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!

#SóVai

Happy Monday everyone!

This week we had another conference in Fortaleza!  it was really cool because it was for all of the missionaries in the world.  The message of all of the talks was "teach repentance and baptize converts,"  and when it was over, my mission president added "do this today!"  He said that we don't need to wait for Sundays to baptize and to just do it!  I kind of love this.  If people have a response from Heavenly Father and a sincere desire to get baptized, why wait?  He also told us to look up everyone in the Area Book and go and visit them.  This kind of stressed me out because...hello!  I'm directionally challenged & our area is huge!  And also because we also already had a really full schedule, but we spent Sunday visiting all these people from the Area Book and it was amazing!  Seriously all of them are amazing and ready and receptive and one of them speaks English!    Can I get a hallelujah?!

As for other miracles in my life, I found something almost like a peanut butter cup, but without chocolate, but it somehow tastes the same?  magic!  Its called Pacoquita, and I found a Pacoquita acai bowl!  Dreams do come true!

The best part of the week was Elayne's baptism!  She is the smartest, most valient menina I know.  it was really really special and in a river!  #baptismgoals  #obrigadafortherain

My mom sent me a quote this week that I love & think its something everyone needs to hear...."God sees you not only as a mortal being on a small planet who lives for a brief season, He sees you as HIS child.  He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become.  He wants you to know that you matter to Him."  President Uchtdorf

Also,  you all matter to me!  Hehe
Lots of hugs and love from Brazil!

Seester Moon

paralelepipedo

BOM DIA!  This week was one of my favorite weeks so far!  I love my companion & the people that we're teaching.  Oh, and I had my first dream in Portuguese!  #milestones  I was teaching a lesson and rapchhatting at the same time, it was the best of both worlds!


We started teaching a really sweet grandma and grand-daughter.  Their names are Maria Beatriz and Patricia and I'm low key obsessed with both of them!  They are helping me reach my goal of becoming a sassy brasiliera.  We gave Maria Beatriz a Plan of Salvation pamphlet and she told us that she already read it!  She said that she found one in the hospital where her son passed away.  Wow! She already knew all about it and said that it brought her a lot of comfort and happiness. That's exactly what God wants for us!  His plan really is for us to be happy.


Sometimes when somebody's accent is really thick, I have a hard time understanding and start thinking in English to translate word for word.  So the other day I was doing this & this man told me I look like a "Santa" and I said (semi-offended lol) "Papai Noel?"  He said "NO"  a Saint.  He thought this was the funniest thing in the world and now he calls me Sister Papai Noel!


Well I love you all & miss you all seriously so much!  Thank you for emailing me!  Mondays are the best.


xoxo  Sister Lua Papai Noel
*hits the dab*
btw, I still love Gustavo Lima

 You know that lava game at recess?? me everyday

p.s. I'm READY for the sun again.  Rain is so gross and my feet are always muddy.
We have 31 investigators with a date!!!  They just need to get to church.

Pe-laaaa Fé

What’s gucci pham?

This week I finish 3 months!  It’s felt like 3 years/3minutes at the same time  #trippy.   This week I also got a new companion & found out I’m staying in Limoeiro do Norte for at least 6 more weeks!  #blessed  because I didn’t bring my suitcases to Fortaleza or say bye to anyone!  My companion is really, really great!  Her name is Sister Freitás and is from Sau Paulo.  I feel like we’ve known each other forever.  She’s 4’11 (I think) the whole metric system conversion thing throws me off.  I remember king Henry died by drinking chocolate milk, but how does that help me weigh myself?!  Lol.  But anyways, Sister Freitas is so swag & I know we chose each other before this life to be comps.  We start /end every sentence with “MULHER” – woman or girrrl in Portuguese.  It’s my new favorite expression & I think its helping me reach my goal of becoming a sassy Latina.

We received lots and lots of rain this week!  Which was great because I was cold for once, but one particular day we were walking in muddy water past our calves with frogs EVERYWHERE.  It was kind of my worst nightmare & I mean that in the most dramatic way possible.  We were also a little bit lost because I don’t have a very good sense of direction & especially here in Limoeiro the roads aren’t marked very well at all.  Everything in our bags was wet (including our maps) & I just wanted to find a place I recognized so we could get back on the right path. 

We walked past a house with a really sweet old man standing in front & before we could even say “bom dia,” he said “Opa!”  “Come in!”  When we walked in, sister Freitas and I looked at each other and said “wow” because the spirit was so strong & present in their home!  We met his wife, some of his children and grandchildren and they’re committed to baptism!  YAY!

This has kind of been a pattern this week.  We get lost, I get a little bit annoyed with myself for not remembering directions (since I am not the one new to town like Sister Freitas), but we always find really really good people to teach!  Maybe we’ll keep trying to ‘get lost”?  I know in certain moments, especially when the frogs were jumping at my legs, I was thinking, “Father, why aren’t you helping us?  We have people to teach and things to do, and I hate frogs!”  I’m so happy that despite my complaining, He gave us some more of his children to teach and to love!

Love Y’all

Seester Lua

 I don't have any pics with my new companion yet!! sorry, but she is really nice.  She reminds me of Grandma Moon.  They have the same smile and she is really funny also.

 When Christmas is over, but your mixtape dropped

my favorite fruit EVER pitaya 

Mallory only has 30 minutes each Monday for emailing, so she hand writes her weekly letter and emails it and and other pictures that are then posted in this blog, then she reads and answers and writes emails to other and then she usually has a few minutes for some back and forth emails with mom.   Keli usually has a couple of questions...

Keli asked:  "So do you all teach a lot of lessons each day?  The sisters here in Allen were curious.

Mallory answered:  "We teach probably 12ish lessons a day, sometimes up to 20."

gabolice-licious

Happy New Year everyone!  So, I'm in Fortaleza again...for the second time this week (the first was for interviews), but this time I'm dropping off my companion, Sister Sanchez, who is going back to Columbia!  I feel like I'm experiencing a death or something.  Having your "Mai" vai embora is traumatizing!  But not as traumatizing as having a BAT in your house!!

On this week's episode of Bindi the Jungle Girl or Survivor or somewhere in between, a real life bat would not leave our house.  I keep having dreams of myself sleeping with bats all over me #wildlifegoals

Other than gaining a new roommate, other exciting and not so exciting things happened.  We had festas on festas.  Elder Gomes da Silva had a birthday.  We threw a going away party for Elder Hamrick and Sister Sanchez and for New Years Eve, we ate lots of churascos.  Our neighbors/everyone in Limoeiro were setting off actual stadium sized fireworks in our backyard.  I kinda felt like I was going to catch fire, but in the words of Katy Perry "let your colors burn!"  Nobody was feeling like a plastic bag!  (McC, I know you've been wondering this!)

Other good news is that I've been getting lots of compliments on my Portuguese (which has been a struggle) #PRAISES, and Sister Sanchez and I found really great families to teach!

But this week was also really hard.  It's hard when at the last minute people don't want to come to church or get baptized.  It's hard because I just want them to be happy & to have the happiness the gospel brings.  It's all good though, next week will be better!

I've read this quote probably 30 times this week because it's just perfect:  "I have absolute certain knowledge, perfect knowledge that God loves us.  He is good.  He is our Father and He expects us to pray and trust and be believing and not give up and not panic and not retreat and not jump ship when something doesn't seem to be going just right.  We stay in, we keep working, we keep believing, keep trusting, following the same path, and we will live to fall in His arms and feel his embrace and hear Him say "I told you it'd be OK, I told you it'd be all right."  - Elder Holland (of course)

What could be more comforting?  I know God loves Limoero do Norte & I know God loves me & I know he loves y'all!

Have the best week!

xoxo

Seester Moon

This is my desk

This is the mission home

I GOT MY PACKAGE - Thank you so much

the PJ tradition is still alive!!! s/o sis Jeppsen and her mom!

his prayers are my favorite because he calls us angels. MY HEART

 Birthday Party for Elder Gomes da Silva

 Princesses of Limoeiro in the Princess of the Valley

"If you're reading this, Papai Noel was here" - Drake

"OY!"  I hope everyone had a fun Christmas and if you didn't eat cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, please eat one for me right now!

Our district received a special surprise from President Fusco this week - we got to travel to Fortaleza for Natal!  Honestly, I'm so thankful we were able to go, because all of our members were going out of town & Christmas was looking a little bleak.  My companion and another Elder in my district spent almost their whole missions in the same area in Fortaleza, so we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas with families that they knew well from their previous service areas.  Our mission has a house for the "interior sisters" to stay in when we come to Fortaleza for an interview, doctors appt, conference, etc.  and its so fun!  I love the sisters that live at the "Casa de Apoio,"  and we all went caroling/visiting members on Christmas Eve.  We were singing in Portuguese to people I didn't know, but I was able to listen to people bear their testimonies of Jesus Christ, and I was able to talk about how much I love him too!  A spirit of love entered peoples' homes, and that's the message of Natal!  Jesus Christ was born for love.  It was a really special Christmas - I still wanted my family and friends, but it was still a lot of fund, AND I GOT TO SKYPE MY FAM, Que bençao!

Fun Facts of the week:

1. I never knew I was afraid of clowns until one chased me down the street  - 3 stray dogs started to run with me lolz.  The clown ended up being really nice.  he just wanted to sell us candy!  I'm still glad the dogs had my back though. 
   
2. If you ever miss me, look up Gusttavo Lima and I'm probably singing/dancing to one of his songs in the street.  He's a homie!
3. I've noticed Limoeiro is REALLY abundant in two things lately:  Churches and Acai Bowl places.  To all my Provo Gurlz - ya'll would be in Heaven!  But its still no Ivies.
4. I can finally tell the difference between gunshots and fireworks!!  It makes life a lot easier.
5. Yesterday the Elders had a baptism, but they couldn't find a pool to use so for two hours yesterday we walked around Limoeiro asking people if they had a pool.  I felt like a girl scout!!  Nobody had a pool, but we met a lot of new nice people and the Elders had their baptism in a water park!  #goals

TCHAU, TCHAU!

Seesta Moon

The highlight of our Christmas breakfast

The ying to my yang in Fortaleza, SISTA RUSHING

district meetings are nothing without the pole de selfie