This week was calm...

This week was calm. The world is on Holiday por causa da Copa. We have to go home early the days that Brazil plays, but we can hear who is winning from inside our apartment. The extra study time is wonderful! Conference talks finally arrived!!!!!!!!! PERFECT TIMING. The new Sisters are doing so well! We love them! Sister Reis was a little worried- living with three Americans but we only speak English when ABSOLUTELY necessary (words like awkward, creepy and random which do not have a Portuguese equivalent :/) but other than that we´re 100% FSL (fala sua língua).

Last goodbye to President and Sister Hart. We went to Petrolina for Zone Conference and their despedida. I can´t believe we´re already saying tchau, I just arrived at their house to meet Sister Oliveira (my trainer). And now here I am with my own filha just three days away form 9 months ahhh. I am so grateful to have had President and Sister Hart as my mission parents these last eight months. They´ve been there through the hardest parts of my mission, Always so loving, kind- truly angels. They have blessed the lives of hundreds of missionaries (and Thousandmillions and billions in eternity) through their sacrifice and service. They are truly ``examples of the believers``, ``a light on the hill``.

Our new presidente and his wife made a ``hello`` vídeo, I love them so much already! Watching their vídeo I had such a Strong impression that I´ve met them before. I have a feeling they are going to have a really big impact on my mission and throughout my life. July 4th we go back to Petrolina to meet them in real life, I´m so excited!

We met the coolest Adventista couple who own a health food store here- whole grain bread and soy milk and essential oils and quinoa = best Bonfim Discovery! There´s a really good group of free thinking healthy eaters here :) plus I´ve made friends with the dream catcher creator at the feira and he´s going to teach me to make dream catchers this week!!!

I´m so happy here! We are teaching such wonderful people, helping many come back and everyday meeting new investigators. It is truly the best thing in the world to serve as a missionary. I can say it´s the best decision I´ve made thus far in my life. I know I´m right where I´m supposed to be :) Love you guys! Be safe, say your prayers and remember that God love you more than you can understand! Ate mais!

-Sister McKenzie

sister leader love!

Uraguay + USA = Brazilian at heart

Three generations..

Coolest shirt I own..

High Five for Sister Hart!

How many mission presidentes do you know that kick a soccer ball with that level of skill?

:)

All of Petrolina and Juazeiro

I will miss these two..

peace..be with you!

happy bus ride!

happy bus ride 2

Happy Mother Daughter

ahhh...

our railroad..

GOOOOO BRASIL!!! (Sorry america :(

sister mackessie

our lovely sociedade de socorro

love those girls..

love these girls.

bridge to alto..

sister stone's gato

what a cutie..

clean up clean up!

Strawberry Fields

It´s June! Can you believe it?? I remember thinking, ``When World Cup comes around I´ll have 9  months on the mission.`` That seemed so far away, and now it´s here: the streets are decorated, Brazil shirts are being sold on every corner, the emails telling us to stay inside and not cheer for anyone...where has the time gone?? In just three months I´ll almost be at a year :0 And that Gary came home Thursday and Kev comes home in a few weeks. It really feels like yesterday that he left, and now ahhh he´s coming home! So exciting!!

We had a wonderful FHE with the branch this week- helping the members be missionaries! The Reflief Scoeity room was full! We shared a message about missionary work and the power of members in the conversion process. We introduced our ``Sair com as Sisteres`` calendar where they signed up for a day during the week to visit less-active members in their neighborhood and friends or family who might be interested in our message. Then we gave each returned missionary a scenario (a person they would be acting out) and divided them into groups. Each group had to plan a lesson of how they would teach that person (focussing on the specific problem or question the investigator had). We gave them pamphlets, scripture and 15 minutes to plan. They all got really into it- the youth and not-so-youth alike. After, we had each group present. They got extra points for creativity and some were soooo funny- I love Brazilians! Each group truly sought to answer the investigator´s questions and there was such a beautiful spirit- I was so proud! The members have such strong testimonies and really know the douctrine. It was so great to see them get excited about teaching the gospel. And it helped a lot to have them train for when they do visits with us. The calendar is working already! We have had so many references and our days are fullllllllll of lessons- we almost never have time for dinner! It´s wonderful!

On Friday we had such a wonderful lesson with Lana. She is the aunt of a girl we are teaching (our friend from the papelaria). Her husband recently passed away and she has one daughter who is living with Lana´s parents because she has to work full time. It´s a really hard situation and Lana has so much on her shoulders. We taught her about the Plan of Salvation. When we finished (and during) the lesson she had such wonderful question: ``what about those who didn´t choose God´s plan?`` ``How did Christ pay for ALL the sins of the world?`` ``where is my husband now?```. We explained our pre-mortal life, our purpose here and where we are going after. She told us she always thought it was the way we explained it but at the church she was going to they explained it a lot differently. She told us she was always scared to say something different but that now she understands the truth and that it made so much sense to her. I love teaching the Plan of Salvation so much, it´s perfect (of course)!

All in all, this week was really happy. Full of good food, walking, sharing, learning, reading...everything good in one week! Brazil is such a happy place. Actually, what I´ve learned here is that every place is a happy place if you make it so. Each day we decide how the day will be. Lunch might fall through, members might not find you in the praca and leave without calling, you might even get bit by 100000000 misquitos (not that all of that happened this week or anything (it did)) BUT you decide what will be of your days, yor months, your years and your eternity. Do you really want it spend stressed, worried, annoyed, negative and wasted away? I would say obrigada mas nao to that. No, no thank you. Not when there´s so much good. Lunch at the best resturaunt (because lunch fell through), beautiful scriptures, a list of members to visit, investigators who become like family (hemming skirts and inviting us to learn how to make traditional Sao Joao food), crazy people in the praca (``voce e de fora``. ``Sim. Estados Unidos``. ``Onde e isso?``. ``Norte de aqui...bem norte`` oh gosh...), meeting the most diverse group of people and loving them all, watching the streets turn yellow and green-GOOOO BRASILL, Zone Conference this week- such an amazing 8 months with President and Sister Hart and new mission parents coming so soon, a wonderful filha who learns so quickly and loves people so much and doesn´t get embarassed by anything and follows the Spirit, the knowledge that I´ve gained here of my purpose in life, the sun shining each day, like God´s approval shining down upon us, and an asurity that my future is secure, bright and better than anything I can dream of.

I am forever grateful for the new perspective the mission has given me. I never realized how much has been given on my behalf. How could I ever have been stressed or bitter? What gives me the right to act with ingratitude? When all that I have, the very breath I breath is only borrowed; I too shall return unto dust, this mortal body is but a second, temporary estate. Eternity awaits. It hinges on these short years, in God´s time no time at all. How I spend my life is how I will spend my ternity. You reap what you sow. ``If we sow thistles, we don´t really plan to get strwberries. If we sow hate we don´t really anticipate to have an abundance of love. We get back, in kind, that which we sow...and we reap, always in greater quantity. We sow a little thistle and we get a lot of thistle- years and years of it, big bushes and branches of it``. We sow a few small strawberry seeds and a large patch of sweet, shareable berried flourish- enough to share with the neighbors. Enough to plant more strawberries, until you world is a strawberry field forever. (thank you Beatles and Elder Holland- inspiring the nations (for the best talk you´ve never heard of search ``Borne Upon Eagles Wings`` in BYU Speeches by Elder Holland it is POWER)). Until next week amigos!!

-Sister McKenzie

minha filha!

happy family!

my cityyyy

our bridge

we love you! 

our FHE

my favorite quote!

senhor do bonfim

view from the kitchen

i love this lady!

minha filha!

noite de spa

the roadway 

breakfast

Each day here, I learn something new

Sister Reis and I are doing so well here in Bonfim! It´s been a little colder, but besides that this week was all smiles and sunshine! We are teaching such wonderful ´people and working a lot with less active members. It´s hard to see that many of them still have a testimony, they just get discouraged along the path. That´s where we come in! Helping them feel the happiness of the gospel again, it´s the best!

 

One of my favorite parts of this week was fast and testimony meeting- so beautiful! From the moment the first counselor sat down, there was a huge line of members to bare their testimonies. Every single one was so perfect. It´s amazing to see the strength of the members. They don´t just believe, they know. Many of them are preparing for the temple caravan that goes next month. It´s a 15 hour trip to the Recife Temple, yet almost half the branch is going. I think of what determination they have to make and renew temple covenants and to give the opportunity to their ancestors the blessings of the temple. I wish I could go with them! I miss the temple!

 

Each day here, I learn something new. It´s amazing how the Lord truly takes the small sacrifice of time that I´ve made and sanctifies it. My morning studies, my conversations with my companion, our lessons to investigators and less active members- everything is so much more profound here. Maybe it´s because we aren´t distracted as much by the things of the world. We really are focusing all of our time, energy, efforts and talents in the work of the Lord. And He makes the time sacred. More than any other time in my life, I can see the hand of Lord. Each day, Sister Reis and I write a miracle that happened. Usually we don't have space to fit them all! The Lord is involved in the details of our lives. He lives, and He is with us. Continue in prayer, God be with you! 

 

Te amo!

 

-Sister McKenzie

our favorite fruta- pina!

the first missionary in Bonfim returned (he´s American :))

we are creative :)

minha reinha!

The Best Decission

Happy happy week! Senhor do Bonfim is truly such an amazing little city. And Sister Reis is an amazing little companion. And our investigators are amazing. And everything is just AMAZING!

I can hardly believe it´s already the third week of this transfer, the time is truly flying. I am loving Sister Reis more and more each day. She is such a hard worker and teaches with the Spirit, I always forget that it´s only her third week here- she´s a pro already! It is such a blessing to be able to train and I´m looking forward to our next few months together!

Like I told you guys yesterday on Skype, the mission is truly the best decision I´ve made thus far in my life. Everyday, we see miracles. This is truly the work of the Lord. I know that He is truly guiding us each day; helping us find those who have been prepared by His hand to accept His gospel. I know that we are so blessed to have this knowledge. Like Elder Holland, I can directly trace every blessing and every good thing in my life back to the gospel.

``Eis que eu sou a lei e a luz. Confiai em mim e perseverai ate of fim e vivereis`` 3 Nefi 15:9

Everything we have, everything that we are and everything that we can become is because of our Savior. Trust in Him and He will make your life so much more than you could ever imagine. He has great things in store for you. You will find true joy when you follow Him. Joy that is independent of circumstances, trials or changes. Loose yourself in His work and you will find who you were always meant to be. I´m finding that here.

 I love you guys!

Sister McKenzie

 We preach it

The best girl in Bonfim!

happy happy day!

The most stressful cake of my life...but it worked out

 esta chuvendo?

J for Jaguarari!