2 MESAS (months) BABY

Hello Everyone!

Last Tuesday I hit 2 MONTHS. Which is so incredibly crazy, because it seems like just yesterday I was in the mtc... WOW.

But the sisters in our casa made the cutest signs for me and PÃO DE QUEJO (be still my heart) because they know that it's my fav, which just made my whole entire day! I love my Brazilian sisters <3

But this week was a good week! 

We made cookies this past P-Day for members in our ward, and we delivered with a little note e O Livro de Mormon for them to write their testimonies in! It was fun to be crafty for a few minutes in our day, and the members are awesome, so it was definitely a win-win.

Another highlight of the week - we had a ward activity and watched 17 miracles which I just loved. And as I was watching, and I saw MOUNTAINS my heart was just hurting because I miss the mountains like none other <3 So for all of you who can look out your window right now and enjoy some mountain goodness, I encourage you to do so.

We've really been pushing for new investigators this whole last week, so we've been working non-stop, and especially praying for families. And as I look back, this week was just filled with miracles and tender mercies.

One of our investigators, Clara, is a 14 year old girl, who has a brother in the church. We've been working with her to read the Book of Mormon, and to pray with real intent, and find out for herself if the gospel is true for a week or so now, and a few days ago, she told us she knows the Book of Mormon is true! Still doesn't feel comfortable with baptism, but we'll continue to help her learn more about the gospel one step at a time.

Really humbling experience this past week. We've started teaching this woman, Maria Lucia, who has so many dificuldades in her life. She's very poor and lives off of a little money from the government, and takes care of 3 girls that her daughter left her (her daughter lives in Teresina and has a drinking problem). But they really live in difficult circumstances. As we were teaching her about the Restoration, and how the gospel blesses families, she just started to cry. I know that this gospel gives people new hope, and we need to constantly be striving to share this with others!

Eu amo vocês! Thank you for all of the prayers, because I really have felt them this week. Each day I am able to speak more Portuguese, and I know that I can't do this alone. Grateful for all of you!

Love, Sister Hill

1.  Sister Finati and matching skirts

2.  Sister Lucas <3

3.  Cool tree we found on our way to district meeting

4.  2 MESES!

5.  2 meses <3

6.  Cookies and scriptures and love oh my 

7.  Love Chuva Rain:)

The RAINS came down, and down, and down...

Oi minha mae!

First more about minha companheira - Sister Lucas. She is really great! From Sao Paulo, 21 years old, muito legal. First of all, she is so funny! We already have a lot of inside jokes, and we laugh and joke around a lot. She speaks a ton of English which is so incredibly helpful for me when I have questions or don´t understand something.. She is a really hard worker. We study for long periods of time in the mornings, and she is always ready to go work and find more people to teach. She is the most patient human being alive. I honestly rarely understand what is going on half of the time, and I ask her to repeat her questions multiple times. Yet she continues to stay patient with me, which I am so grateful for. But she really is so awesome, and I´m really glad I got her as my first companion in the field!

The other day, we talked with Thomas, a member youth in our area, and the conversation turned to seminary. Sister Lucas started talkeing about how LDS youth - though few and far between - love seminary and the scriuptures, and I just thought wow. Bountiful is so different. Yes there are more youth, but not as many genuine testimonies. It reminded me of what you said Elder Ballard(?) said in a stake conf, the fact that "the world is wicked enough for the savior to come, but the saints aren't ready".  <- I really do think that is directed to us in Utah.. The members here in Brazil are so passionate and have this hunger to share the gospel with as many people as possible. There isn´t that same fire in Utah - myself included! I remember! Definitely a good example for us.

Okay, now a update of the week:

This past week we had SO. MUCH. RAIN. One day it just absolutely poured! But the work must go on! We started out the day and it wasn´t too bad, but it really started to pour halfway to our investigator Messias´ house. Periodically we would wait under an overhand to wring out our skirts and get out of the rain for a second. Throughout the day, we walked through the rain, and at one point it was so hard it broke Sister Lucas' umbrella! We ran under a overhang thing, and you can bet your bottom dollar that her umbrella was a goner. But another lady was underneath the overhang as well, and we were able to get her contact info and set up a lesson for next week! No coincidences - everything happens for a reason (:

By the end of the day, we were utterly soaked (Sister Lucas mais porque she didn't want to share the umbrella) so we puddle jumped our way home in the roads which were just flooded - like up to our calves with water!

We´ve had to drop so many (almost all) of our investigators this past week. They´ve been being taught for many transfers now, but they´re just not progressing or acting on what we teach :( Sad day. But I know that we´ll have more time now to find other people who need to hear our message! So pray for us to find people who need the gospel in their lives - especially families!

We had a good lesson with an investigator Paulo last week. Paulo is in a wheelchair, and only has one leg, so it is slightly difícil for him to get to church. He´s been struggling lately because he has a lot of pressure from the Catholic church/outre amigos to not liston to us, not get baptized, etc. etc, so following up on commitments has been a bit difficult. We´ve told him to read LDM a few times, and to pray, but he still seemed unsure. So in this lesson a few days ago, I just bore my testimony that I know the Book of Mormon is true, with every part of me, and that if he read it and prayed about it, he would receive an answer from Heavenly Father. And he really listened, and agreed to read with real intent. Grateful for the Spirit, and our blessing to touch people´s hearts as missionaries.

But overall, another wonderful week in Brazil! Grateful for the lessons learned so far, and the fact that Heavenly Father loves us and blesses us every single day! We just need to recognize it.

Love, Sister Hill

1. Cute Sisters in my Zone, last P-Day

2.  FRUIT WALL on the way to church!

3.  Sister in my zone <3

4.  Roads of Parnaiba.  This is what my area looks like (: Roads I walk every day!

5.  View from the front of our house

6.  Sisters em minha casa

Lots of walking, ROBBED, Homemade Fries - This week has been one for the books!

Oi familia e amigas!

Hope everyone had a wonderful week!

This week was long, but so great!

So for starters, we walk, and walk and walk so much. Luckily it´s not too hot because of the wind here (hallelujah).

Good lesson learned this week - patience in His timing. There was a day where almost every single lesson fell through, we walked forever, and I was just so exhausted. And as we knocked on another door to no answer, I was a little put out. But minha companeira and I kept walking, and as we were walking we said goodnight to a lady who answered "Boa noite sisters!" Long story short, she knew who we were, and was interested in our message, and we set up a time to meet with her this week! Grateful for little experiences like this, because they testify to me that this truly is His work!

Funny story of the week. ROBBED. Here´s what happened. A few days ago, as we were walking home after a lesson (around 9:10 pm), the elders called us to follow up on the day. Sister Lucas picked up the phone, and the elder said he wanted to practice his English, so she handed the phone to me. I picked up the phone and said a few sentences, like ´Hello!´ ´How are you?´ ´Thank you!' etc, and a motorcycle passed and I thought nothing of it (ha.) As we were talking suddenly the phone was ripped out of my hand, off of my face! The guy on the moto/his friend had stopped after they saw us, he had sprinted up behind us, yelled 'Passa celular!' and ran off again. OBRIGADA POR NADA. I was so shocked when it happened I walked with my jaw-dropped and my hand open for like 8 minutes hahaha. Sister Lucas thought it was so funny when I was yelling in English - aka "I´m so mad!" haha. Joke's on them though, because that phone stinks. Ha. But yes, tchau celular. We´re still waiting to get a new one so that we can have contact with people again hahaha

This past week I made almoço with the help of Sister Finati. The Brazilians cook so well it´s unreal. Like seriously, everything I eat here is just awesome. Beans and rice are pretty much my life. Haha. But the sisters em minha casa are seriously awesome. Highlight - we made homemade fries (be still my heart) and fries are my favorite thing in this world! And lets be honest, homemade fries are the best fries.

But another busy week here in Parnaíba! The people here are so wonderful. I love the members in our ward! Even though I don´t totally understand everything they say... but they are so friendly and love the gospel so much. We have church attendance of around 50 right now, but we´re working for more! I love the chapel in our area (: especially the fact that it has a drinking fountain with clean water #blessed But church really is such a cool experience, especially this past Sunday with fast and testimony meeting.

I love the gospel and missionary work! Thank you all for your prayers and love I know they are helping me so much as I learn Português and how to become a better teacher and missionary.

Have a wonderful week!

Sister Hill