10/30/12

Well this has been such a great week! It is coming on my 7th week sooooo crazy. I leave on November 7th. Thankyou all for the emails. And the halloween and Birthday wishes.

 

So week was so good I learned more about myself. Last tuesday Sister Grimes got an email saying that her mom had to go to the hospital for brain sugery! They didt know if she would have to get another one during the week. After emails she seemed fine but i had a feeling to ask her how her family is and she started to cry. Poor thing. That is so hard. So on wednesday we fasted, we didnt eat for meals, and fasting helps our prayers be more powerful and helps us constantly remember what we are praying for and helps me remember all the blessings i recieve from God everyday like food. So fasting went well! We started getting along a lot better this week, I got more patient and stopped letting myself get offended. I feel like because i did i listened better and got to know her better and her story and my love for her grew. Mom thank you for your letter you were spot on in your advice, you know we so well. So on Sunday sister Grimes talked to Sister Degn and she called her Dad and all is well. The day we fasted her mom got to go home and didt have to have another surgery!!! What a blessing.

 

So its funny when I here its getting colder it is getting hotter here. The Ac is out in most of building so we have been hot and humid which is good cause it is getting me ready for Cuiaba!

 

i read an amazing talk this week, called. The antonement and the journey of Mortality. It is by David Bednar you can find it by going on lds.org. I loved it, it talked about how the atonment just doesnt have a renewing power but an enabling power. because when Jesus died for us and felt our pains, worries, doubts ect.. he knows us and we are never alone. He knows us and how to help us and hot to make us stronger, stronger then we could be on our owns. This talk made my confidence grow!

 

dad I shocked about the car change! it sounds awesome. What color did you get, I want a picture!

 

Also what is going on with the weather in the east (I dont know where the question mark button is) I get know outside news haha. Hope the election goes well and happy halloween!!

I love you all. I wrote a hand letter I am going to scan today. have a great week!! Thanks for your prayers.

Sister Hames

(A little out of order) 10/16/12

hello!!

 I loved the email. I had no idea that the baby is a girl!!! how exciting. I like both of those names a lot! Keep me posted for sure, well if you cant decide on a name you can always name her after her favorite auntie Danny!!! haha. i am glad you are all safe and sound and the week was eventful! I will email mom picture through missionaryties!

 

So this week my district is going to speak more portuguese. it is going good, really practice makes perfect or in my case progress haha so i have committed myself to be less shy and talk to more native speakers and also offer more prayers and speak up more in lessons.

 

so i am going to write a list of the metionables of my week

 

last week in TRC (which is the lesson we teach that is recorded and some watches us and gives us feedback) i was surprised. Normally we teach other american compaionships so they know the same vocab as us and it is pretty easy to understand them. but when the bell rang we walked in and there was two Brasilin elders! my heart started to pound haha. but it was good we got through the lesson and they were patient with us and we taught it the best we could. i even understand like .5 of it! haha hooorah! it was a good experience it is getting me ready for realily! we taught about the plan of salvation and how we are created by God and because we chose his plan and not satans we came to earth. Our purpose on earth is to live a good life and work hard to be the best we can be so we can return and life with our family and hevenly father again in Heaven. it was a simple message but so important. i even drew pictures which they liked haha. so portuguese is still coming slow but hey who says it has to be a race.

 

so on sunday night during chior practice 2 new brasilian sisters sat by me. We sand every hour i need thee. we sang in portuguese, spanish and then english. Then during the english part the sisters started asking me how to say things. Or one of them would put her head agaisnt mine while i sang haha. she started to laugh which made me laugh and i started to cry haha. they were so funny. i have a quiet voice so i was trying to sing as loud as i could so they could her me. luckily i got it together for the real performance when we sang it in the firside! during the break she had me go line through line and say each word. when they said it right i would give them high fives and they would cheer. it was so fun! They were good examples to me about being productive in learning a new language and they dont even need to learn english! so funny i am gonna miss them when they leave in 2 weeks.

 

So last week i was in the classroom and we have a big district of 13 of us. so all the sisters sit agaisnt the wall by the windows. it was getting cold so i leaned back to shut the window. its the kind that you have to unlatch and then push out. so i pulled it in and latched it. then i went to lean fprward to continue my studies and my head whiplashed back haha. i latched my ponytail in the window! haha it took sever seconds to find the latch and unluck my hair. my whole distric started laughing and now bring it up everyday at least once hahaha.

 

so i am so excited next week i get to pick up my scripture case i ordered! a man sketches pictures into cases. i am getting the picture of christ being baptised on the front and the one of him at the door without the door knob. i am so stoked! i will take a picture!

 

today at the temple this Brasilian lady stopped me and my companion and asked us where we were serving. we said Cuiaba and she said `ooh muito sol, sol, sol` haha a lot of sun sun sun. she then said oh wow you are so beautiful!! oh bonitas, bonitas, bonitas. haha awww Brasilians are soo nice it made me feel loved.

 

Tonight i am singing in the all sisters chior, sisters in Zion! I am excited.

 

I am doing great love you all! Safe travels dad.

com me amor, Sister Hames

Tuesday Oct 23, 2012

Hey family!
So this sunday we moved an hour forward cause it is spring here, so now there is a 6 hour difference! Hope you are all doing well thanks for the emails. So last week on oct. 12th it was childrens day, like mothers day and fathers day they celebrate childreans day. The cooks and servers all dressed up, one lasy dressed like a clown! They decoracted the cafateria with balloons and table cloths it was awesome. we all got boxes of candy and cupcakes. so nice!! On sunday we district sang Abide with me till even tide, it was so fun and the 4 sisters we all sang with out the piano for one part. it was so fun. i love that song. We got new roomies! One from argentina and one from Brasil. Sis Reynose and Sis Corriera. They are awesome. it is super fun and I laugh a lot every time i go to say something they saiy Que? haha thy are patient with me and so sweet. So on sunday i cried for the first time, I got a lil homesick but i am happy here. i am praying for my patience with my companion. My friend for USU sis Wilson left today for Manuas. I am going to miss her! I will send pictures soon. On sunday we had a talk by a sister and we learned about the power of a smile. It was so good, i learned that smiles are unviversial. No mater what the language is you can help someone with a smile. my goal is to smile more this week! Will you join me? Did Grandma get your hip replacement? How is she? thanks for the goodies mom! I love you all, Love your favorite missionary, Sister Hames

Week 3

second week 10/02/2012

Oi, Oi, Oi!
    Hola familia! Como vai? I am doing great just finished week 2, its so crazy it feels much longer but at the same time its gone by so fast.
   Mom thanks for doing mission ties I got your letter a couple days ago and I read it 6 times I think. Sorry you are all sick! no I didn't take the sickness with me luckily but I need to be careful a couple of elders in my district are sick and its going around the CTM. I am with those elders 12 hours a day in a classroom so I am keeping away and trying to sleep and drink water more.
   Jentri!! You are in my prayers, and I put you on the prayer roll when I go to the temple.  I am so glad AJ gave you a blessing and I am so glad you are doing better!
   If I could go back in time I would pack warmer things.  I didn't think about Sao Paulo being cold. Last week was so cold! I have been wearing the three little dressy sweaters I brought faithfully, I even wore one to the gym once!  Luckily this week is warmer.  It was like in the 80's today so its good. Soa Paulo weather is like Reno's, pretty bi polar! Sisters have more power then elders here (its awesome) So I can tell them to shut windows or turn down the AC.
   Look up the Brazil National anthem on youtube. We sing it every Sunday at Fireside. It's crazy fast, President Degn is a concert pianist so that is convenient. ( yes he is the grandpa of the Degn's who were in our ward)   It's so fun to sing and watch the Brazilians get into it!  It is a happy song, it is my goal to have it memorized before I come home.
   On Saturday night I was feeling kinda down and frustrated and thinking about my weaknesses more them my strengths. I was reading the scriptures that night and low and behold I read the perfect verse for me at that time. It made me feel so happy, and  I just knew that  was heavenly fathers way of showing me he cares and that I am where I need to be.  So like Joseph Smith getting an answer that he should pray about which church  was true when reading James 1:5 I know Heavenly Father can give me an answer through scripture. I have heard we talk to heavenly father through prayers and talks back through scripture.  I know we can get answers through the Holly Ghost. I am gaining a bigger appreciation for the scriptures.
   The desserts here are always so kind of jello, flan, or marshmallow thing.  The first day I was here  I said " I don't really like Jello" and a sister who has been here a while said "We'' every dessert has a jello king of consistency".  haha I am less tempted to eat dessert1
   Everyone here is in the choir. we go 1.5 hours early to fireside to practice the music. then the fireside begins and we sing to ourselves and the speaker.  Its fun to sing in Portuguese, Bonita!
   The gym has a tiny track, if you run 12 laps it is a mile. I have been making myself run, I look forward to the gym!
   My companion is great, we get along and teaching together works good. we are learning the language at the same speed which is nice so we both  get to talk.  I am learning slowly but surely, but it is coming.  It is weird I have not cracked or cried yet, I think it is because I am not putting any presure on my self. Their has been a couple of elders in my District who have cried and have really hard days. well take !
    I love you Family& Friends!

Love Sister Hames