Week 49 - Boa Viagem

Dear Family,

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. Mine was one of the best Christmases ever. It was way different than our normal traditions, but it was the best! It was so good to skype you guys. It passed way too fast though. I wanted like an hour to talk to each one of you haha. Sorry I feel like I just talked the whole time and I don’t even know what’s going on with you guys!! But thank you for all the pictures you guys sent. I love all of them! It looks like you guys had a great Christmas too.

I don’t have much to say today. Yesterday was great! Three investigators came to church with us. Yesterday I realized how grateful I am for the time that I spent in Gravata. I learned so much there! First of all with having to give so many talks, now I don’t even have to write everything that I’m going to say. I just make a few points of what I want to talk about and go up there and talk. I hardly even get nervous!! I just realized yesterday what a huge difference that is from when I first started my mission. My first talk was horrible!! haha And also in Gravata we had to teach the Gospel Principles class every Sunday. Yesterday the teacher was unable to come so we volunteered to teach without preparing anything, and it went great. Also a huge difference from the start of my mission, I remember feeling so stupid and incapable sometimes in Gravata and I felt like I had to be a missionary and then also 5 other callings. But I know that God puts us where best fits us so that we can learn and grow. I wouldn’t trade my 7 months there for anything! I am so grateful for everything that I am learning every single day here that is making me a better person.

Tonight we have FHE with a family from our ward and we invited one of our investigators. It should be great. Also this week for New Years we have to be in the house at 6 but President Bigelow gave us some activities to do to reflect on this year and makes goals for the next year. What are your plans?

To answer some questions.....our apartment is like a ten minute walk from the ocean, but we see the ocean every day. It is the best. Sometimes we take like a five minute break just to sit and look at the ocean. It is so relaxing. Yesterday we had lunch with a member who lives in a nice apartment. They have an ocean view. It was so pretty. The beach was full of people. I wanted to join them on the beach so bad!! It’s so weird to be a missionary in a vacation area. The ocean has a beautiful reef so the sharks can’t get you. I don’t think Jess would get in the water here because there are a lot of signs that say beware of the sharks. But with the reef they can’t get you! The water is so pretty and clear. You guys have to come here some day!

I live with just me and Sister Cariola.  Our apartment is nice and we keep it clean. It’s definitely different not living with four girls but I think I prefer it like this. I like getting to know other sisters too though.

Did you know that I only have 6 more months? What in the heck? It passes by way too fast. I’m excited to come home but I also freak out a little bit when I think of how fast it goes by. I want to cry!

I have lots of pictures to send from last P-day when we went to Cabo and then from Christmas too. I hope you all have a great week! Love you guys!!

Love,

Sister Bedke

Beautiful views in Cabo!

Do you see the monkey?

Christmas in Boa Viagem

 Recife skyline

Christmas morning with Sister Cariola

Week 48 - Boa Viagem

Hello!!

I can’t believe this week is Christmas! And I get to skype with you guys this week. We have had so many people invite us to lunch and dinner we are feeling super loved. It’s gonna be a great day :)

Right now we are in a city called Cabo with some other missionaries for P-day. We are going to hike a mountain where at the top apparently has a really pretty view. I’ll send lots of pictures next week.

The Christmas conference this week was awesome! The whole mission was there together. I was so happy to be together with everyone. I have made so many good friends here. 

This week was so much fun, it passed by way too quick. We kept busy and were never having to be out in the sun so that’s always good :) The English class was the cutest thing ever. They all prepared questions to ask me about the United States and my family and it was the cutest thing ever. And at the end they sang Jingle Bells and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I forgot to bring my camera!!! I was sad.  I wanted a picture!!

We also have been finding new people to teach and have a few that are progressing and have a lot a potential. One girl that we are teaching is named Perla. She is 24 and the sister of a member. She has a lot of good questions and she loves going to church. She started reading the Book of Mormon this week. She has never prayed or gone to church before so she’s not sure how she’ll get an answer from God. She said that he has a lot of people to take care of and she doesn’t understand how he will take time to communicate with her. I’m not sure exactly how it works because there are a lot of people in this world, but I do know that He knows each of us individually and that He answers our prayers.

We also found two different guys who are awesome! Antonio and George. They are super humble and they told us how they feel something special when we are there. They both had to work yesterday, but next Sunday they said they won’t miss church!

We are going to skype in the house of the members who bought us a taxi the first day here. Their names are Jamerson and Ana, Thor (their son, awesome name right?) and Cleide (Ana’s mom). I think they speak a little tiny bit of English so you guys can talk to them. Sister Cariola has been practicing saying Merry Christmas and hi Mr. and Mrs. Bedke. hahaha It’s so cute. Practice saying oi tudo bem? orbrigada por sempre ajudando minha filha. Feliz natal!    That means hi how are you? Thanks for always helping my daughter. Merry Christmas! 

I hope you all have a great Christmas!! I love you all so much! My day will be great. We want to make this Christmas the best for everyone that we visit. I’m excited!

Love,

Sister Bedke

Mission Christmas Party

Metro Train

Week 47 - Boa Viagem

Hello everyone!!

Ok first off my area is the prettiest thing in the world. Look up Boa Viagem (which means good vacation) to see pictures. I think you guys will feel the need to come and get me at the end of my mission :) And also a lot of people speak English here so you guys wouldn’t be completely lost. It is sooooooo pretty! I love it here!! The area where most of the members live and where we work during the day isn’t as pretty as Boa Viagem but it’s still awesome! It’s right on the beach too! I love being in the city. I definitely have no idea what I’m doing but luckily Sister Cariola is from Santiago and understands the buses here haha. We got lost on the way to church yesterday and a member had to come and get us. We took the wrong bus and went to the other side of the city hahaha. The members here are awesome!!! This is the biggest ward I’ve been in here in Brasil. The Bishop is the best!!! He is so excited. He doesn’t want us ever knocking on doors. Yesterday in a meeting he was getting after the leaders for not giving us enough references. He wants us to have like 20 every week! He reminds me a little of Uncle Eric the way he talks haha. He said "I don’t want to see any of those shy sister missionaries who just sit there and be pretty. I want missionaries that work!!" Also he gave us homework to fill out a family history pamphlet and wants us to try to find people using that. This is also my first ward here that has a family history center so it will be cool working with that. So we are super excited with our ward and this area! 

This week we pretty much had to start everything again. There were only like two investigators that are kind of progressing. We have been talking to everyone we can and finding a lot of new people to teach. We have been using the video “He is the Gift” and it is awesome how it touches the hearts of every person that watches it. I love Christmas! I’m learning so much about the true meaning of Christmas. I am so grateful for the first present that was given to us from a loving Father and all the hope and happiness that came with it.

We took a few pictures on the beach this morning and I also have some from a few weeks ago that I’ll send. The rice worked and my camera is back to normal yay!! Thank you! This week for me should be awesome. Wednesday we have a mission conference with our whole mission!!!!! Thursday I’m gonna help a lady from our ward with her English class for little kids. I’m gonna bring the money that you sent. She said that they are all excited to meet a real American :) Friday is a ward activity/dinner. And Sunday is a stake fireside of Christmas music and the missionaries in this area are going to sing! I love Christmas!!!!!! I hope you all have a great week! Love you all!

Love,

Sister Bedke

Week 46 - Boa Viagem

So I got transferred!!! Me and Sister Cariola both got transferred and we are still together! We opened up an area here in Recife. There were Elders here before us. I’m pretty sure it’s called Pina. I’M ON THE BEACH!!!!!! My area is like a tall triangle with the two sides the ocean. It is so pretty here. We walked around in circles trying to find this lan house (a place they can use the internet) and I have no idea how we will find our house again but it will all work out. So there was only one sister arriving and a lot leaving so a lot of areas got closed. Sister Ruiz and her new comp are going to have all of Goiana now. I couldn’t believe it when the elder told me I was transferred!!!! I just barely got there!! I’m most worried about Pedro and his family who have been progressing so much and have a baptism date and now we are leaving. You don’t realize how much you love people until you have to tell them goodbye. Last night was really sad!!

This morning was an adventure with my two bags, Cariola’s two bags, and Sister Roig’s bags on an onibus. At first they wouldn’t even let us on the bus but we just kinda ignored them and got on anyways. Idk what they wanted us to do!!! haha But then we had to pull our bags like a 30 minute walk to the church. I don’t think I’ll miss transfers. But I already love our ward here! A couple from the ward was waiting at the church for us and bought a taxi (which is super expensive) that took us to our apartment. All the other missionaries were so jealous because they either have to walk with all their stuff or get all the stuff on a bus! So we feel super welcome here! They were really helpful!

This week we had a mission conference with Elder Costa!!! Idk if you guys know who he is, but he is the area president in Brazil!! And he is awesome! It was sooooooo good the meeting. He said he’s been to North Manchester before.  But idk if he was being serious! Everything he said was perfect. He told lots of stories and shared lots of experiences with us. I loved his confidence and knowledge of the gospel. I could have listened to him all day. He said one thing that really caught my attention; he talked about how a lot of times we are scared to tell the whole truth because of what people might think. He said lots of times missionaries just use the Bible because they are scared of what people will think about the Book of Mormon and he used some other examples. We talked about how much more powerful and the impact we will make when we stop evaluating everything we say and just share what we know. He said a lot of other cool things too that I don’t have time to write!

I got three boxes!!!!! Thank you so much!! I won’t open the one until Christmas don’t worry. Thank you so much for everything you sent.  I love it all!  I have awesome friends!

Ok so a sad thing....my camera got rained on and it kinda sucks now. I think it should still work I just need it cleaned or something. I’ll send you pictures still though!

Idk what else to say. Love you! 

Love,

Sister Bedke

 It's beginning to look like Christmas everywhere!