Well folks, it happened.
THEY HAVE COMPLETELY CHOPPED ALL OF MY HAIR.
We were sitting at this member's house because my companion
wanted to do a Brazilian Blowout - where your hair stays straight for EVER and
is legit about a 4 HOUR long process - and she asked if I wanted to cut my hair
too, which I turned down (smart) because hey I liked my hair right? But my
friends, that was BEFORE she started massaging my companion's hair and putting
all these lucious creams that were different colors and all I could think was,
man it is crazy hot and that would feel so great. and I CAVED okay (dumb). So
she starts cutting and I go, okay I really only want barely anything cut, and
she just goes like 2 fingers? I go yeah okay beleza. And what started with
'DOIS DEDOS´ soon escalated into 4 or 5 as she insisted that whoever had cut my
hair last did it completely wrong and it needed some serious fixing. Trying not
to freak out because I really didn't want to offend her but also in AGHAST to
what she had just did, you could say my laugh was a little on the
please-help-me-this-isn't-real hysterical. XD
"No really, BONITA. it looks really
good"
"..... *grimace* *clears throat* ... thank you!
:)(!!!!!)"
So folks that is how I spent my p-day last week, 4 hours and
5 less inches of hair to show for it heheh..
#walkedoutlookingMORElike12yearsoldthanIalreadydid :3
Another highlight of the week was finally getting the
package that my mom sent for the b-day #LOVEYOU. Which really was hilarious
because there was nothing that made me more happy than to open all of the
packages of sillybands, those dino pills that expand in water, and CTR rings
for all the meninos (boys) in the ward and children of the people we teach (all things
I had asked for btw) -- my companion was probably like wow this americana is a
legit child but there is nothing like feeling that little squeeze of love from
home, no matter how small. :)
BUT FOR REAL MY COMPANION IS THE MOST AMAZING PERSON EVER. I
have been infinitely impressed with how much she gives all the time. It doesn't
matter which house we come across or which family we visit. She is immediately
in the kitchen washing dishes, grabbing the mop and scrubbing the floors,
grabbing babies out of barely standing, exhausted mothers, and really just
being the most genuine conduit of love and service I have ever seen. Sister
Feitosa is also the first companion I've had that really has shown a deeper
interest and care for me, practicing lessons and giving me feedback, and really
just being the person to really help me understand what it means to be a
missionary, to be a representative of our Savior. This work is not about the
fact we are perfectly hitting all of our goals for new people to teach or the
number of lessons we have, it's about love and being His hands. There was this
one moment this week that we stopped by the house of a less active mother who
has about 4 or 5 young kids and at the door, the little girls said that she had
a serious headache and wasn't really feeling up to a visit. We started to turn
away, but I really REALLY had to use the restroom right and so we asked if we
could just pop in really quickly and they let us in. After ascending the
stairs, we entered an apartment completely dark with the exhausted mother lying
on her bed with the newborn baby. Passing the kitchen we saw tall towers of
dishes from more than just one meal on every space place, old potato peelings
and chicken bones scattered around in piles on the counter, all these insects
swarming the little trash bucket that sits on the counter by the sink,
everything evident of the lack of someone to care for them. Without another
word, Sister Feitosa heads toward the tall stack of dishes and starts lathering
them with soap and scraping old food into the garbage. Following her example, I
quietly join and side-by-side we work to clean, put away, disinfect, and clean
every space of this sick young mother's small kitchen that feeds more than 7 or
8 people every day.
I was looking at my hands the other day and I was
thinking about how sometimes when touching something that is under my standards
of cleanliness or finding something wet and dirty, my first reaction is to pull
back our hands, to avoid contact and protect myself against that which was
unclean. And that small kitchen definitely had its share of things that really
should not ever be touched. But looking at my hands, I really thought about the
reason I had them and what harm really happens when we remove our barriers of
discomfort and really use them. My hands are not things to be kept in
plastic sleeves, completely unblemished from the stains of the world - my hands
were made to serve. They were made to alleviate burdens, to love
unconditionally, and to never be held in reserve for something better. If we
never stop in our busy lives to not only notice, but ACT upon a need - we are
missing the purpose of our existence.
We have to put into practice the gospel and example
that our Savior gave us, not just treasure and appreciate the warmth it brings
in our hearts.
Feeling more than just a little bit humbled. It's a little
unreal how much I love my Savior and grateful every day for the hands He has
given me to serve.
love everyone you can folks - not just with your heart, but with
your hands.
SENDING MUITO AMOR DE BRASIL,
Sister Staheli <3
