THIS WEEK WAS CRAZY! Just about anything that could change, changed!
First off, I was transfered. A huge suprise I know, 7 months in an area and now a new area! I am in Alvorada, I am in the city! Woo! I spent my whole mission up to this point in the small towns, and now I get to work in the capital! It will be nice being a bus ride away from the mission office instead of a days travel. Its super pretty here, I am on the outskirts of downtown, in a very financially stable neighborhood(if you know what I mean). And the chapel here is absolutely gorgeous, wow. There are no hills and the weather here in the city is beautiful! California breeze! It stays around 60-70. However President took out the last two sisters at the same time, so my companion and I are having adventures trying to get to know the area, and all the people to visit. Its quite the experience compared to Ipatinga where I knew every street, every pebble, lost dog, the bakers the bankers...anyways. Things are new here.
My new companion is....Sister Amado! She picked me up my first day on the mission at the mission office, and I said not a word to her out of fear and lack of portuguese. And now, a year later we are companions! Its really fun to see how much I have changed. She is from Sao Paulo, she is super outgoing and I am super excited to work with her. This is her last transfer so she is really determined to do just about everything.
And.. I have a new calling! I get to be the new Sister Training Leader! Woohoo! I am extremely humbled, and very excited. Basically we go divisions with a few assigned sisters in the mission to get to know, help, train and advise! And, more weekly meeting with President and Sister Fortunato.
So, basically everything changed. Its crazy entering a new area with a companion who is right along with you knowing absolutely nothing of where things are and who everybody is, but the members here are great and we have lots of great investigators!
For obvious reasons it has been an eventful week, after receiving last weeks email, I was waiting for the news. When President walked into my sunday school class yesterday I knew instantly what had happened. I thought I would share a neat experience of what happened this week. Friday we went to lunch with Stella and Jesus(cool name right?) Jesus is from Peru, served a mission there, and over the internet he met Stella and moved to Brasil to marry her. He has been here for 4 years. However in the last 2 or 3 months he stopped going to church. He explained he feels God abandoned him, his sister recently passed away and its been really dificult for him to be here in Brasil. Nobody understands his portuguese and he feels there is no point to believe, he wants to wait it out. Sitting there listening to his story I thought, wow, he is me. So I told him, Jesus, I understand. I am american, people dont always understand my portuguese especially when they see my blue eyes and blonde hair. I am really far away from my family as well, if not farther. And I know how it feels to have a member of your immediate family pass away while you are far away, I am waiting for this same news. I told him however that as members it is not our role to give up, we HAVE the knowledge firstly of the atonement, and secondly of the plan of salvation. There is no reason to be discouraged, God doesnt forget us, yes life is rough sometimes, but its for us to learn and grow and to see if we will remember the hope that is within us. It was a very emotional lesson.
Sunday morning, guess who walked in to Sacrament meeting in a suit and tie.
I got to share with President Fortunato in our interview Sunday morning when he brought me the news about how transfers are inspired, for me to be here, right now in this area. How it is so obvious that God knows us and is the one calculating the destinies, we just have to have the faith to follow.
All my best wishes!
Sister Holmes
First off, I was transfered. A huge suprise I know, 7 months in an area and now a new area! I am in Alvorada, I am in the city! Woo! I spent my whole mission up to this point in the small towns, and now I get to work in the capital! It will be nice being a bus ride away from the mission office instead of a days travel. Its super pretty here, I am on the outskirts of downtown, in a very financially stable neighborhood(if you know what I mean). And the chapel here is absolutely gorgeous, wow. There are no hills and the weather here in the city is beautiful! California breeze! It stays around 60-70. However President took out the last two sisters at the same time, so my companion and I are having adventures trying to get to know the area, and all the people to visit. Its quite the experience compared to Ipatinga where I knew every street, every pebble, lost dog, the bakers the bankers...anyways. Things are new here.
My new companion is....Sister Amado! She picked me up my first day on the mission at the mission office, and I said not a word to her out of fear and lack of portuguese. And now, a year later we are companions! Its really fun to see how much I have changed. She is from Sao Paulo, she is super outgoing and I am super excited to work with her. This is her last transfer so she is really determined to do just about everything.
And.. I have a new calling! I get to be the new Sister Training Leader! Woohoo! I am extremely humbled, and very excited. Basically we go divisions with a few assigned sisters in the mission to get to know, help, train and advise! And, more weekly meeting with President and Sister Fortunato.
So, basically everything changed. Its crazy entering a new area with a companion who is right along with you knowing absolutely nothing of where things are and who everybody is, but the members here are great and we have lots of great investigators!
For obvious reasons it has been an eventful week, after receiving last weeks email, I was waiting for the news. When President walked into my sunday school class yesterday I knew instantly what had happened. I thought I would share a neat experience of what happened this week. Friday we went to lunch with Stella and Jesus(cool name right?) Jesus is from Peru, served a mission there, and over the internet he met Stella and moved to Brasil to marry her. He has been here for 4 years. However in the last 2 or 3 months he stopped going to church. He explained he feels God abandoned him, his sister recently passed away and its been really dificult for him to be here in Brasil. Nobody understands his portuguese and he feels there is no point to believe, he wants to wait it out. Sitting there listening to his story I thought, wow, he is me. So I told him, Jesus, I understand. I am american, people dont always understand my portuguese especially when they see my blue eyes and blonde hair. I am really far away from my family as well, if not farther. And I know how it feels to have a member of your immediate family pass away while you are far away, I am waiting for this same news. I told him however that as members it is not our role to give up, we HAVE the knowledge firstly of the atonement, and secondly of the plan of salvation. There is no reason to be discouraged, God doesnt forget us, yes life is rough sometimes, but its for us to learn and grow and to see if we will remember the hope that is within us. It was a very emotional lesson.
Sunday morning, guess who walked in to Sacrament meeting in a suit and tie.
I got to share with President Fortunato in our interview Sunday morning when he brought me the news about how transfers are inspired, for me to be here, right now in this area. How it is so obvious that God knows us and is the one calculating the destinies, we just have to have the faith to follow.
All my best wishes!
Sister Holmes