Fotos!

A Stray Dog with 3 Legs...and Baratas

FAMILIA!!!! Ahhhhhh. I just have so much to say. Where to start. LOVE LOVE LOVE your letters! Seriously, keeps me going sometimes.

Soooo happy you got the picture of us last night! Let me start out with that family. They are incredible, to say the least. By the way...it was Brother...not sister...that emailed you. Okay so they have a complicated family. Not complicated as in lots of trials...just like some kids are one parent....I don't exactly know who belongs to who. But they are INCREDIBLE!!! They actually have 3 children living in Utah. The parents just got back from visiting the states and their children. So they know english. Which is incredible, because when we visit, they help. Haha. Im just gonna say it...they are rich...way way way rich. One of their daughters that is living here is married, but her husband is not a member which is why we visit them so often. His name is Wesley. And he is hilarious...but he doesn't speak english. Anyways, last night wasn't really considered a lesson or anything. We just did a family night with them. And okay so the food-- it was supposed to be a snack. No joke. We gave the lesson and they said they would prepare a snack...but there was cake, lasagna type thingy, tuna fish casserole (actually really good), sandwiches. haha. So that was interesting. I am gonna get so fat here if that is considered snack. Anyways, so mom don't worry, they will understand your letter back to them.

Speaking of food- Here is a weird fun fact. When we go to members houses for lunch, they don't eat with us. Hahaha....it is not AT ALL like the US. They cook the food, we come they tell us what it is and then we serve, eat by our selves in the kitchen and then after we are done, they come back and talk to us  for a little bit...haha. It was strange at first, but not anymore. 

Companion Time-- SHE IS INCREDIBLE!! Ahhh i love her so much. She is just the sweetest. She is brazilian, and from brazil...but she is Japanese. Haha...her grandparents moved here. So we get some really funny looks because how rare it is to see an American and Japanese walking down together. Haha. Anyways, she is just incredible. She is an amazing missionary, an amazing trainer. She just knows how to help whoever in every way.

JULIANA! She is my first baptism!!! And my first real investigator.  Wooohoooooo. She is getting baptized this Sunday. We found her working and she knew who we were, so we asked if we could visit her at her house. So we went to her house the next day and taught her about the plan of salvation and the gospel. She has 2 kids...who aren't hers. She was with a man, but he left her for another woman, and he left his kids with her. At the end of the lesson, I was testifying of the Holy Ghost, and inviting her to pray. After I finished, she just broke down into tears. Needless to say, she definitely has her trials. No money, 2 kids, no gas to cook food..Her apartment is seriously half of my room total. If that. Once she told us all of this, we told her to pray for help. We invited her to church, and to get baptized. YES TO ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS. Boom. The spirit was so so strong, and the Lord did bless her. She came to church with the youngest daughter and she was just so so excited and happy, and a completely new Juliana. It is incredible to see that all happen. To see that change in people...holy cow. Unimaginable. 

We are teaching a man from Africa. He has been living here in Brazil for a while...but prefers the lessons in English. So before I arrived, my comp was worried because her english isn't that good. But now I am here, and hey guess what! I know english! Anyways...name is Brobbey. He is awesome. Seriously EVERY missionary knows him. He is just so awesome. But...he isn't baptized yet. Haha. We are working with him though. 

So the title of this letter has two stories.

Stray Dog with 3 Legs-- That pretty much sums up how I feel sometimes. Hahaha. Seriously it is hilarious. We will be out contacting and every person we contact will just stare at me...like what is that foreign thing...haha after they have stared and studied, they will then start to try and help me...like ohhhh. You american...haha...and then I start to talk...and I speak in portuguese...and they are just all, wait a second... you can walk??? haha. My companion and I just laugh and laugh at it. 

Baratas. AKA Cockroaches. I HATE COCKROACHES!!!!!! Our apartment has been taken over...seriously everywhere. Clothes, beds, kitchen, laundry room... blah blah! So we have been sleeping at Guara 2 sisters apartment at night, but working in our area. We have boughten bug killer medicine after medicine, after raid, after baking soda..blah blah blah. NOTHING IS WORKING. Hahaha, so we literally spend like 2 minutes, maybe in our apartment. There is one REALLY strong medicine that you clean your house in with but it is in another area, 40 minutes away. And Elder Koeliker wont let us go get it. Haha...I mean really, what good is it to know the Assistant of the President if we don't get things out of it. And I am totally kidding.... but somehow we will deal.

Yesterday was incredible! We got a reference from other missionaries about a lady that lives in our area. We went and visited her yesterday and taught her (celia), her husband (erazmo), her husbands brother(antonio) and her husbands cousin. We taught about the restoration, and ALL of them were just glued to the lesson. Asking questions, and so on. Anyways, Celia started crying, and before we knew it...seriously mid lesson...she was asking us where our Church was and that she wanted to go. INCREDIBLE. They are ready, they were prepared for us to teach them. Ready for baptism, and ready for the gospel. 

So with all of our challenges, cause trust me, we had some this week, the Lord blessed us. And I am so so grateful. Every time my comp and I even started to get a little down on ourselves...the Lord would answer our prayers and help us. I know it, I feel his help every day. He loves us, and is blessing us daily. I love this place, and I love being here. Even with cockroaches invading my territory. 

Thanks for your prayers, thanks for the love everybody!!! I miss you all so so much, but....I love love love it here! 

And also...the food aint too bad...and also...you would all be proud to hear...we have a McDonalds seriously across the street from our apartment...and I have yet to go... talk about self-constraint. (sp?)

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!

Sister Craig! 

A week of Pancakes (2/12/14)

THAT IS RIGHT!!! Brazil MTC finally went American on us. We got pancakes for breakfast.... TWICE!!! I thought I had died and gone to heaven. They weren't even disgusting a little bit...And even greater fact...I ate about 8. Each time. I was so so happy. Probably the biggest answer to my prayers this week so far. Okay so anyways....Things are getting surreal here. We are in our last week...and still learning portuguese. Hahah. Okay, I mean we know enough to get us by...but some gramatics like past vs present are still getting us sometimes. But that is okay! We got this. Today we are spending our Last pday with our Instructor (Irmao "Burrito" Brito) and his fiance that works here (Irma "Fajita" Ferreria). They are legit! Totally just die laughing all the time together. So I'm excited. Our favorite place here on Pday is this not so little bakery...It is huge! It has all this delicious pastry stuff, and I just die every time. They have american candy too, it is just a little pricey...but sometimes worth it, snickers bars. Hahaha. Anyways. So other than that we spend as much time as we can outside the CTM. Just go walking around looking at clothes. Bought a cute skirt...haha...I miss shopping, what can I say? I really don't have that much to tell you guys this week. We just learn portuguese all day! Hahah, my comp and I have strived really hard to have good lessons, that they can understand without notes. In fact, one of our investigators got baptized this week! Haha, hallelujah! He is a pretty funny fake investigator. (This investigator is played by Irmao Burrito...our instructor...haha) Anyways he plays like he has OCD, which Burrito does in real life, and he told us after a lesson that we actually are somehow helping him with that for reals. We don't understand how, but hey, he was grateful and we will take it.  We got a new group of Elders this week...and hey...one of them said he knows MIKE CRAIG.  His name is Elder Ordinola.. I learn too many names here a week. Haha...but if Mike...maybe you know what I'm talkin' about? I would say my favorite part of the day is Physical Activity. Haha...our 40 minutes to just maybe let out like 1/4 of the energy we have. The sisters have a nice routine-- We run a couple laps on our dinky little track and then play Volleyball with the Elders and then go to the gym and do weights and stuff...and stretches..like yoga.... Volley ball is actually really hilarious cause it is just a bunch of Americans that don't know how to play and then we take it jokingly serious, if that makes sense. It's hilarious. Brazilians just love to play with us. Oh I know a story! Tuesday we actually sang in devotional. We sang "He Sent His Son" once in portuguese and once in english...with a cool little arrangement...It was awesome!! My district has got talent. Last night our devo was given by the Medical Doctor and his wife, from Co, and they are honestly just SO SO SO cute. Sister Jafek talked about kindness, which is great, because it's like...our district clearly needed that. Haha... and then Elder Jafek talked about forgiveness! And he did really good! I always love Devotional. Another tough week for our district so as I was praying this week, it came to me that for me personally, on hard days..I am going to write 5 tender mercies...or 5 positive things. I can already feel such a difference in my attitude! Somedays it is harder to find 5, other days I have a plentitude to choose from!! I love this! Here is a funny story for ya'll. So you remember the companion that totally tinkled herself...well needless to say she has done it a couple more times. Haha, which is funny...slash worrisome. But regardless, she decided to tell one of the Elders (She's crazy for doing that...but it was funny) As she was telling him, we were all dying laughing because it is hilarious, and he just grew to be more and more awkward. So we were dying even more, and then as we were all on the floor laughing... The same sister just totally rips one!!!! Hahahahahahahahahah I seriously about tinkled myself. This sister, can't mention her name. is keeping me on my toes constantly. She is soo soo funny. Anyways--I really have not much to say. I leave this place in 5 days!!! Yipee. My next letter to you dudes will be coming from the Land of Brasilia!! Hopefully that will be way more interesting of a letter!! Hahaha. Hope you got my pictures from last week and today...I can just only forward on what I get. LOVE YOU GUYS. Praying for you constantly. And Love the letters, makes Pday just THAT much greater!!! Love Sister Crazy!

I'm A MISSIONARY!!! (2/5/14)

FAMILY.

Hi, so we actually heard about the Broncos on Monday because all the Instructors knew I was a fan, i even made a sign for my desk. No I'm kidding, but i thought about it. It was heart breaking...dang it p.manning. I took soooo much crap here from the elders. haha. Whatevs...

Anyways, LOVED LOVED LOVED all of your letters!! I was cracking up, and my district just wants to know everything. Clearly their families just aren't quite as hilarious as you. Anyways, and then the pictures. I laughed...I cried....That food looks incredible.....hahah no and you all look so happy! Kinda made me miss you a lot more!!

Anyways-- I have ONE cool story for you all. We went proselyting...spelling anyone???... My comp and I handed out 6 Books of Mormon in 40 minutes!!! Woot woot! I love the people of brazil. We went to this park in North Sao Paulo and it was covered in homeless people. I mean, i started out terrified...and the elders were scared for us sisters...but we said a prayer and went on our way. Everyone was so accepting! We had one guy just sit and talk to us for 20 minutes (we didn't say one word, he just blabbed...haha) and he was saying how great  it is that we are sharing a message of God because the people here need that message, and need that help and faith. And blah blah, we understood about 1/4 of what he was saying I'm sure. Haha...but he took a book. We had another guy, he was actually from paraguay and he told us at the end that he wanted to change his life. And this is what he wanted, that we were literally an answer to his prayers. IT WAS THE COOLEST THING I'VE EVER FELT. Somehow, in our 5 minutes of broken portuguese and our 5 minutes of struggle of bearing a testimony, and listening to the answers and trying to respond...that Gift of Tongues stepped right in and helped. I have no idea if that man actually called the number we gave him, or what...but regardless...he was taking the steps. Funny story-- our elders came up over to us after talking to one guy for 10 minutes. We noticed they didn't give a book so we were asking and they told us it took them 10 minutes to realize that he was saying he had been a member for 8 years. Hahahaha....ohhh elders. Of course, we had some frustrating people. We had bashers, and we had racists. One lady said that if she was going to accept any missionaries in her home it would be brazilian missionaries...not American. It was discouraging....but the Gospel is the Gospel...no matter who teaches it I guess. It was an all around cool experience. I absolutely loved it.

This week I really tested myself. Haha- I studied revelations. Yes, my brain hurts. Yes, I read every verse like 50 times to even try and remotely understand it. But I am getting there. Its a really long, weird random story as to why we were reading this but us girls just decided too. Haha. And I usually would study for half of personal study...then switch over to Alma. I love reading in Alma-- just a missionary time I guess and its reassuring...Anyways....After last week I was just putting in my whole. In the language, the gospel, the food...everything. I was just trying. Gospel wise-- I kept coming to scriptures talking about peace. For example- Helamen 5:47...Think thats it. Haha. Soo it was a less trialing week. But I still learned lots. Our goals this week have been all portuguese all days haha and it is difficult. We definitely don't talk as much on those days :). But we have 2 weeks left here..no 1 and a half...so we gotta do what we can to prepare. It is getting so surreal. I am going to be in the field in 1 1/2 weeks. Did I tell you guys my instructor (Irmao Brito...or Burrito as we call him) served in Brasilia. So its way fun to talk with him, especially since we understand him now. Haha.

I am really starting to suck at speaking english. Typing it..spelling...I'm losing it. Haha. But thats probably for the better.

I still love it here! Temple is always awesome. Going there every Pday...we just start the day off right..and today...It was in ENGLISH!!! Hahaha, no headphones for us! Woohoo!!!

This week has been pretty mellow. We had two Area of the 70's come and speak with us.... they talked a lot about repentance...beat it into us type of thing. But they were still way good talks. I would title one "Walk with Christ" He talked a lot about how he is the best companion we will have because he knows the most about what we are doing. It was good...even if it was translated into broken english. Haha.

Our district is singing "He Sent His Son" in Devotional next week, one time portuguese, and witha  cool interlude we will sing it in english after. It sounds wicked. Talented district I have here....

Really nothing is new... We have one district here that is just two elders, they are american. And they are some really good guys. Every time we talk to them we end up in this deep deep conversation and we never have any idea how it got to that. Haha...but thats cool. Whatever. They bring some really good insight.

Anyways, sorry this is so short. But I have the same schedule!! Hahah. Love you all. Praying for you so much all the time. I know this Gospel is true. I can see it every day. I know that God is watching over all of us and that he answers our prayers, whether we feel it or not. He is ALWAYS there, and matches up to our faith. Keep praying.

Sister Craig

Helamen 5:47

P.S I sent a picture of some of the elders we got friends with...because they were in the field...and could send pictures :) haha. I'll get more!