Here are some pics of the neighborhood:
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- Some of the stairs we get to climb everyday!
- Some make shift homes in our area
- The view from our apartment
- Part of our neighborhood
This week was different, but good. We stayed at home for two days (Thursday and Friday)
because Sister Nunes had a molar pulled and was in a lot of pain...so
we spent a lot of time talking and writing and cleaning, etc. Siste
Bundy did my nails, which was a first for me. Not sure if I like the
feeling of nail polish, but they´re very pretty :)
We
have two investigators who are really progressing right now: Sid (older
man who I contacted, tons of faith, awesome guy, adorable
grand-daughters) and Mar (a referral from Sidney, young guy, owns a
pizza/icecream shop, lady´s man, super interested in the Gospel).
Highlight
of the week: Church yesterday. Sidney came for the first time! And when
we were late to pick him up, he started walking there! In the rain!
Halfway through testimony meeting, he asked if he could go up!! The
Sisters and I said yes of course and held our breath! He got up and said
the sweetest, simplest testimony I´ve ever heard about how he was happy
he was there, glad he met us, and that our message has touched his
heart. I was crying by the end of it. I then got up and bore my
testimony (super nervous to do it in Portuguese!) and thanked the ward
for how amazingly patient they are with me and how grateful I am for
them and for the fact that the Gospel is the same no matter where we are
in the world. The Spirit during that whole meeting was just super
strong.
Another highlight this week: Some
members gave me a little box with American cookies (soft, gooey,
delicious cookies, not crunchy cracker-cookies)!! They bought them at a
special store far away! I almost cried. It felt like the nicest thing
anyone has ever done for me haha and they were the best cookies I think
I´ve ever eaten :)
Scripture of the week: 1
Nephi 21:3-5...even on the hard days, we´re still doing the Lord´s work.
And 1 Nephi 21:12-23...The Brazilian people are the scattered tribes of
Israel! How cool to be able to accomplish some of this great work that
has been prophesied about by prophets clear back to Isaiah!
Random things that I should´ve told y'all about before:
-
They always use a fork in their right hand and a knife in their left
hand (like they don´t set the knife down ever). I´m already totally used
to it, and it´s hard to even imagine eating without a knife in my left
hand...like what do you even do with your hand? Set it in your lap??
Weird.
- When you greet any woman, you kiss
them on cheek. I´m already accustomed to that too. Sorry in advance for
anyone I kiss when I get back.
- They don´t
flush toilet paper here. When you´re done using it, you throw it in the
trash can beside the toilet. It took me a few weeks to feel normal about
that, but it´s a habit now. Again, sorry in advance....
-
The people are super down-to-earth here. Yesterday, we were having
lunch with a married couple, and the man started saying something like,
"When we got married, my wife was skinny and beautiful, and now she is
fat and has ugly hair." And the wife just nodded and agreed. I thought I
must be translating it wrong or something...but I asked Sister Bundy
afterward, and sure enough, that´s exactly what he said!! I was pretty
appalled. But that is just a fact to them. They don´t take offense to
things like that. If you call comeone fat and they are, it´s simply a
fact you´re stating about that...not sure if I´ll ever adjust to that
one haha
Things are hard but good here, and the
Gospel is just as great as ever! I´m loving reading conference talks
and the Book of Mormon and seeing the effect it has on people. God is
good!
All my love,
Sister Doyle
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