-slip in our house. It was a lot of fun and after that everything was all clean!

But I do enjoy my mission here. I love everything about it, the good and the bad. This really is the Lords work. I hope everyone has a good week.

Love,

Sister Nelson