Wednesday, August 20, 2014

There aren't enough hours in our days!!

Week 31

Sister Robyn Perez – Brazil Mission

Letter received 08/11/14


So I decided to write out my email last night so I wouldn’t waste time thinking of all the things that happened this week...Mom, you'll be so happy for this :)

Now that Sister Moura stopped putting us through her crazy training...things are awesome. I’m not stressed at all...and our area is booming! But Ill start with some sad news first. Alex wasn’t ready to be baptized yet, but we’re working with him and remaining hopeful!!! When we found out, you could tell he was sad...but we gave him a pump-up lesson and he said he would work to be ready for baptism for sure. We made him a few reminders to put up in his house! The following day he tried to bring us breakfast, but we missed his call. Later that same day he met us at the park with his friend that he's been trying to bring to church. We talked to them for a good bit and then Alex bought us some dolce. Hes awesome doing missionary work and he wont even be a memberuntil this Saturday! And as of today, he is doing super, super good!! 

As for Mauricia e Josimar...pelo amor! We cannot get them to church!! Mauricia really wants to get baptized, she even told her mom, but you cant be baptized...yet alone get sealed in the temple, if you cant make it to church. So, this week we’ll try a little bit harder and hope they make it to church Sunday.  

We have a ton of pesquisadres (investigators) that all have baptism datesscheduled...but our problem is church attendance! We started teaching about the importance of O Dia do Senhor..but then I remembered my state-side mission and the power of the Book of Mormon. President Batt was so right to push the Book of Mormon right at the beginning of teaching...lol..because if we get our pesquis to read and gain a testimony of the Book oMormon the rest will all follow (church, baptism, knowledge that Joseph Smith was a profeta (prophet) and that this is the only true and living church). So now we are reading and helping ourpesquis understand and gain a testimony of the Book oMormon...well,we will be starting this tomorrow! Im so grateful for my state-side mission!!

Since Sister Moura is my Sister Training Leader, she gave me a few things to work on. She pretty much said I’m way too loving and not bold enough. I’m bold with my pesquis (investigators)...but not with my companions and members, so I worked really hard on that this week. I've realized that she just sits back and watches and waits for me to do something. For example at one of our lunch appointments Sister Mitillo tried pouringjuice that she had already drank from back into the container. When I saw what was happening I told her that she cant do that! Sister Moura told me she was silently cheering me on and then I told her after that I was silently repenting for saying that to Sister Mitillo. She told me that one day Im going to get a comp that is going to need a lot of help doing the right things and I have the ability to help them boldly with lots of love. Ha, whoknew being too nice was a bad thing!!

Ah! I forgot to talk about our lesson with a recent convert/inactive family. The other night we went to just read the Book oMormon with Beatriz e Leticia. I had no clue exactly what was going to happen, but Sister Mouratold me to just start the lesson and they'll go with the flow. So I thought how we are trying to plan a FHE and watch the Restoration filme, so Ipicked Néfi 3 that talked about Joseph Smith. Ok, first off that was totally inspired by the spirit. The whole chapter talks about keeping the commandments and remembering the covenants you've made and it was just perfect for Leticia because afterwards she opened up to us and told us why going back to church is hard for her! Ahhhh!! Gentes....you seriously need to have the spirit all the time or you cant help your people!!! I love my job as a missionary and I love this gospel!!


Until next week meu povo!!

Sister Perez

 

       

Crazy... She's crazy!

Week 30

Sister Robyn Perez – Brazil Mission

Letter received 08/05/14

Meu Povo!! (MY People)

Ok...so last week and this week sister Mitillo and I were super worried about our companion, Sister Moura. She was super unhappy and a bit annoyed and sometimes mad. We tried everything. I literally prayed to have more patience and love so I could help her be happy. I even talked to Sister Perrotti (mission President’s wife) about her! I mean she drove us nuts, when she refused to participate. We were just stressed! Well today it all came out that she was doing it on purpose. It’s her form of training us to become better independent sisters.....oh my goodness! After she said this I was ready to throw something at her...and so was Sister Mitillo. But in a weird way her craziness worked on us. We learned to get things done no matter what. I learned to pick up the phone and call people (which I hate). I learned to help out Sister Mitillo, in a loving way spend less time in the bathroom. Overall, we learned that no matter how lazy or rebellious our comp is we need to be super obedient and do what we know is right. It was a tough 2 weeks....but I think we, Sister Mitillo and I are better missionaries that we were 2 weeks ago. Im still learning to be more brave, but I have a lot more confidence now. I love Sister Moura now...and this week will be awesome!!

Hopefully, Alex will be getting baptized this Saturday! We are still working with our other families, Mauricia and Josimar. They are now really good friends with Alberto e Ariane. AndMauricia is already doing missionary work and shes not even a member!! She invited one of her friends to her house so we could teach her!! Once she gets baptized she has the potential to be such a strong member! 

On a funnier note, the teacher for the Sunday School class for the teenagers asked me to go in and talk about something super complicated in English.....so I went in and I attempted to talk about how certain foods you eat affect your blood sugar levels...well, I repeated myself so many times because I honestly couldnt remember English. At the end I was like....I cant remember anything and they all laughed. Its much easier for me to speak Portuguese now!!

Here is our chapter for our trio Jacob 7...we live by it now! 


Fiquem Firmes (stand firm)


te amo!


       

                                 

          



Middle child syndrome

Week 29

Sister Robyn Perez – Brazil Mission

Letter received 07/28/14


(Note: The name of the city where Robyn lives is Jaguariunaand she does missionary work in various neighboring cities, all of which are suburbs of Campinas.)

 

It’s a new transfer and it is going to be a great one!!! Seriously! 

At first I was freaking out...really! And then when we were all at the Rodoviária I found out I was companions with a sister-training-leader, Sister Moura...I wasn’t too worried. Then my new Zone leader was like "Sister Perez, Sister Mitillo is also your comp and she’s finishing her 12th week." So I’m with a Sister Training Leader (a trainer) and a trainee and then I’m sorta just awkwardly there.... But hey positivity is key! I was going to make this a great transfer! So we all got home (and might I add that we don’t have a bed for the third sister) planned our week and started working. Oh boy...this is going to be the best transfer by far!!! Everyone says being in a trio is hard...ha, not! I love being in this dupla e mais uma! We all have awesome ideas and we all want to work super hard and we all have the same vision! As of right now we have 5 people on date for baptism and one is for this week! We are totally going to slay this area this transfer!!! 

Alma 32: 
41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as itbeginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.

42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.

43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.

We are aiming high and testing our faith with all the people we meet and all our members!! We will see miracles!


Te amo

Sister Perez