holla for a dolla

OLAAAA!

Happy almost march party people! I hope everyone is happy and healthy and loving life. I am loving my new area. It´s super different, but it´s really awesome at the same time. I´ve been getting the funniest questions this week. 

"Does the United States have mosquitoes too?"

"Do you know Barack Obama?" (but pronounced bahuk oohbuma)

"What´s my name in English?"

We had a mission conference this week & Presidente Fusco talked a lot about "Loving our Neighbor" (lol companion #ficadica). He said that we can love every single person in Fortaleza, and help everyone solve their problems, but if we don´t love our companion then it´s basically for nothing. I agree with this 100%! It´s really easy to love strangers and friends and people that we´re not super close with, but why is it so hard to have patience and love for the people that we´re with 25/8!? Luckily #GRAÇAS I´ve had really good companions so far, but It´s definitely something I can improve and always strive to be a better/more Christ-like COMPANHEIRA. 

Also, I had one day/night at the casa de apoio this week!! It was so fun. I love that place. It´s literally my second home because we stayed their so much when I lived in the interior part of our mission whenever we had to do things in Fortaleza. I was there to do a "Division" with our swaggie sister training leaders. So one of them went to my area and stayed with my comp, and I went to their area and stayed with Sista Mancipe. LOVE THE GIRL. She´s from Colombia and basically Pocohantus. We were in one house when this guy started going crazy (we were in another room) but he was yelling and throwing pots and pans, and I gave Sister Mancipe the "vamos mulher lets go look", and she wanted to pray for them before leaving #goals. We prayed, and literally right after we heard the door close and he left. We were able to talk to everyone else that was there, and it was super calm. 

PRAYER WORKS. 

Say your prayerz & give lots of hugs with two cheek kisses (my new normal haha),

SISTA MOOn

p.s. I'm still so happy for my brother Mason and for BYU.  He's going to love it.

 The view from our apartment

An investigator had tons of puppies!

Sister Mancipe!  aka Pocahantus

Peace n Blessings.. VIU!

OLLAAAA!

Right now I´m sitting in an internet café and this person next to me is singing Nickleback in perfect English. If I were to learn a song in another language, I think I would pick someone other than Nickleback!!! Am I right?? #thisishowyouremindme

This first week in Pedras was really great. It´s so different being in a ward! It used to be a ward with only Elder missionaries, so I kind of feel like a celebrity there being a sista! I´m obviously loving it. Also, my new friend Mauricio was baptized!!! I only taught Senhor Mauricio for one week, but his baptism was so special. He has a two year old daughter, Alyce, and when he learned that he could be with her forever, and that she could grow up knowing Jesus better, he decided to get baptized. He has had so many trials, but growing closer to God by getting baptized gave him more hope. QUE LIINDA!

I´m still missing Limoerio a lot, and missing my sista sistas there, but I´m still happy and trying to find my flex zone here!

I la la love this quote “If you do your best, it will all work out, Put your trust in God… The Lord will not forsake us.” – Gordon B. Hinckley

It will all work out, friends and pham!!

Hugs and Love and Mosquito Bites and lots of rice,

Sister Moon

 New area and new companion

 My last week in Limoeiro. 
When I think about how I can´t see people in Limoerio until I return to Brazil it makes me really sad. I feel like I wasn´t done working there and that I need to be there, but I know that I need to be here too.

Pedras, Fortaleza-CE, Brazil

...Hey everyone!  I wasn't online yesterday because I was transferred!!  I'm still in shock because I really love Limoero do Norte with my entire heart and there are so many people there that I couldn't imagine leaving, but it happened!  Lol.  As hard as it is leaving, i'm really excited to be in Pedras!  Its a city about 30 minutes from Fortaleza and a lot closer to the beach, so it's a lot cooler here.  Also, Sister Freitas (my comp/bff5ever) isn't my comp anymore, and she's getting a new filha!  My new comp is Sister Santos (also from Sao Paulo).

We have a huge area and they already have a baptism set for this Sunday and it's a new area for sisters.  I hear that everyone loves sisters, so we have that going for us.  This area has a lot of returned missionaries that will help us and someone who coordinates all the baptisms.  I know I'll love it here!  Its just a really weird feeling leaving a place that you grew to love, with people that you love, to then arrive in a new area where you see new faces and immediately know that you'll love these people too...I don't know..Its so sad to leave but I know that its also awesome to be in this new area. 

LOVE YOU ALL and have a wonderful week!!! Also shoutoutz to the girlz who put the bae in bopper, LEX, MCC AND CHAN HBD BOP STARS!!!! And congratz to my engaged bffs lexi and kyler and mccall and brad!  Plz make me a cut out for their weddings someone please.


Beijos,

Sister Moon



Note:  We (Mallory's family) received an email yesterday from one of the families she had been visiting in her first area:  "Today has been a sad day because Sister Moon moved to a city which is 150 kilometers from here.  We will never forget her!  The farewell was very emotional, we cried and we hugged her much.  The short time that she lived here was very important and valuable for us all...I await your presence (invitation to the family) here in my house one day, maybe...Espero que todos estejam com saúde, fiquem com Deus. Tchau!"

Its a party when everyone is getting transferred!

Ja Era

COMO VAI?!  And happy Carnaval!  I'm still not really sure what this week long holiday is for, but from what I've seen in Limoero, it's pretty calm here.  We got invited to a flour fight and I've seen a lot of people wearing wigs, but that's basically all I've seen of Carnaval.  Unfortunately, almost everyone used it as an excuse not to go to church with us on Sunday.  If I had a dollar for every..."but it's Carnavaaaaal.."

Sister Freitas and I also had a trip to Fortaleza last week.  it was my first time going there without a purpose that included conference, training or an interview, so it basically was a girls trip!  I just needed a certain vaccine & Limoero doesn't have it.  The clinic was actually in the other Fortaleza Mission area boundaries (I'm in Fortaleza East Mission) and the bus times were really spread out, so we had a lot of time to explore another mission!  We at at McDonalds #Halleluja, and we went  shopping in "Central."  Central is a huge market with lots of little shops for clothes, jewelry, shoes and souveniers.  It's like the real-life Brazil version of Etsy!  It felt weird being in another Mission's boundaries, but it was a lot of fun.

Mosquito Virus' are real and horrible and exactly what they're telling yall on the news is true.  My entire district got the same virus on Tuesday (2 days ago), but we're all survivors (almost).  It's spread through mosquitoes, but you could get it in water or your food and all of our investigators had it too.  I don't believe it was the zika virus, but whatever it was, I'll spare you all of the feverish details and just say that it started with passing out in a small clinic and that set the tone, haha.  The past few days have literally been a blur, and at the point when I absolutely felt the worst of the effects, I found comfort from The Spirit as one of my favorite primary songs came to mind..."Pray, He is there.  Speak, He is listening.  You are his child.  His love now surrounds you.  He hears your prayers...."

I'm almost better now and looking for mission life to get back to normal this week.

Love you all!

Seester Lua


p.s.shoutout - Happy Birthday today to McCall Anderson!

Photo from our trip to Fortaleza

 These three photos are from the backyard of our group leader, Neudo.  They have horses, cows, guinea pigs, etc. [explanation:  when I say 'group' I'm referring to our tiny congregation which has not been officially formed into a branch or a ward]

mo' melons mo' problems

Feliz Febz pFam!

What's new in America!?  Someone please tell me what's happening to Justin Beiber!  He's been on the news in Brazil, but without sound or captions.

This week, one of my first friends in Limoero was baptized!  Vilmar is a 71 year old homie!  Seriously, he's the best.  I remember the first time visiting him, and only knowing how to say "Hola! Tudo Bem?"  but he was so welcoming and would repeat certain phrases until I understood.  I think he even told me I was speaking really well, which I knew was the biggest  lie!  But that is who he is!  He is SO kind.  Deciding to get baptized was not easy for him at all!  I can't imagine changing 71 years of habits, and he also has a fear of water, but he trusted everything in the Lord and followed the answer he received.  #tears  #quelinda

Also, we think/know our house is haunted!  Haha its actually so scary, but funny at the same time.  Lots of creepy things have happened, but the funniest is something I feel like Mckall would do (s/o love ya).  So we had this watermelon, and one day Sister Freitas walked into our room and asked me if I carved the name "Antonia" in the watermelon...I was so confused by the question!  We asked Sister Jeppsen and Sister Lemeu, and they didn't either, obviously.  We still don't know how it got there and other weird things have been happening, so we dedicated our house this week.

This week was also a milestone because I gave my first talk in portuguese!  I had to kind of yell because we don't have a microphone, and I had to talk over big fans, but it went really well!  Yelling talks is fun because you can throw in a "Halleluja" or "Amen" and it's totally normal.  I was a little bit nervous because I didn't have time to prepare, but the words were there!  #PTL

This week should be pretty chill because Carnival starts next week!  (kind of like Mardi Gras, but hot) #turnt  I just hope my favorite bakeries aren't closed.  #prayersplz

Love you all!  Especially you mom & dad!

Tchau, um beijo!

Seester Moon

Also, happy day late bday, Han!  LOVE YOU!