Tuesday, October 31, 2017

There can be miracles when you believe

People I don't know if I told you guys about Diná, so I"ll tell you guys today. She's 80, she's smoked her whole life and her family  has been  Catholic for generations. Now Diná doesn't smoke, she ran off the JWs and is way pumped to get baptized. "THERE CAN BE MIRACLES WHEN YOU BELIEVE"

So my sister asked me to tell a funny story this week, so we'll see what I've got.

So on Saturday we got a call from a member in our branch telling us that at the stake center there would be an activity where the Church would  be giving awards to some people and some programs that have helped preserve families and she told us that there would be a group of Scouts from Campo Bom and that she wanted us to go there to  make contact with them and hopefully  meet a few families to teach. So we happily called President and he gave us permission. We worked like crazy all day to visit all the people we had to before 7:00. Then we went to Novo Hamburgo and lemme just tell you how I was looking at this point of the day...I was wearing an orange shirt backwards because the front had a stain, a skirt 4 sizes too big (this is a cute skirt that I found in one of the  missionary apartments and instead of making it smaller I just moved the button over so that one side has more fabric than the other) and I was sporting what I fondly call "os sapatos da guerra" because they're on their second mission and are really comfortable but they're also really ugly and discolored, and low key on their last. Also I didn't have a speck of makeup and my hair was slicked back in a nasty bun.

And suddenly all these really well dressed people showed up and then the MAYOR showed up and there I was looking like I had fallen off the turnip truck AND IN THE END NONE OF THE SCOUTS WANTED TO HEAR OUR MESSAGE. 

Also a  bunch of American missionaries arrived in the mission and  the president was giving training for them and they weren't understanding much so he asked me to explain some stuff in English. So I walked to the front, grabbed the mic, opened my mouth and nothing came out. And then I got all red in the face and said "Presidente, não consigo" PEOPLE I'M A LOST CAUSE. I write  and read English but speaking is really rough. I think this is the first time in my life that I told President "no" I think I'll just stay here for another transfer or two or for the rest of forever. JK 

Have a great week

Love
Sister Jolley

Thursday, October 19, 2017

rain rain go away come again NEVER

Oi familia!!! 
By some miracle this week we didn't turn into frogs because with the amount of rain that fell from the sky we were getting close. I don't think I ever spent a week soaking wet like I spent this one! But in the end it's all BLESSINGS. In my prayers I starting thanking God for the rain because hating it wasn't helping anything! 

But this week it also rained blessings and miracles!! One day in the rain our plans had all fallen through and so we said a little prayer and took out our planners and found a contact that we made like 3 weeks ago that we hadn't been able to find at home, so we decided to go there! We got there and she wasn't home AGAIN but her mom was and she let us in and told us that her dream is to be baptized but she just hasn't found the right church to be baptized in! BLESS UP because now she's talking to the right people! 

We had splits with the sisters in Santa Cruz and I passed through my beloved Venancio on the bus! It's crazy to think that it's been more than 1 year ago that I left Venancio! We had splits with Sister Whiting and Sister Freitas! Sister Whiting is from my group! and my whole group will be home in 9 days BUT I WON'T SO BLESS UP Y'ALL! There is nothing better than being a missionary!

We marked a wedding today! November 24th! I'm so excited! Nothing better than planning other people's weddings! and baptisms!

Yesterday we were at the mission office and all the sudden I got signed up the play the violin at a training we're gonna give on Wednesday..I think it's been 4 years since I played...I'll start praying for the gift of music instead of the gift of tongues! 

I'll send more pics next week!


Love you guys

Sister Jolley 


Saturday, October 14, 2017

A week of parties

So this week was literally just a week of parties! Lemme tell you about it!

So the parties started on Tuesday, where we had a dinner for all the sister leaders at President and Sister Campos's home,as the Brasilians say it,"foi chique foir muiiitooo chique." Sister Araújo and I gave a training and so did Sister Campos. THEN we all stayed the night at their house and had a huge sleepover. Don’t worry you read that right, we had a sleepover at mission presidents house! Then during the afternoon we had mission leadership conference! It went really well! We gave a training titled "Leading in the Savior’s Way." I don’t think I ever spent so much time prepping for a training: I read almost all of the 4 gospels in the New Testament. 


We got back to our area on Thursday with just enough time to execute wedding but like always, there has to have opposition...our handy dandy cellular decided to stop working and no one could call us and we couldn’t call anyone. Imagine trying to plan a wedding without a phone and without a car, not to mention that the wedding is held in a chapel that’s not in your area! I've decided to just start loving the challenges in life. BUT in the end it all worked out and DIOGO AND LUANA GOT MARRIED AND GOT BAPTIZED. ATÈ QUE EM FIM. We taught these people for an eternity, me and 3 different companions!




Fun Story
So even though this week was full of parties it was high key stressful and I ended up breaking out a ton and a member told me, "Sister if you eat 4 eggs a day for a month your skin will get better" These Brasilians and their comments kill me.

Love you guys

Sister Jolley


PS hope you guys enjoy the pic of me leading the fam in a 7 min plank




Wednesday, October 4, 2017

And there are miracles when you believe

ALRIGHTY SO I'LL CUT RIGHT TO THE GOOD STUFF

YOU GUYS REMEMBER RAQUEL? Well if you don't I'll just give you a back up we taught her for the first time last Saturday, she went to church on Sunday and  we went back to teach her on Wednesday. AND SHE SAID "I ALREADY STOPPED DRINKING COFFEE AND I'M READING THE BOM EVERYDAY" people I almost cried right on the spot and then she said "OUR PLAN IS TO GET MARRIED AND THEN I'LL GET BAPTIZED" PEOPLE MIRACLES ARE REAL!!!  She and her family went to 2 sessions of general conference and she LOVED it! 
On the other hand Dariana and her 4 daughters don't wanna get baptized anymore...I love learning more about agency...
 Also  you guys remember about the house where the branch meets? our ghetto chapel? WELL during the last session of general conference it started getting really really windy and then it started a downpour like no other and it also started a downpour INSIDE THE BUILDING. Sometimes you just have to laugh. Nothing better than taking your investigators to church for the first time and then it rains on them WHILE THEY'RE INSIDE. Also the power went out so we didn't even get to watch the whole session....

But despite all that, I really enjoyed general conference. I don't know why but this time it just hit me really hard that the people that I was watching and hearing speak really are apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. Its something that I testify of everyday. I have a photo of them that I carry in my bag to show to people. I really had my testimony strengthened.



quote of the week
Member "what countries have you visited?"
Me "Mexico and Canada" 
Sister Araújo "Sister he asked what countries you've visited"
Me "yeah Mexico and Canada"
Sister Araújo "Canada's a country ? ...I thought it was part of the US" 


All of ya'll are welcome to take geography 101 with me and Sister Araújo...vão aprender muito, tenho certeza


Have a great week

Sister Jolley