É Janga Bença

Oi amigos, amigas, familiares, e mais.

I am doing well! I hope you all are as well! Let me just tell you that I am living in a state of paradise.  Bom- the work is hard. But, Janga is a paradise.  Everyone loves the missionaries here.  I´ve gotten so much free juice and snacks here walking on the streets, with my sandals on the side of the beach with the wind blowing through my hair hahaha.  I think I´m going to move back here after the mission and live in one of the chique apartments with my hammock overlooking the beach drinking my acerola juice. I also saw the cutest yellow crab the other day walking on the sand! I´m so sad I didn’t have my camera with me :( aaaaand unfortunately I don´t have any photos of the beach because it´s kind of dangerous to be walking around with these types of things during the day and I don´t have any today because it´s pouring rain like CRAZY!!  When it rains, it´s so powerful that it could probably put holes in your umbrella, and most of our streets are just sand so they flood in just 3 seconds of rain. Mas é Janga bença as the people say here.

I´ll be honest, the work is a lot harder here than in Gravatá, but we are working A LOT with members.  We have a super strong ward and they are giving us lots of referalls and are asking to teach with us so we are super pumped.  I would like to share a quote by our prophet, Thomas S. Monson with you all that we can all learn from and that helps us when we have challenges to not get discouraged: "All have opportunities for service to our Heavenly Father and to His children here on earth.  It is contrary to the spirit of service to live selfishly within ourselves and disregard the needs of others.  The Lord will guide us and make us equal to the challenges before us." I know that this is true.  I know that when we put the Lord’s will in front of our own  and when we keep all the commandments He has set for us that miracles happen.  I’ve seen this before and during the mission in my life, but especially now.  The Lord really does make us equal to our challenges.  Nothing is impossible; and every hard thing we overcome makes us more like Christ and more prepared to meet Our Father in Heaven once again.  I will never be able to express how grateful I am for all of you and your prayers, love, and support.

Vai bença,

Sister Garrick ;)

Photo 1: Distrito Paulista

Photo 2: My companion, Sister Sanguino

Photo 3: The streets of Janga (and this isn´t even close to the worst of it)

Photo 4: I love tapioca with bananas and nutella

Photo 5: Bolo de rolo mmmmm :) (cake with guava inside)

The Long and Winding Road....

Hello folks.  

This week was emotional.  We worked just 2.5 days in our area.  It was weird.  I haven't taught a lesson in awhile.  Am I even a missionary??  But yes, this week we went to Caruaru for our District Meeting which was the last one of this transfer! We took pics together and ate lemon bars that Sister Thacker made for us! Then we went to Garunhuns for a division ou sei la I don´t remember how to say it in English.. exchanges?? I don't know, but we went there which takes 3 hours on a bus to get there.  We taught lessons with the sisters there and I learned a ton! I want to follow the example of one of the sister trainers because she prays so personally to Heavenly Father.  She tells him everything she did during the day, what her goals are, and asks for help.  It was so humble and I am going to try to do this in my prayers now. 

When I got back to the house in Garanhuns after the exchanges, Sister M. Costa said she had some sad news for me.  She told me I was going to be transferred.  I was like I know you´re kidding, I´m obviously not.  We only had 5 weeks together in this new area and everything is going SO well! She was like, "Would I joke about this?" and I was like, "Um yes of course you would- e apôs" hahaha and I made her show me the call from the elder.  She showed me and I still didn´t believe her.  Then she started crying and I believed it. It was a little emotional these days.  You don´t get to stay with your best companions forever. :(  

After the exchanges we went to Recife to have P-day with President Bigelow and his family. I helped them make crepes and omelets and it was so good to have something other than rice and beans! ;) We played board games and talked and their daughter Megan, Sister M. Costa, the elders and I played knock out at their apartment. It was so fun! I realized how much I missed playing basketball. 

 After P-day, I went back to Gravatá for one more Sunday in my favorite ward and saw Geyseane get confirmed as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ! She was so at peace. I said bye to everyone and one of our investigators even bought me a hammock.  I told her no! You do not ned to do that! But you can't stop Brasilians.. they are SO generous.  I miss my area and everyone there SOOOO much! 

But now I´m here in Janga.  It´s a city on the beach in the Olinda stake.  It is gorgeous and the water is so blue! I love it! But it´s literally the hottest area of the mission.  I get to be companions with Sister Sanguino that just finished being trained here in Janga! She is from Colombia and is so sweet. Maybe I´ll be able to re-learn some Spanish from her! ;) I also get to be in the same house and district as Sister DiSpirito! I´m so happy. :) And Elder Abrego from Honduras (My zone leader in Gravatá) is going to train in my district here! I´m happy I get to take a few people with me here to the center of the sun! ;) But that´s about it! Love and miss you all! This church is perfect and true! Thank you soooo much for your prayers and kind words. 

Saudades,

Sister Garrick <3

Our District leader and his comp bought us all ice cream cones 

after our last District Meeting!

Last Subway trip :(

Exchanges with Sister McClean

Decorations for São João

Tapioca come queijo that Sister M. Costa made (eu amo)

The new shoes I bought that are already falling apart eita 

P-day com Presidente

MEGAN <3

Sister Rondon aww (my first Sister trainer)

Sister Bigelow- I LOVE HER 

Omelets

crepes 

My vocabulário nordestino t shirt hahaha

Bruno and Rosinha 

The biggest tríplice I´ve ever seen! 

Geyseane :) 

Renata who gave us lunch on my last day there <3

Such a great group of members :)

We can wear hats in the mission now então bora ;)

Kal-el and Andrey <3 

My suitcase was just too big 

I got to stay the night in Casa Forte and see Sister Aguiar de novo! :) :)

On the Streets of Brasil, Son!

Oláááááááá!

TUDO BEM MEUS AMIGOS!? It feels like P-Day was just 2 days ago... OH wait that´s because it WAS! HA! Anyways, It was so good to read all your emails and hear from all of you this week! It made me so happy. :) Yesterday, the two wards we work in (Boa Vista and Gravatá) combined.  The members of the Camocim branch came to our chapel as well.  The Stake President announced that everyone from Bezerros that usually goes to our ward will now go to the Camocim branch.  Lots of new information and TONS of people at church which was fantastic as always!  The elders of Camocim came too, but they didn´t have time to eat, so they called us and asked us to bring them food, but all I had in our house was apples and peanut butter that my mom sent me, so I brought that.  My goodness, I went into one of the rooms at church to see the elders destroying my peanut butter with a few other RM´s who had American companions and missed the wonderful taste of peanut butter! HAHAHA! They wouldn´t even let me in the room it was too funny! 

After church, Geyseane was baptized! I love her! When she came out of the water Sister M. Costa and I were there in the bathroom ready to help her.  She said she couldn´t even describe the happiness and peace she felt just penetrating from her! She was beaming with joy and you could see a light in her! Oh, it was perfect! I felt like her mom and remembered my baptism and my mom asking me how I felt! It was such a spiritual experience! 

Well, that´s about it for the past two days! Today we went exploring in Gravatá,  my like new favorite city! We found so much art and cool stuff just exploring the streets, son! It was so sweet.  I´ll send pics.  LOTS. Love you all! The greatest joy we can feel is when we are sharing the gospel, I can promise you that.  I´ve never been happier in my life here! Sorry mom, but I don´t want to go home! ;) Thank you for all your support and prayers!

Com amor,

Sister Garrick :) 

                                            Classic nametag temple pic sabe? 

Waiting for the bus to the temple with my Brasilian homies

 My lovely District menos one dupla at Burger King! 

 I ran into my lovely Sister AGUIAR at the temple!! :) 

As we were looking at our District Leader´s camera, 

we found a few pics of him pretending to be Clark Kent 

so we decided to imitate hahaha

 Geyseane´s baptism:) Rubens baptized her (recent convert)

 Reminds me of the Tiki Tiki Room at Disneyland :)

 Art in Cruzeiro

More random things we found

 More art!

 Straight thug gin´

 A brigadeiro I ate today.  I´ve only eaten this today send help.

Don´t fall.

 My favorite area thus far :)

 Carnaval ainda??

 Coming at you live from Brasil, this is Sister Garrick, 

Have a Brasilian night. (Anchorman)

Ranchos

Tudo Bem Tudo Bem All is well All is well

Hello friends and family!! 

This week was fantastic! Happy Mother´s Day to all the moms out there! It was so great to see my family and take a family photo haha ;) This week I don´t remember a ton of what happened but I will attach a lot of photos! One thing funny was said by one of our investigators that´s 9 years old. He said in his prayer, "Sou grato frequentar a igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos todos os dias" which means "I´m thankful to go to the church of Jesus Christ of every day saints." haha he messed up the name of the church, but it made me think- we should be every day saints! What are we doing each day that shows that we are members of the church of Jesus Christ, that we are his representatives, and we love Him! My challenge for you all is to be remember to be "every day saints." I know Heavenly Father is real.  He is our loving father and He has a plan for us.  I know that if we trust in Him and put his will in front of ours, all WILL be well and we WILL receive ALL the blessings he promises unto the faithful! I love you all and am SOOO grateful for your prayers!

Love,

Sister Garrick 

Photo 1: Amanda :)

Photo 2: a family of investigators that I love 

Photo 3: Our gorgeous area 

Photo 4: Waiting to go to the temple!