'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

The Week of A LOT

Olá todos! Como vocês estão? 

This week was just A LOT.  I don´t know how to describe it- literally I don't.  First of all, our super elect investigator decided to give us The Book of Mormon back because he decided that the 4 people that told him that this religion is a cult was an answer to him from God that it wasn´t true.  After a longggg lesson including us teaching the 1st, and 3rd lesson many times, and after many questions, he decided to take the book back and give it a 2nd shot.  The next day, Sister Bigelow worked with us for 2 hours and it was the best day of my mission so far!  We had a lesson with a member and helped her to share the gospel with her family and friends and get referrals and we went to the chapel to teach Anderson with another member as well.  Sister Bigelow asked many inspired questions to him and he looked back at us and gave us back the book and said he made up his mind that it wasn't true. We said we would need to postpone his baptism and he got so sad because he wants The Holy Ghost and we wants to be born again and serve a mission, but doesn't realize how The Book of Mormon is connected to all of that. Then, the member that was there showed him a few scriptures in The Book of Mormon and there was a long pause, and our investigator looked down, and then looked back up and said, "3 minutes ago I was going to give this book back to you for the 2nd time, but now I know it's true.  I know I'm in the right path.  Please don't move my baptism back."  We were like alright then you need to read and pray and get your own personal answer or remember the answer you already felt and received when you first told us.  The next day, he was interviewed by our District Leader and his mom signed the papers and he was so excited!  Saturday- the day of the baptism- he says he's not going to be able to go.  We don't know exactly what happened, but he said he just needed some time.  This was one of the saddest moments of my mission.  I know that he knew this gospel is true and I pray that one day he comes back.  I was able to learn a lot about The Lord's timing through this experience and how His will needs to be written on my heart.  His hand is in everything that happens.  I am relieved knowing that we did everything we could to help a young man with a desire to come unto Christ. I will keep praying for him.  

This week we also got transfer calls!  I will unfortunately be leaving Sister Lopez who I love so much!! :(  But, good things can't last forever right?  I will be opening a new area that only had one set of elders that will now have 2 sets of SISTERS!  My area is called Rio Doce that's in Olinda if you want to google it. It´s gorgeous!  And I will be training a new sister that gets here tomorrow!!  It could be a Hispanic, American, or Brasilian because they're ALL coming!!  I`m super excited for this new adventure in the best mission in the world- Brasil Recife! 

Love you all,

Sister Garrick

                                                                Photos:
1- Sister Lopez, Sister Schmidt, Sister Taylor, Sister Anderson, Sister Hernandez, and me

2- The Forbush's will be leaving in the beginning of December :(

3- Ingrid just happened to be at the subway station today :)

4- Northeastern vocabulary

5- last Sunday

6- Fernanda :)

7- Paula choking me

8- Edlma :)

9- HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM ANA AND ELSA! 

10- Fruta-pão is a jack-o-lantern 

11- WAFFLES

12- Snow in Boa Viagem ;)  "It´s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! 

"Está começando de parecer muito como Natal!”

"I Hope They Call Me on a Mission!"

Hello!! 

The subject line isn't about me but about other people!! The missionary spirit is starting to spread like wildfire here in Boa Viagem.  Heinrich is a youth from this ward that helps us out so much and he is about to leave for his mission this week to Porto Alegre!  He gave his farewell talk yesterday and his dad brought his friend and his family that aren´t members to church to hear his son talk and to meet the sisters!  (or as he calls it- 2 American girls he knows...)  My gosh.  Anyways, it was super neat.  There were so many people at church this Sunday- but what was especially cool was that there were so many people in Gospel Principles class this week!!  We also have an investigator named, Anderson who is being prepared to be baptized this Saturday and he told us yesterday that he too will be serving a mission!!   We were like what!!??!  And he was like I know I have to wait a year, but I am already planning it all out!  We hadn’t even talked about missionary service yet!! He has been prepared by The Lord SO HARD and Sister Lopez and I want to come back to Brasil for his farewell talk. 

This weekend Luisa was also baptized and confirmed and it was such a super spiritual experience for all of us.  Sister Lopez, Sister Schmidt, Sister Taylor, and I played and sung "Baptism" for her and when she was baptized she was one of the happiest people I’ve ever seen in my entire life!! It was so cool! :) I love the doctrine of baptism and the symbolism of being born again as a child of Christ.  I know that we need daily repentance and baptism to return to our loving Father’s presence.  I know that He lives.  I know that we are here because He needs our example for all of His children here upon the earth.  Let us all be disciples of Christ!

Amo vocês visse?

Sister Garrick ;)

(I'm guessing Sister Garrick is the blonde one and Sister Lopez the brunette)

#Domingos

 Luisa’s baptism and crepes for lunch ;)

Baptize Converts

Hello all!

This week was great!  Our investigator, Luisa has received many answers from fasting and prayer that this church is true and has decided to be baptized on the 22nd and we are SOOO excited for her! One of our recent converts, Vavá is going to baptize her and it will be his first time!!  We have a great Relief Society program and leaders here and we are so grateful for their support and help with this baptism!  I am truly blessed to be able to serve here in Boa Viagem.

We are in a "correria" this week with lots of exchanges to plan and to do and it´s fun and great and spiritual, but I feel like I need to sleep for 20 days straight, but I know that there is nothing better than being a servant of The Lord.  It´s a lot of work, but it´s righteous work- it's The Lord´s work.  I know this gospel is the only thing that can bring incomprehensible joy into our lives and can allow us to have eternal families.  

Love you all,

Sister Garrick

Photos by the beach in Pina 

(no rules were broken in the taking of these photos- we are not stepping on sand)

Photos: Surprise Birthday party for Sister Taylor :)