Week 57 - Camaragibe

Dear friends,

We have had a great week. We have kept super busy and have been finding a lot of new people to teach which is always great. Sister Vasquez and I work together really good. Next week is transfers which I don’t even know how, but we are hoping to stay together again! We have been talking with everyone on the buses and on the streets and then using everything that President taught us in the zone conference and its super exciting to see the difference that it makes. One lady literally seemed like she was waiting for us. The first time we met her she didn’t have very much time to talk but said that we could come back the next day. When we went back she told us that she was anxious and excited to see us again. We taught her about the Book of Mormon and she became super interested and excited to read.

Also our 13 year-old investigator was baptized on Saturday. It was really cool because his whole family went and supported him. He was super happy and he can’t wait to pass the sacrament. When I think about the difference that the Gospel will make in his life if he continues to live it, it makes me happy. I think he'll make a huge difference in his family and with his friends too.

The start of this week we had a lot of extra time to study because of the holiday. I loved all of the talks that we read. I read one about become a consecrated missionary.  It made me so much more motivated to do everything exactly the Lord’s way even down to the little things. I also read a cool one about the doctrine of families and how, even though the world’s view on families has changed, it hasn’t changed in God’s eyes.

Our other new converts are still doing great. One has been teaching with us and she is a natural missionary. But anyways everything is doing great here. Thank you so much for everything. Love you guys!

Love,

Sister Bedke

Week 56 - Camaragibe

Hello!!

This last week has been different than normal because of the holidays here. Have you guys seen anything on the news about Carnival in Brasil? We have to come home at 5, but President Bigelow gave us a talk to study for every day. I have been learning so much! Mom and Dad I think you guys would really like the talk I read yesterday. It’s called Learn by Faith by Elder Bednar. It’s really good!!

This week we had a zone conference with President. I loved it! He taught us how to be better teachers. He used 1 Nephi 11. I learned so much. That chapter is like a guide of how to teach.  He explained how in this chapter the Spirit taught Nephi by asking questions and not just passing all of his knowledge to Nephi. And when Nephi had desire and believed the Spirit showed him all the things that he wanted to know. But there is a big difference in explaining and showing. And we need to show the people we teach and let them discover and learn for themselves so that they can be truly converted. We have been applying everything that we learned and I feel like we are teaching so much better. Sometimes it’s hard to not just talk and explain but seriously no one wants to sit there and just listen to us talk for 30 minutes. President Bigelow is the best! Seriously he is super inspired and I loved loved loved the meeting!

I did my first division with another sister this week. It was so much fun. I loved it and I learned so much!! I went to Carpina. It’s like an hour away from Camaragibe. And I stayed with Sister Venegas from Chile. We had such a great day. We found a family!!! We taught them about the restoration and I know they felt the Spirit. My favorite part of the day was at night when we got to talk about our goals for the mission and life. She told me about things that she wants to change and be better and I got to share some experiences with her. Seriously it was an experience that I’ll never forget. I felt so strongly the love that Heavenly Father has for her and all the potential that she has. I loved it. It made me think that Bishops are lucky because they get to feel that a lot. Next week we'll do a division with Sister Andrade and her companion. I’m excited!!

The 13 year old we've been teaching is going to be baptized this Saturday. He is such a good kid. He is a great example to his family. He comes every Sunday and to all the activities by himself. And he lives really far away too! He is reading the Book of Mormon and loving it. He’s super excited about Saturday! His mom has been coming to church too. She wants to be baptized too, but isn’t quite ready yet. But she will be! She has made so much progress.

Do you guys remember me talking about a lady in Gravata that Sister Dana and Sister Rodgrigues taught, and she was baptized last March? We went there for dinner once a week and tried talking with her husband but he was never really interested. And then Sister Andrade and I tried again to teach him and he started to listen but still wasn’t super interested. Then when we both were transferred he told us that he thinks it was a sign that he needs to step up and help his wife with her spiritual growth and that he was gonna start going to church with her. Anyways I just found out that he was baptized this week. I am so so so happy!!! It made me want to cry. I’m gonna write her today. They are such a good family. And she is coming to the United States next year I think so maybe you guys will get to know them!

I got a package from you guys and a box from Meika. Thank you so much!! I love everything. If you guys see Meika tell her thank you from me! That was so nice of her. I’ve already used the headband. I love it! You guys are the best! Thank you so much for everything. I hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Sister Bedke

Thanks for the mail!

French toast!!!

 Making breakfast for the district

 

Zone Conference

 Roommates!

Week 55 - Camaragibe

Dear family and friends,

Thank you so much for the emails and pictures. I can’t believe how much snow you guys have. It looks so pretty. Are you back to going to school normal without delays or anything? Rae looked so so so pretty for the dance. I loved the dress and the accessories. Did she actually dance or stand there and talk? :) I have been learning how to salsa!! Everyone here knows how to dance and loves dancing. So living with a lot of Latin Americans I’ve learned a few things. I’m really bad, but it’s a lot of fun trying haha.

This has been a good week. Everyone is doing well. Three investigators came to church yesterday. One is a mom of a family that we have been teaching. They have been meeting with the missionaries for a long time and know everything, just don’t want to get married. We had a few good lessons with them this week and then went back on Saturday to invite them to church again and she didn’t think she would go because she had a few things she needed to do. We shared with her the importance of going to church and putting Christ as a first priority but we didn’t think she really understood after we left. But she came!! We were super happy.

This week Sister Vasquez had to go to the doctor and we got to go back to Boa Viagem!!! It was the best. I love that area so so so much. My dream is to go back there my last transfer. You guys need to go there some day!

This week is the start of a holiday here called Carnival. Its gets really crazy apparently and isn’t very safe for us to be on the streets, so we have to go home every day at 5 o clock from the 13th until the 19th. I don’t like staying inside so much, but we will have a lot of time to study.

One important thing that I’ve been learning is the importance of reading the scriptures, saying prayers, church attendance, the simple things that truly make a huge difference. We’ve met a few different families that were at one point super strong in the gospel, but for some reason stopped doing those simple things maybe for not even very much time, but fell away. And at first I think how could that happen? No one is exempt from Satan’s temptings. But God is so much more powerful. I really like what it says in Helaman 5:12. When we have a foundation constructed on Christ that makes all the difference. Doing those simple things can keep us safe from sin.

I hope you all have a great week. I love you all!

Love,

Sister Bedke

Week 54 - Camaragibe

Dear Family,

This has been a very busy but great week. We had to run from Mariana’s house to João’s house every day, but they both were baptized this week and it was the best! Mariana told us that she is like 100% sure that she is going to serve a mission too! I am so happy for her. She will be the best missionary ever. Seriously it is the cutest thing ever when we are at her house we don’t even have to teach her. We start the lesson and she ends up telling us everything that she knows and scriptures that she likes and how wonderful the commandments are and all the blessings we receive when we keep them. And then at the end she was like oops sorry I think I just gave the class! haha She is seriously the best! I’m so so so happy for her. She thinks she’ll come to the US next year, so you guys might get to meet her!

And Joao also is the cutest thing ever. His baptism was super good. A lot of his family went and a lot of members were there too. He is now the oldest member in our ward! And he is going to be a home teacher too. He is so cute!!!

We have to start meeting a lot of people and work with the members now. These last two weeks we have been focusing so much on the two baptisms that we don’t really have very many other people to teach now. Our area is huge and it will be good getting to know the other parts better now.

The temple was great. We took lots of pictures but I just sent my favorites. I hope you all have a great week. Love you guys!

Love,

Sister Bedke

  

Week 53 - Camaragibe

Hello everyone!

I am loving my new area, companion, investigators, everything! My area is called Camaragibe.  It’s huge! It’s not like a city like Pina was but we have to take vans as our way of transportation because it’s too big to walk. We are still pretty lost and don’t know our way around very well buts lots of members have been teaching with us and helping us out a lot. My ward is big again and the members are so welcoming and excited! So many people have been asking us if we can teach their friends and family! And once again the bishop is awesome!!

My companion is Sister Vasquez from Peru. She is tiny and I feel like a giant with her but she is the cutest little thing ever and is a sweetheart. She has almost 9 months on her mission. I hope we stay together a long time, we get along really well. I live in a house with 6 missionaries and one bathroom. It’s a little crazy but I actually like it. It’s a lot of fun and all of us are laid back and I don’t think there will be any drama. 

I am learning how to be a Sister Trainer. There are six of us in the mission. My comp isn’t one but a sister that I live with is also.  We had a mission leadership meeting with Pres and the zone leaders this week and he gives us training and then we have to do divisions or splits (idk how you call it in English) but with the other sisters and teach them what he taught us. And also if there is drama or someone isn’t being obedient we have to help them. And just be an example in everything! It’s awesome!  I’m learning so much. I had to talk to someone about obedience this week and I was so nervous but it actually went really well and she thanked me at the end

Ok now the miracles that have been happening....we have 2 baptisms this week. On Sunday, an investigator is going to be baptized. He is 90 years old!!! And he is soooooo cute!!! He has been living in the interior where there isn’t a church but moved here to live with his daughter who is a member and started going to church with her and loves it. He is the cutest thing in the world!! Seriously when we teach him we are just like awwwww the whole lesson. He is nervous that he isn’t gonna know enough and someone is going to ask him a question and he won’t remember. He reminds us every day that he doesn’t hear very well and he can’t see very good! But he always remembers the Prophet Joseph Smith. José is what he says. We are super excited and we love him!

The other is a young woman. Ok she is the most prepared person in the world. The sisters before us have been teaching her for like a month and they invited her to pray about what they were teaching and she did and that night she had a dream. She dreamed about the Salt Lake temple (which she’s never seen it before) and she heard a voice say "this is my house and the path to follow" and then she turned around and saw the sacred grove and the same voice said that this is where I called my servant Joseph Smith to restore the gospel. Is that not amazing?! I about cried when she told us. She pretty much teaches us every time we meet with her. She understands the restoration better than anyone I’ve ever taught! She shares her testimony with everyone, isn’t too shy to pray in front of us, she looks like she’s been a member for her whole life. She’s 22 and I know that God has huge plans for her. And she is just the happiest person ever. It is a huge privilege to get to teach her. And actually she is teaching us.

This week was great and I’m so happy to be here. I miss Pina and everyone there but I’m so excited about this new area. I’m going to the temple today. On the week that we go to the temple our P-day is on Wednesday and we have to work normal on Monday. I got a few emails from my friends on the mission that went home last week. I can’t believe how fast time is going by. Sister Jeffery just went home now too!

I have lots of pictures to send you guys. I hope you all have a great week! Love you all!

Love,

Sister Bedke

 Recife with Sister Vasquez

Our neighbors

Week 52 - Camaragibe

Well....I was transferred again!!! Ok I’ll start with the bad but then I have so much good stuff to tell you guys. So last night I was almost 100 percent sure I would stay in Pina because I just barely got there and we opened the area so I thought for sure I would stay there at least another transfer. But when we got the call and he said Sister Bedke was transferred I was so sad that I forgot all how to speak Portuguese! I was like what the freak whyyyyyyyyy?!!! I don’t want to leave this area!!! I didn’t know that I was emotional until I have to keep leaving my areas after just one transfer! It’s the worst thing in the world to say goodbye. We were out of credits on our phone so I couldn’t call and say bye to anyone but I wrote notes for a few people that I got close with. I’m gonna miss Perla and Daniel and especially Bishop Heleno. I learned sooooo much from him. And also Sister Cariola. She is the best and I learned a lot from her too. Last transfer was for sure the best yet of my mission. I love love love the members and everything about Pina. But I’m learning to trust in the Lord and that I’m needed in a different area.

Ok so the good things. First of all Perla was baptized on Saturday!!! It was the best. She is so happy and was glowing and it was the best day. Her and Daniel both were confirmed on Sunday. Also at the last minute Bishop asked me to give a talk and I actually kinda like giving talks now and it was good because I got to talk one last time before I left the area. Daniel is also super happy and some of the members from the ward are gonna take him to institute this week.

Other good things...my new area is Camarajibi. I don’t know if that’s how you spell it but it’s something like that. My new comp is Sister Vasquez.  Idk if that’s how you spell her name but she was with Sister Andrade before this!!! She is a cute little Latina from Peru. She seems awesome and Sister Andrade loved her and said that we will be awesome together. Also I’m in the same zone as Andrade so we can do things together on P-day!!! Yay!!! Also I’m gonna open up an area again which means that we both are new and don’t have a clue what’s going on, but we will figure it out. I’m still in Recife right now but I think Camarajibi is like 1 hour away from here. Also EVERYONE talks so good about this area. Like that it is the best area in the mission. I’ve always wanted to come here because seriously everyone talks about it. And another cool thing is I was called as a Sister Training Leader so I’ll get to work a lot with the other girls here and get to know lots of people so that will be fun. Oh and also the missionaries that were there before us said that they have so many awesome people that they were teaching. Soooo I’m super excited even though I was super sad. I hope I can stay in this area the rest of my mission!! I don’t like changing so much. But the good thing is I’m seriously a professional packer now. I was so proud of myself at how fast I packed and how I fit so much stuff into just two bags.

Next week we are going to the temple so I won’t have P-day until Wednesday. So I’ll let you know everything about my new area. I’m lucky to get to meet so many people on my mission. When we come back we have so many people to visit.

I have lots of pictures to send to you guys. I hope you all have a great week. Love you and thank you for everything!

Love,

Sister Bedke

Week 51 - Boa Viagem

Dear Family,

This has been a great week! This morning we went to a tourist area with Jamerson and Ana. It was on the ocean and had a lot of sculpture things. It was so pretty!! I forgot my connecter for my camera so I’ll send all the pictures next week. To answer your questions mom I am doing good. I’m not sick anymore and I’m feeling great!

Yesterday Daniel was baptized!! It was the best. A lot of members were there and made him feel super special and welcome. The Bishop gave a great talk and few other members as well. It was perfect. Afterwards we passed by Daniel’s house to see what he thought about it and he was so happy!! He has changed so much. It’s the coolest thing to be able to see the huge difference that the Gospel makes in our lives. He told us how good and happy he felt and how he’s so excited to be a home teacher! I’ll send the pictures next week too.

Also another investigator went to his baptism and got super excited for hers this Saturday. She has been inviting all her friends and people from the ward and every time we see her she tells us how excited she is for Saturday. She is another that has changed soooo much! When we first met her she was super quiet and kinda seemed like she was trying to find things that were wrong about what we taught. And now she’s talking about going on a mission!!! I would love that! She’s only 24 so she could totally go. That would be the coolest thing ever.

This week we had a FHE with a recent convert family with a mom and two teenage daughters. We talked about the Book of Mormon and at the end shared our testimonies and scriptures that made a difference in our lives. I talked about why I chose to go on a mission and I read a little from 2 Nephi 4 where it talks about trusting in the arm of God and not in the arm of man. This Sunday the 17 year old daughter sat by me and started to cry and thanked me for sharing that scripture and experience with her. She said that this week some of her friends were giving her a hard time for getting baptized and how it really bothered her but she remembered the scripture and remembered why she was baptized. Experiences like these are why I love being a missionary. It is the most rewarding thing. I am so grateful to be here and help other people be closer to Christ.

I hope you all have a great week. Thanks for the pictures and enjoy the snow. Love you all!

Love,

Sister Bedke