Toucans!

On Tuesday we were waiting at the busstop to go to District Meeting and I saw two toucans fly overhead and land in the tree right next to us. Sometimes I forget that I'm in Brazil and then things like this happen. lol.

I got a package from y'all on Tuesday as well. I cried when I opened it, in front of the whole zone, it was great. I also got a letter from Sister Johnson. Thanks for the Burts Bees and hand santi and all the other goodies. I gave a lot of the candy to my zone and now they all love 'mama hargrove.' :)

We had interviews with President Tanner on Tuesday as well. It was really great. I really don't know how I lucked out with such a great mission president/sister.

where in brasil is sister wishon going?

I scared Sister Alves real bad this week. She was in the bathroom before bed so I turned off all the lights and made my blanket look like I was still in bed. Then I waited aroiund the corner of our bedroom. When she felt around for our dresser to walk to her bed and found a person instead, she screamed bloody murder and woke everyone up. :)

So this week for english class we did a phone activity. Everyone drew a situation out of the bag that they had to do over the phone with us. For example, order a pizza, ask someone on a date, sign up for a football team... it was super funny.

Represa Billings

Represa Billings - This week we went on an awesome adventure tooooo... Billings! Billings is the farthest and most deserted part of our area and full of country house. It was awesome.Definitely reminded me a little bit of the tropical version of home.Banana trees instead of pine trees. Packs of stray dogs everywhere. But anyways, we knocked doors and talked to people. I saw a dalmation. We hanve return appointments... successsssss. We'll go back one day this week.

Flood - So we had the most insane rainstorm this week. We have crazy thunder and lighting everyday, but the rain in]s just insane. The streets flood everyday. All the cars just pull into a gas station and wait for it to pass. One day the drain on our balcony got clogged with dirt and hair and who knows what else and flooded our house completely. we had about an inch of water in my bedroom, wich flooded into the other sisters bedroom, which then made a waterfall down the stiars, into the kitche and then back out side... needness to say... our tile floors are spotless and our drain is clean now.

Drought - This area is dead. We are hardly teaching right now. No one wants to hang out with us. Everyone's busy or vacationing...

Cookie - So we have a dog.  She's homeless. Her name is cookie. Everytime we work in this area called Terra Nova II, she finds us and follows us for the rest of the day. While we're talkig to people on the street, she lays down right next to us and waits. Even when we have lessons inside houses, she just sleeps until we're done. We've been trying to fins a home for her. Sister Alves named her cookie.

My Dream - This past week I had a completely terrible dream. I dreamed that I got off my mission after serving 18 months, went home, and was still at the same Portuguese level that I am now. But that's not even the worst part.In my dream, I was unsatified with my mission. I felt sad and like I could have done something more. I had wasted my 18 months as a missionary. It was definitely a wake up call. Not that I am wasting time now, but there are always things that we can be doing better. I have never felt worse in my whole life than I did in that dream. This week when Elder fix-it came to clean up our flood mess, he told us that the mission is one of the only things that you don't get to do over again. You get one shot, and then that's it! So that's a year and a half of working harder than you ever have before and getting a lot of doors slammed in your face. I still wouldn't trade it for the world.

ctr

love,

sister hargrove

ONE MORE TRANSFER

On Monday this week we got transfer calls (ready to do ONE MORE TRANSFER in the SBC?) and then Tuesday we went to the reeping. I am training... again... a brand spanking, new, fresh out of the MTC missionary. Her name is Sister Alves, she's 20, annnddd BRAZILIAN! Woohoo! She's from the capital, Brasilia and super cool. She has 2 weeks on the mission. holy heck. I'm a little nervous because I will be her first impression of the mission. yikes. No worries though. I'll do my best and Heavenly Father will make up the rest. Todo vai dar certo.

In other news, Brasil is drying up. In more ways than one. It's been over 90 degrees for the past week and I am frying. Also, I think I've talked to about everyone living in the St. Bernard, and as it turns out, the greater population in content being baptized when they're not old enough to eat solid food and then never stepping foot into a church again. fetch. But all is well. I'm still happy. But seriously... our teaching pool is dwindling... so if anyone has any friends in the greater São Bernardo area that are itching to hear the gospel, send them my way.

Let me tell you about my favorite missionary moment this week. It was a wet one. Sooooo, I lost my unbrella. And it turns out that my raincoat just doesnt do the trick when you're being pelted with raindrops. It was pouring. And I was completely soaked. To the point where I squeezed my skirt fabric and water dripped out. #sisterlife. We walked up Mt. Everest and tried to visit this less-active woman who I had never heard of. We called up to her apartment. A cute, quiet little woman answered the door. We chatted for a bit and then I asked her if she had ever served a mission. She served a mini-mission for six months, so we chitch-chatted about that for a bit as well. I felt prompted to share a scripture about prayer with her. So I shared the small story in 1 Nephi when his brother had caught him with cords and were going to kill him. Nephi said a quick fervent prayer and was made free. She then shared with us a great experiance that she had had with a simple, sincere prayer. Tears were shed. The Spirit was felt. Success. Through small and simple things, great things are come to pass. It all starts with opening your mouth. She said with tear in her eyes, "it's been a long time since the missionaries have thought to visit me." and then invited us to come back.

This week we lost one of the greats. Elder Correa, my zone leader for the past three transfers headed back to the land of Churrasco. It always makes me nervous when people go home because I know that my time will come to leave the mission field and enter into the mission field back home. Not because I feel like I won't be ready to go, or because I think I won't have finished what I need to do, But because this work is marvelous. Despite all the trials, hard days, rain, I've never been happier to be hastening the work than I am right now. On our way back from Christmas Conferance I was talking to him about how he felt about the mission and whether he had any advice. He said three things. 1. Be obedient. 2. Don't waste time... especially fighting with your companion. 3. Work with the members. It was a testimony to me that this really isn't up to me. We're in your ward to help you with missionary work. not the other way around. every member a missionary.

Have a great week, Family.

Love,

Sister Hargrove