MISSIONARY SPIRIT

This week was Sister Sousa's 20 year old birthday- YAYYY!!  Because I'm poor, her awesome present was my old English dictionary because she wants to learn English and nail polish that I've also had since my first area, but I burned chocolate chip cookies from the heart too.  But it's okay because this was the first birthday she's had that anyone has commemorated, so she loved it!  

This Sunday was Missionary Sunday so we gave talks, and our ward mission leader did too.  Then he gave Liahona magazines to each organization in the church and people wrote down names and addresses of their non-member friends for us to deliver this present to them and reach them.  It was way cool.

Funny things-

Sunday at lunch, Lucas who is 5 years old I think, got home and took of all his clothes except for his underwear, and when I asked him where were his clothes, he said that it was too hot. (estava calor).  Learning while they´re young.

Our 82 year old investigator, Rosa, said the closing prayer in one of our lessons and said,"I hope this doesn´t happen, but if you decide to take me away from the earth tomorrow, keep my special needs daughter in good conditions, but if someone wants to destroy her, that´s not my problem."  WHAT.

I tried to contact someone knocking on doors and asked him what his name was and he said he didn´t have one. NICE.

We passed by a bar called "family bar".... Well, that´s not possible.

When we asked our 82 year old investigator how she felt when she prayed, she responded, "Have you ever seen an ant?  They´re so small!  How do they have eyes and arms and legs and little bodies? I´ve never seen it!" -___-

When we asked someone what they knew about the story of Adam and Eve, they said they lived in God´s presence, but then they didn´t want to, so they had to take showers naked....

WELLLL this is the life of a missionary.

On another note, Artur was baptized, and he and Arianny were confirmed on Sunday!  It was very spiritual and I´m growing to love seeing our investigators after they receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, because they immediately have a different light about them!  This gospel is real and the keys of the Priesthood returned!

Merry Christmassssss,

Sister Garrick 

Artur´s baptism

what are you doing in a tree?

Sister Sousa´s surprise birthday!

more birthday surprises during the day

animals.

HIDDEN TALENTS

This week was great because this Sunday we discovered hidden talents that our worldwide church leaders have!!  Because the church population is ever increasing here in Brasil, our stake conference was broadcast to us and all the stakes in Brasil from São Paulo and Salt Lake City, Utah.  Did you know that Bonnie H. Cardon from the USA and Joaquin E. Costa (70) from Argentina speak Portuguese?  Nobody translated for them- they just spoke in Portuguese!  It was incredible!

Richard J. Maynes (70) spoke on our divine nature as children of God.  (Who´s remembering conference?)  He said that all of us are are lambs of God as Christ is.  He said that Satan wants us to forget who we really are and forget our spiritual potential. 

Bonnie H. Cardon spoke on the family.  She said that we need to maintain an eternal vision and plant daily scripture study, prayer, family home evenings, etc. in our families (especially our children) so that we can nourish these seeds or righteous desires in the future to have a more ideal home (and this is done by small and simple means).

Joaquin E. Costa spoke about reverence in Sacrament Meeting.  He said that we should remember during the Sacrament that the blood of Christ was shed for us.  It should be personal.  When we are reverent, we have the spirit of peace, and this spirit can touch the hearts of those who are visiting and testify to their very souls that this church is true.

Claudio M. R. Costa testified of the prophet and that he is a preacher of righteousness and that it´s not sufficient to just believe in Christ and His Atonement.

AND THEN...

Elder Holland spoke...in... PORTUGUESE!  Then he was like.. okay my Portuguese is horrible, I´ll talk in English now.  And the translator took over.  He said the church has grown so much recently in Brasil that Portuguese has become the 3rd most spoken language in the church, following English and Spanish.  WOW!  He taught us incredible principles.  He said that we need to start to act in our homes how we act in the temple, and that we need to practice in our homes what we learn in the temple.  EXTRAORDINARY.  He said that our homes should be a place of peace and revelation.  

AND THEN... the translator stopped.  

And with tear-filled eyes, Elder Holland bore his powerful, sincere testimony in Portugese which made me get emotional.  He could have easily said it in English and it could´ve been translated, but by doing this, you could feel the love he has for this country and every latter-day saint that makes it up.  More importantly, you could feel the love he has for The Savior, even in broken Portuguese.

I KNOW that Jesus is The Christ.  This IS the work of our God.  His hand is in everything we do as we follow the spirit and as we bear our faith-filled testimonies, He will testify by the power of The Holy Ghost that this is His gospel.

Love,

Sister Garrick

Last District meeting -why do Americans have to be giants here in Brasil 

aka Sister Hoffman and I ;)

A man who jumped onto the bus as it passed instead of entering and paying- 

this happens more than you think (mas o povo nem liga). 

I, on the other hand, felt like I was starring in an action film.

 #TooNordeste

#SEJAaLUZdoMUNDO

Hello!  

This week we made Christmas ornaments with the Young Women organization for one of our investigators that will probably be passing Christmas alone and decorated her tree, made sugar cookies, sang Christmas hymns, and watched the video from the church about service with her (https://www.mormon.org/). She was happy and the Young Women enjoyed participating as well!

This week was also Arianny´s baptism! Her inactive parents were there too and were able to feel the spirit again! I challenge you all to accept the challenge of service in some small way each day this month as the church is promoting to be a light unto the world and to be better disciples of Christ! If you haven´t watched the video yet-it´s 2 minutes.  Go watch it!

Love you all,

Sister Garrick

P.S. We had exchanges in Boa Viagam and I was in heaven.

Arianny´s baptism! :)

Segurando a barra de ferro para comer do fruto da árvore da vida

(from mom: I think this says essentially-

holding the iron rod to eat the fruit of the Tree of Life)

Picolé at our favorite spot in Pina

We always dreamed of eating ice cream at Fri-Sabor

From kneeling in prayer too hard...kidding- I fell hard.

Our investigator giving up coffee

Preparation for our service project with the YW (I love them:)

Light The World!  I felt real American decorating sugar cookies.

'Tis the Season to Serve

Hello all!

This week was great!  We were able to receive a referral from another state for a man that used to live near the temple and always passed by it with a strong desire to enter, but didn’t know how he could.  He really wanted a Book of Mormon and we were able to mark a visit with him and teach him, about The Restoration and truly testify about why we need another testament of Jesus Christ.  It was incredible!  We are so excited to be here in this ward.  We are planning a service project with the Young Women for them to invite their friends to make Christmas ornaments with us and to decorate a tree for one of older investigators who lives alone.  We are excited for Christmas season when it´s the season to serve!  I will tell ya’ll all about that next week!  Merry Christmas season!  Let us all be like The Savior by following his perfect example of charitable service as hearts are opened and softened this Christmas season.

Love,

Sister Garrick

Sister Sousa and I walking to the field that is white and ready to be harvested.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bars that we made for some of our members 

that helped us get to know the area, etc.

I didn’t have turkey and cranberries this Thanksgiving, 

so I made a turkey and goiabada (google it) sandwich that was similar... haha... 

#HappyThanksgivingBrasilStyle

Merry Christmas from our apartment lounge!

A Semana das Milagres

Let me just copy Hermana Dibble's subject line and translate to Portuguese! This week truly was the week of the miracles!  It´s been a little hard opening this area with little investigators.  We tried to visit people who gave us their phone numbers and addresses that ended up not existing and it was just hard!  But President Bigelow taught us a principle that´s very interesting found in Alma 17.  Basically it says that to have "milhares de batismos" and to have lots of success as missionaries, we need to yes-fast, pray, study the scriptures, teach with the spirit, etc. We all know that.  But in the same chapter, it says that we need to suffer physically and mentally- that literally you can´t have success if suffering is not involved. If we suffer a lot, we will have a lot of success!  The Book of Mormon is filled with examples of this true principle! Look at the first verse of 1 Nephi for example! How did I not see this before?!?!  This week the miracles came in strong.  We were able to have 5 investigators at church on Sunday and have 3 elect investigators lined up for baptism and a lot of helpful and active, willing members!  Rio Doce is Zion y’all and my companion is awesome.  Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!

Thank you for ALL your prayers.  I feel blessed because of them.

Love,

Sister Garrick

Photos: OLINDA!

Sweet Is The Peace The Gospel Brings

Hello from Sweet River!!

This week was good because even though we are opening an area and it's hard, we don't get down because we know we are trying our very hardest and Christ can comfort us. I know that He lives and that we will live with him again.  He knows how to succor His people and there is nothing sweeter that the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Até Terça,

Sister Garrick

Photo 1: This is from a few weeks ago when I was in Boa Viagem and Sister Bigelow worked with us for a day! I love them both so much

Photo 2:  Our apartment is being decorated for Christmas! 

Thanks grandma and grandpa (last year)

Photo 3: Tacos and guacamole;)

Photo 4: Sister Sousa and I on Sunday

NEW

WELLLLLL

This week was a lot of new things.  Our ward is great!! Our members our helping us out so much here in Rio Doce!! The area is big but they are showing us around and even put together a map for us!!  This Sunday, testimony meeting was all about missionary work and the spirit was so strong!!  The elders that closed this area are great, but left us with barely anyone to teach, so we are truly OPENING this area haha.  

My new companion is Sister Sousa.  She has been a member for 2 years and is 19 years old and from Palmas, Brasil!  She is so courageous and is helping me out and the area out so much!  I´m privileged to be with her!

Love you all,

Sister Garrick

Trainers and trainees!

Teaching people about The Plan of Salvation at the cemetery on Brasil´s Day of The Dead 

Before we got our hair cut (we forgot to take after pics)

On top of where we got our hair cut in Boa Viagem with our pro hairstylist, Recent convert, Aline :)

Temple at Christmas time

Recife Temple 

The group of trainers waiting for the new missionaries at President´s apartment  

(we say Recife)

Rio Doce and Olinda