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

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

500 Miracles

Oi Família! 

This week was really busy and really hot and really great! We are preparing a few families to be baptized in the next few weeks! One of them is Dariana and her 4 daughters, I think I told you guys a bit about them last week. We decided to wait another week to baptize them because they weren't exactly ready and are dealing with a lot of opposition but we're here firm in the faith that this week tudu vai dar certo! Nicole and Cris received the gift of the Holy Ghost and they received some of the most powerful blessings that I have ever heard anyone receive as they were given the gift of the Holy Ghost. I am so grateful for the day that I decided to listen to the Spirit and we talked to a 13 year old girl on the street! 

Another bit of fun news is that this week was a state holiday here in Rio Grande do Sul! the 7th of September is independence day in Brazil but the 20th of September is when all of Rio Grande do Sul celebrates and commemorates the war they LOST  to secede from the rest of Brasil...and I thought Texas had state pride! Esses Gaúchos, neguém entende. They have parades and dress up and act out the war and make churrasco and drink more chimarrão than normal, if that is even possible.

So last week I hit 500 days as a missionary! Nearly 2 years ago when I  was planning and preparing to go on a mission I made a goal to record a miracle for every single day and every single day I have found a miracle. This week I was reflecting on a few of these miracles. 

- I remember being the the CTM and giving a full lesson in Portuguese 2 days after I arrived. 

- I remember the first time I gave the Restoration lesson and could actually say what I wanted to say and not be hindered by memorized phrases and lack of vocabulary. 

- I remember the miracle of loving some companions that were hard to love, of finding strength to keep working on the hard days and long days but mostly-- 

- I remember the miracle of teaching these amazing Brazilian people and watching them change to become more like Christ and find more happiness! 

Some miracles you can see in a day, others in a week and others only after a transfer or two but I testify that our God is a God of miracles. Moroni as he closes the last few chapters of the Book of Mormon he testifies of miracles as well, he says 

"And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me. 

And he hath said: Repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, and have faith in me, that ye may be saved. 

And now, my beloved brethren, if this be the case that these things are true which I have spoken unto you, and God will show unto you, with power and great glory at the last day, that they are true, and if they are true have the days of miracles ceased?

 Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them?... Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men..."  Moroni 7:33-37

I add my  testimony to the testimony of Moroni, I know that God is a God of miracles and that he is the head of this great miraculous and marvelous work. He lives and loves us.

love you guys!

Sister Jolley

ps   I had to put half of these words in google translate to remember how to say them in English and the other half for how to spell them. Haha I never thought I would forget the word hindered or how to spell marvelous. This is why my emails are so short! Falando ingles de novo...bem, o negócio vai ser tri tenso voltando pra casa. 

And then it rained

Oi Família! 

This week it rained and rained and rained and then rained some more. Just how I like it! hahah jk. But besides the rain,  this week went really well. On Tuesday we went to the airport to welcome the new missionaries and 7  American Elders arrived. It was amazing to see  how well they could speak Portuguese after just 6 weeks of training. The gift of tongues never stops amazing me! An Elder  from my  home town stake arrived and it was really weird to talk to someone who knows the same people and places that I know. Its been so long since I've talked to some one from El Paso Texas! 

On Thursday we got back to Campo Bom and we found some amazing people to teach! We'll be having a wedding and baptism in a few weeks and we are  also teaching a family of 5! A mom and her 4 daughters! They are so excited about getting baptized! At church they were telling everyone about their upcoming baptism. Its amazing to see how the gospel changes the lives of people. We we went back to their house to follow-up the first lesson and their mom told us how she knew that Joseph was a prophet and that they wanted to get baptized, this was such a marking moment, the spirit was so strong. Its moments like these that make it all worth it!

love you guys

Sister Jolley

The Extra Mile

This week was really busy and really AMAZING 

We started out the week in Porto Alegre and went to the temple! It's great to have comps that are leaving the mission because you end up going to the temple! We gave the training on Wednesday and had splits with the sisters from Neópolis on Friday! 

The weather this week has been KILLER hot here in Campo Bom, and its technically still winter here until the 21st so yeah summer will be super fun! 

The best part of the week was the baptism of Cris, Nicole and Elisa! It was so incredibly special! And the whole branch attended too! They are 3 really special and really inspiring people. I'm so amazed at how the Lord prepared them to be baptized. Elisa (the  grandma) told us that at night when Nicole was sleeping she would go in Nicole's room, kneel down,and pray at the edge of her bed asking God to send angels to protect Nicole from the evils of the world. And then we showed up! I know that we were sent to find and teach and baptize this family! Becoming an instrument in the hands of God to help in the work of salvation is amazing,  being a missionary is the best thing I ever chose to do!

Sister Pedrosa left after the baptisms for Porto Alegre and my new comp, Sister Araújo, will be arriving here in Campo Bom in a few hours! 

Also, I have an announcement!

After lotsa prayer, fasting and 2 interviews with President Campos I WILL BE STAYING ANOTHER MONTH! I'LL BE HEADED HOME ON DECEMBER 5TH! Just in time for Christmas! 

Love you guys,

Sister Jolley

Foi Chique

Oi Familia!

This week was full of miracles!!! Our leadership council went really really well! The spirit was sooo strong I was able to learn a lot as I prepared and gave training. Out training was about becoming a consecrated missionary. 

The biggest and best miracle of them all is that Cris and Nicole and Elisa all went to church and NICOLE TOLD US THAT SHE WANTS TO BE A MISSIONARY ONE DAY!!! ahhhhhhhhh I'm so excited, their baptism will be next Sunday! The Branch here loves them and they are excited for the baptism. In our little branch there are 15 active young woman and the young women's president is so excited to have another join the gang! She visited Nicole yesterday with us and gave her a personal progress book and all that stuff and Nicole is pumped! 

ALSO PEOPLE on Monday Sister Pedrosa and I went to Gramado with President and Sister Campos and as the Brazilians would say, it was "foi chique, foi muuuuuuuuuuito chique"

 

My dear companheira Sister Pedrosa will be going home next week and lemme tell you there are A LOT  of emotions when your mission is ending and the only way to get over it is WORK. Thank goodness I still have a while before i'm heading home

Sister Jolley

the JWs

Alrighty folks THIS WEEK WAS AMAZING AND FULL OF MIRACLES AND I'M SO EXCITED AND CAMPO BOM IS LEGIT THE BEST AREA EVER.

Also I've realized that my emails have gotten worse and worse with time so this week I'll send a longer one to make up for all the other ones lolz.

So on Monday we went to Porto Alegre to have a meeting with President and the assistants to plan the leadership council which I'm really excited about. This one, it was inspired! I'm excited for this Wednesday when we'll be able to give our training!

Sister Pedrosa and I invented a new way to go on splits so we talked to President and we did a test run on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sister Pedrosa stayed in Porto Alegre and I took Sister Aguayo to Campo Bom with me! She is so cute! She was trained by the sister I trained, so it was cool to get to know her. Also on Wednesday it was SOOOOO HOT I got sunburnt. 

On Thursday morning Sister Aguayo and I left home at 6 am and got to Porto Alegre at 8 am where we met up with Sister Pedrosa and Sister Aguayos comp. Then Sister Pedrosa and I took a bus to Santa Cruz where we met up with President Campos to start traveling to Passo Fundo! On the road President passed through my first area- VENANCIO AIRES- and I got out of the car to take a photo. It was really weird to see all the same places and same roads, we passed in front of the apartment where I lived. Can't believe it was a year ago that I was there! Then we continued the trip to Passo Fundo. 

So Passo Fundo is the zone where every missionary wants to be transferred. There there are the best members, the best lunch, the biggest zone, the best area to work, the people are receptive and all the missionaries hear stories about Passo Fundo their whole missions. So logically I wanted to be transferred to Passo Fundo BUT looking at how things are I've realized that some dreams just don't come true. BUT We asked President if we could go with him and sister Campos to Passo Fundo and he let us! We got there on Thursday afternoon and started splits with the sisters there and on Friday as well. Well I learned that not all tall tales are true and that Campo Bom is the best area in the mission! BUT Passo Fundo is pretty cool! Passo Fundo is also the farthest area in the mission so we took a bus at 2am on Saturday and got back to good 'ol Campo Bom at 8:30! And then we worked all of Saturday afternoon and Sunday and it was great to be back home!

On Saturday we went to visit Nicole, I think I wrote you guys about her a few weeks back. Well in these last few weeks it turned out that her dad wasn't gonna let her be baptized until she had 18 years! It was really disappointing news. But we kept going back there with lotsa faith that it would all work out and started teaching her sister and her grandma. Well on Saturday her grandma told us that that morning a missionary from the JWs had visited her. And I just thought ''QUE DROGA" And she kept talking and she said that after he left she thought to herself "you know what, I'm just gonna get baptized in the Mormon church" HAHAHAHAHA I think this may be the first time the JWs missionaries were used by God to help one of his children enter into the TRUE CHURCH. Anyway so now Nicole and her Grandma are gonna get baptized on the 10th!

 

I'm so grateful for the miracles that God lets happen in the lives of His children so that they can receive true happiness!

Have a great week

love

sister Jolley