A Brazilian Birthday Week!

Hello all! I felt so loved this week! This week was my birthday on the 23rd and I just want to thank all of you for your birthday emails to me!! It made me happy to read them today. :) This Wednesday my companion said we needed to go to a member’s house, but I didn’t want to.  I was like they’re just going to give us food and there’s no point.  But, we went.  We got there and they surprised me with pizzas and a cake made out of cuscuz which is made out of corn and it´s what poor people eat here, so everyone makes fun of me for loving it, but I LOVE it. It was the day before my birthday, so I wasn’t even expecting it! Over the course of 3 days- one day before my birthday, my birthday, and the day after- I received 7 cakes. 7 CAKES.  I might be 20 years old, bit I just feel like I’ve gained 20 kilos. I'm happy that my companions and members are so kind to have made my only birthday in Brasil so special! :) 

On my birthday at night the sisters surprised me with yet another cake, and a little surprise party in our house.  We used the glowsticks my mom sent me and the beach ball hahaha it was too funny.  Then we roasted starbursts... on the stove.  My birthday is a holiday called São João here and on this day you see a million bonfires in the street with people roasting corn... so we celebrated with a  mini bonfire on the stove roasting starbursts hahaha.

This week we also had Zone Conference.  We learned a lot about how to discover the problems that our investigators have and how to invite people to keep commitments more powerfully as representatives of Jesus Christ.  We are going to have another zone conference on Wednesday and I´m excited to learn more.  President Bigelow taught us what he learned from a meeting with Elder Holland when he was here in Brazil talking with the mission presidents.  Elder Holland said that the 2nd coming is not a one time event.  It has already started.  It started when God and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and will keep moving forward as they continue to visit the earth until the glorious coming of our Savior.  I know that this church is true.  I know that Joseph Smith restored the true gospel to the earth and that by the real power of God he translated the Book of Mormon.  Keeping The Lord´s commandments is the only way we can prepare for Christ´s return.  I love you all and I love my Savior.  Please remember to do the simple things this week to prepare for this wonderful day in these Latter-Days.  

Com amor,

Sister (irmã) Garrick ;) 

P-day with our district.  We ate hamburgers and played volleyball. 

Zone conference

Presdient Bigelow gave all the summer birthdays chocolate

new mission bag

From mom:  Sadly a couple of pictures from her email didn't go through. At least the best part of this last picture came through. :)

A Semana de Atividades

Hey! I forgot how to write atividades in English... is it activides, activities? My goodness, I don’t know how I’m going to speak English after my mission haha.  But this week was great! We really did have a fun-filled week! Thursday night we had a family home evening at church with members, non-members, investigators, less actives, recent converts, etc, and it was so fun! I gave a devotional on the wonderful talk by our beloved prophet, President Monson from this last General Conference called, "Choices."  You should all read it, it’s quite short and easily findable (is that a word) on lds.org. (from mom: here's the link to the talk "Choices")  We played a game with everyone afterwards and it was awesome!

Friday night was Festa Junina! It´s like this holiday in all of Brasil that´s a couple weeks long and has São Antônio, São João (on my birthday), and São Pedro.  All of this is called Festa Junina and I don´t know the exact reason that this holiday exists but everybody dresses like rednecks and eats all food imaginable that you could make out of corn and peanuts.  I ate some of the most delicious food that I could this day.  They also have Quadrilha dance and forro. I will learn how to dance this someday! It´s so cool to watch.  Many people wear plaid, floral patterns, and big dresses.  It´s so cool! We got many referrals from this activity!   

Saturday night was the ward talent show! Lots of non-members came and the leaders asked us to preform something so us 4 sisters sang, "Glorious," by David Archuleta (from the film "Meet the Mormons") in English and Spanish.  (from mom: here's a link to the song "Glorious") It was really great! The Young Women performed a dance routine and it reminded me a LOT of what the Young Women and I did in like middle school when we had a ward talent show in Orchard Park, NY... all my New Yorkers will remember ECLIJAR amiright?  HAHA! Anyways, brought back memories.

Sunday was "O dia que ninguém faltou" or the day that nobody missed! Everybody made sure to be at church this day and invited less actives, friends, and family to come to church with them this Sunday to fill the chapel and boy was it filled- with lots of non-members too which was even better!

Funny things- I knocked on someone´s door and someone responded saying that no one was home HAHA! Also I knocked on a door and no one came but all of a sudden a dog jumps up on the gate and I don’t know how but my arm ended up in his mouth but luckily he wasn’t able to bite me cause I got out of there fast.  I have never been more scared in my life lol.

Something I would like to share with you is a few scriptures in Doctrine and Covenants that help us when we have doubts, forget our testimonies that we have already obtained, or need to remember why we are enduring to the end:

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things.

"Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?

"....therefore treasure up these words in they heart.  Be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love." (D&C 6:22-23,20)

I love and am grateful for you all! 

Love,

Sister Garrick

Olinda

Hola muchachos.  I’ve been on a mix of English, Spanish, and Portuguese living with an American, a Brasilian, and a Colombian nossa. But all is well. 

This week was great! A lot of our lessons fell through that we tried to plan so well with members, there was even a day where we weren’t able to teach a single lesson, but we tried NOT to get discouraged because that´s what the adversary wants and he is nothing e eu no ligo a ele hahaha. Anyways, last P-day I got my hair cut and the other we went to Olinda and it was so cool! It was the most gorgeous place I’ve ever been too by far, even in the rain.  I´ll attach photos visse? LOL I´m sorry some things I write will only make sense in Portugese for us Nordestinos! Anyways, today we went to Mercado São Jose which is this big market that sells a lot of souvenirs from Recife so do I even need to say that I bought a lives worth supply of souvenirs?? Last week, I brought Peanut Butter to a family of investigators house to try because they wanted to try it and they were in heaven.  It was so funny! Sorry this email is all over the place but I love this work.  Even in moments of sadness, fear, or difficulties, I know my Savior lives and that he protects and watches over his missionaries and all of God´s children.  I’ve seen so many miracles on the mission and even more this week.  I love this gospel and I´m so grateful to be a child of God.  I would also encourage all of you (especially men) to read Russell M. Nelson's talk from the Priesthood Session this past conference.  I just read it and dang was it good.

Love you all,

Sister Garrick

Photo 1: Sister Sanguino made Colombian guacamole 

and it was the greatest thing I’ve ever eaten

Photo 2: Going up the "stairs of mercy" in Olinda

Photo 3: Pernambuco house in Olinda

Photo 4: Olinda :)

Photo 5: Olinda again 

Photo 6: So gorgeous

Photo 7: OLINDA

Photo 8: the ocean

Photo 9: Pernambuco

Photo 10: how nautical

Photo 11: Ice cream that i bought for everyone sorry dad

Photo 12: Packages and letters I received from all of you

 (shout out to Willow Creek YW you guys are the best)

Photo 13: SUBWAY EAT FRESH

Photo 14: my name in Portuguese what 

Photo 15: Recife é nossa missão at mercado São Jose 

"Cada Membro é um Missionário"

This week went well.  Something amazing that this ward knows how to do is give member referrals, and it´s so hard to find people to teach here that we thrive off of these!  I´m so grateful for members who know that their responsibility is to work with us! "Every member a missionary." -David O. Mckay. Monday night I drank spoiled milk that one of our members gave us without knowing which wasn´t fun; and I don´t know if this is related, but when I got home I had a fever that increased to 100 degrees. Needless to say, my companion and I didn´t sleep much that night. I  had to stay in our house Tuesday and a little the next day, but it got better quickly thanks to many members giving me soup and bread and fruit and helping me get better! :) I love our members. 

This week we taught Lindalva.  Lindalva is one of those eternal investigators you have that has been taught by tons of missionaries but never progresses.  Nevertheless, we decided to visit her.  She told us how depressed she was with her husband re-marrying someone else and her not having any friends here in Janga and lots of other things.  We read Ether 12:27 with her that talks about showing our weaknesses unto God that He will make weak things strong.  She marked that scripture and it touched her heart.  I challenged her to read Mosiah 2 before our next visit looking for ways to find joy and peace in her life.  She accepted.   Two days later, we decided to return.  She told us casually that she already read half of The Book of Mormon.  Jaws dropped.  "Half of the chapter or half of THE BOOK?" "Half of the book"  My goodness we were shocked!  She is finally progressing! She went to church with us this Sunday and 5 other investigators and 3 less actives were there as well which filled our hearts with joy to see them in The Lord´s house learning and partaking of the Sacrament and feeling the Spirit! Lindalva was really shy, but our members made her open up and she made new friends.  This is going to help her not feel so lonely here in Janga! Ugh this church is perfect.  She loved being there so much that she said, "you have to invite me to all your activities" She even wants to come help clean the chapel and bring food to a ward activity! hahaha Every person needs a friend in the church, a calling, and to be nourished by the good word of God.  I testify of the words of President Hinckley when he said this.  

Yesterday after lunch, we had to go to our stake in Rio Doce to attend a meeting with all the missionaries from the Olinda stake to talk about Family History and how it can help missionary work.  It was so cool! I was able to tell my experience about my great great great (i think) grandma Pearl who had a dream about her family members who passed away trapped inside a cage where they couldn´t stand up or stretch out all the way and that they were asking Pearl for help.  The next day she saw a pamphlet for baptisms for the dead that the missionaries left on her door.  That´s how my family joined the church.  I love family history because I´m a member because of it! They gave us all a little book called my family that we are to fill out and show our investigators and members to get them excited about finding their heritage and understand that families literally can be together forever.  There does not exist "til death do us part" in this church and how blessed we are because of that fact! As I started to fill out this book, I was able to feel the spirit of Elijah so strong and I know this can truly change the way we do missionary work and introduce the church to others! Okay this is really long, but I hope you all enjoyed it! :) Thanks for all your prayers.  Love you all!

Love,

Sister Garrick

Photo 1:The "heart attack" that we did for our Relief Society president that brought me soup when I was sick :)

Photo 2: It rained SO MUCH one day with SO MUCH wind that both of our umbrellas broke :(  Also, we got to lunch so soaking wet that a sister in the ward gave us these shirts to use for the day haha

Photo 3: What my comp did for me for 7 months in the mission!!

Photo 4: Feeling the spirit of Elijah