Hey everyone!!! I hope you are all super happy and doing good! I can't believe it's already September haha what so crazy. I miss you all so much!! One year ago this week I got my mission call... crazy or what????
This week my companion and I witnessed SO many miracles seriously. Like the last couple weeks were a little hard because one of our areas we opened and has been without baptisms for the last 8 months and the last time someone had updated the area book was in 2013 so we had to completely start over! But once we got things under control, learned parts of the areas, and met with all the leaders and developed somewhat of a system, things really got better :) This week the Lord knew that we were prepared to receive some of his miracles :)
Okay to answer some of your questions... yes I am here in Manaus!! I'm about a 45 min bus ride out of the center in an area called Guarany and Cidade Nova. I LOVE IT The members here are awesome and they have a stake!! But yeah Manaus is definitely hotter... or maybe it's just because we are entering into the summer of Brazil!! Guys.. I will never sweat another day in my entire life in the US after this.
This week was crazy!!! My comp and I gave a training... yeah I thought that was the zone leaders job haha. But they called and asked can you guys give the training?? I was super nervous but it was good! Then we made exchanges with the other sisters and I got to go with Sister Rocha!!! I went to her area for 2 days and it was a blast haha I love her soo much it was so fun to catch up and... talk in English shhh hahaha.
We started an English class here in the stake!!!! I got the idea this week and we were given permission and made invites asap to start Saturday!! Guys soo many people came it made me so happy!! They were like you're American and it's free of course we will come hahaha but it brought so many investigators to the church and that means.... more baptisms woooo!!! I was super nervous cuz I was just so pumped with the idea all week and then Saturday came and I turned to my comp and said.. dude I've never given an English class in my entire life hahaha but it all worked out and everyone said they would come back so that is sufficient.
Oh yeah mom don't read this.... I got kissed this week HAHAHAHA. We went to a ward activity to pick up some references and to see if people brought their friends and stuff and this one guy was like 25 and I was trying to get his number and address but it was super loud so I kept asking him to repeat and he leaned and kissed me super fast!hahaha I like jumped back and screamed a little and said ohhh nooooo dude sorry I'm a missionary!!! Then he ran away and I turned around and my comp was laughing her head off. Seriously Brazilians are so funny.
Okay so our miracle this week... ready?? It's a good one :) Yes i cried :) So remember that family that we found my first week here? They came to the church and everyone said that they used to come to the church all the time but they never would commit to baptism. So we got their number and address and everything that day. But then they went on vacation for a week and so we couldn't visit them. So this week we called them to see when we could stop by and they wouldn't answer! We called all week and no one ever answered and we went to their house and they weren't there. Well Thursday all of our appointments fell through and we were like melting in the middle of of the road haha so we decided to stop and say a prayer that we would be able to find a family to teach. We prayed and nothing reallly happend. But then like ten minutes later I got a super strong feeling that I needed to call that family one more time. I was like nah they won't answer but then the prompting came again and I was like okay I will call. I called and the dad answered! He was so happy to hear from us and wanted us to come over the next day! We went the next day and had a super spiritual lesson and after some amazing testimonies from the ward members we invited them to be baptized. The dad turned to me and said that they as a family have been going through some really hard times and Thursday he was kneeling praying asking what the next step needed to be for him in his life and at that exact moment I called asking when we could meet. And he said yes he will be baptized. And he will recieve the priesthood and baptize his WHOLE FAMILY WHOOOOOOO MIRACLE.
At his baptism he bore such a sweet testimony and we are so happy for him!!!!
Okay quick shout out to my home girl KIMI AHHH YOU ARE COMING TO MY MISSION I'M SO HAPPY I CRIED A LITTLE WHEN I SAW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will see you in Janurary girlfriend!!!! I will ask the pres if I can train ya :)
k guys that's all for this week!!! Love ya!!!!!!!!!
Sister Arbuckle
[email protected]
This week my companion and I witnessed SO many miracles seriously. Like the last couple weeks were a little hard because one of our areas we opened and has been without baptisms for the last 8 months and the last time someone had updated the area book was in 2013 so we had to completely start over! But once we got things under control, learned parts of the areas, and met with all the leaders and developed somewhat of a system, things really got better :) This week the Lord knew that we were prepared to receive some of his miracles :)
Okay to answer some of your questions... yes I am here in Manaus!! I'm about a 45 min bus ride out of the center in an area called Guarany and Cidade Nova. I LOVE IT The members here are awesome and they have a stake!! But yeah Manaus is definitely hotter... or maybe it's just because we are entering into the summer of Brazil!! Guys.. I will never sweat another day in my entire life in the US after this.
This week was crazy!!! My comp and I gave a training... yeah I thought that was the zone leaders job haha. But they called and asked can you guys give the training?? I was super nervous but it was good! Then we made exchanges with the other sisters and I got to go with Sister Rocha!!! I went to her area for 2 days and it was a blast haha I love her soo much it was so fun to catch up and... talk in English shhh hahaha.
We started an English class here in the stake!!!! I got the idea this week and we were given permission and made invites asap to start Saturday!! Guys soo many people came it made me so happy!! They were like you're American and it's free of course we will come hahaha but it brought so many investigators to the church and that means.... more baptisms woooo!!! I was super nervous cuz I was just so pumped with the idea all week and then Saturday came and I turned to my comp and said.. dude I've never given an English class in my entire life hahaha but it all worked out and everyone said they would come back so that is sufficient.
Oh yeah mom don't read this.... I got kissed this week HAHAHAHA. We went to a ward activity to pick up some references and to see if people brought their friends and stuff and this one guy was like 25 and I was trying to get his number and address but it was super loud so I kept asking him to repeat and he leaned and kissed me super fast!hahaha I like jumped back and screamed a little and said ohhh nooooo dude sorry I'm a missionary!!! Then he ran away and I turned around and my comp was laughing her head off. Seriously Brazilians are so funny.
Okay so our miracle this week... ready?? It's a good one :) Yes i cried :) So remember that family that we found my first week here? They came to the church and everyone said that they used to come to the church all the time but they never would commit to baptism. So we got their number and address and everything that day. But then they went on vacation for a week and so we couldn't visit them. So this week we called them to see when we could stop by and they wouldn't answer! We called all week and no one ever answered and we went to their house and they weren't there. Well Thursday all of our appointments fell through and we were like melting in the middle of of the road haha so we decided to stop and say a prayer that we would be able to find a family to teach. We prayed and nothing reallly happend. But then like ten minutes later I got a super strong feeling that I needed to call that family one more time. I was like nah they won't answer but then the prompting came again and I was like okay I will call. I called and the dad answered! He was so happy to hear from us and wanted us to come over the next day! We went the next day and had a super spiritual lesson and after some amazing testimonies from the ward members we invited them to be baptized. The dad turned to me and said that they as a family have been going through some really hard times and Thursday he was kneeling praying asking what the next step needed to be for him in his life and at that exact moment I called asking when we could meet. And he said yes he will be baptized. And he will recieve the priesthood and baptize his WHOLE FAMILY WHOOOOOOO MIRACLE.
At his baptism he bore such a sweet testimony and we are so happy for him!!!!
Okay quick shout out to my home girl KIMI AHHH YOU ARE COMING TO MY MISSION I'M SO HAPPY I CRIED A LITTLE WHEN I SAW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will see you in Janurary girlfriend!!!! I will ask the pres if I can train ya :)
k guys that's all for this week!!! Love ya!!!!!!!!!
Sister Arbuckle
[email protected]