Kylie's letter 10/15/12

One of the most common questions that we get after we introduce ourselves is if we know Justin Beiber. So we have just started throwing that line into our contacts - Hello, my name is Sister Peterson and we are missionaries of the chruch of Jesus Christ, and no we don't know Justin Beiber. But could we come and visit you and your family another day...?

And you also know that you have a lot of time in one area when the little children in the street yell your name as you ride past. 

buuuut

this week was grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat! 

We had an branch activity at the beach!!!! Whoohooo! And I got burnt to a crisp. But it was all worth it. We went to the beach and the kids swam and I played soccer with the irmãos and young men of the branch - there is a rule that the sisters cant play soccer with the elders but they never said anything about playing with other members of the church. So, I played my heart away and held my own against these Brasilian soccer fanatics. It was so fun. I also cut a huge chunk off of my big toe playing. I think I stepped on a shell or something. But it is all good now. We had a Brazilian barbecue with rice and farofa. It was great. I love Brazil. 

This week we will enter the process for the marriage of Ana maria and Jorge. They are doing so great. I will try to attach some pictures of them. Ana maria bore her testimony yesterday and it was so cute. She talked about all he blessings she has in her life now because of the church. They are such a simple family but they are feeling all of the blessings that they restored gospel has to offer. I love them. this past week we baptized Luanna the daughter of Ana maria that lives with another mom, and everything went great with the baptism. 

This week we had some miracles happen. We have been working really hard in this neighborhood and getting a lot of cold shoulders and I have been praying my guts out to find people prepared by the Lord, and while we were entering a house of a lady we had contacted in the street, her sister, who was there,  said - "Oh hey, I am Mormon too." And both me and sister Z took a step back and said, "Wait, what did you say?!" Turns out this investigator´s sister already is a member. She and her husband  were baptized earlier this year and they are trying to move into this neighborhood.  They have a bunch of family here including the family were were about to teach; and so we got all of their addresses and we are going to start teaching them all. We also ran into the mother in law of this sister in another part of the neighborhood.  She was there to get her birth certificate so she could be baptized and we grabbed the addresses of her and her family that live here as well. It was way cool to be united with the other missionaries in Rio and see how their work is bringing fruits for our side of the mission. This truly is a marvelous work and a wonder. 

This week we are working on a choir. They don't sing very well, but the spirit is so strong. We will perform in a fireside this weekend. And it will be super sheeky! 

Also this week - I ate a fish head complete with the eyes and everything. and I also ate cow stomach. They make this soup stuff with it and you can see all the micrvilli and everything. You cant really chew it, you just kind of slurp it down. I almost died. 

I love the mission and I love you all! 

Fique firme forte!!

tchauzinhos e beijos! 

ky

Kylie's letter 10/8/12

CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! So me
and my comp were crammed into a single little cubicle in a internet
cafe shop thinger that was boooooooooooooooiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiling hot
listening to conference in English. I love speaking Portuguese and
listening and all that jazz but the translators just don't cut it with
the real thing. So there we were listening and sweating all cramped in
this little space and then President Manson announced the new age
limits and we both freaked out. If you can imagine two American, tall,
blond haired, blue eyed girls with sweat pouring down our faces, girls,
that already are drawing the looks of everyone in the room, we start
cracking up and making lots of noises of excitement and surprise it
was a great moment--shared by us and every other Brazilian in that
internet house. But, WOW. Jesus Christ is coming soon for sure. I
bet we are gonna see an awesome surge in missionary work, it is going
to be so awesome. Very cool!

But here is the low down for the week.
- Everything is great with Lu and Angela and Natalia. After a lot of
fasting and prayer they remembered their testimonies that they felt
and after a lot of spiritual experiences they had they are good to go.
Lu and Natalia both want to serve a mission. Lu was really cute, she
called and apologized on the phone and said as she was thinking and
praying about the things I said she remembered Christ who talked about
how sad he gets when one of his sheep gets lost and she thought of me
(I just sat there and cried when I heard that she was doubting and
everything). But they are again firm in the chruch and I am working
close with the leaders here to help keep it that way with them. They
will be such good missionaries they know the bible inside out. Que
alegria!
- Had interviews with president and looks like i will be training next
transfer. Not super excited to leave this area. I love it here. Its
like my second family. But I know I will love my next area and
everything will be great.
- Brazil just finished with their elections here and it has been crazy. They really go all out here just for city mayor. They have flyers, newspapers, cards, and cars decorated, and music that cars play while drying everywhere. It is pretty intense, but glad it is over. Now all the people will be returning to their houses and have normal lives again. Thank goodness. I was getting tired of the response, "Sure you can come over' but wait after the politics are over...."

- We are teaching the perfect family. Every missionary dreams to have a family like this. But they need to marry. Ana maria, Jorge, Carlos Santos, and Luan, we are also teaching their other daughter that lives with another family. They are too poor to take care of everyone. She will be baptized this weekend if everything goes well. We are waiting for their marriage to take place to baptize them. I don't know if I will be around to see their marriage, but they will get baptized, they are praying as a family everyday and reading the Book of Mormon everyday. The parents don't know how to read or write so their 11 yr old son reads for them every day. They are a great family and I am already seeing how the gospel is blessing their family. 

- We didn't get to watch all of conference, because of internet problems but the parts I saw were really good. I am looking forward to the Liahona that will come out. Way cool announcements about the new temples and the new missionary age. Crazy crazy crazy

love you all

ky

Kylie's letter, 10/1/12

Família,

Pretty sure this week was one of the worst I have ever had. So turns
out that all of the pastors of the other churches are starting to warn
their members about us. Its getting harder and harder to enter into
peoples homes. It just makes me sad to think that these people are so
controlled by their pastors. And they are missing the whole point of
following God.  I know this just means that there are
more people that need to hear our message, and that Satan is trying to
run us out of there. But I don't give up that easily.

This week we received new sisters. They are great. It is one of my old
companions Sister Vieira, sister Araújo. Who is brand new in the
mission. I love being with the newbies they are so excited for the
work and have great ideas and are super duper animated. This is
exactly what this branch needs. And I love that they are proactive, I
love the other sisters that were here with us but they didn't do much.
So this transfer will be great, I don't feel so much pressure to do
everything anymore.

The happenings of the week:
We have been working on the marriage of Anamaria and Jorge, a really
humble poor family that are doing everything certinho. They are
reading the Book of Mormon together as a family. Actually the son reads because
his parents can't read and they are saying family prayers together too.
I love them sooo much. They need to get married. And turns out that
marriage is super complicated here and they like to take advantage of
two American girls. First they told us they don't do it for free. So we
went to the city hall who explained to us that it is a Brazilian law,
they have to do it for free, so we went back to this place and told
them that. And they were like, oh ok- actually we do it. But you have
to do all of this stuff. So we did it, and then they were like, oh ok-
actually you have to have one more witness, and you have to make an
additional copies of all of this stuff, so we did it. And then they
said, oh – ok actually we have to check the law and make sure she can
even be married because Ana Maria doesn't know how to write her name
she sign things by using her finger print. And apparently that is a
problem.  I am so frustrated with this lawyer
that is over marriages. So now we are teaching her how to write her
name. But I am pretty sure we'll go back and they will tell us we have
stand on our heads and sip juice or something.
The day of Saint Cosmo and Daemon was this week. And the Catholics
and people who do black magic off candy to these saints. And it
basically puts a curse on the candy and then they give it to the kids.
The kids go crazy with this. Free candy. And it is really just a
superstition but some people really believe in it. Our recent converts
Angela and her family were telling us to not eat the candy. She was so
serious I believed her and didn't eat anything. But after when I
learned what it was I accepted all the cursed candy I could get and I
am still alive.
Yesterday was a downer. Angela and Lu and Natalia didn't come to chruch
they said they wanted to stay in their old chruch. It was so random.
We went to their house and they talked about how they are returning to
their old ways to wear earrings, pants, paint nails, listen to music,
they think they are returning to the world, and that this church was
not bringing the change into their lives that they wanted. It makes me
sick to remember the times they felt the spirit that they received
answers. And Lu said that she felt so happy and liberated because she
was finding and learning that all these things were ok to do. And
before when she felt so guilty because she wanted to these things. But
she was learning that to be a disciple of Christ goes deeper than just
outward appearance, that you can still be in the world but not of the
world. But something happened. It was so random, they were all gung ho
about doing visits with us and chruch and everything, but something
happened Saturday night. I think their dad who is from the pentecostal
chruch has something to do with it. He is suuuuper radical. And likes
to make people doubt their beliefs. That lesson I left them with
chapters to read in the Book of Mormon and a lot of prayer, after sister Zeller
and I came home and bawled our eyes out and read Alma 26. I think
Satan knows that this family has a lot of potential and he is sending
in his strongest forces to make them fall away.  Pray for them. I am a
little scared because they were so changed yesterday when we talked
with them. Their hearts are closing. And with a hardened hearts even
the Spirit of God can't touch. But I know that  miracles are real, and
that God will help them.

We have an appointment with Angela tonight. With just her and no one else. 

I hope it will shed a little more light on the situation. But things are good, and this church is true! Don't forget it. 

love you all sooo much 

ky

Kylie's letter 9/23/12

Natalia batizou!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This week was a fight with her. Her
dad is super duper closed about religion and he likes to question us
and get us to start questioning our own beliefs, at least that is what
he thinks he is doing. He asks the dumbest questions, and he likes to
quiz me on my bible knowledge, which I am not the greatest at but
whatever. There are some things he says that I respond and it shuts
him up for a minute as he tries to find a way around it, but he always
comes back with another stupid example or stupid situation. He is like
the scribes and pharisees that tried to trip up Jesus Christ. Anyway,
so we went to go get her paper signed by her dad, and he wanted to
interview us and we went on and on about all these different topics
and I kept trying to bring it back to the fact that the issue was
whether or not he would let her get baptized. It ended with her
doubting her own testimony and wanted more time to think if she even
wanted to be baptized. So this whole time we are praying our guts out
and trying to get her to pray again and ask if these things are true,
and she wasn't doing it. and then the day before her old baptismal date,
we passed by and she was super excited to tell us that she got her
answer. It was this huge complicated story that involved a lot of
people and kind of random, so I won't waste time on it- but she got her
answer and talked to her dad and insisted that he sign the paper, and
he signed it. And She was baptized and confirmed this last
weekend!!!!! Que alegria. She and her sister are planning to serve
missions, and Angela wants to serve one too, she was already asking
for Pregar meu evangelho and they are planning on attending the temple
to do baptism the next caravan. Whooohooo!!!!

Funny story about the baptismal pool we use. We filled it up the night
before and the also during the night there was a storm, and our church
house isn't the best. So it ended up blowing leaves and dust and dirty
rain water in the pool. And this is after the day before cleaning it
and everything. So the day of the baptism. Sis Z and I grabbed the
little strainer things we use to make juice and we spent our two hours
of study time straining this water. It was great fun. My back is
killing me. But the water was a nice brownish green for the baptism
but didn't have any stuff floating it. Haha. Our LMA commented that
Jesus Cristo baptized in the river Jordan which was much dirtier.

Also this week we taught an intense lesson with a member who started talking about the temple and baptisms for the dead etc etc. Everything that you NEVER EVER talk about the first lesson. I was kind of irritated because this family has  a lot of potential. But anyways the lesson ended with a lot of arguing the member was super mad too. Agh! Sometimes lessons with members aren't the best thing. But anyways, I ended with my testimony and after one of the guys asked to give me a blessing. And what can you say to that. I said sure. So he took my hands in his and he started praying that God would forgive me for my sins and past mistakes and that I could reach all of my goals and desires etc. And he was shouting this prayer and shaking and I was dying trying not to laugh. And I was praying that everyone else's eyes were closed but Sis zeller peeked and said they were all watching me. I hope they didn't notice the stifled grin I was trying to hide. After he finished the blessing he acted all astounded and professed that we would see each other again and that I had a great work to do. In my head I thought - yep I´ll see you in the end and testify that it was me that taught you about the restored gospel but you refused to read the Book of Mormon or pray about it. We see him all the time now in the street, it is kind of awkward sometimes. But whatever. He was a nice blessing I think

Also this week while riding to this neighborhood this guy was stopped by the side of the road wanting to talk to us. It was in the middle of the day so I wasn't super worried. He started talking to us about who we were and what we did and made it sound like he was interested in our message. We started get really excited thinking, he was an elect. But then we starting talking about how beautiful I was and that he wanted to take me to his farm and show me around and wanted my number and tried to convince me that campos (antoher city here) has some of the best universities that I could stay here and live with him with his parents on their farm. The ideal life right?! I politely exchanged numbers and said maybe I would call and set something up. Yeah right. Any white girl with blond hair and blue eyes could get any guy she wanted down here. 

Transfers are this week! And sis Z and i are staying here. YES! I was happy. I really like Sis Z she is super duper funny and I don't think I have ever laughed so much on the mission. She is super fun to work with. I am thinking we will have one more transfer together and then we will train. There are a bunch of sisters leaving and a bunch of sisters coming in. Whatever happens it will be good. Love this area! and love you all!

ky


    

Kylie's Letter 9/17/12

Tudo bem!
Então. Vamos lá.
Angela e Lu were baptized this past Friday. We put up
a little pool in the back of the church building and it went great. I
was really happy with our LMA – mission leader because we did
everything certinho. Usually it is us having to run around and get
everything done because he says he will do it and then he leaves it until the last
moment e tal tal tal. And so it was good. He even completed it with a
huge chocolate cake at the end. To say the least, I was very pleased.
It was a perfect baptism – started an hour late – but that is
just a Brazilian thing- but we felt the spirit. The other daughter
Natalia will be baptized this next Saturday! Woooohooo!! Angela is
already cruising through the Book of Mormon and she is loving the book
of Alma. She knows the names of all the people and the cities and
  everything and she is doing a family home evening tonight, which we are
going to. This woman is unreal. Love her! And they are going to the
temple the month that comes [next month] and they will do baptisms!!!!!!!! I wish I
could see all of my recent converts going to the temple because that
is the real end goal. I am seriously thinking about coming back next
year in September to go through the temple with her to receive her
endowments. That is the dream anways, we will see what happens.

This week was super good, with lots of work, and lots of appointments.
Too much actually. We need more time in the day. The work is going so
well here and I am so happy. This little city was known as the hole of
the mission and no one wanted to get sent here, but I don't know why,
the elders just called it that. I love it here. De verdade.

 

This week I hit another person on the bike. Note to everyone riding a bike, don't eat, and talk on the phone and ride your bike, it is dangerous. I need to read the rules about bikes in the white handbook more carefully. It says there to always keep both hands on the handlebars. And for a good reason. But it was all good. I just wreaked the persons brakes that is all. I know, I know, I will be more careful.

 

Also this week talked to my bf, Marcelo. Said he would come to church and he didn't even show up. What nerve. Some boyfriend

 

Brice sent some fun questions that I will answer...

Have you ever been chased by stray dogs? - yes there is soooo many stray dogs here. And they love to chase after the bikes. for the most parts they don't bite.
Have you ever had someone ask you to marry their granddaughter?- granddaughter no- haven't quite reached the marriage proposal, but dating yes.
Have you ever had a 40 year old somebody fall in love with you? - lucky for me it is all the cute young guys that go after me. There always is the old men in the bars that whistle and make a few comments.
Have you ever made people fall down while contacting on the street? - nope, but I have had someone scatter salt and bless us.
Have you ever fallen asleep in a lesson? (I don't think I ever did, but this is a good question nonetheless)- Yes. I was being trained and we were waking up early to go running- so I was always really tired. And during the lessons I didn't understand much or speak much and thus fell asleep during the lessons, and the old guy noticed. I woke up real quick and got my act together.
Have you ever eaten so much at a members house that you about died?yes- Vitoria, they feeeeeed a toonnn. I remember eating until I was about to burst and she brought out a huge bowl of ice cream filled above the brim. I broke every rule of courtesy and put some of the ice cream back. there was no way all of it was fitting inside of me.
Have you ever yelled at your companion? - not yet.
Have you ever been pushed around? (I hope you haven't). I haven't but I have pushed people away . A lot of the men go in to give you a kiss after meeting you, or the second visit like old friends. I have had to push some of them off. haha.

 

é isso mesmo.

 

This week we have another baptism marked and hopefully more in the future.  Love all of you sooo much. Fique firme forte

 

ky

Kylie's letter 9/10/12

Well, noticias of this week.

I got another boyfriend. We taught him the first lesson waiting for our bus in Campos another city. I had my suspicions; he seemed way too excited about the restoration. We exchanged numbers and this week he has been calling non-stop and sending cute little text messages that would make any other girl weak in the knees. He calls me irmãsinha. Which is like taking a word and making it all cutesy, I don't know how to describe it. Its like the ending ita in spanish (at least I think it is ita) anyway - to make a long story short. I need to actually talk to him on the phone and give him the low down. That will be one of my p-day activities. What fun. 

We also had a zone conference by the elders. The elders always always always pick on the sisters to do role plays in front of everyone and then critique what we do. I don't love that and am not a huge fan of zone conferences put on by the elders.  But none the less it was good - and the spirit taught me some things that we need to change in the work. We have a goal this month to baptize 100 people - I also am not a huge fan of this quota thing either. But whatever. 

Angela and her daughters are going really well. Angela will get baptized for sure, Lu and Natalia are going a little bit slower. Lu I think will baptize this Sat and Natalia, we still haven't marked a date with her, but we are working on it. Natanaiel the dad is content just to observe our lessons and ask a bunch of questions but he still hasn't asked or prayed or read anything. But Angela - nossa! She is a one of a kind. She will help this branch grow a lot. 

This week was super different. Our bikes were freaking out - the chains kept falling and etc etc. we got them fixed. We got mixed up in several marriage problems this week. One of our companions in our house is sick and we have been running around trying to help her companion find irmãs to do divisions. I have this random man calling me every hour and texting me, and right now I have a group of boys in the internet house that are sitting here gawking at us... two tall blonds in Quissamã draw a lot of attention....

I love the mission. And the time really is going by tooooo fast. Could you do without me for another six months?

But this week is gonna be awesome, We will finish up the lessons with Angela, and try to make with Natalia and fortify Lu and Saturday is gonna be a great day. We don't have a baptismal font for the moment. We are debating putting up a pool in a members house, a lake, a river, or the ocean. Haha, this baptisms gonna be very sheeky. Que bom que we only need water and priesthood authority to make a baptism. 

Gente! Amo vocês muito. I hope that all is going well with school, work, weddings, and whatever else is going on. Thank you so much for your prayers and emails. Know that you are loved. 

ky

Kylie's letter 9/3/12

First off.

HAPPPPPY BIRTHDAY JENS!!!!!! Don't worry I didn't forget,  on dia 29 I thought - Oh it is Jens Birthday. I hope it is was the best birthday ever with lots and lots of cake and ice cream!!! Whoohooo, American cake and ice cream that is. Here they make salty cakes which is basically stacks of bread and chicken salad with a mayonnaise frosting and tomato flowers and strips of peppers for decorations; kind of weird I know. 

But let me tell you about this family. They are so amazing, I felt like that little kid on "David goes to the Dentist" ... "is this real life". [she is talking about a YouTube video about a boy-David-that was filmed after going to the dentist and was just coming off of some sort of medication that made him very loopy.  He was saying crazy, funny things while his eyes kind of rolled around like he was spinning and then he said, "Is this real life?" ha ha--very funny!]  They are the family every missionary dreams of. 

So here is the complete story. Way back to the beginning of the transfer, Sis Z passes out and I left her in a members house and grabbed Antoerh Irmã and went off to work for the day. The day was filled with lots of flaky people but our last visit was Natanael, Angela, Lu, and Natalia. They were headed off for church but stayed to hear what I had to say and it was the perfect first lesson any missionary could have wanted, the spirit was present, they asked the perfect questions, and they understood!!! Thanks to the spirit. After several more visits I was noticing things were going kind of slow with them, they wanted to read all of the BOM and learn everything they could, but we were creating a really strong friendship. I knew that I needed to invite them to be baptized but I started getting scared that they would stop being interested or think that we just wanted them to get baptized etc etc etc. Also, our baptisms for this week fell through and when that happens, it always leave you feeling really bummed. So this week, I was kind of bummed and I was praying and fasting--a lot!  I read the story of Alma and Amulek. Alma after being rejected by the whole city of Ammonihah, left but was commanded to return and he found Amulek, and together they began a great work. I took comfort knowing that every city has an Amulek, I was praying to find our Amulek. So we went back for another appointment with this family and Angela said that she had lots of questions, but that she noticed that the  members that I was bringing with us were weak (we do visits with a lot of recent converts that are new to the church to help strengthen their testimonies) and she didn't want to ask questions in fear her questions would make them question their own testimonies. I thought wow - I can't believe she noticed that. But it was good because we were with a member who served a mission etc etc. She asked all of her questions she had a ton of questions about elders, and missionaries, and Preach my Gospel, what it was etc. We answered her questions and watched the restoration film. We ended the lesson and after, the family was chatting with sis Z and the member. Angela pulled me aside and she said sis P, I want Preach my Gospel, I want to be a missionary. I gave her a hug and blurted- "Do you want to get baptized?" and she said, "Yes". Then I kind of started freaking out a little bit because I was so happy. But she said she didn't want the others to know because she didn't want to influence their decision, so we are teaching her undercover. She came to church yesterday and she told me that she (quick background - she is way evangelic - way churchy) grew up/was raised by missionaries, and she had already done a seminar on Joseph smith and she already knew his story, but when I taught about first lesson, she said that the things I said made her tremble, she said that before, she knew him as only a man, but now she knows him as a prophet. And she said when I asked her to be baptized the spirit touched her heart and she knew that was exactly what she needed to do. 

I cant explain how hard I have prayed and the number of times I have fasted just to be an instrument in the Lords hands and to be a conduit of the spirit. My happiness is so big it feels like it can't quite fit inside me. Angela, and her daughters are people that will help the kingdom of God grow. They will make amazing members. And  amazing leaders in the church! Thank you for you prayers for them as well. It helped. 

Ah!!! I love the mission!

Know that I love you all soo much and I hope you are enjoying your labor day weekend. Be safe, and eat a Reeses cup for  me! 

amo vocês muito

sis p

ps. we realized that Quissamã is a no stop light town. you know how there is one stop light and two stop light towns, well there isnt a single one here. Just to get a jist about this little town