*Irmã Craig*: The Week She Got Allergies.

Family!!!!!!!!

Okay, wow. Sounds like another busy summer week there in the states. It is so hard for me to think that it is summer there, and everyone is doing vacations. I don't know why. It just is hard. But...sounds like everyone is enjoying it.

This week was not our week. No, lets say that again. This transfer here in Gama has not been a normal transfer! At all!!

So to start this week off, the Bishop went out of town and asked us to help out at his Pastel Shop. So we spent a couple hours helping them, which was really fun. Felt like I was working again at Chickfila. Hahaha. Order up!

Wednesday the entire Zone went to Santa Maria (The next town over) to do a "blitz". Basically everyone goes to one area, and just makes a bunch of contacts to help which ever missionary is working there. In this case it was to help Elder Saravia. It was only for 3 hours. This is where it gets good. Santa Maria has its safety reasons of no Sisters, but now it has it for HEALTH reasons. Haha. After we had finished we were all standing in the middle of a park. Just remember that.

Okay Thursday morning, I wake up with about 6 bug bites, and they were killing. I thought it was just normal. In the middle of lunch, my leg begins to hurt really bad. I am looking down. I have one bug bite the size of a tennis ball. And about 5 more had appeared. I start notice that when I want to put my leg straight, it feels like I am tearing a muscle. So of course I am like what the heck. And nobody knows whats wrong. So I called Sister Lundgren, and she said go to the hospital. And who knows me best? I just start crying, because I HATE hospitals. Even worse in a different country. Arrive at the hospital, everything is calm...the doctor calls me back. I start to explain, and he interrupts me asking where I am from. Basically just never listened to what happened, or anything. He starts poking my legs...okay...OW! That hurts, could you stop. He then asks the following question: "When was the last time you shaved?" I gave him a look like...Are you serious? By this time my companion is like...what kind of hospital medical center is this?! So I tell him, Monday....obviously has nothing to do with my leg right. He doesn't say anything just starts typing, prints something off and says for me to go sit in the back corner with this signed piece of paper. I wait about 10 minutes, they call my name...and guess what? Its time for a SHOT!!!! Uhh no! I didn't sign up for this. Turns out its some kind of allergy injection to help it all calm down. I left the hospital. A little doozy because of the shot, as she said that would happen. My companion explained to me the paper and it said I had a minor allergy reaction. (Minor nothing... my leg was falling off.) The next morning I woke up, and the redness was down, but I had blisters now. WHAT? Luckily, we had to go to Lago Norte for my companion to take an English test, and Sister Lundgren was there. She said this wasn't normal and for me to go see a dermatologist. So that, dermo's here hardly are ever open. So we didn't really know what to do. That night we visited my family away from family, good thing because the mom is a nurse, and she gave me real meds. None of that fake stuff. Which has been helping. Saturday Morning, we were in the Chapel preparing for a baptism, baptismal interview, and my zone leaders brought over Benedryl. Whoop. My leg is getting better. Still have two blisters, but...redness and swelling is gone.

Saturday-- Was a baptism!!! Victor!!! Wahoo!!! He was a longtime investigator here in Gama. He is 14 years old. He has been going to church, seminary, young men activities...everything. And he is super firm in everything he does! And he finally got baptized!! It was an awesome night to see.

We also had a couple more trips to the hospital because of another sister who has serious heart problems. We got to help make these small little desserts for a wedding. An Irma here makes cakes and everything for big fancy events. And she asked us to help. Which was cool!

Time for spiritual stories, nay?---

Sunday before Church started, my companion and I were sitting with Lena (remember her?) and she begins to say "You know, my "husband" doesn't argue with me when I say I'm going to church with you guys." And we asked, "What do you mean?" She explained, " Well a little while back, I went to church with my Sister- In- Law, to her church. And we fought for days about it. But this time, I explained to him how you guys have been teaching me what you believe and how its true, and how I believe it. And how nobody here screams prayers, and its super calm...and he lets me go." And in that moment, I wanted to say...Lena, its cause it is the true church!!! But I didn't, because the spirit was there, already testifying this to her. I sat there amazed, at how God ALWAYS prepares a way when our desires are true. He is always preparing our hearts, the hearts of others.

Also, this week we found Julena! We were contacting a reference, and I walked passed a house, and this overwhelming feeling came... I need to talk to someone in there. But, I let my companion finish finding the address on the same street. Nobody was in the house of the reference. So I told her, hey lets go talk to that house. We clapped our little hands, and this 21 ish year old girl walked out. We just started talking as if we had been friends for years. She told us a little about her name, and how she is part Indian (In which I became excited, because.... She is probably related to Pocahontas :)) It seriously was as if we were friends for years, all three of us. Finally, we got to the part of explaining who we were. And she starts to tell us, how she had planned to leave that night, but something told her not to. And she didn't, and she knew when we arrived, it was because We had something to say to her, that she needed to hear. She begins to explain how she just moved into this tiny little house, just her. Her 5 year marriage had ended 2 weeks ago. She talked about how this time was difficult for her, because she was learning who her real friends were. And she was learning she had none, because not one of them was opening her door to her. We begin talking about how God loves her, and is her friend and such. And she says "I know, and that is why my marriage ended. Because I wasn't calling to my only friend up there." The spirit was super strong, and my companion pulled out a Book of Mormon and starts to say, "Julena, we have a present for you. This is a book, that talks about Indians (because she loves how she is Indian) and this present is the best thing we can give you right now." In which Julena got really excited. And started to read right then and there. I knew in that moment, that this really was the best we could give her. Because I know the power of the Book of Mormon. I know the truth it withholds for everyone. It is a present, but not from me, a Missionary, from our loving Heavenly Father. I am so grateful we have this testament for us in this day. In which, I am so grateful for the sacrifices made by Joseph Smith and other latter-day saints, to bring about this wonderful book.

I love Gama. I love everything about my work down here in Brazil. This week is the last week of transfers, and also the last week of the mission for my companion. So pray for me! As I will be with her and her family...trunky... haha.

Love you guys! Be forever grateful for the things you have in Life!!!!!

Sister Craig!

I finally got to see the Mission Offices down here in brasil!