Wonderful Week Lots to Look Forward to

This week has been wonderful we had so many awesome lessons and I'm feeling better and better about the language. I think the less I stress about it the better it goes I just have to take it one day at a time and be patient. My companion is so diligent and she helps me a lot with all my studies. I've been teaching her some English too it's so funny because her voice totally changes when she speaks English. She says mine changes a lot too and that I sound a lot sweeter in Portuguese ha ha, so that's good. I've been able to talk with quite a few American sisters on the phone the past couple of days and they are so awesome I can't wait to meet them all in person.  I think I will see some this Saturday because Pres. Hart grandchildren are having a fireside, so that should be good.  For Christmas everyone gets together at president’s Hart's house.  I'm so excited for that I walked our whole Mission area including the other sister’s side on Saturday it really is HUGE!!!  I'm a little nervous about when sister O leaves me.  I hope I can find everything we’re working together on trying to remember where everyone lives without looking at the addresses and I know about half which is perfect because I'm about halfway through my training. Can you believe that.  It feels like I just got here I can't imagine leaving St. Antonio it makes me sad to think one day I will be transferred.  I love it more and more every day. Our ward is so awesome and the people are incredibly friendly it is really starting to feel like home.  I feel so grateful that I can serve here it is truly a special place and I'm so happy.  I will be here for Christmas It will be strange to have a hot Christmas but at least I will be with my little Brazilian family and sister O. will still be here I made a Christmas tree for our living room I will send you pictures next week when it's all done I know I'm exactly where I need to be, doing exactly what Heavenly Father wants me to do.  I love serving these people, through them I learned so much about the nature of Christ and my relationship with him has been strengthened continue  prayer, study and service and I know the Lord will bless you.  I love you all so much.

 Love always.

Sister McKenzie

Working on My Portuguese Personality

two month anniversary today! i cant believe how the time has flown! im getting more and more used to the culture here and am really loving it. im understanding almost everything, its just speaking now!! but the sisters we live with and my companion help so much. this week was wonderful! i got to meet sister B. and she is awesome! we get along so well! she was with us all day and i learned so much from her. she speaks sooo well. she said when she first got here it was difficult to have a personality in portuguese. ive definitely seen this in myself too. this week ive been praying to have more of a personality and its been working! ive laughed so much! we also had a zone meeting this week, it was great to see some americans and the training was awesome! oh and i got my christmas package! thank you thank you thank you! everyone loved the american candy and i was happy to get all my christmas decorations! the reading light and step counter were sister O. favorites haha. after the conference, we had the best lunch at a members house. i want that to be my next area but they said they dont have sisters because of safety :( the countryside here is so beautiful! today we are going on a hike somewhere by a waterfall i think (they said water but im not sure if they meant lake or waterfall haha). i absolutely love it here! the people are so kind and ive already learned so much. it is truly amazing to see the lords hand in this work. i know that he is ever with us when we put Him first. thank you for all of your love, i pray for you everyday! love you my sweet family!

xoxo

sister mckenzie

Week Two Santo Antonio De Jesus

This week flewwwww by! I can´t believe it´s already p day! Now I understand when people say that the mission goes by quick. If every week goes by this fast, I will be back in no time! Sister Oliveira and I are loving it here in Saint Antonio. The people are all so kind and our ward is wonderful. I really could not ask for a better place to serve. It makes me sad to think that I will be transferred someday :(.Our area is so beautiful. The roads are all cobblestone and since its really hilly we you can see the whole city from some streets. We walk like crazy and I love it! Sister Oliveria and I practice Portuguese phrases and sing American music. She loves Coldplay and always asks me to sing their songs for her. I think she doesn´t realize I´m a terrible singer because it´s in English haha.I always forget that she doesn´t speak English because we talk so much and I always remember the conversation in English haha. She really does want to learn and shes getting some phrases down really well! her and sister morais (one of the other sisters that lives with us) love pretending like they speak English; they just say random scriptures theyve memorized or part of the missionary purpose then say ´`ya i think so too`` hahaha its so funny. 

I love the other sisters that live with us. Its fun to have four together, we laugh so much and they save us when we forget the keys haha. Sister Morais is seriously one of the funniest people I´ve ever met. We work on English together and she helps me with my Portuguese. Oh Portuguese! Why do you have so many verb conjegations?? Thats definitely the hardest thing for me so far. Besides that, the language is coming right along. Im understanding most everything that people say. Only a few older people have really thick accents but you can usually guess at what they are saying. Just have to keep speaking and studying and I know it will come! 

The food is wonderful! Its very simple and I´ve yet to encounter anything that I feel like I aboslutely cannot eat. There are tons of street vendors here and really good ice cream shops. I´ve heard that some of the other areas have strange food, but that Saint Antonio is a really good. I agree! Our zone is so awesome too; it´s us sisters, and two elders. We meet every week and our zone leader (who is American) always helps me with grammar which is so great. This Friday we are going to Salvador for a mission conference. I´m so excited!!! I will be able to see everyone from my CTM family!!!!!!!!!! ahh! And President and Sister Hart! They are the best! It´s going to be wonderful! Oh and tomorrow guess who´s coming to visit us?! Sister Benedict!!! I finally get to meet her in real life!!!!!!!!!

 Well, I hope everything is going so well at home. Continue to read your scriptures and pray together. There is comfort, strength and joy in doing so. The Lord is preparing things for you far greater than anything you can imagine. Trust Him. Follow His way. Remember Him in all that you do, and you will find happiness and peace. I love you all and miss you (but in a happy way:)) I pray for you everyday (in Portuguese). Talk to you soon!

xoxo

Sister McKenzie

Sister McKenzie's First Area Santo Antonio De Jesus

hello todo mundo!!!!!! ah what a week it has been! well first and most exciting thing of the week, a baptism this week!!!! i he is so awesome! we taught him the last lesson on saturday night and the elders and the bishop came with us. he had a lot of questions about the bible and the book of mormon. the bishop´(who is sooo awesome) helped to answer a lot of his doubts. then he asked about the gift of tongues. our district leader (elder s, hes great) turned to me haha. i bore my testimony and im not sure what i said but the spirit was there. when i finished elder s. said, "and that is the gift of tongues". i was so happy! my companion told me after that i said everything correctly :) about the language, im understanding almost everything and the accent really isnt as strong as people said it was. its a lot harder to speak though. i told president i was understanding a lot and he was happy. he told me to know verb conjugations and then everything else would come naturally. so im working on that now with sister o. my beautiful, wonderful companion. oh i cant wait till you guys meet her! she is wonderful! she knows the city so well and we always have people to teach. she is so patient with me and we work together in teaching our investigators. she really wants to learn english so its perfect! we laugh so much. mostly about things i say hahah. like saturday when we were street contacting i told a man "ontem e domingo" sister o. was writing in her planner so she didnt hear me to correct me. i kept saying "ontem e domingo" and the man kept looking at me and not saying anything. then sister o. started laughing. ontem definitely means yesterday. i was saying yesterday was sunday..on saturday. hahahah oh gosh i have a lot to learn. but the people are so nice and dont laugh or anything. sister o. says its easier because i look american so people dont really expect me to speak portuguese, nessa would have a harder time haha, and you too mom. they always ask me to say something in english haha. and everyone here think im 14 hahah. oh and the food here is wonderful! we always eat lunch with members and it has all been so good! its usually meat, a vegetable, rice, pasta and juice. and the fruit is soooo good and so is the bread ahh. we walk a ton and saint antonio de jesus is super hilly. and it is hot! but not too bad really. im so glad i brought good shoes and lots of short sleave shirts, those two things have saved me. and hand santizer thats a life saver too. and my water bottle. those things and my scriptures and im ready for anything! oh and my dictionary, that is also veryyyyyyyy necessary. our ward is so wonderful and the chapel here is beautiful! we are working on reactivation with some of the members, but the ward is really strong. the bishop is seriously the best and his family is so cute. we love them! we are working with the members for references and we have more great people to teach this week! it has been a little bit of a culture shock. the people live much differently here. but i couldnt ask for a better place to serve. im so happy here! i forgot to tell you, we live with two other sisters. they are both brazilian, one was sister o's trainer and had been out for 8 months, they are both so sweet and so beautiful. we eat lunch with them everyday and its always fun to come home and tell each other funny stories that happened that day. i really feel at home here. im already sad for the day i have to leave, i know it will go by super fast. ok im going to try to send pictures now! muito amor from brazil!

xoxo

sister mckenzie (maakenseee for brazilians)

Santo Antonio De Jesus

Sister McKenzie

The sisters that live together

Santo Antonio De Jesus

Santo Antonio De Jesus

Baptism

Made it to SALVADOR and is off to a Good Start

im here im here im here!!! and its better than anything i had imagined! we left at 4:30 this morning and the flight was problem free. the elders and sisters i traveled with are seriously the best ever. im at presidents house now listening them play the piano and sing its so wonderful. the president met us the airport with his sweet wife. they are so so so great! i love them so much already. oh my goodness salvador is beautifulllllllllllllll. words cannot describe it. its like hawaii. its so green and sunny! just how we like it! i really had no idea it was going to be this beautiful. i cant wait to send you pictures! its honestly one of the prettiest places ive ever seen. and i have a brazilian trainer!!! i dont know who yet but i looked at the board and it only has blank spaces next to brazilians! and a sister emailed me and said my trainer is wonderful!!!!!!!! im so excited! today we are resting here,  we can take a nap or read before lunch. then we have some training, meet our companion and head out! its so peaceful and wonderful here, i can think of no better way to start this journey! today has been perfect! the lord has been with me every step of the way and i couldnt be more joyous. what an amazing blessing it is to be here. i feel like im in a dream! ok i should go now! the monkeys say hi too! (theyre everywhereeee) love you all so much!

xoox

sister mckenzie

The Sao Paulo Temple