Happy New Year

1/05/15

Bah, como o tempo passa rápido, né?

Man, time goes by fast, doesn't it?

Happy New Year!!!

Wow, it's hard to believe that 2014 already flew by. And where have I been for all of it? Oh, that´s right, in Brazil! I can´t believe it!

It's been a good start to the new year. Sister Cabrera and I have met a lot of great people already. We´re already seeing some of the miracles that´re going to happen this year in São Leopoldo! It´s so great to see how the Lord literally puts you on the right street at the right time to talk with the right person. I have a goal this transfer to really be guided by the spirit more and more. To be more sensitive to the whisperings of the spirit so that I can take advantage of the rest of this short time that I have left.

I´m not counting or anything, but, I only have 5 more p-days after this one! I´m trying to trick my mind into thinking that I have a lot more time than I do, but it´s not working very well. Every day someone reminds me that I´m going home soon.

For example, there´s this cute little young woman in the ward that always helps us out, and yesterday she pulled me aside at church to tell me how much she was going to miss me! WHHHAAAAA??? I still have weeks! This can´t be starting already!

Everything that I do, or that happens, or even the music I listen to makes me feel nostalgic. Nostalgia for the mission... It´s so weird. The mission hasn´t even ended yet and I already miss it! What am I gonna do when I get home?! haha Get ready for it, and start buying a year supply of tissues, cause I think I´m gonna cry a lot. Oh, and don´t be too surprised if I hop on the next plane to Brazil!

I hope that everyone had a great new year celebration. While you were all partying it up, I was knocked out dead asleep in my bed! I was pooped and I couldn't even stand the thought of staying up until Midnight! How weird is that right? The girl that would party it up until 4am dies if she sleeps after 10:30... I´m sure I´ll get over that pretty fast when I get home though! haha

Anyway, I love you all and I hope you have a great week!

Tchau,

Sister Stevens

New Years Eve dinner with the Goncalves family

Our first lunch of the year

The Last Transfer

12/29/14

Wow, what an amazing week and a great end of the year. It was amazing talking to the family on Christmas even though we had problems with the sound and I couldn't hear you guys for a while! Makenzie is so stinking cute! I can´t wait to hold her in a few short weeks.

This week was great. Sister Cabrera and I were blessed with many miracles and the best of all (other than talking with our families) was our baptism yesterday afternoon! After a few weeks teaching David, he was baptized. He´s an 11 year old young man. We´re teaching his family, and he decided that he wanted to be baptized rather than waiting until next month when his mom would be baptized too. It truly shows the great faith that many children have. Next month his mom and step dad will be married and then his mom will have the chance to be baptized too. I´m so excited for that! They´re an amazing family! 

 

Sister Cabrera and I are excited to work our tails off for the next 6 weeks here in São Leopoldo. Yep, that´s right, I´m surprisingly not being transferred this time. But President has released the 2 of us as Sister Leader Trainers. Yay, a break before I "die!" It was awesome to be given the chance to be Sister Leader Trainer, I learned a lot from all of the Sisters and the leadership meetings, but now Sister Cabrera and I will be able to save a lot more money and work a lot more in our area! We´re definitely gonna need it this transfer, especially with 2 marriages and lots of baptisms! It´s gonna be the best end of the mission transfer ever!

I hope that you all had an amazing Christmas and that this week's New Year´s celebrations are safe and fun. I love you all, and I´m getting excited to see you all soon... Well actually, I´m excited and scared! But I´m sure I´ll get over the scared part after a while!

Tchau, até o próximo!


Sister Stevens

Christmas Eve

  

Christmas Eve

District Meeting Christmas morning

 

Christmas lunch with the Goncalves family

Mamai Alzira Noel

  

Christmas lunch

 

Feliz Natal with Sister Cabrera

Merry Christmas!

12/22/14

Wow, What a week.

Christmas is getting ever closer, and the inner child in me is getting excited. Even though it´s hot and nasty here and doesn't feel very much like Christmas.

The work is going well, and Sister Cabrera and I almost had a beautiful Sunday afternoon baptism... Until a rain storm decided to come in and the Church didn't have any water to fill up the font. Like good missionaries, we tried to make it happen anyway. We had somebody´s pool all lined up and ready. But we all know how hard the adversary works when you have a baptism and it didn't end up working out. The rain wouldn't stop and the family decided to wait until the next week.

But other than that, we had a great week. One of our investigators marked a day to be married! Yay! She´s going to get married on January 22nd and baptized on January 24th! I´m so excited! It´s so great to see how the Lord is preparing his children to accept the gospel and the commandments. I just hope that I can stay here next transfer to be here for her baptism.

Speaking of transfers, next week is transfer day... I think that I might go, but we´ll see what the Lord has in store for me. I only have 7 more weeks... Wow... It´s getting close. I have a lot more work to do and only a little more time.

But anyway, I love you all and I wish you a very merry Christmas! Full of cold, hot chocolate, Christmas music, and the love of Jesus Christ.

Love,

Sister Stevens

"At all times and in all places..."  Making contacts on the street with a bus accident and ambulances in the background... I had no idea that my companion was taking a picture.  

Pictures

12/15/14

We made cookies and put the new "he is the gift" cards to give to new investigators this week. It´s a great way for members to share the gospel too! 

-We made Christmas packages to give to new members, less actives and investigators and gave them out Saturday morning. It was a lot of fun and everyone that received a package was really happy.

The bishop let a school group use the church for an activity this week, and we had a chance to share a message with more than 200 people about "the gift" It was awesome! Afterwards we set up a table with Books of Mormon, Liahonas and pass along cards. We gave out a whole box of Liahonas and about 8 Books of Mormon! Woohoo! Success! 

Noite Familiar! The pic isn't very clear. But we did a Family Home evening last night with a family that's preparing to get married and then the wife will be baptized! They are awesome! The cake with the blue sprinkles are the brownies that I made. :)