ONCE COULDN'T UNDERSTAND~

NOW I CAN

Oi minha família! tudo bem?

This week was crazy. I started the week super sick. My stomach hurt SO bad that I couldnt sleep. Wasn't really fun, but I'm feeling way better now. I have found that the milk here that the members feed us is not good on my stomach. I feel extremely sick afterwards, so I can't eat anything with milk for awhile and lemme tell ya, its hard. haha The food here is the best!!! This week I also saw many miracles. This was the week I noticed that the people I once couldnt understand, I now can understand. This week I talked more in the lessons, and my Portuguese is getting better and better. I saw the spirit truly speak through me in so many of our lessons this week. It was incredible. It is so funny when people hear my accent, because they look at me like I'm the coolest person ever because I speak English haha. People Always say "fala inglês!"(do you speak English) haha. This week we had divisions with the sister training leaders. Of course, they gave me the American sister because they knew I wouldnt be able to understand the other sister with a thick Brazilian accent. It was very interesting. But was wonderful talking to everyone in the street and bearing testimony constantly with someone that could help with words. 

Walking to appointments in the rain 

with a borrowed broken umbrela haha

We had a lesson with a man named P. and he has problems with many things. As the sister was speaking, I noticed he wasn't really listening or caring about our message. I bore my testimony, and words just flowed out of my mouth. It was amazing. He looked directly at me and the room got silent. The spirit was so powerful. I am so grateful that the spirit teaches these people. It was an amazing experience for me to truly be an instrument.

Highlights of the week:

-Our investigator J. came to church! We found her through a reference of a member and she is accepting everything. She is really special. I feel like I knew her before this life. Our lessons with her are so wonderful because she feels the spirit easily and already has a testimony.

Our investigator J.  I LOVE her. And the ward girls that I feel are my sisters :)

-A lady gave us pizza and I was so excited to eat it....but after I took a bite, the sister told me it was sardine pizza.....umm ya I wanted to gag.  It was NASTY!!!

-M. B. will be baptized this week if Satan stays away! wahhooo!! :)

-E. is a woman with câncer that we taught the plan of salvation to. It was amazing and we are excited to continue teaching her. It is an amazing feeling when the people understand my words and feel the spirit in a diferente language.

-We had a meeting with the ward members that are leaders and the bishop called on me to bear my testimony. I was a little scared cause it was on the spot and with a ton of adults staring at me. But it was crazy- words came! I couldnt believe the spirit that filled the room and how many people were in tears. The spirit truly is speaking through me and it is a feeling I will never forget

I have been thinking a lot about my time here in Brazil and how blessed I feel daily. I literally feel my saviors love for me connstantly. As I look around, I see Gods hand in everything. He is ALWAYS here. This week there were some hard times, but always miracles after. There is no other place I would rather be right now and I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. Being a missionary is unlike anything else in the world. I am so grateful for this perfect gospel and the perfect plan God has for us. It isn't easy. But is is so Worth it. We can become so much more through him. Our fears, our worries, our concerns, and even our doubts can be changed and strengthened through him. He is all powerful. I am living proof that He can change lives.  I love you all and hope you Always remember that you have a buddy that is Always right next to you!! Tchao :)

Sister Porter

Açai bowl :) 

STELLAR SOULS

STELLAR SOULS

This week was pretty loco! The people here are either very poor or super rich. We are teaching most of our investigators in the poor area.  They are stellar and progressing well, but it is difficult with the danger in some areas. My comp is Brazilian so she knows how people are and if they are armed and what they are saying/planning. She checks my clothing every day to make sure its not too American/rich looking. We have the spirit and God is with us and so we need not fear. 

Some things I loved about this week:

-Our Relief society presidentes name is Lisania (sounds like lasagna) hahaha like the food....kinda funny

-I LOVE Brazilian culture. We needed to go to the bathroom one night and stopped by a members home. She was so sweet, let us in, fed us dinner and gave us a snack for our walk home. A complete meal! Crazy sweet. All we needed was the bathroom and she did so much more. Also, we asked a man if we could have an orange from his tree.....he picked about 20 for us and put it in a bag.....people are so giving.  

-We have a member who gives us so many references. It's amazing! His name is I. G. and he literally is the perfect example of member missionary. I feel so blessed to know him.

-I had melon juice at a members house....like cantelope....it was weird haha but cool!

-There was a huge hot air balloon event here that everyone talked about all day every day. It was way cool looking in the sky and seeing tons of air balloons!

-My comp is amazing and so sweet. She has the strongest testimony. I seriously am the luckiest missionary to have her as my trainer

-I loved reading G. letters and mom and dad, they made me emotional. Thank you for your love and support!!!

-We taught P. this week. Miracle!!! We talked about the restoration & when it came my turn to speak, the words literally just came. It was amazing. The spirit is so wonderful when it speaks through you! He bore testimony that even though my Portuguese isn't perfect, he can understand me because of the spirit. It was an amazing feeling hearing a man testify of the spirit when he has only been investigating for a couple weeks. And an amazing feeling for me to feel like the language will come haha

-I had the opportunity to teach a man Family history!!! Way cool to use what I learned from my calling in the US. But so hard doing familysearch in Portuguese hahaha

-All in one day: I was sick, my bed broke, the shower broke, and the water didnt work. awesome, huh? 

-M.B. is the cutest old lady ever! She is getting so excited for her baptism and it is so sweet visiting with her every day. She has a love of the church that bursts out of her eyes when we teach her something knew. It is so sweet to experience and we are so excited. It will be a special day for sure. She calls us her "little shepherds"

I continue to absolutely LOVE Brazil. I love everything about this country and people. There is no other place in the world I would rather be right now than here serving them and my Savior. This church and gospel are so perfect and true! I feel my Saviors love constantly. The languge is super hard, but I know I can do all things through Christ. He is my strength. Eu sou muito grato por esta experiência eu tenho para ensinar e encontrar pessoas aqui em Brasil. Deus é real e é nosso pai. Ele nos ama muito. Através Cristo, tudo é possível. Continua acreditando em Ele!! Eu amo vocês com tudo meu coração!!!

Sister Porter

MISSION LIFE IS WONDERFULLY HARD

Olá minha família! Foi ótimo falando com vocês ontém!! Brazil continues to be the best mission ever, I'm loving the culture, the food, teaching the gospel, learning Portuguese, and loving this hard, but amazing time in my life. Being a missionary is a dream.

This week was great. It is still hard to understand people, though, and I struggle to communicate every day. But each new day is better and better and I understand more and more. This week was so crazy. So much happens in one day! We are still teaching M. B. and are so excited for her baptism on the 30th. We hope she follows through with her commitment. The neighborhood kids always come over to her house to listen to us teach because they think my accent is funny. It is hilarious! they all come up to me and say, "What language do you speak?....English?....what is English?....speak!!!" (in Portuguese of course) haha but it is so funny because when I speak English they all look at me in amazement. NO ONE speaks another language here. Only Portuguese. They think I'm so strange haha.

We started teaching a man named P. He welcomed us in right off and as we started teaching him about the plan of salvation, he started crying!! The spirit was so strong and he thanked us so sweetly afterwards. We are excited to teach him more.

We also found a woman who was outside listening to music and let us in her house with not much interest. But, when we started talking to her about Gods plan, she listened so intently. It was amazing.

This week I grew so much in the language. I only speak Portuguese with my companion and English in times when I completely don't understand. It has helped so much. 

We were in a lesson with P. and I started to bear my testimony about the Atonement and Christ. The words completely flowed out of my mouth without a stutter. I was amazed. P. looked at me and my companion and simply said,"I completely understood every word you said." ahhh I was dying. The spirit was so strong. I felt so blessed that my prayers were answered and I was able to communicate what he needed to hear in Portuguese. 

On Saturday night we passed by a contacts house. the man opened his door and started to cry. He told us that our coming to visit him was because of God. He bore testimony to us that we are messengers of God and are teaching His word. We were shocked. With tears running down his face, he told us that his wife is in the hospital and that he is so grateful for our service. It was a touching experience. I couldnt really understand him very well, but the spirit was strong.

The mission life is wonderfully hard. I love being a missionary and have learned so much in such a short time. God is real. Christ is our Savior. Every time I feel like this is difficult for me, I rememeber my Saviors sacrifice and love. He knows us and our situations perfectly. He is always there for us. I feel so blessed at this time. Always remember to whom you belong! Eu amo vocês muito! Vá com Deus!!

Sister Porter

SKYPE visit for Mother's Day. 

I FEEL MY SAVIORS LOVE

OI do Santa Maria!

Wow, I cannot believe this week went by so fast! This week was so crazy. I am pretty sure my brain lit on fire and blew up every single day. The language is so hard to understand and speak, but I'm getting better. It is so difficult because my companhiera is from Brasil Norte and has a different accent than the Southern people. And they talk soooo fast haha. The members and my companhiera say I am doing so well for a first weeker, but it is soooo frustrating and difficult. But I know and have faith that I will be able to communicate with these people fully one day. I absolutely ADORE Brazilians. They are totally my kind of people. I love them so much.

This week was tough. I had some discouraging moments. But I learned so much through the difficulties and have progressed so much in such a little time. I continue to speak Portuguese all day with my companhiera, eat the best food in the world (literally we get churrascaria every day for lunch with members), and enjoy the culture difference here. Everyone treats you like family, its amazing.They give us missionaries the best they have. Even when they have nothing. My heart was so full when our sweet 73 year old investigator left her house and got us biscuts and cake. She has nothing. But made me realize that these people give us anything and everything they have because of the joy the message of the gospel brings to them.

We had an actividade na igreja this week and I loved seeing the Brazilian culture!! Everyone is so loud and they all love dancing and music. haha totally my people ;)

I have seen so many miracles since I've been here. This is truly where Heavenly Father wants me to be at this time in my life. I want to sing the primary song; "I Feel my Saviors Love" allllll day because my heart is so grateful to be here. This is definitely the absolute hardest thing I've ever done. But this work is true and amazing. Im so glad Heavenly Father gives us time to serve him as missionaries because we have been given everything. We have the recipe to happiness. SHARE it! I love this work. I love the gospel. I love my Savior. I know He lives and loves us personally and in a very special way. Eu sei que quando nos tornamos como Jesus Cristo, nos vamos sentir paz e comforto que não existem no mundo. Ele é todo para mim. Ele é meu Salvador he força. Ele nos ama muito. Eu amo vocês muito!!

Sister Porter

P.S. I do live in a nice area. My area literally IS Santa Maria 

You would love Brazil. The people are so amazing. The food is so healthy too. Their dessert is literally fruit salad. My Portuguese has improved so much! I actually understand almost anyone. I just have a hard time replying because of my limited vocabulary but I talk to my comp all day and I understand her and she understands me. So its good. It is just so hard for me to not be able to fully express testimony or help the people fully yet but there is great power in a smile and in service.