Monday, October 28, 2013

primeiro batismo!!!! october 28, 2013

BAD
we all know i have a problem waking up... well, now i am trying too hard to get out of bed right away. i seriously never heard the alarm though. (we all four share one alarm). this week i thought i heard it one morning, and another sister got up to use the bathroom, so i got up, said my prayers, then started my morning routine. i peaked at my watch quick in the middle of it all and it said something :30. (we get up at 6:30) but then no one else was getting out of bed, and the other sister was still in bed... so i thought maybe they set the alarm so we could hit snooze. so i laid in bed a couple minutes… but then i got worried they turned it off instead of snoozing it. so after a couple more minutes i finally asked what time it was... it was 2:45 am yep. back to sleep i went. 
transfers. im losing my companion and i am NOT okay with it!
#fubekas
ya... dyego and i will be missing her
 
GOOD
well my reading skills improved this week… after reading 100+ pages of the livro de mormon with lidia. her dad wanted her to finish it before he allowed her to get baptised. we also did things to keep us (me) awake, like make bracelets :)
nice roommates that share their end of transfer pizza with you. 
i saw a picture of and heard the voice of my new companion (less awkward than it sounds). sister jackmans shoes will be hard to fill but i think she is capable J she is on her fourth transfer and from argentina and super cute. 
 
takin a walk to the farm
ya... we're still walkin'
 
so worth the walk
(but... embarrassing when right after this photo was taken my chick jumped out of my hands and slammed on the floor)
 
AWKA- AWK
how did we newbies not know the bishop spoke english? during lunch at his house he started talking about when he and his wife went to provo, then he just busts out in fluent, perfect english. alright. this would have been nice to know the first week when i was trying to carry a conversation with him....
going to do an fhe with a cute family from the ward and a less active and her kids.. to find out her ex husband who is the reason she is less active (he is atheist) is there...
fhe with these members
both sister clay and i (our first transfer in the field) are losing our training companions tomorrow!! not only does this mean we will get new companions who will finish our training, but we, the barely newbies, will have to show our new trainers the area. our investigators and other converts we work with are so worried that my companion will only speak as much portuguese as me and we won’t be able to do anything. we had to explain she will know a lot more portuguese, etc. sorry homiez im trying my best!
best district in the mission field
AWESOME
the baptism of lidia! the most magical thing in the world. *details below. 
packages!!!!!! 
we have this house that when we start teaching… random kids from the neighborhood always come listen. It’s the cutest thing. this week when we came down the streets, they all ran to the house and got everyone ready for our message. 
an awesome ward that was so welcoming and supportive at lidia’s baptism. 
awesome members of the ward
joao & idina... some of the newer members at church
what a crazy week! silly me-- the first couple days i complained about how slow it was going, not having anything to look forward to. well i got what i wished for! on the way to lunch on Thursday, sister jackman got a call from president. we all had been talking about transfers all week but figured if anyone got transferred it would be just her. president had called her to ask her to be a “sister training leader”. she will be so great but i am sooooo sadL we had joked about this before, because we are not perfect and usually the “STL” always follow the rules very strictly. but she will be so good, she has a way with people that makes them want to trust and love her… she’ll be different from the other STL if you ask me. (but i really don’t know them to be honest.) so, i am happy for her. i was nervous to have a new companion who doesn’t speak english (even though this is what usually happens, two americans are neverrrr together.) and i don’t know my way around like sister jackman does. but the other missionary we live with assured me she would help. well… then guess who the next call we got was about? sister tanya… she won’t be able to help because she is getting transferred as well. i was waaay freaked out, similar to the feeling when i got my visa, but i am a lot better now. the members all have offered to help with anything and sister clay and i will figure things out together :)
a messy desk is a productive desk
 
BATISMO! oh my goodness the church is true!! on friday we finished the book of mormon with lidia, and on our way home we got a call from lidia and we were hoping she was calling to tell us that her dad gave her permission to be baptized, but then the phone cut out! and they have a different phone so we couldn’t call back. we were dying! finally… like 30 minutes later we got a hold of her through her uncle and got to talk to her. HER DAD SAID YES! we had to plan it all kind of last minute… everything was in place but we had never given anyone the go ahead because it wasn’t for sure. so the next day, she had her interview, but instead of holding her baptism on Saturday-- like they usually want you to do, the bishop asked us to do it sunday night so more of the ward’s youth could go (there was this big college scholarship test thing this weekend that many of the youth were busy with). so that’s what we did. it was such a special night! her dad and uncle came (her uncle is also taking the lessons, but can’t be there as much as lidia.) a sister from the ward made cake, another sister gave her a special liahonia (church magazine) about baptism, the young women leader gave her a plaque with a quote on in, the youth spoke and gave the prayers... oh my. sister jackman borrowed her a skirt and she looked so cute! she is just so simple and sweet. but dang smart. daaaang smart.
 lidia's dad, me, lidia, sister j and lidia's uncle
did i tell you she is dang smart?
the ward came out in support
 

this weekend was kind of surreal. the baptism, plus just saying being with sister jackman as she said goodbye to people... I’m seeing real changes in people’s lives. i CAN actually make a difference! i am a tool in the Lord’s hands. the gospel changes lives and makes people so happy. i am sooooo grateful i am here. i love sharing this happiness with others, and i am also so happy when i am sharing this gospel. i LOVE these people! and i am so glad i am here with them, helping them, and helping them come closer to their Savior Jesus Christ. 

i love you all. heck i love everyone!! go to church. read the scriptures. say your prayers. remember who you are… k?

xoxo sister faldmo
THE PEOPLE I LOVE AND THAT I TEACH
carlina
lilianis' daughter
 
lilianis' son
some favorite members at church
teaching these dolls
 
one of our favorite new converts Daniella
kawan and Julia
kind people that feed us
 yes... i taught dyego eye love you
yes, my initials are still there

Monday, October 21, 2013

week five in camobi!!! whaaaaattttt?? how???

GOOD:
winning hearts of 18 YO elders one chocolate chip cookie at a time at district meeting (in the most appropriate way obviously) #favoritesisters
because we’re the favorites… receiving a 2 pound bag of sweetish fish from an elder who got 4
 others from his mom. 
perfect weather days!!
our missionaries can fly in and out of santa maria now! and the airport is in camobi… my area of santa maria! i probably won’t get to see my provo district when they come, but how cool would that be?
seeing a missionary family here open a letter from their missionary. it was fun but weird to be on the other end of things! hopefully my family gets that excited for my letters :)
got my talk at church over with-- and people said they understood it! it actually wasn’t that bad and the sisters helped me practice a lot. i even made a little joke in the beginning! came up with it all by myself on the spot!
outside my igreja (church)
teaching lessons with members--makes the day go by so much faster! the young women here go out with us for hours and its great!

BAD:
hearing miley cyrus twice in one week. we won’t stop (or whatever it’s called) it was not good in the states and it’s even worse here. goooo away!
daylight savings- one hour less of sleepL
we were supposed to have a zone volleyball game today but it got rained out. i was sooo excited but it’s probably a blessing because my zone is weeeak. but spiritually so strong J

 AWKWARD:
well ladies and gents... yellow felt accessories might be making a come back! haha i know. but the young women need to fundraiser for efy/youth conference so my companion told them about my the bows i make. to be continued…
yellow felt accessories coming out of retirement to help the Brazilian youth
because of this ^^^i got to show one of the young women my product on yellow felt instagram. it was sooo weird. 
when it’s sister clays bday and she was sooo excited… and then she threw up. poor girl-- haha.
ya... that's chocolate on the left side of the pizza 
there’s no ladylike way to say this-- a fly went down my shirt in a lesson. see details below.
trying to make our contact goals when everyone is watching grenal- the game between the two big soccer teams down here. it was a ghost town. 
trying again to make contacts later... and stopping everyone who was on their way to church. give me something here!!! 

AWESOME:
5 letters last week. #myfamilyandfriendsarebetterthanyours
going into this candy/party store. it was no hobby lobby but my creative juices were renewed J 
having a birthday in the apartment-- cake and pizza. and brazilian pizza is DANG good. 
riding in the cart behind the horses!!! details below.
 
i felt like i was watching the grenal game because the whole town errupted when there was a goal.
my testimony... shared in portuguese with an investigator
where I go to church
the fly story- so were sitting in a lesson with one of my favorite investigators (shhh) and her uncle. things are great but there was this fly… i swatted it away but then it came back-- and flew down my shirt! i couldn’t do anything about it. i just tried to awkwardly move around but i could feel it. ahhhh! it was horrible! i couldn’t even laugh at myself! i had to keep the spirit and what not. finally like 20 minutes later it flew out. then i couldn’t even be happy! i had to keep a straight face (ish) the whole time! oh my goodness. it was horrrrrrible. and i wasn’t quite sure it flew out and that was the longest lesson i think we’ve ever had... so i just sat there for almost 2 hours hoping i was just being paranoid. Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!
 the recent convert to the church on far left provided the horse & "buggy" experience
the horse thing! i don’t know what to call it. It’s a carriage… but not that pretty, slash a buggy slash who knows what??!! but we had told a recent convert we thought they were so cool and wanted to ride one... which we seriously did but we didn’t think she’d take us serious. but then she said she knew someone who had one! so when we went to her house yesterday she took us to her friend’s house… and this cute little man who we don’t even know let us ride in it! after we asked the man he told his grandson to go get the horse. we had actually met his grandson on the street one day. we were talking with the man and then all a sudden there’s the grandson riding the horse bareback! they hitched it up and we only rode it for 3 or 4 minutes but we were laughing and screaming the whole time. we made quite a scene but i don’t even care. YOLO in camobi i guess! it was a little scary at first and i didn’t know how i would tell president i got seriously injured doing that… but it was so fun. and then we taught them a nice little lesson about the book of mormonJ
 first we made friends with the horse

 get ready to go....
so fun...
adues!!!
and then we rode through the streets of camobi
and now the tricky part... getting off in a skirt
this week was a lot of fun. but we really did work hard and taught a ton of lessons. we had to cut some people who aren’t progressing in our teaching poolL we would have two baptisms this week, but one of them couldn’t come to church because her dad was in town and he said she couldn’t go... so she will have to wait until next week to be baptized. i think the other girl will probably be baptized. she is so sweet and has A LOT of potential. it is hard when people don’t keep their commitments. we need to prioritize and remember what’s most important. i would hope our salvation is high on that listJ 
 
it was sister clay’s birthday so a member made us cake one night and we ordered a pizza and had a little party before bed. also-- this week will be the last week of before transfers! what? where did the time go. pray my companion doesn’t get transferred! haha. kidding. but kinda not…
 
 
time for companion prayers...
we are a great team!
 
anyways... ate mais lovers!
have a good week!
xoxox- sister faldmo

Portions of a Snail Mail letter Received October 16 but written September 30, 2013
We are teaching Lidia and she’s the best teenager I’ve ever met.  She’s super smart, almost done with her personal progress (which makes me feel horrible), reading the Book of Mormon and already in the book of Alma, oh… and she’s not even a member!  She’s so ready to be baptized and she’ll probably be the next General Relief Society President, but her dad is a bum.  He never talks to us, I’ve seen him twice for about 15 seconds total (I’m not be dramatic, serious) and I guess he just keeps doing things to delay her baptism.  The bishop made a visit once and he still didn’t stick around to chat.  He just goes back to his room.  He said she needs to read the Book of Mormon 1st, but now he says after she finishes it he will have to think about it.  I’m so worried she will finish it and he will say no.
Although people don’t have all that we have they are perfectly fine.  I don’t want to say they’re lazy, but they’re content.  The modern conveniences don’t tempt then.  Not having a car doesn’t bug them, but I think sometimes it gives them an excuse for no progression… if that makes  any sense??  They don’t complain about not having things, they just don’t test their limits and hope for more.  I think that’s the difference between home in the states and here.  At home, it makes us more prideful but promotes innovation.  Here, it helps with humility but hurts progression and improvement.

My mission President’s wife … Sister Parella talked for two hours during zone conference about diet and exercise.  She’s REALLY into it!  She suggested that we do our evening planning when we are walking home so that then we can exercise when we get home instead of plan... hmmm.....
Sometimes the members serve us soda!! We're not supposed to drink it according to Sister Parella, but President says if members serve it to us then it's ok:) They feed us lettuce with vinegar stuff, sometimes sliced tomatoes, beans and noodles with meat stuff or rice.  There is not as much straight meat as I was thinking there would be.  The desserts here aren’t good.  I usually don’t even want them.  But I try to eat a little because I don’t want to offend anyone as the American picky eater or whatever.

Our chapel is super NICE!! It has heating, A/C and carpet--- which is way rare here because carpet can get moldy and heating and A/C just doesn’t happen. Oh my goodness, I saw a building being built the other day… they should be praying for no natural disasters!  It’s just so different.  It makes me think a lot of things here are similar to the late 1800s in American.  I’m not saying this in a bratty way… just 100% serious.  But then again, we do have washing machines here (well most people do) so that’s a step up!
I’m going to start reading Jesus the Christ again (I didn’t get to finish it in the Brazil MTC).  Please don’t get of sending letters in the mail.  They make me so happy.  Being unable to talk to my family and friends is the hardest part of the mission for me. 

Eu Amo Voces!!

Sister Faldmo

Monday, October 14, 2013

We're Going Places Here in Camboi! October 14, 2013

GOOD
15 cent popsicles FTW (for the win) on hot days!
making progress with investigators
lunch at the members who have a hamburger shop #mmmhmmm
i know it's scary... but we could almost eat the xis (hamburger)!  basically only meal for the day.
this week i finished the book Our Heritage about the pioneers and the book of Alma in the Book of Mormon—that’s what i call a successful week!
 
BAD
investigators not keeping their commitments 
snapped a pic behind sister j and member and her daughters as we walk to teach an investigator
a lizard coming into our apartment when we opened the door, then one of the sisters straight up slicing off its tail with the end of the umbrella while trying to get it out. 
my poor body… this week i had bad allergies, was sick, and was fasting all in one day. it hates me. but oh well...
 
AWKWARD
a mom helping her little boy pee into a parking lot thing... #noshame #whenyougottago...
speaking next week in church... in portuguese.., wish me luck!
skipping classes at church to help with our investigator’s crazy kids #rebelmissionaries
5 yr old boy kawan... just trying to keep him happy at church!
making a cake and happy birthday banner for a recent convert and then her not being home... so we just ate the cake with her in-laws and gave her the left overs... ooops. #earlybirdgetstheworm
 sister clay worked hard on the cake... too bad our ward's recent convert wasn't there to celebrate!
 
AWESOME
teaching lessons with members-- they always go so much better!
teaching far away lessons, with members, with a car!! #brazilmissionaryprobs
a baptism in the ward this week-- a cute little 8 year old that had a huge festa (party in portuguese) after her baptism! it all was soooo cute…  the party planner in me approved!!
 Our church decorated so cute by the parents of their little girl that was baptized this week
 
its hard to really know what to say about each week! we teach a lot, we haven’t been knocking (clapping) as many doors but are still finding and teaching new investigators each week. not everyone, not even close to everyone, wants to listen to our message. i feel like many of our investigators are so close to baptism! hopefully it will happen before this transfer, sister jackman only has two transfers left after that and is worried she will be transferred. i would be so sad! i feel so lucky to be trained by her. she says “don’t love me too much cuz there’s a honeymoon phase” but i still love her :) she is loving, helpful and when she corrects my portuguese she is very nice about it. i know i need all that help so humility is key! i am lucky. i don't want her to get transferred. 
 one of our investigators insists on doing our nails... i just smile and say thank you.
this little boy dyego lovvvveeeess us and runs up to us each sunday and says seeeeeeeesterss! he loves wearing my badge at church
 
my portuguese is coming along. i wouldn’t say i am fluent yet, but i can say a lot of things without my companion’s help now.  i still have plenty of room for improvement. we are going to start teaching an english class soon and i’m really excited for that. i think that santa maria is the perfect area for that-- a lot of people are trying to learn english on their own already and we have 3 american missionaries serving here. 
a closer look at my "hood" and where i live
i love my ward. we taught a lot of good lessons with members this week. i know it is a sacrifice but it helps so much to have a member there when we are teaching. most investigators can relate to them more than they can relate to us… we’re 21/22 year old american girls, no kids—doesn’t get much more different for our investigators. but we still let them know we care and always teach with the spirit guiding us. 

i love reading the book of mormon! i am so mad i didn’t read it more before my mission. i think i’ll finish the first time through while on my mission this week. i really study it and love the stories and the teachings in it. it helps me with my personal life and it helps me be a better missionary. it is a book that can help every single person on this earth-- and there aren’t a lot of those.  so read it people. i promise it will change you!!!
 
this is where i go to send my emails each week... only $2 american dollars an hr:)
anyways. all is well. its not easy but i am happy and i really want to make a difference here. my body was definitely fighting something this week… but i didn’t want to miss out on teaching the lessons to our investigators. they are more important than whatever i would do back at apartment trying to feel better. 
 
i love you all and am so grateful for your support. i am very lucky to be serving a mission! 
xoxo
@sisterfaldmo ;)