PESQUISADOR NO SACRAMENTAL!!!!!!!!!

Okay, first things first. Last week was the longest week of my entire life, and the reason wasn't stress or anything out of the ordinary-it was that we weren't really working. Not that we weren't working or that we stayed in bed all week, of course not! But we weren't trying our hardest and as a result nothing was happening. This week we got back to work as usual and the week flew by.

This is my last week of training, which is weird. The padawan is about to become a Jedi Knight. 

So the important thing: we had an investigator come to church!!! This is always the thing we have the most trouble with, and as a result hadn't had someone with us in 2 months O.o but yesterday Irani came to church!!! I'm convinced she'll be baptized because everything has just went too perfectly not to. Well, not perfectly, actually the opposite-she's super hard to teach because she works so much she's never home. But when we talked to her the first time, we lost her address so we couldnt find her house and thought all was lost, but then we randomly ran into her in a place we normally never go! And then again after a long time of not being able to talk to her, we ran into her on her way to work and that's when she said she'd go to church. Fate wants us to teach her clearly.

The other highlight of this week I'm sure a lot of missionaries will write home about, was the conference/transmission with the 12 apostles. Our zone met up to watch it, and it was really good. Elder Bednar spoke a lot about teaching techniques and how a lot of the time we as missionaries talk too much and need to ask questions instead, and let the people we're teaching answer for themselves if they're feeling the spirit or if they got an answer to a prayer, because if they can realize it for themselves it will be so much more powerful for them. Talk with them not at them. There were lots of other things, but this was what I walked away with the most. 

Now the funny: this week we taught this woman and after the whole thing she tried to put her hands on our heads to give us a blessing that God would help us find the truth and escape the mormon church, so that was interesting! We politely said no thank you to the "blessing" so she said a prayer with her hands hovering over our heads and then said "God will reveal to you the truth". Thanks lady, but he already did ;) I wouldn't be here if he hadn't!

loooove you all. miss you all. <3<3 hugs from Brazil,

sister steele

Re: the week there was nothing funny to put in the title

So one sent. and it was that of all pictures. My parents think they're funny and sent me that for christmas ;)

On Mon, Jan 18, 2016 at 11:30 AM, Taylor Lynne Steele <taylor.steele@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Lets see if pictures send!!!! Literally from the CTM until now I havent been able to!

On Mon, Jan 18, 2016 at 11:14 AM, Taylor Lynne Steele <taylor.steele@myldsmail.net> wrote:

I met our investigators!!!!! Well, at least 2 of them. One turned out to not want anything at all so I never met her. But the other two-a mom and daughter, Luciana and Rafaely (or something like that, who knows, I can't spell in english what makes you think I can spell in portuguese?). They're awesome. Rafaely is 13, and every time we come she's read the panflets we left and is excited to hear more and just generally excited and adorable. Her mom has been keeping commitments, is always willing to hear us, and ever so slowly is believing what we're teaching. We're trying to involve the help of members so they feel comfortable coming to church and start off right away with friends to help them out and everything. Time to work SUPER hard so that these ones stick! They've had a lot of really stressful things in their life right now, and its just the two of them and their dog so they've really been feeling the pressure and Luciana has been feeling a little bit alone. Thankfully we've got a message that can help with all of that!

The only other thing worth noting this week was the surprise 2nd Zone Meeting (normally we only have one per transfer) and the 2nd surprise-that President Gomes showed up! Yikes. Nothing like having the mission president watch your teaching practice O.o But it went well! He told me and my companion that we balance out nicely because I'm aparently a giant softie and she, as the people of the south always are, is so direct she's almost scary-but in a good way. And then we walked home-which took 2 hours!!!?! About half an hour of that was because we stopped to eat but oh my goodness??? We left before 4 and got home just past 6. I can only imagine how we must have looked to everyone around us though-our entire district, 10-12 people (I think 10 but also might be forgetting one group of elders) marching along all with corndogs and coke in hand, all in dress shirts and ties (well not me obviously). Quite the site I'm sure. When giant groups of missionaries get together, that's when we look like a cult. Or at the very least crazy. But its funny, dress shirts and ties aren't even formal anymore, that's daily dress! That's normal! What are jeans?

OH AND WE GOT WATER. President Gomes came by to deliver a bebedor (what is the name of those things in english?) so FINALLY we got to buy one of those 20L jugs of water and literally I almost cried I was so happy. WATER. WE HAVE WATER. I nearly hugged the water guy-which would have been quite awkward and also breaking a rule

I tried coconut water this week! You can buy whole coconuts for 2 reais on every street corner almost. 25 cents per coconut! I thought of my dear brother and laughed while I drank.

So super short this week because, well, nothing else happened. But all of you should respond anyway so that I have something to do during our 1.5 hours of internet time. It's only been 3 months, you're not supposed to forget about me until roughly 9!!

Love you all!

Re: the week there was nothing funny to put in the title

Lets see if pictures send!!!! Literally from the CTM until now I havent been able to!

On Mon, Jan 18, 2016 at 11:14 AM, Taylor Lynne Steele <taylor.steele@myldsmail.net> wrote:

I met our investigators!!!!! Well, at least 2 of them. One turned out to not want anything at all so I never met her. But the other two-a mom and daughter, Luciana and Rafaely (or something like that, who knows, I can't spell in english what makes you think I can spell in portuguese?). They're awesome. Rafaely is 13, and every time we come she's read the panflets we left and is excited to hear more and just generally excited and adorable. Her mom has been keeping commitments, is always willing to hear us, and ever so slowly is believing what we're teaching. We're trying to involve the help of members so they feel comfortable coming to church and start off right away with friends to help them out and everything. Time to work SUPER hard so that these ones stick! They've had a lot of really stressful things in their life right now, and its just the two of them and their dog so they've really been feeling the pressure and Luciana has been feeling a little bit alone. Thankfully we've got a message that can help with all of that!

The only other thing worth noting this week was the surprise 2nd Zone Meeting (normally we only have one per transfer) and the 2nd surprise-that President Gomes showed up! Yikes. Nothing like having the mission president watch your teaching practice O.o But it went well! He told me and my companion that we balance out nicely because I'm aparently a giant softie and she, as the people of the south always are, is so direct she's almost scary-but in a good way. And then we walked home-which took 2 hours!!!?! About half an hour of that was because we stopped to eat but oh my goodness??? We left before 4 and got home just past 6. I can only imagine how we must have looked to everyone around us though-our entire district, 10-12 people (I think 10 but also might be forgetting one group of elders) marching along all with corndogs and coke in hand, all in dress shirts and ties (well not me obviously). Quite the site I'm sure. When giant groups of missionaries get together, that's when we look like a cult. Or at the very least crazy. But its funny, dress shirts and ties aren't even formal anymore, that's daily dress! That's normal! What are jeans?

OH AND WE GOT WATER. President Gomes came by to deliver a bebedor (what is the name of those things in english?) so FINALLY we got to buy one of those 20L jugs of water and literally I almost cried I was so happy. WATER. WE HAVE WATER. I nearly hugged the water guy-which would have been quite awkward and also breaking a rule

I tried coconut water this week! You can buy whole coconuts for 2 reais on every street corner almost. 25 cents per coconut! I thought of my dear brother and laughed while I drank.

So super short this week because, well, nothing else happened. But all of you should respond anyway so that I have something to do during our 1.5 hours of internet time. It's only been 3 months, you're not supposed to forget about me until roughly 9!!

Love you all!

the week there was nothing funny to put in the title

I met our investigators!!!!! Well, at least 2 of them. One turned out to not want anything at all so I never met her. But the other two-a mom and daughter, Luciana and Rafaely (or something like that, who knows, I can't spell in english what makes you think I can spell in portuguese?). They're awesome. Rafaely is 13, and every time we come she's read the panflets we left and is excited to hear more and just generally excited and adorable. Her mom has been keeping commitments, is always willing to hear us, and ever so slowly is believing what we're teaching. We're trying to involve the help of members so they feel comfortable coming to church and start off right away with friends to help them out and everything. Time to work SUPER hard so that these ones stick! They've had a lot of really stressful things in their life right now, and its just the two of them and their dog so they've really been feeling the pressure and Luciana has been feeling a little bit alone. Thankfully we've got a message that can help with all of that!

The only other thing worth noting this week was the surprise 2nd Zone Meeting (normally we only have one per transfer) and the 2nd surprise-that President Gomes showed up! Yikes. Nothing like having the mission president watch your teaching practice O.o But it went well! He told me and my companion that we balance out nicely because I'm aparently a giant softie and she, as the people of the south always are, is so direct she's almost scary-but in a good way. And then we walked home-which took 2 hours!!!?! About half an hour of that was because we stopped to eat but oh my goodness??? We left before 4 and got home just past 6. I can only imagine how we must have looked to everyone around us though-our entire district, 10-12 people (I think 10 but also might be forgetting one group of elders) marching along all with corndogs and coke in hand, all in dress shirts and ties (well not me obviously). Quite the site I'm sure. When giant groups of missionaries get together, that's when we look like a cult. Or at the very least crazy. But its funny, dress shirts and ties aren't even formal anymore, that's daily dress! That's normal! What are jeans?

OH AND WE GOT WATER. President Gomes came by to deliver a bebedor (what is the name of those things in english?) so FINALLY we got to buy one of those 20L jugs of water and literally I almost cried I was so happy. WATER. WE HAVE WATER. I nearly hugged the water guy-which would have been quite awkward and also breaking a rule

I tried coconut water this week! You can buy whole coconuts for 2 reais on every street corner almost. 25 cents per coconut! I thought of my dear brother and laughed while I drank.

So super short this week because, well, nothing else happened. But all of you should respond anyway so that I have something to do during our 1.5 hours of internet time. It's only been 3 months, you're not supposed to forget about me until roughly 9!!

Love you all!

The Week I Apparently Speak Spanish

So the highlight of this week was splits!!! I love splits because we get to know different missionaries and different styles of teaching and different areas as well. I spent 24 hours in Aeroclube with Sister Saturnino, who I discovered is a clone of a high school friend Liv, except, you know, Brazilian. (I can hear the exact response Liv would give. Those of you that know her will know as well.) SERIOUSLY THOUGH they have *super* similar personalities and mannerisms and even look somewhat similar. 

We made it a party since Sister Dias joined us for the night as well, by making french toast (and with maple syrrup!!!! oh how I've missed you) and watching a movie, but it was Sister Gonzolas's (how do you spell that?) movie, and she's from Peru so it was all in spanish. But I understood almost all of it?? #trilingual did you guys know I speak spanish too??

I tried cevada (I'm like 75% sure thats the right word and not the word for beer) this week. Its some kind of barly drink, I think, but not alcoholic (don't you guys worry). It smells IDENTICAL to coffee and everyone says it tastes almost the same, but a little sweeter and oh my goodness I want more. Missionaries here use it as a substitute for coffee when investigators have problems with the word of wisdom,and its delcious. But it looks identical to coffee so drinking it was really weird.

Supposedly we have 4 new investigators, but I haven't met any of them yet. Why is no one home???

Almost every night this week I've dreamt of the zombie apocalypse, the one exception being when I dreamt I was back in NNHS in Mr Joyce's latin class, and I needed to go to the bathroom but he wouldn't let me if I asked in english and I couldn't remember any latin so I asked in portuguese and he yelled at me in italian for pronouncing something wrong. Stress dreams? No idea?? 

Sooooo yeah that's really it. Hopefully this week I meet the people Sister Pereira found during splits?? Supposedly we have 4 investigators who all agreed to be baptized! The work will move forward!!

The week I learned a valuable lesson in "tempting God"

I've always firmly believed that God has a sense of humor (because what else would explain so much of my life?) but know I know for sure. Everyone here puts pictures from the Liahonna on the front of their daily planners, and two weeks ago was the start of a new transfer so I made my planner with a picture of the pioneers because they're always an inspiration to me in perserverance and finding joy in the journey and stuff like that, right? And I thought to myself "I'm so tired of walking and we don't have clean water and my back hurts from carrying around all the copies of the book of mormon and panflets, I totally understand how the pioneers felt"...at which point God chuckled to himself and said "are you sure of that?" so he made us walk 2x as much as usual, took away our water for 2 days, and gave me some sort of flu for 2 weeks. Straight out of Oregon Trail, like "sorry, little Johnny has died of dysentary".  I learned my lesson! I don't understand how the pioneers felt! They had it way worse than me!

But things are on the mend, and we have water again (albeit, still not clean water) so I can't complain ;) 

We had to walk a million times more than usual this week because the districts got shifted around and now our district meetings are in another building that's 15-20 minutes away by car, so it's a little bit distant on foot. 

This week as well, the inevitable happened. We lost every single investigator this week. Some, I totally believe that some day they'll want to be retaught. Others, who knows? But regardless, it won't be us. We had roughly 8 people. None of them were progressing and a few started running from us. So I don't have much to tell you all this week! Street contacting isn't that exciting. 

But we're working hard to find new people :) When the sons of Mosiah were about to give up-when absolutely nothing was going right for them, that's when they were just about to hit it big and find crazy amounts of success. So I'm going to take this as a sign that we're about to find a family of 10 that all want to be baptized ;)

We're still working a lot with inactives! Still working with "grandma" and the family, and we have several other families now. And keep discovering more! So there's still work to be done. There's always work to be done!

2016 will be my year! (It better be since its the only year I'll be here!). We're going to work even harder than before to find the people God wants us to find. 

<3 love you all!

-Sister Steele