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