HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!! #inbrasil

So yesterday was Father's Day, the greatest day of my life. Not just because I got crazy trunky to see my family, but mostly because we had barbeque Brasileiro for lunch. Seriously. So. GOOD. We went to my recent converts house and had lunch with her and her entire family. Good company and good food. I'm pretty sure I gained at least 5 pounds just from yesterday. We then went to a Family Home Evenging at another recent convert's house and her family of a million people and then some. So fun. All the kids in the family sang songs to their fathers and presented them with the Father of the Year award. So precious I might have shed a little tear.

This week, we also had a baptismal interview of an awesome investigator who is the boyfriend of one of our active members in the ward. Unfortunately he didn't pass, but we're going to keep working hard with him and helping him to prepare for the best day of his life... baptism.

This week, we moved! #thankyouthankyouthankyou I don't know if I mentioned this in any of my past letters, but our old house was the worst of all the mold filled, tiny, elder-used, missionary houses in the world. It was just terrible to live there. BUT, after a few rats and the rottweiler biting my companion we got oursleves a one way ticket to a chique apartment closer to everything. #itsagoodlife Although, for now we don't have a refridgerator, oven, washer, or anywhere to put our clothes, dishes, etc. We're just kind of relying on the good grace of god that we don't get food poisoning from the food we've been having to leave out. PS, I open our window, set it on the windowsill outside, and pray that the day is chilly so our food stays cold. It works... sometimes.

Our area has moved a little bit. We now take park of the area of another ward so we now take care of the Eldorado Ward and the Inamar Ward. (I fell like that last sentence was really awkward english. Sorry.) It's nice because our are is so small. We'll actually get a chance to walk a little, take some hills, and get to know some new drug trafickers. 

Life is good as a Sister.

Sister Hargrove

Oh man, Peaches and Blueberries? The last time I ate those, I was in the States... They don't have those fancy fruits her in São Paulo... AND Lasagna and Garlic Bread?! Oh man... how I miss it. BUT, I only have 72 more days of rice and beans and I'll be chowing down on all of those yummy American things. Did I tell you that our first stop on the way home is a Mexican Restaraunt? And I saw that I've been reaccepted into BYU-Idaho. Woohoo! I'll apply for classes and housing and employment when I get back... 

As for the missionary world... Life is just great. We had a fantastic week of pure rejection... A lot of "I already have a religion" "Church is what's in our hearts" "I believe in Voodoo" "I don't speak English" (Iwasn't speaking English) and the worst of all "I don't have time for Christ. I'm busy." BUT all is well. I have faith that this week will be a week of MIRACLES. For sure. This week we had a Zone conferance with President Broadbent and two other zones of missionaries. It was a little strange because I gave my going home testimony. The very last conference that I will have before I hope on a direct flight to 'Merica. I was nervous, but I didn't cry. So that's a plus... 

As far as our investigators go, we're searching high and low to find a family that is looking to change their lives, but... that's rare here. We usually just find a lot of drunk people. This weekend was super hot here so everyone and their mom was out in the streets and bars drinking their lives away and yelling random English words at the missionaries. #sisterlyfeinbrasil

But I think that's about all. The church just put out a new mormon message that's pretty stinking cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w49_1a9X0Q

I know that God is real and that he watches over us and knows us personally. Our difficulties. Our talents. Everything. I know that Jesus Christ is not only the Savior of the world but my Savior, and that He is at our side through everything. I know that God has given us modern day prophets that give us modern day guidance. I know that my family is eternal and that every, single person on this earth has an eternal purpose.

You guys rock.

Sister Hargrove

I have a new companion! Her name is Sister Freitas, she's from a sheep farm in Porto Velho, Hondonia, Brasil and was baptized 7 years ago... and is still the only member in her family. She's a tough cookie... and a little weird, but we'll get over that. 

We've been working hard this week and finding some really awesome people to teach in the cobblestone streets of Eldorado, Diadema... the only thing is that no one is in their house when we have marked an appointment with them. This past Sunday, we had every single hour scheduled with a new investigator. And what happened? Every single appointment fell through. SO we basically just walked through the streets in circles like lost sheep. JK, we talked to a ton of people in the streets, but I would have liked to have been teaching instead. BUT, that's the mission life, right?

One of our miracles of the week was Lucas. Lucas was a reference from our Zone Leaders who live near byt. We contacted him on the same day and just invited him to come to church. He told us that he would so we told him wr would come by his house in the morning and walk with him. Not thinking much of it (because everyone tells us that), we passed by his house yesterday morning and HE WAS THERE. AND CAME TO CHURCH WITH US. AND SAID HE LIKED IT. AND THAT WE COULD COME BACK ON MONDAY. It was so great. He's 26 and I think he smokes a lot of pot, but we can work with that.

Last night I had a dream that I got robbed in street, so I have decided to leave my camera at home this week...

"But behold there was never a happier time among the people of [Brazil] since the days of [Sister Hargrove]... in the twenty and first year of [her] reign..." Alma 50:23

Believe it or not, I think I've kept my birthday a complete secret... only my companion knows and she got transferred! So #22 should be relatively tranquil this year.

It's transfers again! My dear Sister Barraza has been transferred. I will be staying in the Eldorado Ward as a Sister Training Leader and will be recieving a new Junior companion. Woopdeedoo!

This week was uneventful... again. Mostly due to the fact that I got a nasty sinus infection. (AKA, my allergies are coming back, Dad.) But it involved a fever, swollen eye, and ear infection... in both ears. All of this added together equals not a whole lot of work got done this week. Sad. But even President told me to go home and take a nap. lol. 

Speaking of President, we had interviews this week! My interview was great! President and Sister Broadbent are just fantastic... even though President started talking about m next big commandment once I finish my mission. Five Reais if you can guess what that one is. But for realzies he gave me a lot of good advice on mission life and we got to know each other a little better. It was great. To top it off, he told me my Portuguese is perfect! (I'm not so sure how true that one is, but I'll take the compliment)

Ready to start my second to last transfer! See you in 12 weeks!

Com Amor,

Sister Hargrove

PS - Who remembers the shaytards?? http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2700253803001&cid=HPFR071114321

Brazil lost. Real bad. Alemanha kicked their butt 7 x 1. Let's just say Brazilians went from an unhealthy obsession with the Soccer Team, to an unhealthy hatred. Yes, they are burning buses and no one wants to buy Neymar's jerseys anymore. But, they'll always have at least one fan! Sister Hargrove! All they've been showing on the news this week (not that I watch the news, but we pass by a lot of bars in the street and they always have it on) is clips of children all dressed up in their brazilian soccer gear sobbing over the game with Alemanha and the clip of José Luiz crying as well. 

This coming week we have interviews with our new mission president and the week after that ismybirthday. 22. #idowhatiwant

This week was busy like crazzzzyyyy. I did two divisions with Sister Cavalcanti, from Pernambuco, and Sister Soares, from Manaus. Two super cool sisters serving in the Mirandopolis and Vila Liviera wards. The divisions were super cool and we had a lot of little miracles happen and found a lot of new people to teach.

I am excited for this coming week because we won't have any soccer games to get in the way of the missionary work!

-Sister HA!

Brazil has made it to the semi-finals! WOOHOO! The party continues with Germany tomorrow! 

 

 

I have special news for you all... we caught one of the rats in our house. After a long day's work, we came home to find an almost dead mouse stuck to our sticky paper trying to eat the cookies I layed out for him. #besta So we layed him to rest in an old grocery bag which we promptly threw out for the garbage men to pick up.

 

 

Our new President and his wife, President and Sister Broadbent, got here this past week. They are just so stinking great. We had a mission wide conference and Liders Council with them recently and I am so excited to have them as our new 'mission parents.' They are so loving and ready to work hard with us! In the Leader's council we restablished some of our mission goals and talked about how we can all be better missionaries and examples and I felt really excited afterwards. I learned that as missionaries and members of the church we have a responsibility to open our mouths and talk about the Gospel. In everyway possible. Sometimes we forget that it's the Gospel of Jesus Christ that brings us the biggest joy, so TALK about it! We also talked a lot about our purpose as missioaries. That is, not, just to throw people in the baptisimal font, but to walk them to the Temple. Because the Temple is where we make the most important covenants that lasts for eterinity.

Two VERY Special Kids. :)

The work here in the Eldorado Ward has been... rough. We have a lot of visitors coming to church, but it seems that no one wants to make any sort of commitment. With the Cup and meetings and all sorts of other things, the work has been a little slow here.

Yes Mother, I know... LESS THAN A HUNDRED SAYS LEFT. I'm trying not to get trunky...

Com muito amor e carinho,

Sister Hargrove

 

 

SO WHO WATCHED THE GAME ON FRIDAY? It was NUTSO. We had a lot of exciting things happen this week, including the arrivel of President and Sister Broadbent (and leaving of President and Sister Tanner).

This past Monday we had a dandy time watching the game (Brazil vs. Camarões), that Brasil won with flying colors. Eldorado went absolutely NUTS. Music, fireworks, dancing and drinking in the streets, everything. 

On Tuesday I made 14 months on the mission. Holy moly. It is absolutely crazy how fast my mission has passed by. It makes me want to cry a little, BUT, I'm excited to continue being a full-time member missionary. But anyways, we had a lesson with our awesome investigator, Roque. He's about 70, and we found him taking to people in the street. He's been to church for the past two Sundays. This week we taught him about the Word of Wisdom and how important it is to keep our 'temples' clean. He drinking coffee, beer, and smokes a pack of cigarettes every day, but comitted to keeping the word of wisdom the best he could. He said that he smokes everyday before he leaves for work. So we have been running to his house every morning at 6 o'clock to sing hin a hymn and get him started off right for the day. Let me tell you, it's tiring, but worth it. He only smokes five cigarettes a day now. Sweet success. I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have of how to keep my body clean. I can see the blessings of this commandment every single day of my mission when I dont have to drink coffee to wake up in the morning or smoke to calm my self down during the day. 

On Thursday I went on Divisions! We had an awesome and craaaazyyy day. First event of the day, I gained an even stringer testimony of the Word of Wisdom. We found a woman passed out, cold on the sidewalk. We tried to wake her up, but she was out. So we ran in to the nearest person (in a bar, lol) and asked for help. They helped us call the ambulance (which never came, btw.) and help this lady out. We got her to wake up and it turns out she had been drinking... a lot. This lady couldn't even stand on her own two feet or pick up her glasses. So Sister Diaz (from Argentina) and I practically carried this lady home. We used her cell phone to call her son to wait up for us and walked her all the way to her house to make sure she was ok. So sad. We then went to visit a less-active, recent convert, 14 year old. Started talking to him and in comes his mother, fuming mad, who preceeded to beat him. We pulled her off of him screaming and crying. SO sad. Why don't they know that their family is eternal?

We woke up the next morning to a frantic call from my companion in Eldorado telling me we have rats in our house. RATS. And don't even try and tell me that we need to clean our house. The mission is coming over today to help us our with that problemo.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

I love you all.

Sister Hargrove 

 

Cupa do Mundo em Brasil!

 

trunky email

First order of business... Everyone is telling me that Beyonce and President Obama are getting together. Is there any truth to that? Also, I'm still waiting for an answer about whether Michael Jackson is alive or not... #ineedanswers

Second order of business, We sang "I stand all amazed" and I thought of Tina Most, so about a week ago I sent letter to her, but I didn't know her home address so I just sent it to the house address. Could you get that to her?

Third order of business, IV'E BEEN TRANSFERRED! ...toooooo the Diadema First Stake, Eldorado Ward. It is TINY. But great... and only favella and a HUGE amazon forest. awesome. We live pretty far from the city and sometimes I think to myself, "Is this what Shay served in in Manaus?" There are bugs and huge spiders and snakes everywhere. I found three Daddy Longlegs this morning (one on my bed when I woke up). Speaking of our house, our toilet doesn't flush, so everytime we have to go, we fill a bucket up with water and dump it down. Also the door doesn't shut... Not to mention that I've almost gotten bit by a dog at least once a day. The bishop here is great. He's 27 and just got back from him mission in Boston, MA a year (or two?) ago. My companion is Sister Barraza, from Santiago, Chile (again). She's 22 and great and also a Sister Training Leader and has one year on the mission. 

The World Cup here is just stinking nuts. The crazy things y'all are seeing on the news? #TRUTH. President Tanner has banned us to the house for the entire day when Brazil plays and I think we're going to stay in a lot more with other teams as well because... Brazil looooves football. Buuutttt... GO USA!

We started off our transfer with awesome miracles... and TWO baptisms. (Sidenote: In the history of all history, I am the third Sister to serve in this ward. Just elders before us!) We baptized Glaucia and her son "CaDoo" (Carlos Eduardo). They are so stinking awesome. Especially CaDo. Hes almost 11 and loves the gospel and learning everything about it. He loves playing soccer and videogames just like Nate and Matt. SO. I have a special request for Matt. It would be super cool if he could write CaDo a letter! (Don't worry, I can translate it) Talk about stinky boy stuff and about how you felt on your baptismial day. It would be super cool for him to hear about your experiance, Matt! Por Favor!

This week, I also got the dreaded "trunky email". Asking about all my personal info about going home so they can buy my plane ticket. :´(

I think that's all for this week. I looooove my mission. I know that this church is true and that miracles are REAL.

com amor,

sister hargrove