Thursday, September 29, 2016

Bom.com

YO FAM!!

This week was pretty much fantastic because yesterday the greatest thing happened!
 
So Sister Clark and I knew that none of our investigators were gonna go to church cuz we called them and they all gave the lamest excuses on the planet. And when your investigators don't go to church its real sad and that means they aren't actually progressing. BUT a miracle happened! We got to church and right before the last hour one of the members introduced us to a young man that had been at church and I saw him there and said Hi but I thought he was an investigator of the other Sisters but actually HE DECIDED TO COME TO CHURCH JUST BECAUSE HE "ALWAYS FELT A DESIRE TO GO INSIDE THIS CHURCH" and the best part is---he lives in our area!! I'm legit so pumped! The elects are coming to us! BLESS UP Y'ALL

In other news we got a new Branch President and he's the bom.com and things are looking up for our little Branch here on the other side of the world! 

And the other parts of our week weren't that exciting besides walking 3000 miles a day and making banana bread til kingdom come! 

Also this computer doesn't like my camera as well so I'll try again next week. 

quote of the week
"Missions sure are the best years of our lives, huh?"
Sister Clark  "Kindergarten was the best year of my life"

Love  
Sister Jolley

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

oatmeal

OIII Y'ALL!!!!

Here in Venancio Aires things are going well! This week was great cuz 
1) I found oatmeal in the grocery store for the first time since I got to Brasil! 
2) Sister Clark has maple flavoring so at our last District meeting we made pancakes! 
3) Elder Rais of the Area Seventy visited our mission and it was LEGIT THE BEST THING EVER! LEARNED TONS FROM THAT GUY. ALSO HE'S HILARIOUS.
He visited us on Friday so everyone went to Porto Alegre and it was the first time the whole mission has been together! (ALSO IT MEANT I GOT TO SEE SISTER COREY WHICH WAS THE BEST!!!) Our zone took a van there, and here in Brasil you gotta have an ID to ride these vans. And Sister Clark and McCandless forgot their IDs and there we were walking to the bus station and suddenly they remember (it's 6am mind you) and were running late (not a surprise) and in the end Sister Cark and I ended up running back to our apartment which is actually pretty far and we were fasting as well but we got the IDs and made it to Porto Alegre in time so it's all good! One thing I really liked that Elder Rais said is for everyone to think about the question "what am I doing today that I need to stop doing?" and "what am I not doing today that I need to start doing?" It's really important that we are constantly evaluating ourselves and repenting so that we can be the best people we can possibly be! 
This week was a little rough cuz we ended up cutting almost all of our investigators and we're starting out new this week. But I know that there are people out there waiting- and Sister Clark and I will find them!! 

Also I got to use some of my first aid skills I didn't even know I had this week! (Katana I needed you!) We were meeting up with the other sisters to go to our lunch appointment and one of them was in the act of fainting as we arrived and yours truly brought her back. BLESS UP Y'ALL

Also I don't think I'll be able to send all my way legit and cool pics cuz this computer is real sad, so sit tight and wait for next week y'all.

quote of the week
Sister Clark "I need healthier food"
We found a bakery last week and its a taking a bit of a toll y'all- whoops...

Also to all y'all suffering in school, go read Ecclesiastes 12:12 

love you guys!
Sister Jolley 

Monday, September 19, 2016

"i want to vomit"

OIIIIIIIII FAM! THIS WEEK HAS BEEN FAN-FLIPPEN-TASTIC! 

It started out with Sister Portilho leaving which was actually really sad but I got Sister Clark in exchange and she is the bom.com! But we both has the same time out here in the field so sometimes we're lacking in the Portuguese part of life but it's all good! 



Sister Clark and I have honestly been so blessed and we've found so many people prepared to accept the gospel this week! We found one family, a mom and a son and they are honestly the greatest! Our first lesson there was fantastic and as we left they told us that the night before the son had been talking with his mom and told her, "I want to be happy but I don't know how. I want God to send me angels to tell me how," and the next day WE SHOWED UP! MIRACLES FAM MIRACLES.  The mom is super caring and feeds us and has the best questions and one night we were there and it was almost 9 o'clock and she lives on the other side of town and HOMEGIRL CALLED A TAXI AND WE MADE IT HOME BEFORE 9- BLESS UP FAM-

Also I think I've worked poor Sister Clark to the bone, we walk a lot here in Venancio (like legit 20 miles some days- not exaggerating) and today she bought new shoes! Haha and we've started running in the morning cuz beans and rice don't do good things for the waistline. We'll see if we make it out of Venancio alive! 

ALSO Y'ALL ELDER NEIL A. ANDERSON  CAME TO OUR MISSION AND GAVE A BOM.COM DEVO AND IT WAS THE BEST. Elder Anderson is a member of the quorum of the twelve apostles. Sadly we didn't get to see it in person cuz there wasn't space for todo mundo in Porto Alegre. So our whole zone traveled to Caxias do Sul and watched it there and after our Zone Leaders made us lunch. It was really good! and Sister Clark and I brought banana bread and it was a hit! One thing I really liked that Elder Anderson said was, "if a person is not honest they cannot progress spiritually. It is impossible," in short- honesty is way important y'all! 

Quote of the week
*during the Sister Clark's first lunch appointment with me and the other sisters here in Venancio*
Sister Clark *trying to tell the member that she was full* "I'm full and if I eat more I think I'll throw up."
Member "what?"
Sister Clark "I want to vomit"
My goodness I don't think I've ever laughed so hard during a lunch appointment. Portuguese is a struggle y'all-LOST IN TRANSLATION ALL DAY EVERYDAY

quote of the week part 2 
Me *reading John 3:5 (go read it)*
Investigator- "I don't think I can enter the kingdom of God anyway, the Bible says the gate is narrow and I'm fat. I won't fit"
LEGIT SO FUNNY Y'ALL

Anyway I loving being a missionary and I see God working miracles here in Venancio everyday. I love my Savior and I know He lives and answers our prayers!

Sister Jolley

Friday, September 9, 2016

transfers

ALRIGHT EVERYONE! THIS WEEK WAS TRANSFERS AND YOURS TRULY WILL BE STAYING HERE IN VENANCIO! AND MY COMP WILL BE SISTER CLARK!!!! SERIOUSLY SO PUMPED!!
Also my training is done (bless up) but I'm so sad that Sister Portilho is leaving- honestly already cried and she hasn't left yet... :( 

But in other news-
We went to Porto Alegre on this week to finish up my training and SISTER COREY WAS THERE SO BLESS UP Y'ALL IT WAS GREAT-- LOVE HER-- The training was fantastic y'all, learned tons and during the training we always do these practice things where missionaries pretend to be investigators and two missionaries teach and then todo mundo talks about what you did right and what you need to improve on- AND GUESS WHAT- I WAS CALLED TO DO A PRACTICE IN FRONT OF TODO MUNDO AND THE INVESTIGATOR WAS NONE OTHER THAN THE MISSION PRESIDENT HIMSELF WOWE Y'ALL-TALK ABOUT PRESSURE- Sister Corey taught with me (BLESS UP- just like the good old days at the CTM)

But I'll have y'all know that we spent Thursday night there in Porto Alegre, and by we I mean like 30 sisters in one house and we didn't have quite enough beds, so I "slept" on the floor. It reminded me of camping out for football games- yeah I didn't sleep a wink. It was so cold and the floor was so hard- lolz what even is mission life?



Also I had yet again another encounter with the Word of Wisdom, I was making a chocolate cherry cake for our baptism this Sunday and our District Leader called and I was talking with him. I told him that I was making a "bolo de chocolate e cerveja" and he was like "really sister, cerveja?" and then everyone started laughing and making jokes about how I really am the drunkard of the mission. And there I am,  little Sister Jolley who hasn't got a clue what's going on, just trying to plan a good baptismal service, ya know?  Anyway turns out cerveja is actually beer and cereja is cherry. MAN OH MAN. SECOND LANGUAGES ARE ROUGH Y'ALL

And then our baptism fell through this Sunday and I cried for all of sacrament meeting. But, he'll be baptized next week or y'all will see me sitting there in El Paso 5th ward on the 18th of September. HAHA JOKES I'M NEVER GOING HOME

Quote of the week
*while making contacts*
Stranger "Wow you guys speak Portuguese really well for being foreigners"
Me "Ahh thanks"
*walking away*
Portilho "OF COURSE I SPEAK PORTUGUESE WELL I'M BRASILIAN!"
MAN I NEARLY DIED LAUGHING RIGHT THERE IN THE STREET 

Love y'all
Sister Jolley



Thursday, September 1, 2016

Nap time

Yo fam! 

This week was great! We had a ton a miracles happening here in Venancio! 
So on Wednesday, my comp and I legit walked across the city 2 times in one day (we usually only walk across the city one time, our investigators live really far apart) and when my comp woke up the next morning she couldn't exactly walk which was a bit of a problem. Anyway, it took me about 2 hours to convince her that she had to go to the doctor and when she finally agreed I realized that 1) I hadn't a clue where any doctor's office was and 2) that I don't have the vocabulary to really talk with a doctor cuz all I talk about is the gospel. BUT after a series of miracles we left the doctors office with a diagnosis and a prescription. I'd tell you what she has but it's in Portuguese and I haven't got a clue what it is either. ANYWAY the doctor told her she had to rest and so did President Campos- so she and I spent half the week inside our apartment. And if you think that would be fun, it actually isn't, cuz all missionaries can do is read their scriptures and clean...but I got in a couple solid naps so its all good. 


BUT THE BEST PART IS THAT DESPITE ALL THIS OUR BAPTISM STILL HAPPENED! When you have an investigator ready to be baptized you gotta follow up every day cuz Satan's working really hard in the other direction, but because we were stuck inside it looked like we wouldn't be able to follow up with him this week but we ended up getting some help from the members and things worked out. We found Sebastiao knocking doors about 3 weeks ago. He seemed like the least likely person to be baptized but I've learned that the people who seem least likely to accept are the people who end up in the baptismal font- funny how God works, huh? 

Anyway my 2nd transfer has just about finished- crazy how time flies! I've learned so much and I love every day here, the good days and rough days! 

Have a great week!

love,
Sister Jolley