What goes down, always comes back up...

Oi Familia!

Well this week was better. Last week I was really down and out. When your body gets tired and out and the mosquitos are biting and the sun is burning...it is easy to get a little down. BUT this week went well. We arrived in the house of one of our investigators this week and before we said anything she asked to be baptized.....why can't everyone be this easy to baptize? She had a dream after we taught here the first lesson that she was going to church with her neighbor and arrived at the chapel here in Tibiri and told her neighbor she was a Latter-day Saint. Cool huh? She came to church so beautiful in modest clothes (EXTREMELY RARE) and immediately was fellowshipped. Severina helped her learn how to sing the hymns, the bishop welcomed her with open arms, the young women immediately crowded around here to help her feel at home, and even Leandro and Leandro (two of our recent baptisms) took down here phone number so that they could invite her to activities. She is very excited for her baptism this next Sunday and we are too. She will most likely be baptized with another awesome girl! We ended up having a bunch of investigators in the church as well, so that was nice. This week we had a conference with Elder Godoy (1st counselor in the area presidency of Brasil) and it was AWESOME! He has so much energy and spunk! He talked about a lot of cool things but the thing that really stood out to me was a story he told or actually an analogy. He drew a picture of a tree trunk that had been cut so that you could see all the rings on the trunk, or the years of the tree´s life. Some rings were darker than others and some rings you could tell had been damaged. He went on to talk about how one of these dark rings happen because a forest fire struck the forest that year and another ring showed that insects had invaded the forest that year. Through all these events the tree lived on until it was cut...and you could see its history perfectly....everything it passed through. He related this to our lives and said we are a little different than the tree. He said as we go through our lives it is almost inevitable to escape without a mark or blemish from sin...they just happen. We are imperfect and as the years and years of our lives go on, like the tree we acquire these marks....and then we are cut (aka die) and stand in front of our Maker....where He doesn't even need to ask us a single question...he just looks at our trunk (body) and our lives are completely laid out in front of Him....but the good thing is, unlike the tree these marks can be erased. The damage or mistakes can be completely erased in a way that we can stand before Heavenly Father without a single mark. He continued to talk about that this is possible because of Christ, this is the gift he gave us. That despite how many marks we have, we can stand pure and clean in front of God because of the atonement. I loved this analogy because it made me remember a time when we were all together at chimney rock. We were all walking down the trail when Dad stopped us at an old tree trunk and talked about the life of a tree. Ahhh what great memories we all have together! I cant wait to have more when I come back in 6 months!! Ahhh can you believe this week marks 1 year!! Goodness time flys!! Well I gotta go preach the gospel and baptize the folks aqui em Tibiri. Espero que vocês estâo bem! Te amo de mais!

September 13, 2010

Oi Familia!
This email is going to be extremely lame, but I´m just not with the highest of spirits today and think it is better to say nothing than to murmur. Dont worry I´m good though and I love you guys so much. This week will be better. Elder Godoy will be at our zone conference this Thursday and I will probably get my package so I´m getting excited about that. I pray for you guys always and love you.

Staying put for now☺

So guess what?!!! I stayed in Tibiri. Yep I will have officially 5 transfers (7 months) in this area! WHOOOO. I was actually really happy I stayed. The thought of packing all my things up was just tooooo scary. I stayed with Sister G which I´m content about. I kind of miss having Brazilean companions, but President knows best. This past week and a half flew by and there really isn't that much to report. I´m really tired today. We spent the morning in João Pessoa looking for a dress for Sister G. Sister H stayed as well which means I´m happy about life. We are two peas in a pod and she wants me to date her brother when I get back. Since she goes home to Utah in December I told her she can be my ``João Batista`` and prepare the way for my dating life. Things are going well though. The temperature is starting to heat up and soon summer will be in full swing....which 100-110 degree weather for a few months. Yeah I´m excited about that. I feel like Tibiri is my home though...I know so many people here and could walk these streets with my eyes closed. I love the members, but stress about them a lot....taking care of the Lord's flock really can wear down on you. BUT I´m excited for 6 more weeks in Tibiri and know there is a reason I´m staying here. Until next Monday!
LOVE YOU ALL!
Love sister wood

The font runneth o'er!

So this week FLEW by. I almost don't believe today is pday... again! This week was full of tons of great and funny experiences, but this computer keyboard is very retarded and I will just write the highlights! Yesterday we had stake conference and a member of the area seventy was there. His talk was so amazing and it talked about the importance of prayer. He explained many concepts about prayer that I had never thought about before and I felt extremely edified in the end. It was so nice to have stake conference and see everyone I know and love. It was impossible to talk to everyone I knew, so I ended up giving a lot of hugs and kisses on the cheeks. I think it might be hard for me to break the whole kiss-on-the-cheek habit when I go back home...but I´m pretty sure the single guys won't mind it. Anyway during the conference Lindenberg and Senhor José received the Melchizedek Priesthood! I was so so so proud of them. I wanted to jump up and clap and shout for joy when they were told to stand up and be recognized. I practiced self-control though and just sat in my chair with an ear-to-ear grin of happiness and tears in my eyes. It really is just wonderful to see someone go from....well what they were...and be baptized, confirmed, receive the Aaronic priesthood, receive a calling, and receive the Melchizedek priesthood....next step....THE TEMPLE NEXT MONTH!!! WOOOOO!!! Honestly it was wonderful to see the fruits of our labors! The day just kept getting better after the conference. Rafaela and Leandro were baptized last night and it was sooooooooo awesome. I wish you guys could have been there. At least 40 members arrived for the baptism, I made 2 cakes, Sister G and I prepared a special musical number, it was perfect!!!! (except for the fact I left the water running in the baptismal font and it flooded the chapel a little bit :) ....ha ha what can I say...I´m still Ariel, even in Brazil. But dont worry it got cleaned up fast! ) But honestly the baptismal service was awesome! Another cool thing...Leo (another Leandro--pec knows him!) who we baptized recently performed HIS first baptisms...yep he baptized his friends, Rafaela and Leandro. It was so cool to see someone Itaught that was baptized, baptizing others. Talk about awesome. Anyway things are going great. I´m happy and very much in love with Brazil. Obviously there are some things that I miss about the U.S., but leaving Brazil in 7 months will break my heart. I´ve gotten so attached to this place. Yesterday we were walking to Marcos Mouro ( an extremely poor area) and we went the back way. As usual, we greeted people along the way. We passed by a woman with 4 little children and when I passed by and said ``boa tarde` they started talking about my hair. Eventually one of the little boys (4 or 5 years old) yelled --`` druga, eu quero ficar com da gallega`` (dang it, well I want to stay with the blonde)....after saying this he ran up behind me and grabbed my arm and just started talking and talking and talking. The others soon followed after us. It was so cute walking to Marcos Moura on the tiny dirt path, in the midst of banana and coconut trees, talking to the cutest Brazilean kids ever. I´ve been very used to my life here and the people of Tibiri are used to me as well. A man this past week told me that Tibiri never would be the same when I left. What a compliment....I hope I´ve made my mark here. I feel like I know everyone...from the men who play games in the plaza, to the woman who sells batata frita, to the politicians, to the school teachers, to the boys who break dance next to the Catholic church, etc. I will miss this place so much. I don't know if I´ll be transferred or not next week, but I hope I stay here! Anyway, the Lord knows best where I need to go!

Time just flies...

THis week FLEWWWWWWWW by! Last Tuesday and Wednesday Sister Garrett and I went to João Pessoa for a training. All the zone leaders, district leaders, and trainers were there for two whole days of intense training. Sister Garrett and I were the only sisters there, but it turned out to be fun anyway! The training focus a lot on learning how to teach people, not just lessons. They talked a lot about different technics we should be using and then we just ended up practicing a lot. Like I said it was fun, but I missed my area and my investigators. I find it a little annoying to sit in an air-conditioned room for two days. My body isn't used to air conditioner and I just end up getting the worst headaches at these types of meetings. Honestly I think my body is just getting adjusted to a more humble way of living. When Sister Garrett and I slept at the Presidents house at the beginning of the transfer it took me a week and a half before I could sleep comfortably again. The bed at the President's house was an excellent mattress, but I´m so used to sleeping on a half-sunken mattress on wooden slabs that it just threw me out of wack. I´ve also gotten used to the hot weather. When the temperature dips below 75 degrees I pull out my jacket, wrap myself in whatever blanket in closest, and drink cevada (a barley drink that looks a lot like coffee). Honestly I think I might die when I return home. I´m hoping the weather will already be warm in Georgia when I get back! After the first day of training we went to Mangabeira (sister de oliveira´s area) to try out the things we learned...and it was awesome! I honestly felt like I had learned so much in the training and was ready to apply my new-found knowledge. We taught a lesson with Sister De Oliveira and Sister Gonzalez and it was just so so great. They made me teach the first half of the lesson and as soon as I started it was like I was just an instrument for the Spirit. I don't remember anything I said. I just remember that I was being taught at the same time I was teaching these people. Sister De Oliveira sat there with a face full of surprise and afterwards she just kept telling me she never heard a lesson taught so well! She told me I taught great when we were companions, but that night was just a whole other level! It was so cool to put the things I learned in practice and to be an instrument for the Spirit. After the night was over we stayed at Sister De Oliveira´s house and she and I just talked and talked and ate and talked and did our nails and talked and talked and talked. It was so great to see her. I just hope you guys get to meet her one day! She is just one of the coolest people ever and one of my best friends. THe only thing sad about the night was that Sister H wasn't with us....we are the 3 musketeers! At least I think you guys will get the chance to meet Sister H one day! She is just as cool and awesome as Sister De Oliveira...only difference is that she´s American! Goodness I´m writing way too much! Time is slipping away! Anyway...things are great. a recent baptism of mine got called to be a counselor in the Primary and a guy we baptized a few weeks ago received the aaronic priesthood. Everyone is doing great!

Sweet dreams

Well this week was normal for the most part! It was filled with tons of work, long hot days, and a ridiculous amount of walking, but it was fabulous! Hmm...where to start... we taught a lot of cool and interesting people this week. We met a missionary for the Baptist Church and he asked us to come to his house for a Bible Study. We accepted and when we arrived it was very apparent that he just wanted to prove our religion was false, but he was nice about it. He wanted to know about what we believed and since I knew he wouldnt go to church with us ( he really was just looking for dirt on us), I told him about why our religion was so awesome. I talked about eternal marriage, baptisms for the dead, the spirit world, the pre-existence. It was a really great experience though because I just gained a stronger testimony of how perfect the gospel is and how merciful Heavenly Father is with His children. For instance, a lot of religions believe if you aren't baptized in this life you don't have another chance, that you can't repent after this life and that we are all just going to be sisters and brothers, not husbands, wives, children, siblings,etc Goodness when I was talking about the spirit world and baptisms for the dead I realized that Gods plan literally is perfect. He has made it so easy for us to return to him...he gives us so many chances! Anyway, we left the guy's house on good terms.

So yesterday I found out that one of my converts is going to receive the Melchizedek.Priesthood in the stake conference in two weeks! I was so excited when I heard about his progress! Yay for converts that say firm in the church!

These past few weeks have been weeks of lots of politics. They are having some elections down here which means that every stereo system or amp that can be found is hooked to the top of a car or truck to blast propaganda to the good people of TIbiri. It has gotten to be a little annoying walking in the street with all this constant noise, but very funny at the same time. The politicians here use a lot of funny jiggles to pitch their platform. Well this last week we were in the square at the end of the night with the other sisters heading to an appointment together when one of these politicians came by with a parade of at least 10 cars honking and blaring music. People were hanging out of every car window and streaming and throwing confetti. It was quite the party. It was just such a ridiculous sight that I started laughing my head...well the politician saw us 4 missionaries and jumped out of the back of a truck and ran up to us talking about his platform. As soon as he arrived so did the cameras. He talked about all the things he would change and then asked us if we were from here....I was like....ahh no. It was hard to keep from laughing just because of the situation. Fireworks were going off over our heads, the ridiculous political jingles were playing in the background, and the paparazzi were in full force. He took a lot of photos with us so who knows if my face is in the local paper.

So the spiritual experience of the week has to do with our beloved investigator Rafaela. The first time we taught in her house we actually taught her parents not her. During the lesson the spirit was extremely strong and so we thought that Rafaela´s parents would turn out to be awesome investigators. After several follow-up visits the realization that they werent interested was very apparent and we were confused why we felt the spirit so strong in that house. Thats when we met their daughter Rafaela. Shes 20 years old and a complete doll. We´ve been teaching her for the past few weeks and marked her baptism for a week and a half ago. Unfortunately she missed her baptism because of work. She works on Sunday and can only go to church if she gets off early. We got a little frustrated because of this situation, but we didnt lose hope! This past week we met with her and she told us that she wouldn't be able to go to church this Sunday. We ended up getting a little sad about the situation, but continued to pray for things to work out. Yesterday we were sitting in the church when who should arrive but Rafaela! She told us she told her boss that she would be leaving work early every Sunday in order to go to church and that she had an experience and wanted to be baptized. Turns out she had a dream after we left her house last week and in the dream she heard a voice saying---Just follow, just follow. She awoke and according to the feelings she had she knew she had to be baptized. It was an amazing thing to hear and I started to tear up because of how thankful I was in that moment. I realized that the Lord really is preparing people for us and he is doing His part in this great work. It was just such a humbling experience to realize that the Lord can work with sometime so simple and weak as me. It really is one of the coolest things about the missionary work....the Lord uses the weak things of this earth to bring about the eternal salvation of His children. This week Rafaela will be baptized along with 2 others equally wonderful and precious investigators. ´