Hi Mom,
This week was one of the best weeks and was the last of the transfer. Luis and Hilda were baptized and it was absolutely beautiful. They are a married couple and Luis has some mental problems but was able to be baptized. Hilda went in the water with him and helped him be baptized. I thought it was so cute how much she loves him. She has to change his clothes, feed him and do practically everything for him. She wants to be sealed in the temple and was willing to do anything to help him be baptized. She cried and cried as we sang the closing song and gave all the members a hug. She felt the spirit so strong and was so happy with her decision. The members threw a party for them afterwards. I love this ward and am so grateful for the opportunity to serve here.
Tonight we will find out about transfers and I will know if I will finish my mission here or pass in one more area. I am so excited for you to come pick me up!!! The members are so excited to meet you guys but said you need to study a few things in Portuguese so they can communicate with you all. I know you will love it here. Things are going well and I have loved this past transfer.
My companion is doing well and it is fun to speak English again. It is a good thing that I was able to practice with her (the first day was pretty rocky, hehe). Anyway, I love you all.
Tell Alex congratulations and that I am so proud of him. He will be a great deacon and he is such a great kid. I hope he got the birthday card I sent. I love you so much! I will let you know how transfers go.. . .
Love Sister Davis
10.20.2008
10.13.2008
October 13, 2008
Hi Mom,
This week we are preparing a woman to be baptized. She is telling all her neighbors about the church and always tells us about blessings that she has received since she has come to know the gospel. How amazing the gospel is. I have seen so many miracles and so many changes.
Yesterday, Antoniel (recent convert) bore his testimony in sacrament meeting. He told how his life has completely changed. I sort of felt like a proud mother sitting there listening to him. I am so amazed at how happy he is. The first day we talked to him on the street, he was absolutely miserable but all that has changed. Church was wonderful yesterday.
We are teaching some new families and are excited. I know the Lord is preparing many people here. We have transfers at the end of the week and I am sort of nervous. I have been in this area for awhile so I am not sure if I will stay.
Tell Jace thanks for the email. I will write him back. Did you know that Alex got married? Wow, how cool.
Things are going well and I am so glad I have the opportunity to teach the gospel. I will talk to the President and figure out the best option (for a release date). I will let you know asap.
Love ya, Sister Davis
(Later in the day)
Hi Mom,
I talked to President Leal and we decided December 26. He needs to interview me and the 20th, 21st, 22nd will be a little crazy for him so we decided Dec. 26. I will be able to go to the Christmas conference. I don’t know how that will effect your traveling--on Christmas day. But I hope everything will be all right. It will be a Christmas different from the others but it will be a blast. I hope this works out and that everything will go well. I prayed about it and I am feeling at peace. Let me know what you think.
I will live with my comp from the CTM. If you know of any apartments or houses with openings, let me know. I think she will try to find something. Thanks for sending the stuff. I will be looking for it. You can register me for Winter semester--try not to make my schedule too hard. And if it is possible, I want to go to the gym in the morning. But whatever you decide, I trust you. Thank you for arranging all of this for me and taking care of it. I am very grateful that you are willing to do all this.
I love you.
Love Sister Davis
This week we are preparing a woman to be baptized. She is telling all her neighbors about the church and always tells us about blessings that she has received since she has come to know the gospel. How amazing the gospel is. I have seen so many miracles and so many changes.
Yesterday, Antoniel (recent convert) bore his testimony in sacrament meeting. He told how his life has completely changed. I sort of felt like a proud mother sitting there listening to him. I am so amazed at how happy he is. The first day we talked to him on the street, he was absolutely miserable but all that has changed. Church was wonderful yesterday.
We are teaching some new families and are excited. I know the Lord is preparing many people here. We have transfers at the end of the week and I am sort of nervous. I have been in this area for awhile so I am not sure if I will stay.
Tell Jace thanks for the email. I will write him back. Did you know that Alex got married? Wow, how cool.
Things are going well and I am so glad I have the opportunity to teach the gospel. I will talk to the President and figure out the best option (for a release date). I will let you know asap.
Love ya, Sister Davis
(Later in the day)
Hi Mom,
I talked to President Leal and we decided December 26. He needs to interview me and the 20th, 21st, 22nd will be a little crazy for him so we decided Dec. 26. I will be able to go to the Christmas conference. I don’t know how that will effect your traveling--on Christmas day. But I hope everything will be all right. It will be a Christmas different from the others but it will be a blast. I hope this works out and that everything will go well. I prayed about it and I am feeling at peace. Let me know what you think.
I will live with my comp from the CTM. If you know of any apartments or houses with openings, let me know. I think she will try to find something. Thanks for sending the stuff. I will be looking for it. You can register me for Winter semester--try not to make my schedule too hard. And if it is possible, I want to go to the gym in the morning. But whatever you decide, I trust you. Thank you for arranging all of this for me and taking care of it. I am very grateful that you are willing to do all this.
I love you.
Love Sister Davis
9.29.2008
September 29, 2008
Hi Mom,
Wow, Michelle had her baby. She is already a mother of 2. I am so excited to see the babies when I came home. Tell her congratulations. Dad sent me a few pictures of the baby and Alex's birthday. I sent Alex a birthday card awhile ago so be looking for it.
This week was wonderful. Gisela was baptized and confirmed a member of the church. She is a young mother of 4 but doesnt have a husband. Some members in the ward are old friends of hers and she has two neighbors who are members so I think she is feeling support and is feeling good about being a member of the ward. The meeting was beautiful. I will send you some pics next week.
We found a really special family this week that live at the very farthest part of our area in the very last house. A member gave us this reference and we would have never found them without some help. They accepted to be baptized and are looking forward to going to general conference with us next week. We are also teaching a young couple that want to be baptized but need to be married first. The bishop got the young guy a job and they starting working together today. The bishop is also going to help a little with the wedding.
Everything is going well and I love my area. Today we are going downtown to bowl with Sister Bezerra, her companion and our friend Barbara who will be leaving next month to serve in the Provo mission. She has been teaching with and helping us this week. Also. my friend Ana (who is in all of my pictures since February) decided to go on a mission. I think it is so great that so many girls are leaving to serve missions.
So how is everything going? How was the week? It sounds like you guys are keeping busy and things are well. I cant write much because we have to go soon but I will write more next week. I love you and miss you. I know that this is the best thing I have done and I know it is the work of the Lord.
Tchau.. . .Love Sister Barbie
Wow, Michelle had her baby. She is already a mother of 2. I am so excited to see the babies when I came home. Tell her congratulations. Dad sent me a few pictures of the baby and Alex's birthday. I sent Alex a birthday card awhile ago so be looking for it.
This week was wonderful. Gisela was baptized and confirmed a member of the church. She is a young mother of 4 but doesnt have a husband. Some members in the ward are old friends of hers and she has two neighbors who are members so I think she is feeling support and is feeling good about being a member of the ward. The meeting was beautiful. I will send you some pics next week.
We found a really special family this week that live at the very farthest part of our area in the very last house. A member gave us this reference and we would have never found them without some help. They accepted to be baptized and are looking forward to going to general conference with us next week. We are also teaching a young couple that want to be baptized but need to be married first. The bishop got the young guy a job and they starting working together today. The bishop is also going to help a little with the wedding.
Everything is going well and I love my area. Today we are going downtown to bowl with Sister Bezerra, her companion and our friend Barbara who will be leaving next month to serve in the Provo mission. She has been teaching with and helping us this week. Also. my friend Ana (who is in all of my pictures since February) decided to go on a mission. I think it is so great that so many girls are leaving to serve missions.
So how is everything going? How was the week? It sounds like you guys are keeping busy and things are well. I cant write much because we have to go soon but I will write more next week. I love you and miss you. I know that this is the best thing I have done and I know it is the work of the Lord.
Tchau.. . .Love Sister Barbie
9.22.2008
September 22, 2008
Hi Mom,
This week was wonderful. It poured and poured all week long. We had so much help from the members and were able to teach a bunch of new families. We are preparing a young mother, Gisela, to be baptized on Saturday. She is the one with the little girls who started calling me Barbie. She loves the church and has made some good friends already. Our ward mission leader and his wife are friends with her family and are already planning a bunch of activities with her family to try to get the rest of the family excited about the church. Also, her nephew was baptized in the ward a few months ago (remember Lilton, the 18-year-old who I told you about who was baptized.) He is preparing to serve a mission. WOW. Also, we were knocking doors on Gisela’s road and the first door we knocked at, a woman came to the door and said, “I was so happy to see you girls”. She said she saw us and thought, the sisters came to help me return to church. She fell away from the church about 13 years ago and has been wanting to return. She went to church with us on Sunday and almost cried when she said how great it was to be back.
We also had a fun activity with our ward and the other ward that shares our building. We planted trees in an area that was needing some grooming. And the scouts cleaned up the trash by the river. It poured rain and we were covered in mud but we had a blast.
You asked about the conference. . . It was everyone in Paraná, our 4 zones.
Things are going well and we are working hard. My comp is still in culture shock but she is glad she can talk to me in English I can explain things to her. We get along great.
I am glad you got the pictures. Everything I send you, you need to save because sometimes I don’t have a copy of the pictures. My memory card is having problems and is not working. Could you send me another? I will make a cd of the pics from my comps camera but I want to be able to take pictures too. I noticed that too about the parties and food. They love to cook here and our lunches are always a special occasion.
I love you so much and hope all is well.
Love Sister Barbie
This week was wonderful. It poured and poured all week long. We had so much help from the members and were able to teach a bunch of new families. We are preparing a young mother, Gisela, to be baptized on Saturday. She is the one with the little girls who started calling me Barbie. She loves the church and has made some good friends already. Our ward mission leader and his wife are friends with her family and are already planning a bunch of activities with her family to try to get the rest of the family excited about the church. Also, her nephew was baptized in the ward a few months ago (remember Lilton, the 18-year-old who I told you about who was baptized.) He is preparing to serve a mission. WOW. Also, we were knocking doors on Gisela’s road and the first door we knocked at, a woman came to the door and said, “I was so happy to see you girls”. She said she saw us and thought, the sisters came to help me return to church. She fell away from the church about 13 years ago and has been wanting to return. She went to church with us on Sunday and almost cried when she said how great it was to be back.
We also had a fun activity with our ward and the other ward that shares our building. We planted trees in an area that was needing some grooming. And the scouts cleaned up the trash by the river. It poured rain and we were covered in mud but we had a blast.
You asked about the conference. . . It was everyone in Paraná, our 4 zones.
Things are going well and we are working hard. My comp is still in culture shock but she is glad she can talk to me in English I can explain things to her. We get along great.
I am glad you got the pictures. Everything I send you, you need to save because sometimes I don’t have a copy of the pictures. My memory card is having problems and is not working. Could you send me another? I will make a cd of the pics from my comps camera but I want to be able to take pictures too. I noticed that too about the parties and food. They love to cook here and our lunches are always a special occasion.
I love you so much and hope all is well.
Love Sister Barbie
9.19.2008
September 15, 2008
Hi Mom,
Our p-day was moved to Monday so I will be sending emails Monday.
This week we had our conference with all the missionaries in Paraná. I got to see all my old companions. Sister Bezerra said she got the birthday present and loved it. She sent me a Brazil football jersey for my birthday. The conference was awesome. I translated the conference for the Americans and it was actually pretty funny because I was forgetting words in English and I had that funny accent when I asked questions. he he. But at least they were able to understand. We talked about how important the Book of Mormon is and that we need to use it a lot more in our work.
My first week with my new companion was great. We are preparing a few people for baptism and it is so exciting. One of our investigators has a banana tree and a bunch of other fruit trees and always sends us home with food. We are teaching another woman who has 4 little kids. She went to church for the first time on Sunday and saw a family that she has known for many years. She was so excited to have friends already and she loved the church. She said she felt so good there and she wants to be baptized. She has had a really rough life and is looking for a place where she can find peace and comfort. Her little girls were begging me to say me first name so I told them. They starting calling me Barbie and every time we show up, they call me Barbie, play with my hair and do my makeup. It is so cute but I always say, “no, my real name is Sister.” They just laugh. The theme of our sacrament meeting was. . . missionary work. Once a month we are going to have a sacrament meeting on missionary work. I gave a talk with our ward mission leader and some people bore their testimonies about missionary work.
So our first week together brought back a lot of memories. Sister Gonzales is trying to get used to the culture and the language. I forgot how different it is here and I am starting to remember. Because she doesn’t understand anything yet, I have to do all the talking. I was a little nervous at first but I am used to it now. So things are great and I am loving this transfer. I am in the same area and I am so glad I was able to stay. This will be my third transfer here.
I wrote a letter to President Leal about you guys coming to pick me up and I am waiting for an answer. I will let you know when he responds.
I love and miss you. I hope you had a fun time in Lake Powell and that you have a great week.
Tchau! Love Barbie
Our p-day was moved to Monday so I will be sending emails Monday.
This week we had our conference with all the missionaries in Paraná. I got to see all my old companions. Sister Bezerra said she got the birthday present and loved it. She sent me a Brazil football jersey for my birthday. The conference was awesome. I translated the conference for the Americans and it was actually pretty funny because I was forgetting words in English and I had that funny accent when I asked questions. he he. But at least they were able to understand. We talked about how important the Book of Mormon is and that we need to use it a lot more in our work.
My first week with my new companion was great. We are preparing a few people for baptism and it is so exciting. One of our investigators has a banana tree and a bunch of other fruit trees and always sends us home with food. We are teaching another woman who has 4 little kids. She went to church for the first time on Sunday and saw a family that she has known for many years. She was so excited to have friends already and she loved the church. She said she felt so good there and she wants to be baptized. She has had a really rough life and is looking for a place where she can find peace and comfort. Her little girls were begging me to say me first name so I told them. They starting calling me Barbie and every time we show up, they call me Barbie, play with my hair and do my makeup. It is so cute but I always say, “no, my real name is Sister.” They just laugh. The theme of our sacrament meeting was. . . missionary work. Once a month we are going to have a sacrament meeting on missionary work. I gave a talk with our ward mission leader and some people bore their testimonies about missionary work.
So our first week together brought back a lot of memories. Sister Gonzales is trying to get used to the culture and the language. I forgot how different it is here and I am starting to remember. Because she doesn’t understand anything yet, I have to do all the talking. I was a little nervous at first but I am used to it now. So things are great and I am loving this transfer. I am in the same area and I am so glad I was able to stay. This will be my third transfer here.
I wrote a letter to President Leal about you guys coming to pick me up and I am waiting for an answer. I will let you know when he responds.
I love and miss you. I hope you had a fun time in Lake Powell and that you have a great week.
Tchau! Love Barbie
9.14.2008
September 9, 2008
Hello Mommy dear,
So, we found out about transfers. . . In about 2 hours we are going to the bus station to drop off my companion Sister Nascimento, and pick up my new comp. She is new on the mission and I am pretty excited to meet her. I will be staying here in Londrina.
Lucas was baptized Saturday and it was so beautiful. The primary prepared a musical number and the talks and testimonies were given by the primary. He felt so welcome and such a great experience. I felt so proud of him. Also, his uncle Antoniel, who was baptized 3 weeks ago, was able to baptize Lucas. He said the prayer perfect the first time. It was a little cold and rainy that day but turned out beautiful. My camera is having some problems so I don’t have pictures. I will try to get them from my companion.
I will come back in a few hours and write more (after I pick up my comp).
Love you, tchau
Love Barbie
Hi Mom,
So, I picked up my new companion. She is American and this is her first area. She is from Poway, California (she doesn’t know Alex). I am actually really excited about it because this is the first American companion that I have had. She was studying elementary ed. at BYU.
Did you get the pictures I sent earlier today? One is of me and an old lady. She served a mission about 50 years ago. The other is a picture of the baptism. Lucas is the little boy who was baptized and the others are members of the ward.
I sent you a cd of pictures and I think you will get it in about 10 days. Let me know if it has pictures on it.
The plans sound good for Christmas. I would love to spend Christmas here, and if everything works out and I can be released before Christmas, I can arrange to spend Christmas with some members. I don’t know exactly what to do about the whole release date things. I don’t really want to worry about it because I don’t want to get `trunky`. Lets spend Christmas here (if I can) and celebrate with the whole family after.
Anyway, I am so grateful for the opportunity to be here. It is so wonderful to see the blessings of the Lord in our daily work. I know the Lord is leading his church and I am so glad to be apart of it. I love you and miss you. Hope everything is going well. Tchau!
Love Barbie
So, we found out about transfers. . . In about 2 hours we are going to the bus station to drop off my companion Sister Nascimento, and pick up my new comp. She is new on the mission and I am pretty excited to meet her. I will be staying here in Londrina.
Lucas was baptized Saturday and it was so beautiful. The primary prepared a musical number and the talks and testimonies were given by the primary. He felt so welcome and such a great experience. I felt so proud of him. Also, his uncle Antoniel, who was baptized 3 weeks ago, was able to baptize Lucas. He said the prayer perfect the first time. It was a little cold and rainy that day but turned out beautiful. My camera is having some problems so I don’t have pictures. I will try to get them from my companion.
I will come back in a few hours and write more (after I pick up my comp).
Love you, tchau
Love Barbie
Hi Mom,
So, I picked up my new companion. She is American and this is her first area. She is from Poway, California (she doesn’t know Alex). I am actually really excited about it because this is the first American companion that I have had. She was studying elementary ed. at BYU.
Did you get the pictures I sent earlier today? One is of me and an old lady. She served a mission about 50 years ago. The other is a picture of the baptism. Lucas is the little boy who was baptized and the others are members of the ward.
I sent you a cd of pictures and I think you will get it in about 10 days. Let me know if it has pictures on it.
The plans sound good for Christmas. I would love to spend Christmas here, and if everything works out and I can be released before Christmas, I can arrange to spend Christmas with some members. I don’t know exactly what to do about the whole release date things. I don’t really want to worry about it because I don’t want to get `trunky`. Lets spend Christmas here (if I can) and celebrate with the whole family after.
Anyway, I am so grateful for the opportunity to be here. It is so wonderful to see the blessings of the Lord in our daily work. I know the Lord is leading his church and I am so glad to be apart of it. I love you and miss you. Hope everything is going well. Tchau!
Love Barbie
9.06.2008
September 3, 2008
Hi Mom,
This past week we had our culture festival at the Stake Center, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Friday night, the stake youth did a presentation with music and sort of theater. A boy in the Londrina Stake (the other stake) played the piano and a ballet company with some young girls performed. After the performance, everyone gathered on the basketball court and they had big drums and everyone did a dance (like the Springville Folkfest in the parking lot). Saturday, the church was open all day. Each room had a display to show the investigators a little about the organization. Also, on the basketball court, some people from the circus brought equipment and taught the primary kids some stunts and cool things. They tumbled, juggled fire and knives and some other interesting things. In the parking lot, a funk teacher was teaching the youth some dances and in the cultural hall was a lecture about conserving food and soy. That evening was a presentation that turned out really beautiful. Some of the elders in our mission did a program with music and a slide show with pictures of Christ, some clips and a narrator. It was really beautiful. An elder in my district recorded it and I will try to send it too. Sunday night, President and Sister Leal gave a fireside and talked about missionary work. The festival was a blast and the investigators were very impressed with the church so it was a good experience for everyone.
This Saturday, Lucas will be baptized. He is Antoniel’s nephew (the one who was recently baptized). He turned 8 on Monday and we threw him a little party and the primary president brought her kids along. I love the members here because everyone is willing to help out with the investigators. This is also our last week of the transfer. I think Tuesday we will find out who will be transferred. I think I will stay because my comp has been here for more time. Hopefully I will be able to email next week. I will let you know.
Thanks for the football update. I am sad I won't be able to watch Alex play ball. There is an elder in my zone that always wants to talk to me about football. I don’t really miss sports though.
I don’t know when my release date will be and need to work it out with our President. I would rather have you guys come December 21st and go home the 27th, however, we would be spending Christmas here and I don’t know if it would weird. I would love to spend Christmas with you guys and some members here. But the other date would be fine too because you guys could spend Christmas with Alex and I could stay more time on the mission. I will have to sort it out with the President and I don’t know when I will have an opportunity to talk to him about it. Sorry, I know you want to buy tickets soon. I will see what I can do.
I didn’t know Meghan Fullmer is getting married. . . Tell her congrats and that I love her.
Anyway, I love you and hope everything is going well.
Love Barbie
This past week we had our culture festival at the Stake Center, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Friday night, the stake youth did a presentation with music and sort of theater. A boy in the Londrina Stake (the other stake) played the piano and a ballet company with some young girls performed. After the performance, everyone gathered on the basketball court and they had big drums and everyone did a dance (like the Springville Folkfest in the parking lot). Saturday, the church was open all day. Each room had a display to show the investigators a little about the organization. Also, on the basketball court, some people from the circus brought equipment and taught the primary kids some stunts and cool things. They tumbled, juggled fire and knives and some other interesting things. In the parking lot, a funk teacher was teaching the youth some dances and in the cultural hall was a lecture about conserving food and soy. That evening was a presentation that turned out really beautiful. Some of the elders in our mission did a program with music and a slide show with pictures of Christ, some clips and a narrator. It was really beautiful. An elder in my district recorded it and I will try to send it too. Sunday night, President and Sister Leal gave a fireside and talked about missionary work. The festival was a blast and the investigators were very impressed with the church so it was a good experience for everyone.
This Saturday, Lucas will be baptized. He is Antoniel’s nephew (the one who was recently baptized). He turned 8 on Monday and we threw him a little party and the primary president brought her kids along. I love the members here because everyone is willing to help out with the investigators. This is also our last week of the transfer. I think Tuesday we will find out who will be transferred. I think I will stay because my comp has been here for more time. Hopefully I will be able to email next week. I will let you know.
Thanks for the football update. I am sad I won't be able to watch Alex play ball. There is an elder in my zone that always wants to talk to me about football. I don’t really miss sports though.
I don’t know when my release date will be and need to work it out with our President. I would rather have you guys come December 21st and go home the 27th, however, we would be spending Christmas here and I don’t know if it would weird. I would love to spend Christmas with you guys and some members here. But the other date would be fine too because you guys could spend Christmas with Alex and I could stay more time on the mission. I will have to sort it out with the President and I don’t know when I will have an opportunity to talk to him about it. Sorry, I know you want to buy tickets soon. I will see what I can do.
I didn’t know Meghan Fullmer is getting married. . . Tell her congrats and that I love her.
Anyway, I love you and hope everything is going well.
Love Barbie
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