Monday, July 28, 2014
Week 28 - Gravatá

This week was so great! I think I always say that but they always are! I can’t believe how fast each week goes by. We only have one week left in this transfer. There’s a possibility I could get transferred...everyone thinks that I will!! I hope not.  I love this area. But we shall see! This week we had soo many members teach with us. It was awesome. It is always so much better when members come with us because then they have a friend and they feel more comfortable to come to church and they have someone to talk to, it’s just way better! We had the same amount of lessons with members as we did other lessons! That has never happened on my mission, not even close! Our members trust us and a lot of different people have told us that they can feel we will do a lot for this ward together. That’s why I can’t leave this area yet!!!

Sister Andrade is doing awesome. I think we will be friends for life! All of my companions have been so great. I’m lucky! She has a boyfriend situation that she’s been struggling with lately. His emails to her have gotten shorter and shorter every week. She doesn’t want to think about him but I think sometimes it’s just hard. I remember how I was my first transfer. Not with a boyfriend but I thought about home a lot and what I was going to do after my mission and how I missed doing fun things with my friends and you guys. But I think she just needs more time. She thinks there is something wrong with her haha but I’m pretty sure everyone is that way at the beginning of the mission. The only problem we have is sometimes we don’t focus because we talk about everything in our life! And then next thing we know an hour has passed and we haven’t studied anything! haha

This week we had another family home evening in the house of Irma Rosa. I need to tell you guys about her sometime. She is one of the sweetest, strongest persons I have ever met. But it was a really great night! We had an investigator there and then also a less active lady who hasn’t been to church in years. We invited her earlier that day and she came! She is awesome and is a person that is intelligent and has potential to be a Relief Society president someday.  I think she had a good time. Sister Andrade and I gave the message from Alma 24. We told the story of the Lamanites and how they were wicked but once they came to know God they were so strong in the gospel that they would rather die than defend themselves in war. So they buried their weapons and made a covenant with God to never kill anyone again. We talked about how we all have "weapons of war" and that when we bury them we can be closer to God and have more peace. I really like vs 19 in that chapter. We gave everyone a piece of paper and they all wrote things that separate them from God and we put them in a box. I think everyone liked it. We played a really funny game. I don’t know how to explain it but it was hilarious. Brazilians are soooo competitive. I wish I could’ve recorded the Bishop hahaha. And then we ate a lot of food of course! That day I had cake in 3 different houses. Everyone gives us cake!!! I don’t even like cake anymore because I eat so much.

Also yesterday at church was a miracle. We teach the Principles of the Gospel class which is for recent converts and usually less actives go to that class too. Normally we have about 3 or 4 people. Yesterday we had 15!!!! The room was full! We had 3 of our investigators there and 3 less active people that we´ve been working with. One of the investigators was Clivia’s mom. That was a surprise to us! We’ve been going to her house every week, but usually it’s just the girls that pay any attention. But she came this week and loved it!! Now she just needs to get married.... and the other two were a couple that we taught for the first time last week. We had a great lesson with them. They are so open to learning and really receptive! They are friends with a member so it is perfect. She taught them with us and then yesterday she went to their house and brought them to church. The wife was telling everyone that she’s not a member YET. Like with the tone that one day she will be. It was so cute! We are teaching them again tonight.

I have learned so much this transfer. I feel like I’ve gained a lot of confidence in teaching people the gospel. Like before I didn’t want people to get offended or think we are weird. But now I know that I just need to say what’s in my mind because it’s probably the Spirit prompting me to say it. And it always works out! I feel more of an urgency for people to have the Gospel. It’s awesome!

I have some pictures from Sister Andrade’s camera this week. I’ve been bad about taking pictures on mine! But she has some good ones. I’ll try to explain each picture too. I haven’t gotten the letter yet, but tomorrow we will get our mail because we have interviews with President. I’m excited! And he said we can talk in English so I can tell him everything I want to say yay! To answer your other questions mom the weather is awesome when it’s not raining. It’s hot but comfortable. But most of the time it’s raining. My shoes smell really bad. And the sole is coming off. Didn’t I just buy those like a month ago? I don’t understand. I’ll send you a picture of them next week so you know I’m not just being dramatic.  They seriously are bad already!  I just need that dang card!!! Hopefully it will be here tomorrow!!

Thank you so much for the emails! I hope you guys are enjoying your trip! It looks so fun. Have fun at the ranch! Tell everyone I say hi. Love you guys!!

Love,


Sister Bedke


Week 27 - Gravatá

Hello family :)

Thank you for the letters and pictures. I love reading about everything you guys are doing. I agree....the weeks pass by so fast!!! I only have two more weeks left in this transfer!! If I get transferred I’ll cry. But I think I’ll stay with Sister Andrade one more to finish her training. Your vacation plans sound fun!! I want to go camping!!! I miss bonfires and s’mores. Tell everyone that I said hi! Oh while I’m thinking about it I saw in an email that mom sent to everyone that the family reunion is next July the same day I’ll get home! How will that work?! Maybe I could fly home to wherever you guys will be, I forget where it’s at.

I don’t have that much to talk about this week. Sister Andrade has been sick for the last four days! We’ve been staying inside a lot. Every time we try to go out we come running back. It’s kinda funny but I feel bad for her. Maybe she has a worm or something I don’t know! Sister Fortes gave her this Brazilian medicine and it did nothing but yesterday I remembered about the stuff mom gave me and she felt better since she’s used it! I hope it’s nothing serious!!! I don’t like staying inside! I know that she really is sick and she needs to stay in but I just sit around and read and I start to feel guilty like I’m being lazy! I have the guiltiest conscience ever it’s so annoying.

Two cool things about Portuguese. I had to translate for Sister Andrade and Sister Bigelow and I could do it with no problem! ahhhh It’s so nice being able to communicate! Also Sister Andrade said last night I was sleep talking in Portuguese!!! yayayay I was so happy!

This week we had family home even with Maria and Alana and another daughter of Maria and their kids! It was so good!! I love that family so much. The non-member daughter is a pastor in a different church and she made that very clear from the beginning, but I think she still had a good time. Kaio, Alana’s son, was there and he even sang the hymns and participated in the game afterwards. The message we shared was from the General Conference Ensign and after he asked if he could look through it. We told him he could keep it and his face lit up! It was so cute. I need to get a picture of him. He is stinking cute!!! He reminds me a lot of Carter! They’re almost exactly the same age, he turned 12 in June too. He is really a special kid. Kaio has a light about him and is just happy! Alana had to work yesterday, but next Sunday I hope they’ll come to church together!

Another awesome thing that happened. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you about my ward mission leader. He is 20 years old and the church is seriously his life. He’s the only member in his family. He is at every single activity for both our ward and the other, he goes to every baptism and just supports everyone in everything. Oh side note I just thought of a cool story about him. This happened a couple weeks ago and I think I forgot to tell you guys. He came out teaching with us and found $100 on the side of the road!!! And so he bought cake and cupcakes for us and the next day in testimony meeting he told everyone that they need to teach with us because you get blessings haha. But anyways he had a party at his house to open up his mission call. His house is nicer for this area but still it’s nothing like what we are used to. He opens his call and guess where he’s going....Atlanta Georgia North!!!!! Everyone was like WHAT?!?! And I’m pretty sure that’s the same mission as Amber?!  I’m hoping!!!! It is sooooo uncommon for Brazilians to go somewhere besides Brazil especially now that Americans aren’t coming here anymore!!! ahhh We were all so excited! Everyone was crying--of course because they were happy for him but I think everyone was a little jealous too. I told him all about the food, the weather there, everything! His call is to speak Portuguese but I think for sure he’ll come back speaking English!! I hope that’s the same mission as Amber because he is going to be looking for a Sister Bedke haha. He doesn’t speak any English yet though!! 

Ok we also taught some good lessons with people this week. Everyone is awesome, but we aren’t finding the ones that are interested in our message right now. A lot of people just want to chat with us. But this week will be better!!

Thank you everyone for the emails! I love you guys so much! I think I have a couple pictures this week I’m not sure. Have a good week!!!

Love,

Sister Bedke
Week 26 - Gravatá

Hiiiii!

Thank you for all the pictures! They are my favorite! I can’t believe Rae has her permit....so weird. Is she a good driver? And I can’t believe you let her drive the van and everything!

Ok to answer your question about what we do on a normal day. We wake up at 6:30 and I do exercises for like 20 minutes. After that I eat breakfast which is usually oatmeal or scrambled eggs. Then I have like 45 minutes to do my hair, makeup, get dressed. But it never takes very long because my hair is in a bun every day and I don’t use much makeup. So then with the extra time i can do whatever! At 8 is personal study, 9 companion study, 10 new missionary training, and then we get all our stuff together and walk to lunch at a member’s house. Lunch is 90% of the time rice, beans, noodles, and then either chicken or beef. With really good homemade juice that is more like a smoothie. We always share a quick message with the members after lunch. And then we go visit as many people as we can! Right now we have a pretty full schedule with lots of people to teach. The afternoon is sooooo hot so we like 5 and after a lot better. Sometimes if we get hungry we stop by a bread shop. They have millions of those here! And then at eight we go back to the house and I study Portuguese and Sister Andrade studies English. At nine we plan for the next day and talk to the elders about our day. My district leader is from Argentina. He’s so funny! He was ticked yesterday that Argentina lost haha. He always laughs at how I speak Portuguese haha. He laughs so much all the time! But anyways at 10:30 we go to bed. This is a normal day but it seems like most days aren’t normal. Like Tuesdays we have zone meeting an hour away so that changes things. Wednesday we have English class at the church, Thursday we have a meeting with the ward mission leader, Friday we do weekly planning. Ok I guess we never have normal days. But usually it goes something like that!

Ok so this week was really good. We had 3 investigators in church yesterday. They were all children though! 8, 9, and 12! And they came by themselves! They are all girls and they are adorable! Yesterday in primary they got a CTR ring and Faith to God book. They aren’t sisters either, they are all from different families that we are teaching. Hopefully their faithfulness will rub off on their families a little. Yesterday we taught another family and it was probably the best lesson on my whole mission. Everyone, including the dad which hardly ever happens, was so interested and wants to come to church. We were out of Book of Mormons and they were so bummed.  They wanted to learn more! The dad was like the most interested! It was awesome! He will be a bishop someday, I’m calling it! Also another cool but maybe weird thing. we taught Alana about the temple this week. She loved it and is excited to go with her mom one day. She was confirmed in church yesterday. She has changed so much from when we first met her. She was always so nice to us, but now she just opens up not only to us but to other people at church and in Relief Society she participates. And she is funny!! 

We stayed in the house yesterday and Saturday because of the games. And then also the night Brasil to Germany lost we stayed in. I think that was Tuesday? My area was completely fine but I guess it got a little crazy where the elders live. The zone leaders called and said that Brasil lost 7-1 and I thought that they were trying to trick me or something. I didn’t believe them! And it sounded like everyone was happy outside. So then after that the district leaders called and tried to convince me and I thought that they were all ganging up on me! So we called a member and they really did lose 7-1!! How sad!

Ok I’m sure I’m missing a lot of things but I can’t think of anything else that happened this week. Oh! I started reading the book "Our Search for Happiness." It is great!! I love it so far! I have a lot of pictures from last week because the computer didn’t work. Hopefully it works this week!

Thank you guys for everything! Love and miss you all so much!

Love,

Sister Bedke
Week 25 - Gravatá

Did you guys know that in a year exactly from today I’m coming home? I just realized that! I don’t know if I’ve ever told you that my coming home date is July 7th but I guess now you know. I still have a looooot of work to do though so I don’t need to think about that yet :)

We had a really good week. I feel like I didn’t say much about Sister Andrade last week. I LOVE HER!! I get so lucky with my companions. She cooks soooo good, she has the cutest clothes in the world and likes to share, she is patient with my Portuguese and wants to help, she’s complimentary, and also she is obedient to all the mission rules. We talk a lot about what we can do better and what each person needs and how we can really help them, not just go and teach a lesson and then move on to the next person. Also, we´ve talked to pretty much every single one of the members in our ward and we want to work with them as much as possible. I think we will have a lot of fun together!

Yesterday Crislane, Clivias sister, came to church by herself!!! And she told us after that she wants to be baptized. She even told the bishop! But that dang rule. She needs to go to church frequently for a couple months first. But it’s alright I know she will keep coming. We have been working with her mom too. She just needs to drop her boyfriend and then everything would be a lot easier. He puts a lot of ideas in her head and the girls´ heads too. I’m not a big fan of him! Maria and Alana are still doing great. We are going to have a family home evening with them and Maria wants to invite her two other daughters who aren’t members. One of them is a pastor of another church. Sister Fortes and her companion before me tried teaching her but she was pretty set in her ways. We will see how this goes! We don’t really have many people progressing right now. But last week we knocked on a lot of doors and will return this week. I think some of them will be eleitos! I think that means elect. I always say that and I’m not even sure what it means haha!

We had a meeting with President Bigelow this week. He is awesome!!! He spoke Spanish before and has been practicing his Portuguese when he found out he would come here. I think his Portuguese was great! He has an American accent which I love! I could understand everything he said. He has two daughters, 19 and 15 and one son who is 11 years old. The 19 year old, Sarah is only going to be here for a month before she leaves to go to BYU. I talked to her for a while before the meeting started. She is so nice and she had such a good attitude about her family moving to another country. But I could tell it is so hard for her. She about cried when she told me she doesn’t know if she’ll get to come here for Christmas to be with her family and she definitely can’t just go home for the weekend like she did her first year in college. Also the 15 year old, Megan, I can’t even imagine leaving all my friends and having to do all of high school in a different country! They have a lot of courage! I hope they adjust quickly and can enjoy themselves. I was glad I got to talk to them for a while.

I haven’t gotten the letter with the debit card yet. Sister Dana and Fortes are going to Recife today and they’ll grab the mail for us. So hopefully I’ll get it!!
I have some pretty pictures this week of the walk to the Bishop’s house. He lives in a nice area. But I think that’s it for this week. Thank you for everything! I’m sending a card this week so be looking for that! Love you guys!

Love,

Sister Bedke
Beautiful Brazil!

Malyssa with Sister Andrade