HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOTHER DEAREST!!! I feel so lame saying Happy Birthday over an email, but it will just have to do. I hope that you are having a wonderful day!! I love you, and know that I am thinking about you!!
Man, I can't believe that I am here again emailing. I seriously feel like this week flew!! I mean, some of the days feel kind of long, but all of a sudden it is Friday again! I can't believe that I have been here 4 and half weeks!! Next Friday I will be getting my re-assignment...or I will find out that I got my visa...but most likely I will be getting a re-assignment. So, that's exciting and crazy!! We only have like a week and half left! Reality is setting in! As certain moments, I think, "Man, I am so ready to be in the field and teach real investigators!" and then other moments I am like, "Oh man! I really don't know Portuguese!!" So, it's a whole lot of mixed emotions up in here. But I am excited for next week!!
Dad, I loved your story about the Elder that knew Sister Van Wagenen...sadly, you were both referring to different Sis. Van Wags. He must have been in the same district as my second cousin, because I don't know him. I can see how there would be confusion though...we are both Sister Van Wagenen, we are both going to Brazil, and we are both from California. It's really quite ironic actually!!
I hope everyone had a good first week of school!! It seems like mom is getting in the swing of things with seminary!! I didn't get updates from Lauren or Kylie this week, so I am hoping there weeks were good...or at least got better. I loved the letters I got from people though! Lauren sent the handwritten letter...and she wins on writing the most random letter ever. hahaha. Both Lauren and Kylie's letters made me laugh. Kylie shared with me her schedule and next to lunch she wrote, "My main squeeze Lunch Lady." So funny!! Also, I love that McKay says, "Good Job Mckay!" when he is potty training! What a cutie! Amy, I will try to think of good missionary goals for you...I would start with just making an effort to bring the church up in conversations with your friends...or talk about your family and that you have sister on a mission! Then, you can explain all about missionaries!! I love that you are making an effort to be a missionary!! Kara, good luck with school this week!! You are going to be an awesome teacher!! And yes...the MTC does get monotonous...but we keep going.
Mom, I got your snack package! So thanks! Dad, I got your dearelder package...and I read the outside that said "Chocolate Covered Cinnamon Bears" and I got really nervous that the whole thing was going to be bears, and it was a decent size box. I mean, I am not complaining about bears...but a huge box of them, that would have been bad news!! hahaha. But it had chips and dip, so that was fun! I brought it to planning time last night for my district to partake of...but it caused some chaos, and not so much planning, so...we will have to figure out another way to share the goodies without being a distraction! Also, Sis. Hansen continues to amaze me...she sent me a dearelder package too!! How nice is she!! Thank you, Sis. Hansen!
Ok...now I start the struggle of actually trying to remember what I did this week.
Last P-day we got to go to the temple!! It was great! I loved it!l I can't really saw much more...but it was so nice to be in the temple again!! I had missed it. (Sidenote: I saw Stephanie Neilsen and her husband in the temple, so that was fun. I just saw them walk by, but it was cool. I think she is amazing!)
Sunday, my companion and I got the most prestigious calling in our Branch, we are the official Sacrament Greeters/Hymn book passer outers. Ya, be jealous!! hahaha. But there are really only a few callings in the Branch, so it is fun to have a responsibility. Even though every sacrament meeting, we are all stressed out until they announce which two missionaries are speaking, then we can breath and relax. Sunday night we watched a talk by Holland and he talked about how amazing it is that we live in this dispensation, which is something that we often take for granted. The people of the Book of Mormon, preached and testified of Christ, but they knew that they eventually would fail. But they saw our day and knew that they were writing for us, and they knew that it would be a day that people would listen and that we would succeed!! How amazing is that!! We live in such a blessed time, and we often don't appreciate that!
I don't know if I fully explained our "investigators," but we teach both of our teachers and they pretend to be real people from their missions. So, each companionship is actually teaching different investigators, with real stories and situations. Then, this week we also started teaching another companionship, and they are pretending to be non-members from home. My companion and I get taught too...it's an interesting experience to be on the investigator side of things.
So, Monday, we were sitting in class, and a teacher that we didn't know walks in, tells us in Portuguese that our teacher is sick and that he will be teaching. Then, he says that those that are supposed to teach her today will be teaching a new investigator, he writes the room number on the board, then walks out. I was like, "wait! What just happened?!" hahaha. So, we went and just talked to him and got to know him, and whipped out a little bit about the restoration, and I whipped out the First Vision in Portuguese, that I had finished memorizing a few days before. So, that was fun. But it really shows us that we are progressing, when we can not have any time to prepare and just go talk to an investigator, and give a lesson according to their needs. Look at us go!! hahaha.
Ok. But Monday afternoon, we met with Irmao Gessel, who is our investigator "Douraci," so...he is our guy teacher and he pretends to be a 45 year old woman, so there's that. Anyways...the lesson before we had taught about chastity and had her commit to moving out. So, we walk into the lesson, which is really just in a classroom, and he says, "Do you like my new house?" and we say yes and get all excited. Then he/she tells us that he/she that it is really small, and that she didn't have enough money to eat breakfast. So, we tell her that miracles happen and that God will provide for her as she continues to exercise faith. Then, we are about to pray...and an Elder knocks on the door, looks in, and starts apologizing for interrupting, but he asks if he can steal our extra chair, and then leaves with the chair. And then our teacher mutters under his breath, "seriously", then he goes of as Douraci, "I am so poor, and my house is so small, and people are stealing my chairs!!" It was seriously SO FUNNY!! We were all dying laughing! Then, he began praying, and I was struggling to stay serious!! Then, on Thursday we taught her again...and my companion walks in and says, "It looks like you got your chair back!" and he says, "Miracles do happen!!" Oh man! So good!!
But then after that our lesson on baptism and repentance went really well. Our teacher will give us feedback on our lessons, and he said that we did great and that he didn't have any feedback to give! Pat on the back for Sisters Van Wagenen and Peterson!! Our Portuguese is obviously not perfect, but we are really learning how to be good teachers. Like, asking a lot of questions and really addressing the persons concerns. Positive reinforcement is always nice to get!
Emily Briggs came in on Wednesday! And it's the best, because she is literally in the classroom right next door to me! So, I get to see her all the time!! I love it!!
New moto in the MTC/as a missionary...YOMO...You are Only a Missionary Once. "Should I eat a mint brownie?!...YOMO!" hahaha. It's going to be a really bad philosophy when I come home with extra weight...but whatevs. I'm over it! hahaha.
Ok. I don't know what else to say. I am doing good!! The language is hard...the more I learn, the more I realize that I don't know Portuguese. But we are learning! I can have a pretty good conversation about the gospel! hahaha. Normal conversations...a little more difficult. But we are getting there!! I love you all! I love hearing from everyone!! Seriously, stuff that you think it boring...I love hearing about!!
Have a great week!!
Tchau!
Sister Van Wag
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