She has never been so tired! - January 26, 2015

OH family......HI...You guys sound like you had a great weekend!!!!!! I am so jealous that everyone was together for the weekend...but....hey. I am here in Brasil....thats pretty neat.

This week was....hard. Hardest week on my mission. I feel like....looking back...every problem that could go wrong in one house...went wrong. I am going to talk to dad for a bit. Dad, you know that day (I don't remember exactly what problems, but there were a ton). But we had a leak, and you spent hours fixing it, and then when that happened, the dish washer stopped working...and when you fixed that...you looked up and saw moms "honey-do list"...well that was our week.

Problem after problem in this new house. Haha. But it was awesome, because my companion is like Tim the Toolman...she fixes EVERYTHING!

As for our investigators. We have an investigator that we are helping with Drugs and Alcohol. He is really special. His name is Semario. And we have been trying to get him to do little steps, baby steps. Longest story short. This week we decided to talk to him about Alma 34. TODAY is our day of preperation. And as long as we are trying to prepare to do the right thing, we will have enough time to do it. We started talking more about the atonement, and how the antonement was done for every single one of us. Semario, the worlds most hardest investigator.....that night, said a prayer. Humble, sincere, and full of faith. For the first time in many years, one young man took the first step to changing his life. I didn't realize how important doing the smallest things would make the biggest difference. I saw one young man, 26 years old, fight off Satan and his worldly temptations. And then this Sunday morning, I saw one, head to toe, dirt covered 26 year cigarette smoker, alcohol drinker, walk into to our chapel. When I saw him walking in...that quote from an apostle that says "My favorite smell, is the smell of cigarette smoke in the middle of the chapel. Cause that means, that someone who isn't perfect, is trying to become more like his savior, and that he is in the right place to start." (Something like that....) 

SEMARIO PRAYED AND WENT TO CHURCH. I cried, I totally cried, of happiness to see a son of God, fight off the temptations and start doing the Lord's will.

This week we also were able to really begin teaching Paulo and Gabriel. They have a date to be baptized February 7th, and they are really progressing. During the lessons, Paulo shows his desire with the sincere questions he asks. Gabriel shows his desire by reading and praying every night. Paulo is the dad, and Gabriel is 11. And they are awesome!


I am loving Palmas. I know that a lot more cool things happened, but I am short for time, and without a brain today! Love you guys!! Praying for every single one of you!

Sister Craig

She's got an Athiest who paints - February 2, 2015

FAMILY!  I don't have too much time. Its seems to me like Pdays just fly by....and even worse.... the rest of the week flies faster. I can't believe its already FEBRUARY! 

I am just gonna get to the points. 

This week, we started teaching Jordan. He stopped us in the road an asked if we really believed in God. Y'all remember him? We started teaching him. Talked about Faith...and the next lesson... "Tell me about this Book of Mormon, It is something special." We explained to him the Restoration....and it was awesome. He was understanding everything..... and the best part. He went to church and LOVED it. Said he had never seen anything like it. And all the members were just like all over talking to him. It was testimony meeting, and Tiao, a member we all love, bore his testimony. And his story is alike. He was atheist....and explained all of this. It was awesome. Jordan loved his testimony. God is good. He blesses people when we have a desire to know. He is there, listening in every moment. 

Also, fun fact. For those who know me well. Before the mission, there was a girl who found me on Instagram that is from my mission. She started talking to me before the mission, the day I opened my call. Well, I am here. In her ward...and sunday, I watched her open her call to Porte Alegre Norte!!!! We both cried when we saw each other. It was just a weird moment of..."Hey, I know you. Wait...hey we both were there when we received our calls!" Funny how things like this happen!

This week, we moved BACK to our old apartment. Elder called us Wednesday before lunch and said, sisters you need to move to your old apartment today. So we lostwednesday in the middle of a move..... And we will be moving again in upcoming weeks....Oh mission life. 

Palmas is an area where everyone accepts us, and reads, and prays...and goes to church. SO we have a lot of people to try and help. I love it. I have never been so busy in my mission. But it came in just the right moment..... :) 

I love this gospel.

Sister Craig

Helping Irma Deusa with our breakfast before our big task of cleaning :)

Just relaxing on the hammock waiting for our grilled meat to be done :) Life is good. ​

Look how strong we are! Cleaned the dust and wood chippings from every corner!

Me and my comp goofing around on the equipment...as always.

Our district. Cute. 

Sister Soares, Sister Hill, S.Miranda, Me, Elder Silva, Elder Benedetti

Palmas professional moving company, and the best part is....its free for missionaries :)

The worlds greatest!

Rita is going to be a sister!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just being a missionary and filling in our Area book....cute. Don't know why  I am using a blanket...the heat is enough. 

OH, dessert before lunch? I would love too. Hammock life is the way to go. 

Mission Tocantins!!!!! -January 19, 2015

Its a whole other mission here in Tocantins. An entirely different mission...hahahaha. I am literally dying of heat. If you thought texas...or florida....or washington dc was hott......you ain't never been to Palmas. 

So this week was great----then.....it went a little crazy. I got here, my companions name is Sister Soares. She is absolutely HILARIOUS. It is like looking in the mirror when we talk. We just laugh and laugh at what we say. I am living with Sister Miranda again, and I love it. And then Sister Hill, she is from Utah. Her and my companion only have 3 months on the mission....(tradgic....) but they are incredible!

The members here are INCREDIBLE! And the people here just invite us in!!!! I should start counting how many houses I just entered in without knowing anyone. They are so receptive!!!

This week...as always...we moved houses. Yes, this will be the 5th time that I have helped the mission change over into a new house. I think President puts me in the areas that are going to move. And as always, something went wrong. We moved everything there, and there isn't water....air conditioning...nothing was prepared for us to arrive there. So here we are, with 2 houses....but no where to sleep. haha. All of our stuff is in the new one, and water and air condition are in the other. But, President let us sleep in a members house....so for 2 days, we slept in a members house. It was weird. I felt like I was at a sleep over. But, it was cool, got to know this member a lot. 

Palmas is incredible. Members are great, and there are so many investigators that we are teaching that literally we running from appointment to appointment. And if something falls, there is always a house to visit, or a less active. 

This week we had a cool experience. We were walking to...I don't remember. But we were walking. All 4 of us. And we were joking around, and laughing, and a guy walked by and asked us if we really believe in God. Of course we struck up a conversation...and he just kept saying how he didn't believe. And he just keep pushing and questioning if we really believe in God, and we just kept saying yes, bearing our testimony....and in the moment I just kind of looked at him....and said...wow, this would be one moment that if my testimony weren't strong....I would start to question. But everytime one of us said, " I know that God lives" I felt the spirit testify that what we were saying was true. And then we gave him a book of mormon, and he said he wanted to read it. But first he was going to open up in front of us, and there it would say if God existed...and where did he open up??? Alma 7. Invitation for everyone to just read that chapter....and soak up the answer and proof that GOD LIVES. He sent his son to die for us, he bled from every poor, to feel what we would feel. He blesses us every day. And when we want to know, we answers. I am so grateful to be here, in Palmas.....where we sweat everything we eat off in the first hour. Where in every house we go, they give us food. I am GRATEFUL for this experience. I am GRATEFUL to be a representative of Jesus Christ. 

Love you all. I know I am forgetting a lot of details...or stories...but I gotta go fix my house...haha.. how sad.

LOVE YOU! Praying for you!!!

Sister Craig

 There is a fake statue of Liberty in front of my new house!

Our last district from last transfer.... Best district ever....Assitants, Zone Leaders, Secrataries, and us Sisters.... 

Sleep over in Irmas house... My companion and i are in the middle!!!

My last night in Aguas Claras....with my favorite family.... 

And that's when she went from white to black. -January 12, 2015

Okay, family.........I have NEWS!!!!

I was transferred today. But.....I was transferred to another STATE!!!!! So our mission picks 3 states, but I have stayed here in the DF. And now I am going to the farthest part of our mission. That we call it another mission. TOCANTINS! My area is Palmas 1. IT IS HOTTER THAN HATIES! Its like going to Florida in the middle of Summer. Horrible. I am will melt this week. I hope I survive it. 

Today we are staying in Asa Sul until 5ish waiting for the bus. It is a 13 hour travel.....over night....without shower....without sleeping.....I am going to be tired haha. 

I am excited. It is the BEST area in the mission. Seriously, the zone has a lot of success. So I am super duper excited. 

As for this week, sad news....Constancio.......dropped us. Monday night we went to his house, he was all excited for his baptism. Tuesday we went there.....and, he had completely changed, moved....I don't even know what happened, all I know is it was one of the hardest moments on the mission. I think it was hard, because in the moments we worked with him, he grew A LOT. And in the moments, where I had little faith....I saw/felt God's faith/hope that finally His son would accept the gospel. But, we cried just a little bit....and as always...kept moving forward. Finding new people, working hard in the blazing hot son. Getting to know more members....

And before you know it, 6 weeks are up. I was transferred, didn't even have an opportunity to get to know everybody. It was hard to accept that I had to leave, never left an area like that. But, the Lord knows what he is doing.

I am so nervous I am shaking in my space boots. I can't think right. 

What else...this week we started teaching a members nephew who started living there, he is going to be baptized the 25th of January. He is really cool. His name is Erique. But, I won't be there. 

It was a really bitter sweet leaving.....I feel like.... I should still be there. But, moving on. PALMAS 2015!!!!!

Everybody go look up 5 fun facts about Palmas, Tocantins....I don't even think there are 5. Haha, its like living in Iowa. They got really big strawberries?? hahahahahaa.....

I hope I keep laughing...

Love you all, praying for you!

Sister Craig!

Send pics next week!

One year older and wiser too! -January 5, 2015

FAMILY!!!!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't even believe its 2015!!!!! I am just about dying!!!!!!!! Seriously.....This is the weirdest thing. I remember exactly what I was doing a year ago! What? No...... 

Okay, so today I am writing a little bit later because we had a zone activity. You know how Texas is known for their bbq? Well here its Rio Grande do Sul. And he did this HUGE churrasco (bbq) with 17 kilos of Meat! Thats like...37 pounds of meat. For 30 missionaries, President and his Wife, and some members in our ward. It was awesome! We played brasilian cricket (Its called taco...and no its not a food contest), we had a water balloon fight. Its a tradition that we need. Because it is BLISTERING HOTT here. And yes, Aunt Gay....I am....burned to the crisp! The FIRST time in a year, I finally got burned. haha. I am red as a tomato. But it was fun. I love zone activities. They are great.

This week..... CONSTANCIO. As I said last week, we planned a lesson about the Plan of Salvation SUPER AWESOME. We sat and we planned, and planned. Scriptures, topics....words....everything. And we get there, and we gave our lesson. And the Lord blessed us. But I thought the part most spiritual would be when we talked about Resurrecting with a perfect body...I was wrong. It was when we talked about the 3 Kingdoms, and he sat there thinking which one he wanted, and what HE needed to do. I just go so happy, and did as they say. When we were at the high point, had him thinking and had him going, we picked up...said a prayer and left him with that spirit. Or maybe we took it with us for him to notice ;) 

IT WAS INCREDIBLE!!! He even said he was feeling the peace from the Holy Spirit. The thing with constancio, is not a matter of knowledge. Yes, there are somethings he still needs to know and all of this. But he is that type of investigator that already lives the standards, is already a member, just doesn't know it. The thing with Constancio is his TRUST, if its trust in himself, or a little more with God, he lacks a little bit. He has had a lot of life threatening accidents in his life. But he still believes that God exists. Today in our zone activity, he was rollin' on by, and I saw him and brought him in. It was awesome, he talked to a bunch of missionaries, who were able to lift his spirits a lot. Elders are crazy, no? haha. But it was really good for him. But after we talked a little with him, and he said. "Sister, Today I was looking and trying to feel that spirit, that happiness that I felt the other night, and I wasn't able. I read a book, I tried to receive that feeling....and God didn't give it to me. Where is my answer?" And I just looked at him, and explained how that feeling comes from God when we are maybe, reading his scriptures, praying, going to church. Or we can have that feeling all the time, as a gift. After the baptism. And I explained the GIFT of the Holy Ghost....and he just loooked at me like.....Well then. IT WAS AWESOME. Still have some other logistics, but with a lot of faith and prayer, he will be baptized Sunday....or maybe Next. But I got faith...... 

This week we also found a family! Pedro and Gamiles, and there two little kiddos. They are a family soooo cute! And they were looking for a religion that is true, that they could believe in, that follows the bible correctly. And....It was awesome. 

New year, was.....one of the worst new years of my life. Because I was STUCK in my apartment, when I wanted to be celebrating with Fireworks and loud noises. But thats okay....we took a lot of pictures and peaced out sleeping at12:05. Special, right? Haha #missionarylife

This year, the only goal I made, was to be more like Christ (which includes being skinny! haha just kidding). There are so many things that I can do to be more like him, that it'll keep me busy for the next couple of years. But lets start now. I want to be more loving like him. I want to serve like him. Have more faith IN him. It looks like a simple goal, but....It is what this world needs. I am so grateful for my example and Savior, Jesus Christ. I love him, and am so grateful for things he has taught me, and done for me. This new year, I am going to start off on a mission, and then the second half.... will be an opportunity to find out how to be like him, without a nametag. haha. I don't wanna leave Brasil.

Can't believe its already been a year. 

Love you all, and praying for you daily! 

Sister Craig :)

PS....i forgot my chord for pictures. I am sorry. It has been a while since I have sent pictures..... I have lots to send. 

Happy 2015!!! -December 29, 2014

Happy almost 2015!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't even believe it. It is almost a new year, and the same year in which I will be returning to you freaks back home :)

The rest of my week was awesome! We had an incredible lesson with Constancio, where we were able to talk about the Restoration, and he just kept saying, "OH, I am going to talk to the big guy, and see what he says, and if he says for me to go, I will go." And I just sat there like....WELL OBVIOUSLY HE WANTS YOU! haha. But, wait, have I told you about him? He is in a wheel chair, and we are planning a super awesome Plan of Salvation lesson for him focusing on the Resurrection? Anyways, so we were sitting in church, a little bit down because nobody went....minus a less active we have been working with. And all of a sudden, one of the counselors in the bishopric opened the door and in wheeled, CONSTANCIO!!!!!!!!!! AHHHH. I about cried, lets be honest, I gasped so loud I almost passed out. He said he had been talking to the big guy, and still has some questions, but needed to come to church.

Then we had an awesome lesson with Luciana, she had the question if Jesus Christ visited here in the Americas, and that day we planned to give her a Book of Mormon. SO when we arrived there, explaining everything, she said, wow, that was exactly my question. And it was just super spiritual watching her receive the answer she wanted. 

Other than that, I think it was a normal week. Sorry this letter is short, but I just talked to y'all. haha. 

Love you guys, but I am doing what steve said. Focused here. Just only praying for ya. 

Sister Craig!!!!!!!!!

3 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -December 22, 2014

Family, I just feel so dumb writing an email right now, when I am going to talk to you in 3 days. But...here it goes!!!

Luciana!!!! She is a new investigator that is super strong! She has been LOOKING for the true church, and has certain things she knows will be part of the true church. She listed a bunch of things that only OUR church believes. We decided to teach her The Restoration, and give her the opportunity to pray and ask which church she should follow. And it was a super awesome lesson, and then out of no where she was like. "Oh no, you guys are the true church, arent you?" I just kind of started laughing, and then bore my testimony. AND IT WAS SUPER SPIRITUAL!  And I am super excited to see the growth she makes these next couple of weeks. 

We were looking for a Julio, and we found his house when a little old Carlos walked out, and started talking about how a lot of missionaries visit him, and it was just a really good lesson. I really felt the spirit testifying, telling him that he needed to go to church. He is one that believes in God, but not in church. And as I testified of the importance of God's commandments, I really felt and knew, as my eyes filled with tears, that God loves us SO MUCH, he has restored his church for this reason. 

This week we had the Mission Christmas Party. THats right, 200 missionaries, one sacrament room. Talent show. Lunch, dinner....FROZEN. We watched FROZEN. We laughed, we cried....it was blast had by all. 

Does everybody remember Dani? She got baptized last transfer, in Gama??? She called me this week. She got a calling as Young Woman Secratary!!!!!! And she passed this year in school, and will be serving a mission 2015!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHH, I cried, I laughed. IT was an emotional moment to know that one soul that I have brought to the Gospel, is now going to be doing the same thing. Ah. I just LOVE how the Lord works. 

This week we had christmas party after christmas party......it was totally a fun week! I LOVE CHRISTMAS! 

I am grateful for this time of the year. I may not feel like its christmas when I am sweating in the sun, I may not see all the christmas lights that I am used to....but I am quickly realizing that Christmas is MORE than this. We feel christmas, when we feel of the Love of our Savior. 

I LOVE YOU GUYS. See/Talk to y'all in 3 days!!!

Beijos. Te amo

Sister Craig