Christmas Time!

           So here they celebrate Christmas mainly on Christmas Eve. We got to go to a member's house for dinner that night around 8 (and that was early for a Christmas Eve dinner here!) It was really good and fun. I sent a picture of us by their Christmas tree. They are really well off. Especially here in Brazil. They have a super nice house. Then on Christmas morning I opened up that Christmas package I have been carrying around for the last two months- talk about a build up of suspense! It was perfect- thank you! I am going to buy some bread and jam today so that I can have a pb and j sandwich! I am super excited for that! I have missed my daily pb & j :) I also gave all the sisters living with me little gifts and cards I had made. I was the only one that had thought to get gifts for the other sisters... Haha, it was actually really cool to give completely unexpected gifts though. They were all super excited, even though they weren't amazing gifts or anything. After that we had study as usual. We then went to our Almoço appointment and had time to skype. After that it was back to work as usual! It was more or less an average mission day other than skype and presents. The only thing is that because it was Christmas, most people are home with their families and not really interested in letting in two strangers to share a message. So with that in mind we made other plans! I made Christmas cards for all of our investigators and then Sister Malta and I went and visited them all and sang some Christmas carols. That made for a lot of walking! Usually we pick one area to work in each day, but to visit all the people that we teach, we had to basically walk the entire city! It was really cool though. They were all happy to see us and I think they were able to feel our love for them and how important Jesus Christ really is! We were out serving as usual- even on Christmas! We also wrapped a couple of copies of the Book of Mormon (very beautifully, I may say too) to give out. I really liked that. What better gift could we give for Christmas?! While we were walking to an investigator's home, I saw this lady sitting on the curb all alone. She was probably in her upper 20s. I stopped to talk with her (of course!). I learned that she was waiting for the bus to head to work. She didn't have any family here in Alfenas and so her Christmas wasn't so great. She was feeling very alone and sad. It was cool to be able to talk with her and brighten her day a bit. I decided to give her one of my wrapped copies of the Book of Mormon. You should have seen her face light up! I think that may have been the only gift she received that day. I am so glad that I have the opportunity to be here and make a difference in people's lives. It was amazing to spend this Christmas completely focused on other people and bringing them joy. So even though I miss you all like crazy, I am happy to be here sharing this glorious message.

Finally opened her Christmas gift!

Of course she found a tree for Christmas!

 

This week I also developed a very deep gratitude for seat belts. Don't worry, I didn't get in a car accident! I am safe and all is well! This week we had one of the members and his wife come along to our lessons with us one day. He offered to drive. Ben, I take back anything negative I have ever said about your driving. You are an AMAZING driver. Haha, this brother makes your driving look like road-test perfection. You know in Harry Potter when they ride the night bus? It was seriously like that. Not even exaggerating. He was weaving in and out of other cars at neck-breaking speed. It was supposed to be just one lane, but he treated it like there were two lanes. I swear we only had centimeters of space between our car and people, cars, signs and everything else we passed. And the back seats of the car did not have functioning seat belts. I have never wanted a seatbelt so badly in my life! I was praying like crazy the entire time that we would survive the car ride. But in spite of my doubts, and the laws of physics, we somehow made it to all of our appointments in one piece. Without even a single scratch on the car. I seriously do not understand how that was possible. Needless to say, I am more than happy to walk on my own two feet in the future. He can just meet us at people's homes if needs be.

Loving the work as always

Okay, the Maxwells may have a slight obsession with flowers...

Beautiful and green! I love it!!!

 

Well, I think that just about sums up my week.

 

And Happy New Year too!

We are just getting started!

          This week was AMAZING! In just one day I had six dates and two proposals. That is six baptisimal dates and two marriage proposals. Haha, two different crazy old men asked if I was married or not and offered to take the position. It was pretty hilarious. Don't worry though, I didn't accept their offers ;) 

          So on Tuesday we had zone conference out in Varginha. And this week we will have our Christmas conference in Juiz de Fora... So a lot of travel and not as much time in our area as I would like! But it is good. The conference was really good this past week. I learned a lot of thing  that  need to improve on and got a nice spiritual boost. President and sister Cascardi are both amazing! On Wednesday Sister Malta and I stayed in Varginha to go on splits with the Sister Training leaders. I was really nervous about this... they report on how you do to the President! Haha, I know, a classic Emma moment ;) In  spite of my nerves though, it was an amazing day. I actually think that was one of the funnest days I have had on my mission yet! Sister Rico (who I was on splits with) has a totally different personality and teaching style than Sister Malta. I think we fit together better personality wise. Sister Malta is always very serious in our lessons and work. This isn' a bad thing at all, but with Sister Rico we were laughing and joking around all day. It was a completely differnt experience to be in lessons and have investigators laughing with us and feeling more like friends than stuents. I think I have been focused so hard on trying to copy everything that Sister Malta does that I lost a little bit of myself. It was really good for me to be with another companion and remeber that I need to be myself! There are so many differnt ways to teach and each way will reach different people. So I need to be myself becase there are people out there that only i will be able to reach! I think that as I progress in the language I am better able to let my personality through too. When you can't say much it is hard to have much of a personality ;) The language is coming though. With all the travel a lot of my language study time gets cut. I don't like that, but it's alright. Each day I think I get a little better. I love how after I study a new concept in the morning I then notice it everywhere I go that day. There is so much to learn still! One Amercan sister i met at the zone conference has been out for just over a year now. She speaks English with a major accent and doesn't remember some words. Haha, I hope that I can reach that point where Portuguese is so natural. I haven't had any portugues dreams yet I don't think. I don't really know though, I never remember my dreams! 

          This week I also tried Açai for the first time. Oh. My. Goodness. It is amazing! It is kind of like a super thick fruit smoothie/ frozen yogurt. When Sister Rico found out i had never tried it she insisted that we get some. Apparently it is something you can only get in Brazil. I got mine swirled with soft serve vanilla ice cream in a cone coated with Nutella. Enough said. It was beautiful and delicious. I wish I had had my camera with me so I could show you all. 

          I had a lesson this week with a boy who is 14 and his parents. Two of the boys friends are members and came to the lesson with us. They bore such strong testimonies of the Book of Mormon and the gospel of Jesus Christ. I think their simple testimonies were more powerful than anything we could say as missionaries. I hope you guys share the gospel with your friends and take the opportunity to help missionaries teach now. You guys don't have to wait to have a black name tag to share the gospel! 

          We have been having a ton of rain here. It rains nearly every night. On Friday night though we had a crazy rainstorm. I am talking full out down pour. It was like entire swimming pools of water were being dropped out of the sky. The streets literally turned into rivers. In some places there were even some pretty intense looking rapids. Needless to say, Sister Malta and I were soaked! Though when you run through the rain and huddle under overhangs with random strangers for a bit it is easy to strike up conversation, make them laugh about the crazy weather and then get their address so you can visit them later with a lesson ;) I have to admit though, every time I saw a car driving down the street I was worried that it would be swept away by all the water! I couldn't help but remember our favorite scout safety phrase- "turn around, don't drown!" Haha, I was cracking up and I couldn't manage to explain to sister Malta what was so funny in portuguese. Haha, she probably thinks I am crazy, but that's okay.  Oh, there was also this crazy lightning. It wasn't bolts of lightning, but rather the entire sky glowed. And in different colors too! Blue, green, purple... It was really cool. 

Sister Emma Maxwell

Queijo!

All decorated for Christmas

Getting right to work

           So this week I experienced the full roller coaster range of missionary emotions . We had a referral from a ward member for Cristiane, a mother of a family of three teenage boys. We went to teach her and she was seriously the golden investigator. She ate up everything we said and was so ready for and open to the gospel! It was amazing. Just as I introduced our message and told her what our purpose was as missionaries in that first lesson she teared up. It feels so good in those moments to have the spirit work through you and the message come across thro ugh my simple português. We met with her several times throughout the week. Each time she had read her assignment in the book of Mormon had had really good thoughtful questions for us. We taught her about the Word of Wisdom and she immediately agreed to give up coffee. She drinks it all the time, but wanted to give it up completely right then because what was what the Lord wanted- no slow transition or anything. So Sunday morning we called her before church to just make sure she was coming and that's when everything started to fall apart. Her husband decided that he didn't like her learning about the church and didn't want her to go. He didn't want her to meet with us anymore or have anything to do with the church. It is absolutely heart wrenching. I  had to hold back tears when Sister Malta relayed the message to me. I know that she knows the church is true! She has felt the spirit and is so ready for this gospel, but now she is being held back! So I went from sky high excitement to the slums. We were able to set up an appointment this week to try and meet with her and her husband. I am really hoping that he will listen. That he will let the spirit in and understand the blessings that the gospel will bring. If not for himself, then at least for his wife and children! We are trying to get one of the men from the ward to come with us too. I think that will help him feel a better connection and maybe be more  open. We have already been fasting and praying for her and her family. It is so hard to just have to realize that people have agency and leave it in the hands of the Lord after you do all that you can. Haha, I don't think shaking them and trying to knock some sense into their heads would be very helpful here. So as frustrating as it is, all we can do is love them. Offer them everything we can, and then let them choose.  

           We had our branch Christmas dinner this week here. It was a BBQ... haha, yes a BBQ for Christmas. It was a little strange, I am not going to lie. But when Christmas is in the summer it makes sense. The Brazilians really do know how to have a good BBQ too. It is totally different from American BBQs, but it is really good. Oh, you know that saying that "knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing it doesn't go in a fruit salad"? Haha, well, that saying doesn't apply here. I guess Brazilian wisdom is a little different. They make this "tropical fruit salad" here  where hey lay out lettuce on a plate and then put mango, kiwi, pineapple, beets, tomato and cucumber on top of the lettuce. It is really pretty and really yummy. You don't really mix the fruit together, but I just think it is funny that they call it a fruit "salad" and it has tomatoes in it. I had to tell you guys because my Brazilian companion didn't understand why it was so funny... Haha, sometimes the cultural difference makes it hard to tell jokes  :) I am grateful that it is hot here and sunny though. It doesn't really feel like Christmas. I think that is a good thing. If it was snowy and cold I would probably think of Christmas more and miss you guys. So it is a blessing to be in the heat of summer. It makes it easy to lose myself in the work  and not get homesick.

           I feel like I have already grown so much here. This has truly been a humbling and amazing experience. The language is coming  along well. I understand most everything now. I still get lost in some non-gospel related topics, when people talk fast or when a big group is having a conversation. We had lunch with a big family in our branch this week and they reminded me so much of our family. They were all joking around and teasing each other and just enjoying life to the fullest. It was so fun! But let me tell you, it is really hard to focus and follow all that conversation and teasing with so many people talking! I also squish ants with my fingers now- you were right Jono! We just have so many and in our house that I have quickly overcome that fear. Anything bigger than the tiny ants is still outside my comfort zone though... I eat meat off the bone- people here don't believe in boneless, skinless chicken breasts like you do Mom ;) And I have some killer tan lines already. Haha, I am going to have to wear a watch and these shoes for the rest of my life! 

I love you all so much!  And remember, the best gift that you can give this year is the gift of the gospel! 

 

Love,

Sister Emma Maxwell

 



Brazil is so green! It makes me happy!!!

Preaching to the herds....



.... better luck next time Sister Maxwell



Still Alive!

My wonderful family and friends!

 



Heading to the field!

What a crazy week this has been! I made it to my mission safely and got straight to work! I am serving in Alfenas right now with Sister Malta. She is from São Paulo. We are actually opening up this area. It had Elders a while back, but now we get to reopen it with Sisters! It is pretty exciting , but it means we are basically starting from scratch. All we have is a an old, outdated area book. There is just a branch here in Alfenas, but the church is growing. They just finished the construction of a brand new chapel- it is pretty cool because everyone we talks to knows about the "beautiful new chapel". It makes it easier to invite people to church!  But I had better not get ahead of myself here. I am going to start with leaving the CTM.



New companion Sister Malta

 

So I left the CTM on Tuesday morning at about 3 am... so yes, I was exhausted by the time I finally made it to field. Hopefully it doesn't show too much from the pictures the president and his wife sent. When we first arrived we went to the chapel in Juiz de Fora for some orientation and then we walked to the President's house for lunch. They have a beautiful home with an amazing view of the city. Great food,  great people... what more could I want? After that we went to the mission office for some more orientation and interviews with the president. As part of that rotation we went out street contacting. I was paired up with Sister Su'a. We did pretty well, but by the end of our time out there, it was obvious in comparison of numbers that we were the only companionship that didn't actually speak Portuguese fluently! Haha, I am so grateful to have a Brazilian trainer to help me out! That night we stayed with the Sisters in Juiz de Fora. The next morning we had some more orientation, went out to lunch and then received our new companions and areas. The build up for that was crazy. We had to wait so long and we were all so anxious to know! But it was worth the wait. Nearly immediately after getting our companions we were rushed off to the bus station to go to our separate areas. My bus wasn't until around 6 so we just sat around for quite awhile. We  then had a six hour bus ride... that wasn't the greatest thing in the world. Haha, it was pouring rain and the window I was sitting next to leaked. It was quite the adventure. You know, I was really wanting to take a shower... I guess the Lord really does hear and answer our prayers ;) That bus took us to Varginha where we spent the night with some other sisters. We got in around midnight and a member took us to their apartment. We couldn't take our bags though... none of us were prepared for that! So we all just shared what the sisters living there had for the night. The next morning we took another bus and  finally made it  to Alfenas! We were greeted by the branch president and his wife. They took us to our little house in the city to unpack and get settled in. Alfenas is a small city. We cover some more rural parts too. It is absolutely gorgeous here! Rolling green hills and colorful little houses- I love it! I will try to send some pictures. We are sharing this house with another set of sisters that is opening the area with us. Let's just say that is was pretty obvious that Elders lived in the house before us... It was pretty nasty. We did a bit of cleaning then and a lot more this morning. It is now clean and wonderful! Perfect for all of our needs. No spiders yet even (fingers crossed that it stays that way!). We do have a ton of ants and other little bugs though. I am hoping the cleaning helps with that. But nothing too bad. I saw gecko in our house last night- he is my new best friend. I love him because he eats all the bugs :) 

 



Alfenas

We had lunch with the branch president and his  wife that first day. Guess what we ate?  Yep, rice and beans! Good thing I like rice and beans! But to make things a little more exciting, we had chicken heart too! It wasn't bad. The texture was kind of weird, but the flavor was fine. So now I have eaten chicken heart on a stick roasted over a fire. Bam. The boys should be proud of me for that one. That is the only really crazy food I have had here so far though. The members feed us lunch everyday and then we just work all day. I usually have a little snack when we get back to our apartment at night, but we don't stop for dinner.

 

Those first couple days we spent most of our time meeting members and getting to know the area. After that we really got down to work though. I thought I knew Portuguese when I left the CTM, but it is all too clear here that I still have tons to learn. Anything outside the gospel is pretty hard for me to understand. But it gets a little better everyday. And hey, it's only my first week. So I am not too worried about it. I know it will come with time and practice. On our first day of real work here, I got kind of discouraged. We were knocking doors (well, clapping outside of gates... that still feels a little weird!) and no one was wanting to talk with us. It was raining, and we were exhausted! We then decided to say a prayer. We huddled under my umbrella on the corner of the street and offered a prayer. The very next house that we went to let us in for a lesson. And then the next three after that too! It was a miracle! I know that the Lord really does hear and answer our prayers. We cannot do this work, or make it through life without Him. I am so happy to be out here serving as a missionary! I love this work and I love this people!

Sister Emma Maxwell



Final week in CTM