Week 12 - Um Bravo Staheli é um Fluente Staheli

Ok something I learned in my first few weeks is that Brasileiros use the word 'bravo' a LOT. And at first, I thought it was just one of those words like 'cereal' and just meant brave or something. But with the amount of times they said it and the intensity didn't really make sense (kind of like I thought they were saying açai all the time but it was really 'sair' which means 'to leave' lol). So I came to find out that when Brasileiros say "Você fica bravo quando..." it actually means "You get ANGRY when..." 

Now for the tagline of the week. 

So you know how we have that recent convert José right.. the one who was praying about which missionary to marry? Well we think that he um "received" an answer. At first it wasn't very obvious but this guy is calling us ALL the time, ALL hours of the night just to see how we are doing, he knows when and where we go to email our families, he ALWAYS has the elder missionaries over at his apartment, and he is VERY involved in the lives of the missionaries right. So when we finish teaching Luca all of the lessons that he needs to learn before he is baptized (which honestly has been one of the most tender, fun experiences of my entire life - Rachel I taught him our handshake I hope that's okay) and we had a baptism service all set and ready for Sunday after church. Beleza. (Beautiful) But the thing is, José continues to call us and set up more lessons with Luca, even though we really have nothing left to teach and Luca REALMENTE (really) KNOWS TUDO (all). So we are sitting in one of the lessons and José says, "So I don't think that Luca is ready to be baptized this Sunday. I think that he needs AT LEAST another week of lessons" - and this is coming from a guy that knows that as soon as we finish teaching his son that we won't have an excuse to come by as much. So we sit there for more than an HOUR trying to convince José and understand what he is thinking or why Luca is not ready and boy, that man pulled every excuse I have ever heard. But the one that REALLY killed me was "I don't think that Luca is keeping his compromissos (commitments).  He is not praying morning and night or reading the Book of Mormon with real intent to find an answer." 

THIS IS A 9 YEAR OLD KID WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. 

And the thing is, this week was transfers so we know that Sister Carvalho was going to be transferred to a new area because she has been here forever and this was her LAST weekend.  I get home that night and I am just so frustrated. We are trying to explain what happened to the other sisters in our apartment and I am just RAPID FIRING. 

SISTER STAHELI FICA BRAVO right. And all of my companions are just dying because apparently I had literally NO ACCENT, and spoke like a literal Brasileiro; it was INSANE. I guess all it takes for me to learn this language is to be angry - dicas (tips) anyone? ;) But it was hard because we bore our testimonies about the importance of sacrifice and about faith. How we don't have to have a perfect knowledge, a concrete, physical, tangible stepping stone to take the first step. My District leader (who was also there - we had an intervention of CINCO missionaries there to teach José - we don't mess around when it comes to people's salvation folks) asked José:

"José, are you the same person that you were when you were baptized 2 months ago?"

And of course José says, "Well, no."

And Lugem goes on to talk about how if we always sit and wait for the perfect circumstances, a perfect knowledge of what is going to happen or how things are going to change, then nothing will ever happen. It was BECAUSE of the fact that José decided to be baptized that he was able to grow. With that first step into the slightly unknown, it is scary because the unknown is something that we don't always have control over. But where would he be without that act of faith is the real question. And the thing is, the unknown doesn't have to always be so scary because we aren't meant to do it on our own. The amazing thing about each individual is that you already have someone who knows the path to ultimate happiness before you even when you can't, and He is doing everything He can to help you find your steps forward. Heavenly Father uses people around us, He uses the scriptures and the words of our Prophets and leaders, and especially, He uses the Spirit to help us discover the joy in the unknown in our lives. Each person is placed in a life that God has prepared for you and has placed us in the paths of others to help love and guide each other back home to Him. And that we really have to act FIRST in order to grow, even if all the other logistics aren't perfect you know?

That moment I realized that there was no reasonable thing we could say that would ever be able to convince José to let Luca be baptized. It was just the simple act of reminding him of the testimony he had and letting the spirit speak to his heart in a way he could not deny. 

Guess who was baptized at 6:15 at night in the quickest most unconventional yet beautiful service I have ever attended?

Guess who lead the music without a piano and so had to sing the first line solo so that everyone knew the tune and then stayed up for the spiritual thought and then took all the pictures and then cut the cake all because it was her first baptism?

You already know. 

God is good guys. The spirit is one powerful witness. 

MUITO AMOR, 

Sister Staheli

 

Week 11 - OH MY GOODNESS THIS WEEK WAS CRAZY

We had divisions with this other dupla this week and Sister Carvalho, who has been in the area for the past 4 MONTHS, switched with another missionary that has literally 10 days (!!!) left in the mission and the crazy thing is that this new sister and my other companion Sister Soares were actually companions in the MTC. So there was me and two sisters that will both be home in less than 3 weeks - if you also thought this meant there was less for me to do, you and me both would be quite mistaken. They ended up putting ME in charge of all the planning of lessons and who we would visit, PHONE CALLS, and wayyy more street contacts. #IhavenoideawhatImdoing #help

You could definitely say that I learned some stuff. 

Jóse and Luca: 

So we have this recent convert Jóse who just received the gift of the Holy Ghost and he mentioned how he wanted us to teach his little 9 yr old son Luca - who is SO COOL. It has been really interesting to be able to change and adapt the way we teach the gospel in a way that Luca would understand and connect with. For example we were teaching about prophets and Sister Soares related it to superheros and asked Luca about his favorite superpower. She connected it with the fact that god calls these men and gives them this amazing power called the priesthood to act in His name and do miracles to help people. Needless to say he was totally engrossed and excited about every part, it was the coolest thing! 

Ok. Now about Jóse himself - this guy is just the happiest person who loves traveling and adventures and Tereré (which is kind of like mate that you drink with limão), but I mean this guy is REALLY friendly right. So we get a call one night from our district leader and it turns out that Jóse has actually been earnestly praying about which of the 3 of us Sister missionaries he should choose as a WIFE. And the thing is, at a first glance this guy totally looks like he is 30 maybe, but he is literally 49 and has a daughter who is 21 (!!!). It's so funny though because he is always giving us things like flowers he made from palm leaves or bracelets de amazonia (Sister Carvalho got this beefy knife I'm sure would make any boy scout jealous). It's seriously the funniest thing sometimes how different the culture is here and how something like 10, 20, THIRTY years age difference really isn't that uncommon. 

So you're beggining to understand how crazy my week has been right?

 I really gained an appreciation this week of the power of seeking the lone sheep that has wandered from the fold. I really wanted to earnestly search and learn about all the people who have been taught by missionaries in the past and also those that were baptized but don't ever come to church anymore. Luckily missionaries are really organized and we had a lot of information about these people like addresses and an occasional phone number. So with list in hand, we started knocking doors and really seeking the sheep one-by-one. We found grandmas that are really too sick to stand let alone walk 20 minutes to church or men that enjoy church well enough and the messages there but choose to work a lot on Sundays to support their family. The sad reality is that sometimes, the missionaries are the only people that ever really showed an interest or love for these people and when the missionaries leave and are transferred, these sheep fall by the wayside and are forgotten. With every person, we shared our love and testimonies about the importance of having continual faith on a daily basis, that we have to ACT on the faith that we have and make sacrifices to show God that we really love Him, and the importance and strength that comes from taking the sacrament each week. Wow it was just the most profound experience I don't even have words for it. 

It is so important that we are aware and loving with every person we see. Every person on this earth in one way or another has wandered from the fold, whether they need a friend, words of encouragement, or someone to simply acknowledge that they are there and are aware of them. God needs us to be His shepherds, to gather and love our brothers and sisters, to really be disciples of Christ. 

Try to think about a person this week you can reach out to or a small sacrifice you can do to show God how much you love Him, I promise that it will just fill your soul and give it a warm squeeze :)

As always, sending my love from Brasil (oh and pray that Jóse picks a different sister please)

MUITO AMOR, 

Sister Staheli 

9 yr old Luca

Week 10 - Gave a talk in Portuguese

Ok listen up kiddos - you know what happens when you get up and bear your testimony in Portugues? 

YOU GET ASKED TO GIVE A TALK.  ALSO IN PORTUGUES. 

So we are sitting at this member's home and Jonathan (OF COURSE his name was Jonathan) goes Sister! Your Portgues is really good! And then he kind of just mumbles and rapid fires something else and I just look at Jessie his sister (who is soon to marry a guy from Idaho) go ahhh Obrigada (thanks). But then later on I am sitting there and he just mentions something about the following sunday with a raised inflection in his voice so I KNOW something is up and I stop and go wait what? Yep amigos - foi um discurso (To give a speech or talk). Ok giving a talk in Sacrament was literally the most surreal experience in the world. My first couple of weeks in the CTM I stressed so much about every word that I was saying for our lessons, writing everything down word-for-word (BAD IDEA btw) but for Sacrament, I wanted to just be able to be myself and not be intimidated by the language. So I am up there with only a couple scattered bullet points and solid scriptures, definitely butchering the grammar and pronunciations. But instead of focusing on that, I just focused on the people in the congregation and with every pause or questioning word I kid you not - I would see like 30 encouraging smiles and nodding heads, everyone whispering 'jeso’ (I didn't find a definition other than it means affirmation)!!' when I was trying to describe the casts that my mom had to wear after her skiing accident, everyone was just SO KIND.  :') 

After, I had this family come up that was from Utah but the wife was from Brasil, traveling around to Malaysia, Australia, Japan and they were trying to speak Portugues to me but in the end they just go okay let's just speak Ingles right. BUT IT WAS THE STRANGEST THING - it was like my tongue forgot how to speak english. Like I am still thinking and writing my journal in ingles and the occasional words here and there when I don't know - but never actual sentences. I also realized that Brasileiros have a different way of expressing themselves that is COMPLETELY different than americanos and while I was speaking, I was unable to balance the two and often reverted back to the Portugues palavras (words) that have been my staple expressions the past few weeks. It's been barely 2 months (WHAT?), I already can't imagine after a year and a half.

I am seriously losing the ability to speak any language fluently at all. 

Oh my goodness though - this week we taught an ACTUAL FAMILY. We contacted this 14 year old kid in the street one night and had the opportunity to teach Eliberto, and his three younger siblings who were 12, 9, and 7 while their mother was in the kitchen in the other room making coco brigadeiro (Brazilian fudge balls). Woah. Having those little children gathered around your feet on the floor, living in just the most humble and simple of shacks that had little loving, homemade touches to make it a home - teaching about baptism and Cristo... There's never been um outro (another) experience I can compare it to in the world. All the people here already have such a faith and love of Jesus Christ - like EVERYONE, it's amazing. I have been really touched by the people in a way I can't describe - the members, people recently baptized that I never even had the opportunity to teach but have been blessed to know, the people in the streets, everyone. 

This place is just so beautiful in so many ways.

(She sent some pictures, but no context or information on the people) 

These are her 2 Brazilian companions

I think this is the worlds largest cashew tree

Week 9

This is SO COOL but I totally forgot about the fact that all the stars and constellations are different down here! We were outside last night playing basketball with a recent convert and her fam (ok my companheiras may have just cheered us on from the sidelines but still there in spirit) and it blew my mind how bright and clear the sky was. I mean here we are in a CITY with hundreds of thousands of people and from one spot, we were able to see Venus, Mars, Pluto, Saturn, and JUPITER. Man every time I look at the stars, I really appreciate how small we are when you think about the universe and everything that's in it. God has such an eye for beauty it's seriously amazing. 

But this week was of course Fast Sunday and I love that on a mission, we begin our fast the previous day. Because it really helps me appreciate what it means to prepare for the sabbath you know? You don't have to wait until you wake up on Sunday morning to feel the physical famine and spiritual feast, the spirit is already there with you to help you feel the power of the fast and the strength that comes from it. 

Ok so this fast Sunday I was sitting in the row and I was pretty comfortable right, because of all the times in my life - NOW was really the time people really wouldn't expect me to bear my testimony because claro, primeiro (clearly, first) transfer in a new country with a new language tudo bem right? But then one after the other, my companions get up to bear their testimonies and I am sitting there on the pew alone feeling a little sheepish, but still with a whole lot of fear. Then our sweet little Daniel, who is about 11 years old and who wants to be baptized but his family is against it (yet still comes to church every week #stud), leans over and says Sister, why are you not up there with the others? And his words just pierced my heart with the truth I already knew. So rather reluctantly, I plucked myself off the pew and waited my turn to bear my testimony. I can't even describe the nerves that were building up and the fear that I was feeling about not being able to express how I felt, but I was also feeling the overwhelming amount of gratitude and testimony burning inside that I knew I needed to share. So when my turn came, I stood up and did it - I bore my soul about how blessed I felt to come to this place, that even though I still have fear every time before I open my mouth that once I begin speaking, I realize that there really was nothing to be scared about in the first place. Because what am I doing when you really think about it? What should be scary or intimidating about bringing your brothers and sisters who are lost and alone, probably feeling the same fear I was, back to their loving Father in heaven? I shared a scripture about how there are angels round about you bearing you up, to have LOVE over FEAR and wow. It was a powerful experience folks - even in my far from perfect Portugues.   (She may be talking about this scripture in D&C 84:88  - And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up ).

Man everyone needs more Daniels in their life to remind them of what really matters. 

Wow this week I really saw the blessings and the hardships of life in Brasil for these people. We sat in casas that were immense and expensive, sitting by the poolside and drinking sweet suco, (juice) gazing at beautiful and priceless paintings with the servant of the house while the member was away traveling. In the same day, we sat on the doorstep of a neighborhood tucked away from everything else, the people dirty and forgotten, teaching a 15 year old girl about the gospel of Jesus Christ while her 16 year old married sister sat smoking a cigarette. Being here just blows my mind how different our circumstances are in life and how sometimes, we really have no control over the type of environment we are born into. But no matter the person or the house, I can feel the power of the love our Savior and God have for each soul. 

The gospel is one of the most amazing things in the world for this exact reason - who needs worldly things when you have the knowledge that you have a loving Father in Heaven with a very specific plan for you in your life. 

We are all so blessed. 

Sending my love across the miles amigos :)

Sister Staheli

Week 8 - Anyone know what a broken toe looks like?

Ok I'm not entirely sure how but when we were walking, one of my companions cut in front of me and my foot hit the bottom of her shoe, which wouldn't have been a problem EXCEPT for the obvious fact that she has some pretty heavy duty shoes and I am, of course, in Chacos right, so it hurt but I shook it off.   Mas... but then by the end of the day, they were purple and had swollen to like 3 TIMES the normal size.

Before you freak mom, I am still able to walk okay and one of the members looked at it last night and we don't think they are broken #whoopwhoop #blessingsofbeingamissionary 

This week was SO MUCH BETTER. I am actually starting to actually understand a little better what people are saying instead of just sitting there and smiling during lunch and hoping that whatever they just said was not a question other than "De onde vocé é?" (Where are you from?) Okay here's the thing that is so much harder about actually learning a language in real life than in high school - I realized that I was totally approaching the language sometimes like a multiple choice test right, like oh yeah conversaçáo = conversation I can DO THIS. But then recognizing the word on paper and then actually needing that word in your mind during a conversation apparently are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. The thing is though, this place is seriously so amazing and you are motivated by the desire to make real connections with the people around you, to understand a new culture and to appreciate the things they value and find beautiful that it really isn't that hard to find the motivation to study or always be learning. 

---Also STILL BLOWN AWAY by how well children can pray. Every time they open their mouths I just expect the same broken language and grammar that I have, but BOY THEY ARE GOOD. 

Also WOW certain foods here are either dirt cheap,or 10 MILLION reais!! And it's really funny to see what types of things that people are willing to spend their money on. So at the grocery store, I saw some quinoa and I was like whoop that looks great, but no price tag so I am a little suspicious. By the time I get to the checkout, I forgot about it and then she rings it up and its like 16 (!! which is a lot compared to the 1,50 can of peas right) but it was way too big of a pain to correct her. So my companions are so blown away by the fact I just bought that but then later that day, they were raving about this entire body hair removal that costs $100 and they didn't even bat an eye! Eu náo sei (I do not know) amigos. 

Something I really love about being a missionary though is the feeling and silence that exists as we are walking away from a really powerful lesson. It's like we don't even have to say anything to know the power of what just happened. That we just got to be instruments and conduits of the pure love and spirit of Christ, if only for a few minutes. So much of each day is just powerful and things like that don't need words to muddle things. The "tongue of angels", the language of the spirit is something that can't be stopped by anything because this is literally the most important mission that God has on this Earth. It's why we are all here - to help and lift and bless. But mostly to love. 

Found a scripture that reminded me of my sister Rachel - look it up for a little touch of love in your life! 1 John 4:7-9 (I think)

(7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.)

MUITO AMOR DE BRASIL

Sister Staheli

Week 7 - I'm in Cidade Verde, Natal, Brasil

Wow guys I made it. 

I am sitting in Cidade Verde, NATAL. BRASIL. Ok realmente, I thought we were in Brasil but I realized that the CTM was realistically more like an American hotel that just happens to have foreign guests and also apparently really REALLY likes rice and beans, and for some reason everyone is speaking Portugues.. But I am actually here and I am really starting to be immersed in this people and this new culture and WOW do I love it. 

Ok people totally all kiss each other here when you meet just like I was expecting/had been told, BUT what I have realized is that you have to EARN THE KISS. Not everyone will just kiss anyone off the street, ESPECIALLY a new americano who they have never met before. But don't worry amigos, by the end of each visit you already know who got the biggest smooch ;] 

No but really it's so funny being from the States here for several reasons: 

1. I totally stick out. First off with how I look - pretty much everyone we pass on the streets will just sit and STARE and everyone wants to touch my hair and pinch my cheeks it's hilarious. But also I stick out because not only am I totally only understanding maybe (strong maybe) 40% of what people are saying, absolutely NO ONE CAN UNDERSTAND ME. Oh my gosh it's the funniest thing, we will be having a conversation with someone and I spend you know, a good majority of the time trying to build up the courage to say something that I have been rehearsing in my mind for the past 10 minutes but when I actually speak, everyone just stops and goes... 'Que??' and then my companions (I'm in a trio) have to repeat legit I swear THE EXACT SAME THING I just said and then everyone somehow understands. "Que???" But it's funny because they aren't really sure how much I can understand and so sometimes when we are talking with people and they had just asked me to say the prayer (of course make the American who doesn't know the difference between por and para say it) and they just go, wow.. she's um different. (Also heard the phrase "sem jeito" which please do yourself the favor of looking up AHHHH).  (I looked it up - Awkward)

2. We are totally babies! Not only because we are new to the missionary lifestyle and the planning and the street contacting but also because I am totally at the will of my companions. It's almost like I'm kind of like a pet or a little child who doesn't really talk much but they have to lug around everywhere but also make sure I am getting enough food. IT'S SO FUNNY. Like ok we are walking now, don't know where but that's okay. Yep these houses look so nice and colorful I love it oh! ok we are going to knock on this one, don't know what lesson we are going to teach but that's okay. And now we are getting in a car alright, someone's getting married and I am a witness? Yeah okay "Sim"

The funniest example of this was when we were shopping today and I had brought an apple because I knew I would probably be hungry so of course, I waited until we were walking out and I start chomping on this apple and everyone just goes "oh my gosh where did she get that apple?" "Do you know, no.. do you know?" and they just freak ahhhh it's the best. 

I am not going to lie though. Especially being in a new place with people who don't really understand me or I can't really connect with like normal I have really gained the appreciation of what it means to listen. To actually listen. So many people in our world just talk and talk and when other people are talking are just thinking about what they are going to say next, and I am totally victim to this. But because of the fact that I literally CANNOT speak, it's been amazing to see how much people need to just be understood, and how powerful the eyes are when making connections with people. Man my love for them and the restored gospel of Christ just increases every day. If you want a really good verse, look up 1 Nephi 17:13.   ("And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.")

God is so real.

LOVE YOU ALL. 

Sister Staheli

my Brazilian companions

view outside apartment

walking the streets of Cidade Verde

Week 6

I MADE IT

I didn't know I would have time but my mission president is allowing all of us to write a little bit home!

NATAL IS BEAUTIFUL. It is so much more nature-y and beautiful than Sao Paulo oh my goodness I can’t wait to send you pictures. LOVE YOU GOT TO RUN

Muito Amor

Week 5

I HAVE NO TIME AND IM SO SAD.

I have 30 MINUTES. I leave for the field in less than a week!!!  This week has been the most amazing thing, we started having infield training again for the field next week and I SERIOUSLY UNDERSTOOD SO MUCH IT WAS AMAZING. She was speaking so so fast and some of it was in Spanish but its like crazy how fast its clicked!

We went to the temple for the last time this week and it was crazy how much I realized I am going to miss it the next 2 years. 

I’m sorry I promise to be better next week but we leave Tuesday morning for Natal and then we don’t have a p-day until the following Monday! SO IT WILL BE A WHILE BUT i LOVE YOU AND I HAVE TO GO IM SORRY

Week 4

OH MY GOSH THEY ARE ONLY GIVING US 30 MINUTES THIS WEEK.

Ok so I am going to try to give this week justice in the crazy short amount of time, but there are really no amount of words for how amazing it was!! I have absolutely NO clue why, but this past week was just such an anomaly it was crazy so I am going to try to bullet point list this out:

- Oh my goodness. MY INSTRUCTOR IS GETTING MARRIED. He literally walks into class one day and we know that he has been dating one of the other teachers here so we tease him about it a little, but apparently he was at the temple and he prayed about it and he just knew. So no ring, growing up not even thinking he might get married PERIOD, in his broken English he is telling us this and Irmao just got so bashful and happy about it ahhh it was the best. 

    ----Ok so of course we flip out and are so excited for him right and we all ate dinner that night as a little familia and the GREATEST THING happened. So we were talking about pets and one of the elders asks Dilhea if he has any dogs right and he goes yeah one, and then poor elder Pabst (who is seriously one of the nicest guys but really REALLY doesn’t know Portugues) turns to Dilhea's fiance and means to say 'e voce?' but he forgets right and just says 'voce????' and everyone kind of stops because it sounds like he just asked if Dilhea's pet dog was his new fiance-soon-to-be-wife and then his face goes super red and he looks at this beef cake of an instructor scared for his life and the fiance is practically rolling on the floor she's laughing so hard it was great hahaha

But for real for real, the MOST AMAZING PART of this week was that they actually released us, RELEASED US like lost guppies into the streets of Sao Paulo to go proselyting!!!!! Ok they amp you up right and they say ok I know you guys know hardly any of this language but we're dropping you off in the middle of the equivalent of Time's Square in New York to try to talk to people and come away with their phone number and address for missionaries to share a message with them. TALK ABOUT STRESSFUL HOLY COW. 

If I am being completely honest right now though, it was the most amazing experience of my entire life. Even though we really had such a small overlap in language, there are no words needed for shared emotions you know? We went up and would ask people if they could help us try to learn some new words and it just hit me how much I loved each and every one of them. We met a sweet older lady who LOVES to cook named Maria whose favorite food is stroganoff and that she has the most amazing recipe that she cannot WAIT to make for us one day, another man named Sergio sitting waiting for the bus reading a book by Orson Scott and is a Buddhist who came from Brasilia and hates it, I tried to express to him through wild hand gestures and the limited vocab I DID have (insecto insecto!) about how I had an uncle who served there and who TO THIS DAY has a little stomach parasite (lol sorry Glenn hehe) and we shared laughs even though we couldn't say the same words. Every one of them smiling and laughing, helping us learn, and I just sat basking in the awe of it all. I love how each one of them just burned with this inner light of Christ, each one so kind and bright. It was one of those moments when you realize that we are all just here on earth together you know as brothers and sisters, and that we just need to be there for each other. Each one so excited to have us return and share our testimonies and love of Christ, but I will probably never see them ever again, they'll be visited by other missionaries who are serving here in Sao Paulo but I just can't imagine being anywhere else. 

Especially in the temple today, I really just sat and contemplated how I wanted my life to be, and whether I was the same person that I was before I started my mission. Man I just want to feel this close to God, the strength and support of His spirit ALL THE TIME and it hit me that we totally can. We just owe every blessing that we have to Him, and especially I can't get over how much we are blessed to have families.

I LOVE CHRIST.       I LOVE MY FAMILY.       I LOVE BRASIL. 

Next week will be my last email before the field!! Can't believe I've been here that long, but love you all! Thank you for the letters I am so sorry I had such little time this week, I promise to write you all next week!! 

HAPPY FOURTH AMERICA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!      

Com muito amor,     

Sister Staheli

Week 3

Man I seriously love you guys so much. 

I am sorry but because of the world cup game this week, they changed our P-day to today because all the streets get CRAZY DANGEROUS oh my gosh it’s the coolest thing being here during the cuppo do mundo (GO BRASIL)!! You guys will have to watch it for me and maybe give me some context for all the honking and screaming we have every game day here ahhh I love it. 

Ok I just have to say it. 

I AM TIRED OF EATING HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICHES FOR BREAKFAST. I`m sorry lovely pessoas de Brasil I really need to up meu diario manteiga de amendoim (peanut butter) intake  agora ahhh #stillloveyouthough

So this week had pretty high levels of exhilarating fun\stress (I`m learning those two usually come hand-in-hand as a missionary) because we got to do splits with the native Brasileiro companheras!! It is seriously the funniest thing because I`m actually starting to empathize with every asian tourist I have ever seen who can only say `selfie????` in ingles because legit NONE of these natives can understand us. What happens is that pretty much they throw you into a huge room and all you have is a sheet with the name of your companhero and then there are like 40 other missionaries in there ALSO yelling around trying to find their comp. Then once you DO manage to find them, you have legitimately 15 MINUTES to try to plan a lesson for a made-up pesquisador (another americo\brasileiro duo) which is stressful in and of itself, but then add on the fact that there is literally no way you are both speaking the same language. 

I thought I was doing pretty well until it was like BOOM asldkjf;slakdufdkfksufiejiukjdkjf and then you just go `umm repita por favor?` and then you feel dumb because they sit and piece one word at a time what they are trying to say, give up, and then just end up trying to make up for the fact their companion has no idea what is going on during the lesson... it`s actually the best I LOVE IT. I was actually able to understand a decent amount of what was being said too during the lesson, even if I was only able to bear the most painstakingly simple sentences (I know that Jesus Christ loves you and you have a purpose here...) but it was seriously to put it precisely - exhilaratingly fun yet unbelievably stressful you feel?

I have to say though I am the luckiest person in the world to be able to be here and to be learning the things I am. Every day I am just hit with how much I love my family and how I couldn`t imagine this world without that very cherished and precious gift from Heavenly Father. We got to go to the Capinas temple today too (SO PRETTY, google it!!) and I just felt in every bone how much God loves us. Sister Delahunty and I needed a break from the stress and the pressures we bear every day so we just sat on my bed and started singing hinos out of my little portugues hymn book, and sitting there harmonizing to Nearer My God to Thee (also that song will fill your alma like NONE other), I just was hit with how special it is that we have a Savior who sacrificed everything for us. If you want to think of someone who gave His all, who never could be shaken from His purpose, who sought each and every MINUTE to fill it with love and tenderness for those around Him, we need no greater example. 

For those who really need a pick-me-up look up Mosiah 4;9, it is an amazing verse and is the next one I plan on memorizing! (my goal is 20 before the end of the CTM!). 

Here is the scripture she is talking about…..

9 Believe in ^aGod; believe that he is, and that he ^bcreated all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all ^cwisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not ^dcomprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.

Love you all, also sorry I don`t have pictures they don`t let us send any out of the CTM because it crashes the system #darnthemall #justkiddingloveallmissionaries

MUCHO AMOR, 

Sister Staheli