Week 31 -- New Years

and soooo off starts a new year with a new transfer and a new me! #ohboy

Wow it's so funny how different things are on a mission. 

Metas? (goals)

- eat beans and rice every day 

- walk 9 hours in the burning sun with greater tan lines than grandpa 

- go to bed at 9:30 because of sheer exhaustion

- speak a different language more often

New Year's evening

#wowalreadydoingsuprisinglygood 

#niceplanningSisterStaheli

No but really guys I LOVE ANO NOVO (New Years) because you really have a moment to appreciate every amazing that has happened, and to appreciate more than before the bits of wisdom you've learned, and the type of person that you have grown to become. AND to reflect on things that you really want to be better with in the glorious and hopeful new year. 

Sister Staheli, Sister Mendonca, Sister Vasquez

IT’S JUST THE GREATEST THING. 

 

This week not only marked a New Year but alsooo... a new transfer! Meaning that you or your companion have the probability of being moved to a new area/city with a new companion. And in our case - both Sister Mendonça e eu (and I) stayed and BOOM - back to the trio life with our beautiful Peruvian Sister Vasquez (who is in the last 5 weeks of the mission). Which sister Mendonça minha filha was pretty happy about because she has this bucket list of a mission and with this transfer has accomplished 3 THINGS - companheira americana, (American companion) companheira hispanica,(Hispanic companion)  e (and) be a part of a TRIO. So you could say she was pretty excited. 

It has been a week of work and miracles. 

So in our ward, because we were the very first ward in all of Nordeste (northeast),  we have about 570 people on our list that were baptized but only have about 70/80 that go on a weekly basis. So we have been going around and visiting some of the people on the list to see if they've moved or why they haven't been coming to church. And low and behold we meet the amazing and maravilhosa familia (marvelous family) of Marines and João Maria. 

João Maria got baptized in the church when he has like 15 years old but because his mom belonged to this other church Assembleia de Deus, she never let him go and he lost track of the church. But when we stopped by their little home, sweet Marines was in front and when we asked about João she was like oh he works until 7 but please come back and we can all talk! Oh my have I just found my soulmate of a family. He was married before and has 6 CHILDREN and she was already married before and how many children does she have? 4 CHILDREN.

So my mathematical friends, how many kids do we have in total?

10 CRIANÇAS (children) AMIGOS. 

DEZ. (ten)

They have only known each other for about a year but they have been living together in this tiny home with about 6 of the 10 children, the oldest of them at home having 8 and 9 years. And they are just the sweetest of families, really embracing us and when we invited them all to church she just goes, oh claro EU VOU (I am definitely going to). You guys just really "ficaram com meu coração" (stayed with my heart), and so on Sunday, for the first time in about 4 weeks we were finally able to get not only a person in church with us - but an ENTIRE FAMILY CARAVAN WITH 6 CHILDREN. The only car that we had available had room for 5 but how many ´people did we fit into that car?

ONZE. (eleven)

Oh my goodness it was the best day of my life. 

And everyone bore their testimony about their family and how important it is to raise children in the gospel and with a love of Christ. Just how much that belief changes them and those memories stay, really affecting the way they treat others, and how much stronger their home is because of that love and focus. Our families are just the most precious gift our Heavenly Father has given us, and He has really shown time and time again just how important they are especially now. We NEED to have a priority in the home, there is such a strength and force there that can't be recreated in any other environment. Wow the love I have for my family is one of the strongest emotions I have, nothing greater or more important and only second to my love of the Savior. 

Last little thought:
Every Sunday for the past month we have been delivering the sacrament to homes of members who can't make it to church because of a family member that is seriously sick and whose ENTIRE family stays to care for. And when I say it's been a little bit of time, I really mean like 7 YEARS. So it's always one of my favorite parts of the week - these people really give everything they have for one another and the power and evident amor in those houses just doesn't have a rival. 

But we were in the last house for the night with Ana and her family, and their sick father João. And this man is really sickly and frail. He really is only eating porridge, puree of literally everything chicken/rice/potato, like he NEVER eats anything solid. So they have blessed the bread and are trying to put it in his mouth and João just literally cannot open his mouth. He struggles and struggles and finally they are able to slip the little piece of bread into the small opening. He holds that little piece of bread in his mouth but is unable to swallow, just holding the little piece in there and his family starts to get a little nervous. They all start saying oh no it was too big for him, here João spit it out here, it's okay João you have already taken the sacrament, it's okay to let it out. 

But still he REFUSED to let that little sacred bread leave his mouth.

That little piece that represented his Savior, and every sacrifice that He had ever given for us, and that represented how much love He has for us. 

Oh wow it was one of the most valiant things I have ever witnessed in my entire life. 

Our lives are SO AMAZING and I hope that this year we can all remember to prioritize those things that really matter - our family, our home and our SAVIOR.

LOVE YOU ALL,

<3 Sister Staheli