Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Quase 9 meses...Que?!



OIIIIII FAMÍLIA!!!!


Tudo bem?! Well one more week down and this week was pretty awesome! Sister Taffarel and I are learning a lot together and it's awesome to be working alongside with her. I am learning and relearning a ton--which is always great--with her and am trying to teach her everything I know. Which is not a lot but at the same time is for a newbee. Anyways, this week we met a sweet little old lady named Idé. She lives alone but her family lives close so they help her a lot. But man is she an awesome lady! We were talking about all the different churches that she has been too and she told us that she has yet to feel at home in one....ahhh now is our chance! She also said that when she talked to us the first time at her front door, she said she felt that we were sincero (sorry guys forgot how to say in English lol), beaming with happiness, and full of humility. Wow. Is that really what people see in us?! And this is why she let us in to share a message. Ahh it made us feel great after she told us this and really bore my testimony that our first impressions with future investigators is really important. We could be having the worst day ever but as we put out that smile and think happy thoughts, people will realize this and be more interested. Ahh I love being a missionary! 

This week we also had Stake Conference. I learned a lot during it and realized how important templos are in our lives as members. I am so grateful that here in the mission field, we have the privilege in going every 3 months. The speakers also talked about searching for the real or true happiness that can come because of the gospel. I know that realmente as we search the scriptures and pray each and every day, we will feel a happiness that is unexplainable. I am seeing this in the lives of the new members in our ward and how much happier they are because they know the truth. They are learning the gospel and putting these things in practice. 

One last thing: this week I will complete 9 months in the field. Time is flying by and I can't believe that I have been gone that long. I have been loving these past months working with the people in Brasil. They are so loving and make me feel at home even though I am very far away. I am so grateful for all the things I have learned here on my mission and am way excited to keep learning and growing these next 9 months. I know that as we loose ourselves serving others and the Lord, we loose our old life but gain one even better. I know that the gospel changes lives and am so grateful that I have this opportunity to share Christ's gospel with others!

 I love you all so much! Thanks for all your support and keep being awesome! Have a fantastic week! 

Love, Sister Hilchie :)  


Sis Lucena, Courtney, Mission Pres and wife, Sis Taffarel, Sis Araujo

Monday, April 18, 2016

Happy Birthday!



HEYYYYYYY FAMÍLIA!!!! 


I hope you all are doing super fantastic! I would like to thank you all for the birthday wishes and cards! It was awesome. Really really awesome! My big day was pretty great também! We celebrated with pizza and cake and my companion and the other sisters tried to sing "happy birthday" to me in English! It was pretty funny. One of them actually knew all the words and was belting it but the others just clapped along and kind of mumbled the words haha. It made me feel so loved! 

Anyways, this week was pretty awesome for my companion and me. We are now getting into the groove of things and I'm hoping that missionary life isn't as strange for Sister Taffarel. But then again missionary life is just plain old strange anyways. You get used to one thing and then the next minute everything changes. Here in the mission, I am learning how to adapt more quickly to changes, which is awesome because life is full of surprises. But back to this week.....so we worked really hard this week and taught a lot of our investigators and found new ones too! I love sharing the gospel with everyone and letting them know the whole truth. We are so blessed as members of the Church to have the knowledge of the gospel of Cristo and all the blessings that come along with it. 

This week we met a family that is pretty stellar! We talked with the dad in the street earlier this week and marked to visit them Sunday (or yesterday) at 2:30pm. Beleza(beautiful). So after church, we had lunch with a member which lasted a little bit longer than we had thought and were running a little late. So as we were speed walking down the street, the Spirit kept telling me that we needed to visit this family whether or not we were running late. So one thing I have really learned in my mission is that you gotta follow the promptings of the Spirit. So we walked a little bit faster and guess who was waiting for us to visit? This family (consists of mom, dad, and their son who is married). So we entered and shared a message with them. It was a great lesson and marked to visit them again this week. They have a lot of faith in Jesus Cristo and want to do what He asks of them. I am super excited to visit them this week! 

I really hope that you all have a wonderfully awesome week! Love you all so much!!!!

Love, Sister Hilchie :) 


Monday, April 11, 2016

Introducing the New Arrival!



OIIIIIIII FAMÍLIA!!!!!!! 

How's it goin? I hope all is swell! So this week was an adventure. Monday I said goodbye to Sister De Lima, which was a bit sad, but Tuesday I went to pick up my newbie by myself......I think I was more nervous traveling to the meeting place than having to train ha-ha. But I made it there safely without getting lost and that is a huge victory because I always seem to get lost! But the way back was another story. So luckily the sister only had one suitcase because we had to return by getting on and off multiple trains and then an onibus so one suitcase was manageable. But as we were getting on the first train, I was a bit too slow and as I was entering, the doors started to close on me so I tried to push myself and the suitcase in but that was just not working too well. Luckily the doors opened up again and once again I tried to put me and myself in the train (my companion was already in the train waiting for me) but the doors closed before I could and there was my companion, alone in the train with me on the outside. You could say I started to panic a little bit but guys - Heavenly Father watches out for His missionaries because something wonderful happened....the train doors opened nice and wide and allowed me enough time to put me and the suitcase safe and sound in the train. This really strengthened that realmente, Heavenly Father is watching out for us in every moment! 

Alright so a little bit about my companion: Her name is Sister Taffarel and is from Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná (or Brasil) and has been a member for 5 years. She is pretty awesome and ready to share the gospel with everyone! I am super excited to work with her this transfer and help her become an awesome missionary! Just one more thing: apparently she is Cláudio Taffarel´s cousin!! But for those who don't know who he is, like me, he is a pretty famous soccer goalie her em Brasil. So everywhere we go, everyone always connects her name with him and when she tells them she is his cousin, they flip! So my companion is getting pretty famous here in Santo André! ha-ha

This week was a lot of running around, talking with random people na rua, and visiting as many people as was possible, which wasn't a whole lot because this past week everyone was on vacation but this week is going to be awesome! We are ready to work hard and find those that are waiting for our message. woohoo! 

I hope you all had the best spring break ever (for those of you who had it this past week) and that you all have a wonderful week! I love you all so much!

Love, 
Sister Hilchie :)