Oi minha querida familia!!
So this past week was really wonderful! Was able to see so many miracles and just realize what missionary work really is about! So first things first. I know your all wondering who my new companion is. Well guess what! I am in a trio! And working with Sister Daniele and Sister Negreiros! I don´t know how long we will be in a trio because its just till the American sister arrives so yeah any day we could have a switch of companions but its super fun serving with these sisters! Oh and there is a huge possibility that I won´t be training because there is a other brazilian sister that is ready to train and she´s been with her companion for about three transfers. So yeah I will probably be comps with sister Alemeda and sister Vicente will be the mom to Sister Americana! haha I sent home a picture with sister Vicente and sister Alemeda So yeah if your wondering who they are check out the photo. But yeah any who! so about this week.
So I got some wonderful letters and three packages this week! Such a huge surprise! really didn´t expect to get much this week but thanks so much mom, dad and family, the argyles, and brother patterson. Gotta love Halloween! oh Happy Halloween! By the way they don´t do much here for this holiday. my comps say that people celebrate it a little like the young single adults have a dance this week or a party thing. Also people dress up in all black. So yeah people do celebrate it a little but not like the states. Kinda sad but oh well! next yeah I´ll get the chance to dress up! haha oh thanks for the load of candy! My comps and I have been eating candy like crazy! Its pretty funny also how much they love the recesses! Sister Daniele loves peanut butter! Expecially with chocolate! She tried recesses for the first time this week and said `que delicia!` which means pretty much that it was super good! haha so yeah you can never go wrong with sending recesses peanut butter cups! And wow you all read my mind! you sent dried mangoes and pumpkin bread mix!! I am going to make pumpkin muffins for our Noite familiar tonight (FHE) with our investigator Roberto and his family. Oh by the way this past week was a week full of success! We invited people for baptism like crazy! ok so not like crazy but we now have four people preparing for baptism for 26th of november. Roberto is the husband to an in active member of the ward. They have four so kids and two of the daughters as active in the church. Ana Lucia the mom isn´t active because well she is a hard core smoker and has a hard time getting up in the morning. SO we are workin with her also to quit smoking and go back to church. So yeah tonight we will eat pumpkin muffins and watch the joseph smith movie and teach the about the restoration of the church. This family really is so funny. they are always making jokes and we laugh a bunch with them! so yeah tonight should be a fun one!
So back to the package. I got my battery! Was super excited but there is a i think a problem with my camera. Its still doing the same thing and tells me I need a new battery. I can look at photos but can´t take any new ones. But that doesn´t last that long like after 5 or so min. my camera shuts off. So yeah I don´t know what will be easier. I could send the camera home and have you guys look at it and maybe get it fixed because here in brazil canon cameras aren´t very common. Or I could buy a new camera... I don´t really like this idea but tell me what you guys think. But in the mean time i will keep using my pin drive and borrowing sister Daniele and Sister Negreiros cameras!
So you want to know something sad? Remeber Ivone? Gislane´s mom and the grandma to carol, Andry, and Brayan? We baptized them in when I was serving in Agronomia. Well I got a letter from Sister Modesto this past week telling me that Ivone passed away... yup its pretty sad! but I knew it was coming any day. She was pretty sick and couldn´t use her arms or hands and was getting to the point where she couldn't walk at all. So yeah really I am happy that she is finally relieved and her family isn´t so stressed about her any more. I will send a letter to Gislanie this week I think so I can see how their family is doing. but yeah its kinda weird hearing that one of the people you baptized died. But how grateful I am to have been there to help her realize that God really does love us and has a plan for all of us. That his church has been restored through a modern day prophet and that our families can be happy and sealed for time and all eternity. Ivone really was such an elect person! oh how I will miss her! Now I´ve got to get out there and serve and help other families realize the truth.
So this week was really full of so much success our number improved so much! I really hate numbers but I´ve learned these past couple of weeks how really the numbers reflect your success and help you know where you need to improve. I also realized that this past transfer I really was a slacker! I feel a little gultly for wasting a transfer of my mission! ok so I didn´t waste a transfer because everything happens for a reason. but this week working with sister Daniele and Negreiros I´ve realized what I need to do better and really what a mission is about. Its about inviting other to come unto christ by being baptized. Also more than ever how precious this time as a missionary is. I have what? like 7 1/2 months left? super crazy. I am now worried I won´t get all that I´ve been called to do done! but for now I am trying to take in everything that I´m learning daily and praying daily that I will be able to apply everything thats working now with my next companions and areas. This week really was a great one and I really am grateful to be a missionary and a part of this great work! I know i say this a lot but its true! after times of trials come times of blessings! haha
Well I hope you all have a wonderful week!! Love you all and have a FELIZ HALLOWEEN! Don´t eat too much candy! and take pictures for me!!
Eu te amo!!
-Sister Gregory
