Mel's mission pics

Mel in the Recife Mission office

The Recife Temple

Recife missionaries

And Mel with the "Holy Scripture"

Street contact

MTC missionaries

Sisters Ortolani, Woodward, & Kennard

Finally in Recife

Well, what a week it has been. Holy Cow! So…Friday was the big day. I received my trainer (or Mom as they call it in the mission language). Her name is Sister Bueno. I actually stayed with her and her companion the last week for Christmas and stuff so it’s good because I have already become acquainted with her. Lets see….first off, we went shopping for groceries. Talk about an adventure! So we all know I don’t speak Portuguese…well, try finding food in the grocery store when you don’t speak the language and the food is all different. It was a challenge to talk to S. Bueno and tell her what I wanted to eat or buy…but we made it through. I pretty much have to bring my dictionary with me everywhere. After that, we went out to visit investigators and recent converts. No one was home. It is kind of rough lately because everyone is partying or out of town for the holidays. We taught one lady and her son…but she was very close minded and didn’t think it mattered what church you went to as long as you went to church. We went around and tried to find other people after that. After trying multiple places we prayed for help and decided to try knocking on a random door. BAM. A woman named Teresa let us in. We taught her and her friend Viviane the first lesson. We invited them to church on Sunday and they said they would. Well, Sunday came around and we went to pick them up…they weren’t there. Apparently they decided to go to the beach instead. So that was quite a let-down. I was looking forward to that. I have heard that people are very nice and accepting here but they don’t follow through with their commitments. It would appear that that is the truth. Let’s see….yesterday was way different. We went to church and I had a hard time staying awake the whole time because I didn’t understand much of what was being said. My brain kind of turns off. I hope that changes real soon cause I NEED to learn this language. So anyway...after church we ate at the bishop’s house (who´s entire family speaks English). That was cool. I actually got to share the message this time. I only help with the lessons a little bit because people have a hard time understanding me because I don’t know how to speak well. So I tried sharing it in Portuguese but when I didn’t know a word I would say it in English and they would translate it for me. It was very cool. After that, we went and taught a member named Lula and his mom Maria who is inactive. That was a lot of fun. They were really nice and Lula speaks a little English as well. I have been feeling really alone because I can’t understand anyone and I can’t communicate very well what I want to say so I think God decided to give me a break because after we taught Lula and his family, we taught another woman named Taciana and her mom Eva. Taciana also spoke English. It was really nice and more relaxing. You know me. I am my mother’s daughter and I worry a lot. So it’s been quite stressful here. I had a little breakdown on Saturday when we went to the temple and their visa machine wouldn’t work and my card wouldn’t work at any of the atm´s I tried to get cash from. I didn’t know what to do or explain anything. It was sooo frustrating. I wish sis. Bueno spoke English. I really think I would learn more cause then she could explain to me what things were instead of me guessing or just not understanding and moving on. All the American missionaries I´ve talked to keep saying, you’re going to love it here! I´m sure I will….I just need to learn this dang language! I can’t wait till I can help more in lessons and talk to people on the street with no problem. AHHHH. I´m sure it will get better. Like I´ve said a billion times….God sent me here with a purpose. He wouldn’t have sent me if I couldn’t learn. So that’s my week. Recife is beautiful. It is ridiculously hot ALL the time. I am constantly sweaty. I´m getting used to it. Everyone is sweaty so it’s really not that big of a deal. Also….all the women hug and kiss on the cheeks when they meet new people. That has been quite an adjustment for me. I´m getting used to it now. Thank you so much for the Christmas presents. I opened them the day after Christmas. Mmmm. I love the chicken in a biscuit crackers and the cookies you sent. Food is always a good present. There are hardly any familiar brands of food here. So…I know you´re sending me a box soon and I have compiled a list of things…IF you have space or the means to send, it would be very much appreciated. -Deodorant. (They don’t really sell stick deodorant here) I like the lady speed stick freesia smell. Well, I like any smell except the powder smell actually. -Hand towels. The towels I have seen here are CRAP. They don’t absorb anything. I need kitchen and bathroom hand towels. Not necessary, but if you have space.-If it’s possible…I would still like my dress and more of my clothes. I can wear pretty much anything here. All the clothes I used to wear to church, I can wear here. They aren’t strict on it at all. Cotton blouses would be nice. I have some that are not button up but are still nicer looking that would be good. I know you packed up some of my clothes though so if that’s too much of a problem, I will deal. Oh yes, and my shorts! P-days we can wear shorts and I would like those plaid shorts that I have….or the blue ones with the pin-stripes down them. -Any other food you can fit…like cereal is cool! Oh yes…and do you have any idea how to get rid of ants? We have ants EVERYWHERE. They are in all the houses I have been in also. I don’t know what the deal is. We clean…but they are always there. So annoying. If you know how, let me know. I loved talking to you on Christmas. I hope you’re doing well. I love you and I miss you so much. I will talk to you later. Love, Melissa

Extra notes: You’re going to have to wait for a year from April to give me a hug...but I have a feeling it will go by very quickly. Man...I am getting eaten alive also. I think the mosquitoes know I´m American. Ha-ha. I have sweet blood or something. :)


Man if I can learn this language...I wouldn’t have so much trouble. I do love teaching people. I just wish I could express myself better. I WILL have amazing stories when all is said and done here...that’s for sure.

So again, a pretty uneventful week. We learned some more things....ate more....pooped more :) That’s pretty much missionary life in the MTC. Ha-ha. We did go and teach in this thing they call TRC (Teaching Resource Center) where members from around São Paulo will come in and pretend to be investigators. We taught our second lesson (The Plan of Salvation) in Portuguese. I pretty much put everything in God’s hands because I really didn’t have sufficient time to prepare for it. We started preparing it only like 2 days before. I worked hard to remember everything and when we actually taught the lesson it all went fine. I was super nervous though. We actually had an investigator in our room with a bunch of members. It was very cool but very nerve-wracking. God blessed us so much though. I remembered the majority of what I had prepared to say, and was able to say it understandable and simply. Even though Portuguese is killing me....I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to learn it. When else would I learn another language with so much help from the Lord? It’s really good too because my vocabulary is so small in Portuguese that I am forced to keep my lessons simple....like they should be. There is a quote from John Taylor that says: It is true intelligence for a man to take a subject that is mysterious and great in itself, and to unfold and simplify it so that a child can understand it. I feel like I am really forced to do that right now. It’s so good though because in English...I think I would be tempted to tell the investigators everything and that would only confuse them. All they need to know right now are the basics.

Oh yeah... I forgot to tell you last week...when we went to the São Paulo temple; we did the session with President and Sister Jackson. They are the mission presidents of the São Paulo Interlagos mission and they are in Nana and Papa’s homeward. Pretty cool. I had met them previously because they spoke at the MTC but it was cool to do the session with them. This world is so small. Oh and I don’t remember if I told you or not, but I met a guy that went to school with Erica and Alexa Ortolani. He saw my name and was like, hey, I know some Ortolanis’. Elder Cook is his name. He is a great missionary. He is actually in our ward. Sister Kennard and I have actually trained a few districts on how to use their planner and how to study effectively and his district was one of those. He and his companion Elder Clark will be great missionaries. You’ll have to pass that on to Nana and Papa so they can tell Kent or something...or you could tell Kent. Either way. That might be cool to hear.

I’m growing accustomed to the fact that I can’t talk to ya'll every day...and that’s okay. I get to talk to you every week. I’m really trying to lose myself in the work. I know it will be a lot easier when I get in the field. Can you pray for my trainer? I am praying hard that she will be patient with me. I need someone who is very patient and understanding. It’s going to be a rough month trying to speak in broken Portuguese. I don’t know if I’ll even be able to understand what she says to me let alone any of the members or investigators. I think I’m going to feel very alone. It’s going to be an interesting experience but I’m really looking forward to actually getting to share my testimony and the spirit with people that are investigating the church. Plus I’m excited to actually get to Recife. There is 1 girl that just got to the MTC last week....A Brazilian...that is going to Recife. This is the first sister that I’ve met that’s going there. There are a few other Elders as well. I don’t think my mission is very big because there are always small amounts going there. It’s cool though. I hope that we get to spend more time together as a whole and getting to know the mission president and stuff. That will be a really awesome experience. I don’t really know what is going to happen once I get there since it will only be 2 days before Christmas. It’s going to be a very different Christmas this year. I don’t know what to expect, but that’s okay. It will be so humbling to actually spend Christmas really celebrating Christ’s birth. I feel like the majority of Christmas is centered on presents and candy and decorations....and family (which is good) but that it will be cool to really reflect on why we have Christmas in the first place, you know?

Did I give you a sufficient enough letter to post on the blog this week? I love the family. Seriously. Can I say that? My family is so amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a better family. Seriously. I love you so much.

Well, I’m glad that I make you proud :) Oh yes...I am pretty positive that I will be calling you on Christmas but I don’t know any of the details yet. If I can’t call you....I’ll pretty much be heartbroken. Did I mention that I’m very jealous that you will be in Utah for the all the family Christmas parties? I miss nana and papa.

Can you please tell Dad to learn Portuguese....that would be AMAZING. I really don’t want to lose my Portuguese when I get home...but I’m contemplating learning Italian when I get back...but I don’t know if that would be very useful. Maybe I will move there for a little while or something...that would be amazing. I’ve just heard that Italian is very close to Portuguese. I think if I learned Spanish I would forget Portuguese but I’m still thinking about that too. You better have your phone on your hip!!! If I call and you don’t answer...that would be a very very sad day. I’m just about out of time though...maybe 5 more minutes. So in case I don’t send another one. I love you. I’ll write again next week. Last P-day in the CTM!!! Whoa. I only have 2 weeks left here...that’s crazy.

Well, I was thinking about this all morning while we were on our way to and from the temple, and I have come up with a blank. Nothing really spectacular or amazing has happened this week so I don’t really know what to write to you about. We did all the normal stuff all week. We had class, ate, more class, ate, gym time, slept….and over and over again. Normal week. We taught our first lesson in Portuguese. It was pretty cool. On the week that you don’t proselyte, you do this thing called TRC. I really have no idea what it stands for, but we’re supposed to teach members from around the area. They come in and pretend they’re investigators. There is a camera in the room and they record your lesson and then you watch it afterward. Apparently they didn’t have any members the day we taught because we just ended up teaching some Brazilian missionaries. It was still good though. We got through the lesson without too many snags. My parts are really simple and to the point because I don’t know much Portuguese. I just say what I know, but that’s okay. It was cool. We watched it and I don’t think we did too badly. They even asked us a few questions and we were able to understand them and answer their questions alright. It was cool. So did Kelly make it back yet? I bet she’s having so much fun at home with the family. I understand how hard it is now to be away and I’ve only been gone a month! Crazy! I can’t believe 1/18th of my mission is already over. I got to work really hard for the next 17! It’s so crazy how short we’re out here. The time just flies. I think its going to fly even faster when I get out of the MTC. It’s actually really strange. The days seem really long. We work and study all day every day…but the weeks fly. It’s weird. When people ask me how long I’ve been here, I want to say a week, but it’s been 5! Holy cow!

Oh yeah, and I can receive emails from anyone on my myldsmail account, Melissaorto@myldsmail.net I just have to write them back. So you can tell people they can email me if they want. Just let them know that I will probably write them back on www.missionties.com If not, it will be 3 weeks later in the mail. Just fyi. So….hows the preparing for Thanksgiving going? I have heard that they have a big lunch for thanksgiving with normal thanksgiving food mixed with Brazilian food. I have been told they serve turkey and mashed potatoes and pies and ice cream. I sure hope it’s good. I’m thinking I may not want to eat breakfast tomorrow so I can eat more at lunch! I won’t lie though; the food here really isn’t bad. The rice and beans never fail. Every day they serve it. Then they serve other random things…a lot of meat. I have salad almost every day. They serve really bizarre desserts. I’ve only had a few good ones. They also serve strange fruit. I haven’t found too many that I like. We’ll see what it’s like in Recife. I can’t wait to go, but I’m also really nervous. Portuguese is hard!!!

Mom, I got your letters this week. Thank you! They always make my day. Getting mail here is like Christmas. Seriously. We’re going proselytizing again this week. I’m excited. If it’s anything like last time, I will LOVE it. Last time was so amazing. I’m sure it will be cool again. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Oh yeah, one last thing. Sis K and I taught our first short lesson in Portuguese to one of the teachers, Sis. Michelotto. We were practicing it. Anyway…after we were done she critiqued us and told us what to do better and what went well and all that. They we just ended up in a conversation about Portuguese and she told us that God will bless us so much learning it. We are learning it for him. We didn’t choose to learn it for ourselves. We’re learning it to serve him. Wow, I never thought about that. How true though. I never chose to learn Portuguese. I’m doing it to share the Gospel with my brothers and sisters. Of course God will bless me to learn it. I mean, I knew he would bless me, but I never thought about the fact that the only reason I’m learning it is for him. Never in my life would I say, hey, you know, I should learn Portuguese. Yeah anyway…I thought that was a good thought. Well, I guess I better go now. There are a million elders waiting to use the computers and I’ve been on for a while. I love you so much. Thanks for all the love and support. I love hearing from you. Keep up the good work! Keep sharing the gospel! It’s amazing! Tchau! Com amor, Sister Ortolani

1 month down 17 to go.

This week was ótimo!(great). We went proselyting on friday and I was scared out of my mind thursday night cause I thought that it was going to be really scary and I don´t really speak português yet but let me tell you....it was the best day yet! The Lord really takes care of his missionaries. I prayed to have courage, to have the spirit, and the gift of tongues and he blessed me with all three. It was fantastic. We met 4 people who spoke english, which was cool, and a whole bunch of other people. We talked to this man about how God loves all of us and has restored his gospel on the earth through a prophet and also revealed the book of mormon. He talked to us for a while just asking questions and stuff. Then we decided instead of giving him a pass-along card, we would give him book of mormon. It was amazing. He seemed genuinely interested. He was asking us why we chose to talk to him out of all the people on the street. He seemed really touched that we were sharing a message with him. It was soo cool. We met another girl who said she had studied philosophy in New York City and had a lot of questions about life. We gave her a pass-along card and told her that the book would answer many questions. It was so cool. We also met another woman and shared our message with her and she was so sweet. We gave her a book of mormon too and told her to read Moroni 10 and the introduction. We told her it contained a promise that if she would read the book of mormon and pray to know if it was true that God would answer her and tell her that it was. She seems genuinely interested too. Before we parted ways she wanted to make sure that she understood which chapter she was supposed to read and then gave us both hugs. She was so nice. Sure, there were people that listened to the message and took the card to be polite, and a few that just shrugged us off and didn´t want to listen, but the people that really showed interest made up for all those other people. We truly had the Lords help and guidance as we walked around. It was a place called Avonida Paulista or something like that. Apparently its equivalent to Wall Street for Brasil. There were a lot of people walking around. It was so great. It really made me want to work on my português so that I can share more. The Lord definitely blessed us though and we were able to talk to many people and understand and answer most of the questions people were asking us. Wow. What a wonderful day that was.

Today we got to go to the São Paulo Temple. It was beautiful. They have stained glass windows in the front and in the celestial room. It was cool. For lunch today, our teacher took us out to a restaurant where they go around and cut off pieces of meat right on your plate. It was interesting. I actually ate a little chicken heart. It wasn´t bad. It tasted pretty good but it was very chewy. I really like getting to know a new culture. Its cool to experience new things like that. Oh yeah, on our way to proselyting....we saw a Sam´s club...and a walmart. Haha. Apparently they have them here.

On sunday we had a fireside (like we always do) and President Jackson and his wife spoke. They are the mission presidents of the São Paulo Interlagos mission. Guess where they´re from? Bountiful. Guess who´s ward they´re in? Nana and Pàpa! I was pretty excited when they started talking about Bountful that I had to run up and talk to them afterwards. It was pretty cool. Its strange how small the world really is.

I was showing my district pictures of my family the other day and my teacher was looking at them. He stopped at one of the pictures of dad and said, Wow! He looks like a really cool person. I was just like, what? Haha. He said he thought dad just looked really happy. Then yesterday I was talking about how I spent the last three weeks before I came here at home and how my mom and I played video games all the time. Paçanha (my teacher) was like, holy cow! I want to meet your parents. They sound so cool. I assured him that they are. I really do miss you. My district probably gets sick of me talking about you. It seems like its a regular occurance that I bring you up. Sounds like things are good at home though. I just wish I could be there. Oh well, I´ll spend Christmas in Brasil I guess. Haha.

My mission address is

Brazil Recife MissionRua São Francisco, 110/102
Paissandu-Recife-PE
52010-020
Brazil

I love you so much! And miss you tons! Com Amor, Sister Ortolani

Pictures from Brazil

Melissa sent some pictures from the MTC. Enjoy.

First picture is of all the American Sisters on Halloween. We dressed up as Elders. haha

The second picture is of my whole district. The third is of Elder Lobo. The one I told you about earlier. He left yesterday to go to his mission but he was really cool. He spoke a little english and he always told me that I had a really good accent. My teacher actually told me that too. Hopefully when I come home I´ll be speaking portugués like a brazilian!

Mel's 4th week out

Oi! Tudo Bem! Well, 4th week...here I come! I can’t believe we’re starting our 4th week already. Pretty crazy. The time has really flown by. I know we really haven’t been here that long but it kinda feels like we just got here. Well, I didn’t tell you before, but when we got here we had to surrender all our money and our debit cards. The gave us 60 reais and told us they’d give us 60 more in 5 weeks. So here I am on my 3rd week and I only have 15 left. Yikes. I developed some pictures to send home and it cost me 20 reis! Holy cow. Yeah, I didn’t know it was going to cost that much. So now I don’t have enough money to mail them home. I don’t have envelopes big enough to put pictures in and I still need money to get on the internet and mail letters so I’ll have to figure that out in 2 weeks or so. I’m going to borrow an elder’s card reader and try to send an email with pictures. I hope that works.

Thank you so much for the package! It made my whole week! I was so excited to get stuff. Oh, I talked to one of the ladies in charge here and she said that the MTC doesn’t have to pay for clothes so if you want to send that dress along....that would also be appreciated. You could send me one of my skirts too if you want, like the blue one with the polka dots. Turns out that my skirts only have to be below the knee. Could you send me hangars too? Turns out I should have brought them cause I haven’t seen them sold anywhere around here. My clothes just get wrinkly really easily. I can’t believe I got that package a week after you sent it. I got the letter from mom the same day as the package too. Did you send them on the same day?

And I saw that you signed up for mission ties. I think that might be fun. How much did it cost? I wasn’t really sure how it all works. I do know that I can write to anyone though and just have them email the letter so they get an email with my handwritten letter attached. Pretty cool. Oh, I got a letter from Nana and Papa so if you could tell them that I received it that would be very much appreciated. I love getting mail. It’s always so exciting. Can you give me nana’s email? I forgot to write it down.

Oh...I translated something....and our district quotes it all the time...anytime someone says QUESTION.

Pergunta: Qual urso é melhor?? J That means: Question: Which bear is best? Lol. Yeah. We’re dumb but we laugh every time. One of the guys in my district is hilarious. He watched the office all the time so he says quotes from it all the time. It’s great.

Oh yes, I had a really hard time deciding which scripture I wanted on the plaque. I really like 1 Nephi 10:19. I think you can put that one on there. I also really like 3 Nephi 20:30-31 and 1 Nephi 9:6. Moroni 10:35 or something like that is also really good. I had a really hard time deciding.

Well, the language is still coming along. Slowly but surely. We’re going proselyting on Friday and I’m scared outta my mind. Holy cow. I can’t speak enough Portuguese to have a conversation with people. Yikes. It will be a learning experience for sure. My companion is progressing so much faster than me and the rest of the district. It’s insane. She kinda makes me feel inadequate but I guess that’s not really her making me feel that way. I’m the only one that can make me feel that way, but MAN...Portuguese is just REALLY hard for me. I just keep telling myself that I’ve only been here 3 weeks and I can still learn more cause I have 6 weeks left at the MTC. Still scary. Well, I don’t know what else to tell you about. I should have probably written some stuff down but oh well. I hope everything is going good at home.

I love you so much. I hope all is well. I love hearing from you so keep writing lots!

Com Amor,

Sister Ortolani

To Melissa's Family and Friends

While Melissa is on her mission her Dad and Mom are posting her letters. I hope that you all enjoy them. Feel free to comment and we will send the comments back to her. Feel free to write to her as well. She can’t accept email from anyone but family but the mission will let her receive snail mail. There is a website www.missionties.com that will print up an email for you and send it to her in Brazil while she is there. It’s a little more than a stamp but she will get the letter in country in a few days instead of 10 days.

Oi! Como vai!? Well, second P-day and its been good so far. We went to the temple this morning expecting it to be exactly like last time...in English and everything...nope. It was in Portuguese. There were so many Brazilians there that it made more sense to do it in Portuguese than in English so we got to use those funny little head sets and listen to it in English. I tried to turn the sound down so that I could listen in Portuguese and I could pick up on some of the stuff, but it was really hard. Everyone here speaks so quickly that it’s hard to pick up on the words that I know. Well, the MTC has been pretty much the same. Yáll have no idea how much I miss you. I think about you every day and sometimes I even cry about it. I don’t know what my deal is cause I have never been like this before. I guess being thrown into a foreign county where I don’t know anyone and no one speaks my language and I only get to talk to the people I know once a week. It’s pretty ridiculous. I know that I’m being blessed for what I’m doing though. We had a devotional yesterday and I swear it was just for me. I’ve been struggling with being happy here. I don’t understand why I feel this way cause I love being a missionary. I guess it’s just been hard with all the change...and so suddenly. Anyway....he talked about how the way to be happy on your mission is to work hard. He said that working hard makes you happy, makes your time go by faster, and serving the lord blesses your family and opens doors for you in the future. Its D &C 118:3 I think where it talks about the apostles. He said he thinks it applies to us too. I think so too.

My relationship with Heavenly Father has strengthened so much. More than I ever thought possible. He’s like my really, really good friend here. I tell him everything and he helps me with anything when I ask. I can feel his love every day and I know he’s watching out for me. He really answers my prayers and blesses me with the things I need. I know the little bit of Portuguese that I know is because of him. There is no way I’d know anything without him. P.S. Missionaries LOVE mail. Seriously. It’s like the best thing cause you can get it any time of the week. I can only reply on Wednesday, but then I can be thinking about what I want to say back.

Oh, something funny that I forgot to tell you last week. Irmão Bolzan is our morning teacher and one of the first days that he taught us he said he had 1 very important rule. No pooping during class. lol. Yeah, that’s right, that’s what he said. He kind of laughed when he said it but he was serious. He hates when he lets the missionaries out to go to the bathroom and then they take 20 minutes to poop. You have got to meet this guy. He’s hilarious. We were trying to convince him to move to America yesterday cause he is having problems with his girlfriends family. I guess they don’t like him for some reason and he was telling us that there really aren’t a lot of people to date around here. We told him that he should move to Utah cause there would be tons of girls to date.

So, Brazilian drivers are crazier than Roman drivers. Seriously! It’s bad. There are motorcycles everywhere and they automatically get the right-of-way. Oh yeah, and pedestrians have no rights here. If you get hit by a car, it’s your fault. Wow. So on the way home from the temple this morning there was this motorcyclist that drove by our bus and I think the bus driver moved over a bit and the motorcyclist had to swerve a bit. So he ended up being behind us. He drove up really fast and kicked the side of the bus. He then went to kick it again and the bus slowed down so he was in front. He pulled over to the side and waited for the bus again to kick it! Then the bus sped up and he kicked the back of the bus and drove on. What the heck? I thought it was crazy and hilarious at the same time. What did he think that was going to accomplish? Seriously. The food here is the same...like every day. Rice and Beans....or beans and rice. There is always some variation of that. Sometimes there are some good things along with it like fried chicken or pasta or lasagna, but oftentimes it’s gross. I think it’s only because it’s in the CTM though....cafeteria food. I’ve heard that it’s much better outside. Also, I was talking to one of the Brazilian sisters the other day and she told me that she worked in Recife for a few weeks and couldn’t ever sleep past 5:30 because it was so hot. She’d wake up soaked in sweat. Gross. I hope it’s not like that for me. Sick. Yeah anyway...I think that’s all I got. I hope you are doing well. I love you so much. I hope to hear from you soon!


This next letter is a personal letter to Melissa’s Mom but it’s so sweet I had to share. I also had to edit a bit.

Mom,

I know your birthday is coming up on Sunday and I wanted to write a letter to you since I haven’t really had the opportunity to get you anything. I love you soooo much… I appreciate all the sacrifices you made for me to be the person that I am today. I still have a lot of work to do on myself but I’m so glad that I know the gospel is true… You are the reason that I’m here....well, sorta. I mean, the gospel is pretty much the reason I’m here haha, but you are the reason that I know the gospel is true and everyone deserves to hear it. Everyone should have the opportunity to hear the gospel. We are all God’s children and he wants us to return to him. The only way we can do that is through the atonement and the gospel. I love you so much. I know this is the true church of Christ. I know that Joseph Smith was called of God to restore the gospel on the earth today and I’m so grateful that he did. Can you imagine if we were still in a state of apostasy? We would all be so confused and lost in the world. I know that President Monson is a true prophet that was called of God and he receives revelation for all of mankind. What would we do without him and the rest of the apostles? We would be in a state of complete confusion. Wow, I’m so glad that I was born into this church because honestly, if I were an investigator right now, I don’t know if I would accept it. I have grown up knowing it was the truth and that is because of you. I owe you so much for what I know. I hope that I can someday repay that debt to you. I hope that you are receiving some sort of blessings for me being here. That speaker at devotional yesterday told us that the best way to show our family how much we love them and to bless them the best way is to serve the lord with our whole heart and work as hard as we can and be as obedient as we can. I hope I can do that because you deserve all the blessings that you get....and more. I love you. I hope this letter isn’t too scatterbrained. I’m feeling a little scatterbrained right now and words are just coming out. I hope you have a great birthday. You’re almost 50 you know? ;) Just kidding.

Love,

Sister Ortolani

Melissa's Address

Sister Melissa Ann Ortolani
Box #05 District #43-A
Brazil, Recife Mission
Rua Padre Antonio D' Angelo 121
Casa Verde, Sao Paulo, SP
Brazil 02516-040

Melissa's First Letter from Brazil

Tudo bem! Como vai! Wow I can´t believe its been an entire week already!...but at the same time it seems like I´ve been here forever! I got here wednesday at like 9 in the morning or so...at the mtc anyway. My companions name is Sister Kennard and she´s from American Fork. We get along pretty well. She´s a really goal oriented person so she motivates me to try harder...but sometimes its a little overbearing and I just want to take a break. We were oriented, unpacked, ate, more orientation stuff, watched a video about missionaries in san antonio (how to use preach my gospel effectively). We were all exhausted but they made us stay awake so we could sleep that night. That night was probably the best night of sleep.

So on thursday, we began actual class. We were already expected to know things for the following class! We met with the MTC president, or the CTM as they call it in Brazil. His name is President Woodward. He is such a nice guy. We met our new teacher Irmão Paçahna. He is the best teacher in the CTM. Seriously. Everyone says so and I believe them. He is sooo good and he just motivates us to be the best missionaries we can be. Its hard though, cause he expects us to know a lot and that adds up to a lot of pressure.

Friday we met our other teacher Irmão Bolzan...who is actually Italian decent. His name used to be Bolzani. All the Brazilians ask him if he´s American cause he has blue eyes. His accent is pretty strong though. The funny thing is that he sounds like the little bat on Anastacia. I think his name was Bartok. Oh man...we had him quote some lines from Anastacia and it was HILARIOUS. It probably isn´t to you, but man, we were rolling on the floor. We learned how to pray today and haven´t been able to pray in english since then....at least in class.

Saturday we had class and then choir practice. (yeah, we decided to do choir). Elder Scott and Elder Anderson came and we got to shake their hands. That was a really good experience. Elder Anderson spoke about how one of the most important things we need to testify to others is that apostles and prophets walk the earth today. Elder Scott spoke about the importance of not only reading the scriptures but knowing them and knowing where certain scriptures are so we can share them on the spot. He also told us that we should write down all our spiritual promptings as soon as we get them, and then carry them out. He said that God speaks to us through our promptings and if we write them down we won´t forget what was asked of us.

Sunday was almost like P-day only we had church. Sacrament and Sunday school was all in english minus the songs and the prayer. Relief Society starts off with the Brazilians and Americans together. It was kinda cool cause they had an American read the português and the Brazilian read the english stuff....you know, to announce the prayer and song and stuff. It was cool. My branch president´s name is President Lorero (lor-ed-o). He went on his mission to Recife so I´m looking forward to talking to him about that. I haven´t had the chance yet though. Oh my goodness....speaking of Recife...every time I tell a Brazilian thats where I´m going, all they say is oooooo calor! Calor! Guess what calor means? Yeah...hot. Imagine how hot it is if all the Brazilians are saying that. Sheesh. I´m in for a real treat. J.

Monday we had a normal day at class and such and then we learned how to approach people with our 30 second power statement to get them interested in what we have to say. So basically just the first four principles in Lesson 1 of preach my gospel but all bunched together. It was pretty cool and I can tell it will be powerful....although we haven´t learned it in português yet. Soon I´m sure. My comp and I started reading out of the O Livro de Mormon. I think it will be good to start that even though we might not understand it. We had a fake investigator (Juliano) and we had to make a lesson plan to teach him. That was pretty fun.

Tuesday was normal day but with a devotional. It was about how to make weak things become strong.

This morning....we got up at 5:45 and were supposed to leave for the temple at like 6:30 but the van got a flat tire so we didn´t end up leaving till about 7:15...sheesh. I didn´t think we were going to make it in time for the session, but we did. It was so beautiful. They did the session in English thank goodness. I wouldn´t have understood much if they hadn´t. We went to the Campinas Temple. Its about and hour-ish away. The countryside of Brazil is beautiful. Actually São Paulo is very beautiful with all its buildings. There are hundreds of sky scrapers! There are like 10 million people here! Wow. We have our work cut out for us J

So overall its been a very long week, but its been good. The language is coming but very slowly. I don´t really feel like I know anything yet but when I talk to some of the elders that have been here for 3 or 4 weeks I´m almost at the same level as them so I know that our teacher is good and I´m being blessed tremendously. I´ve been working hard. This is definitely not going to be easy but its going to be so worth it. I´m excited to actually go and teach the people of Brazil. They are all so great. I love the brazilian missionaries that I try to talk to every day. They are sooooo friendly and very helpful with words and accents. Elder Costa and Elder Lobo are two of them that I really enjoy talking to. It helps that those two speak english though. Haha. Its a lot easier to communicate with them than a lot of the others that don´t speak a word of english.

How are yáll doing? Great I hope. I´ve missed you more than I could ever imagine. I don´t mean that in a bad way, but I didn´t think I´d miss you this much. I´ve lived away for 2 years almost and i didnt think it would be a big deal, but man...being in a foreign country where I can´t even call you up occasionally...its hard. I just want you to know that I love you so much. I hope that everything is going well with you and everyone else. Tell everyone I love them and miss them. Send letters!!! Missionaries live for them! Seriously. I haven´t gotten a letter yet and its so sad. Oh yes, and I think it takes 3-4 weeks to mail a package but you can still mail to the ctm. Anyway...I love you and hope to hear from you SOON!! Tchau!

Love,

Sister Ortolani

Officially a Missionary

Well, I was set apart as a missionary yesterday after church. (My stake pres is from Texarkana and thats about an hour and a half away and he was already going to be in Shreveport for a ward conference so he just set me apart yesterday instead of having to drive back today. It was so incredible. Everything he said I just knew was coming from the Lord. There were worries that he addressed in the prayer that the stake president didn't even know I had. It was just crazy. Anyway....I'm leaving at approximately 3 tomorrow afternoon to head to dallas and then off to Brazil. Holy cow! I can't believe the time has finally arrived. I'm going to miss everyone like crazy. I hope I get a few letters from y'all but if not...I'll still love you. :) Here is my address in case you DO want to write.
Brazil Missionary Training Center
Rua Padre Antonio D'Angelo 121
Casa Verde
02516-040 Sao Paulo SP
Brazil
I'll be at this address till almost Christmas and then I dont know what my new address will be. Hope to hear from you!

Till then, Peace out.

Love, Sister Ortolani :)

What I've done in 22 Years of life!

copy and paste the 200 statements then bold the ones you have done!! Hope you enjoy it!!

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently (SOON)
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over(this sounds exciting)
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth (More like watched)
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ (for our own little dance parties)
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people(try to)
108. Brought out the worst in people(try not to!)
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band (Does rockband count? :)
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one (miniature golfing)
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf (always wanted to)
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa (I really really really want to)
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted (I think my grandparents house is haunted...seriously)
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight(doesnt everyone?)
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunch box
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission (about to!!)
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous (Is President Monson considered famous?) :)
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz (learned once)
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a camp fire
189. Kept a blog(well this one is obvious)
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend (I love facebook :)
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Commented on Jen's Blog (I don't know what this is about...but yes, I have done it)

My time is running out...and so quickly!

I realized today that I will be in Brazil in exactly a month. HOLY COW! When did this happen?!?! When I got my call I thought it would take FOR-EV-ER for this day to come...but it has just FLOWN by! What the heck?! I don't feel ready to leave yet but at the same time...I can't wait till it comes. I still have some shopping to do to get some more skirts and shirts and shoes, but I'm planning on doing most of that in Louisiana when I head down there. I'm really sad to leave Bountiful. I had no idea that I would think this way. I figured I'd miss it, but not as much as I am actually going to. I'm going to miss so many people. Its really quite depressing. Good thing I've felt comformation that I'm supposed to be on a mission because if not...I might not actually go. haha. Anyway...just wanted to do a little update. Hope everyone is doing well. Oh yeah...my farewell was yesterday. I think it went okay. The open house was really nice to see and talk to everyone before I go. I'm so glad I had the opportunity.

In the land of Bountiful...

Okay, I'm copying Erika who copied someone else...but I thought it was a good idea. I mean come on, I've lived in Bountiful since January so that rounds out to about 7- ish months. Thats a LONG time...for me. Who knew that when I moved down here I would end up staying here that long. I certainly didn't. Anyway...there are a few things that I've noticed about people in Bountiful and I will go ahead and make a list now.

1. Most people either HAVE money or like to pretend they do. There are a lot of nicer newer cars driving around the streets and at least the people I know don't like it if their car has a ding in the door or a scratch in the paint. I'm used to just not caring as long as it runs well.

2. A lot of the older women dress like teenagers....or younger than they are, at least. They'll wear big dangly earrings with bright pink shirts and sandals and a lot of make-up. I don't see too many grandmas with the mu-mu's or big ugly sweaters with little animals sewn on.

3. Tanning is cool. Its true, I even succumbed to this awful trend for a week. While I was there, though, I saw many-an-old-woman in there just waiting to get some more wrinkles.

4. Its not uncommon to see a general authority at the grocery store or the local gym. Seriously. There are quite a few of them that live around here and its not unusual to see them around town.

5. Its crazy how many people get pedicures...and how often they get them. Again, I succumbed to this trend. I didn't want to be the only person in Bountiful without a fancy flower painted on my big toe nail!! Just kidding. I really have gotten a few pedicures since I've been here, but not just for the fancy flower, though it is a perk :)....and I only had 1 pedicure in my life before I moved here...so that just goes to show...everyone LOVES pedicures.

6. There are a lot of young, recently married women who have some sort of photography business. They all went out and bought big fancy cameras and have watched all the other people take pictures so now they know what to do and where to go. I haven't noticed too many differences in anyones pictures, but they all love to take them and they do favors for their neighbors like taking pictures of their kids birthday party hoping that their neighbor will return the favor on THEIR kids birthday.

I don't really have any other observances right now...at least I can't think of any. And I know I'm stereotyping most of that...but its just what I've observed. Despite what you might think, I really do love it here and I hope my parents can find a house here in Bountiful when they retire. Its really a great town.

Tagged again...

What was I doing~
10 years ago: Ten years ago I was twelve, living in Texas and just joining young womens
5 years ago: 17 years old and just moved to North Dakota.
5 months ago: March. I was thinking about deferring for the summer semester at school and staying here to work.

5 things on my to do list for today:
1- work
2- work out
3-go to a wedding reception
4- read my scriptures
5- read "The Holy Temple"

5 snacks I enjoy:
1- crackers
2- chocolate
3- jello
4- yogurt
5- bananas

5 things I would do if I was suddenly a billionare:
1- pay off all school debt
2- give a bunch of it to my parents (I really owe them)
3- buy myself a brand new car and a big house
4- take a trip around the world with the brand new fancy camera I would buy myself :)
5- take my family to disneyland!

5 of my bad habits:
1- sleeping in
2- staying up late
3- procrastinating
4- being blunt
5- eating too much

5 places I have lived:
1- Oak Harbor, WA
2- Minot, ND
3- Bossier City, LA
4- Rexburg, ID
5- Bountiful, UT

5 jobs I have had:
1- Customer Service Rep at Choice Hotels International
2- Sales Associate at Walmart
3- A sandwich expert at Quiznos
4- An Events Manager for Recsports at BYU-I
5- A tax clerk at the church office building

5 things you don't know about me:
1- I'm a lot nicer than I used to be (shocking huh?).
2- I hit the snooze button probably 6 times before I actually get up.
3- I want to go skydiving.
4- I am ridiculously nervous to go to Brazil.
5- I think I'm dyslexic with numbers sometimes.

TAGGED

I've been tagged by my friend Devan...so here goes....

1.WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Well I was supposed to be named Jennifer but my mom said I didn't look like a Jennifer so when I came out she named me Melissa...my middle name is after my aunt though, I guess.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Sunday...Its pretty much a weekly occurrence these days.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Sometimes I do. I only like it when I actually take time for it to look good...otherwise its just sloppy.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Chicken...for sure.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? someday.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I think I'm pretty funny sometimes...but other times I think I would hate me. I'm a big jerk sometimes.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Uh...seriously? Yes, yes I do.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Sure do.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Sure would.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Life or Honey bunches of Oats. Good stuff

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Um...no.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? I actually think I'm quite weak.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Mint Chocolate chip...or Ben and Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie Crunch...oh man that stuffs good.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Smile

15. RED OR PINK? Pink

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My stomach....or my chest region (lets be honest here). haha

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My parents.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? not really.

19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? I'm wearing gold shoes actually...thats right. Solid gold...with diamonds in the soles.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? A piece of toast and a banana.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? My aunt is listening to a byui devotional in her office and I can vaguely hear it...and another lady in my office is speaking in russian on the phone.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? PURPLE

23. FAVORITE SMELLS? Rain, dryer, freshly cut grass...

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? I had to give a man a federal ID number for his stake.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Of course I LOVE Devin! Its been a long time since I've seen her.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Basketball, Golf, Football....

27. HAIR COLOR? Blond

28. EYE COLOR? Green

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? sure do.

30. FAVORITE FOOD? Broccoli, Avocados, Cheese, Strawberries....I could go on.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? I like both.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? I watched part of the Count of Monte Cristo at a friends house.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? white with blue designs on it.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? SUMMER...I love to be outside and theres a lot more stuff to do outside in the summer

35. HUGS OR KISSES? They are both good. Depends on my mood.

36. FAVORITE DESSERT? I really like cheesecake...and brownies.

37. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? The Book of Mormon...and The Holy Temple. I'm such a pre-missionary. Sheesh!

38. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? its just plain blue.

39. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Italy

40. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Special talent? I don't even have any regular ones. :)

41. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Utah.

42. IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE WHERE WOULD IT BE? Egypt or South Africa.

I tag...dad, jen, and emily

A lot of Useless Information About Me

My 100

I haven't been tagged, but I just thought this would be kinda fun and maybe someone will learn something about me that they didn't already know.

100 Things About Me

1. I dislike most seafood. I might be able to eat it if forced, but I generally choose not to.
2. When I was little, I wanted to be a ballerina and a mom when I grew up.
3. I’ve been inside President Monson's home, and stood in his kitchen talking for half an hour.
4. I have 2 step-siblings. 1 brother, 1 sister.
5. I've talked to President Monson on the phone
6. I have lived in 8 states.
7. I have seen more bands live than I care to count.
8. I'm going on a Mission to Recife, Brazil in October of this year.
9. My favorite movie of all time is Wayne's World. Its kind of an inside joke with some friends from high school, and my cousin rachel.
10. I love all the TV shows I watched as a kid...The cosby show, fresh prince of bell air, saved by the bell.
11. I love music – I try to always be listening. I like everything except most country.
12. I like living in Utah....despite what I originally thought.
13. I'm a very impatient person, but I'm slowly learning.
14. I love my family a whole heck of a lot even though sometimes I don't show it. I don't know what I'd do without them.
15. I heart Elton John. Every time I hear one of his songs....I just melt. (yes, I know he's WAY older than me and gay, but I still love him).
16. I have a million black shirts. I should really branch out a bit.
17. I love movies. Comedy, Scary, Action....I love em all.
18. I have never broken a bone. (knock on wood)
19. I have never had a cavity. (knock on wood)
20. I do not, and have not ever bought anything from Hollister or Abercrombie.
21. I love sports...especially ultimate frisbee and golf.
22. I love "guy" things. I love dirt biking, rock climbing, camping...ect.
23. I love being outside.
24. I LOVE to travel.
25. I once got hit by a car while I was riding my bike.
26. I would like to live alone.
27. I love animals. I will own a dog when I have my own place.
28. I work at the church office building and I LOVE it.
29. I love food. Especially Italian, Thai, Indian, and Mexican.
30. I love Harry Potter.
31. I'm 5'6 and I'm okay with that.
32. I have a strange obsession with school supplies.
33. I love to type. I don't know why.
34. I LOVE to take pictures. I carry my camera with me everywhere.
35. I have a greater desire to read and study the scriptures now than I ever have before.
36. I jumped out of a camper trailer once and sprained my foot. I had to use crutches for a day. I think I was just being a baby.
37. My favorite color is purple.
38. I love roller coasters and theme parks.
39. I'm a big fan of swimming.
40. I often have an internal debate about whether I'd rather be tan, or have less wrinkles later.
41. I love giving service, when its on my own watch. When someone asks me to do something, I always go in with the wrong attitude.
42. I'm a fast walker. Always have been, always will be.
43. I hate losing friends. I always have a really hard time letting go or saying goodbye.
44. I'm addicted to Facebook. There should really be a facebook anonymous club or something.
45. I'm blunt. There's no way around that one. I am what I am.
46. I'm sarcastic. I don't really see any issues with that as long as I'm not hurting feelings. (which I sometimes do, but I try not to).
47. I saw "The Dark Knight" the other day, and I thought it was AMAZING.
48. I don't like fake people. Seriously, lets just be who we are. If people don't like it, then you need to either accept that, or become better. Don't pretend to be anything you're not.
49. I, like Christen, think that my nephew Dylan is the cutest kid on the whole planet.
50. My favorite temple is still the Salt Lake Temple. I thought working on temple square would cause this place to become less "magical" but I was wrong. It still brings a smile to my face every day. There is just so much history here.
51. I love the ocean. I would love to live near the ocean again someday. I will be living near the ocean for a year and a half in Brazil and that makes me very happy.
52. I'm kind of a cry baby. I cry in church ALL THE TIME....but I rarely cry about other things.
53. I have always wanted to visit Egypt. I don't know why, but the ancient Egyptians have always fascinated me.
54. I just learned that I can dry swallow a pill.
55. Sometimes I care too much what other people think...other times, I don't care enough.
56. Going to Italy was fulfilling a lifetime dream.
57. I HATED moving around when I was growing up, but now I'm really grateful for the experience.
58. My favorite calling of all time was being a sunbeam teacher.
59. I love deep conversations.
60. I love that for some reason, people come to me with their problems.
61. The first time I ever had an IV or I was put out, was to get my wisdom teeth out.
62. I love and miss my grandpa a lot. I think about him almost every day. He was such a great example to me.
63. I have tried to learn the guitar twice in my life and I just don't get very far. I'm really bad at practicing.
64. I wish I still played the piano.
65. I love rodeos and cowboy clothes but I hate country music. Does that make any sense?
66. I LOVE playing rockband. Its gotta be my favorite game.
67. Incubus was the best concert I ever went to.
68. I would love to own a truck...especially a toyota tacoma.
69. I can't seem to come to terms with the fact that in almost 2 years, I'm going to come back being fluent in portuguese.
70. I'm very naive...and I'm starting to realize that more and more.
71. My favorite place to live was Washington. I lived on an island. How much better can it get?
72. My favorite vegetable is broccoli. I also love avocados and tomatoes.
73. I am addicted to Naked Juice. Its a juice drink that has a pound of fruit in it with nothing else added. It is delicious.
74. My favorite fruit is strawberries followed closely by cantelope.
75. My favorite disney movie is Aladdin. I also love Mulan.
76. I always wear my seatbelt.
77. I wear contacts.
78. One of my greatest fears is to have something jammed in my eye. Weird, I know.
79. I really hate snakes.
80. When I was little, I used to be deathly afraid of what I called "inside bodies." I would wake up in the middle of the night with night terrors about it. Seriously. Now I love watching surgeries. Its weird.
81. I have a strange phobia of hospitals. I'm starting to get over it.
82. I get anxiety occasionally, but have to tell myself that if its something that I can't change then there is no use worrying about it.
83. I love high heels. I like wearing them whenever I have the chance.
84. I want to have a big family.
85. Sometimes I think I'll never get married.
86. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up. There are too many options.
87. I love to ski but haven't gone for two years, probably.
88. I never floss. (I know, its bad)
89. I love working out....especially lifting weights.
90. Being racist doesn't make sense to me.
91. I could never get sick of "Friends" or "Seinfeld"
92. I love jewelery.
93. I love to shop....if I have money to buy things.
94. I think if we all really understood what it means to be God's children, the world would be a very different place.
95. I get along better with guys than girls.
96. I love looking at houses.
97. I often look at people's shoes. I think you can tell a lot about a person depending on what kind of shoes they're wearing.
98. I love freckles.
99. I love that I still keep in touch with people I went to elementary school with.
100. I LOVE the gospel of Jesus Christ. I would be nothing without it.

WHAT A WEEKEND!!

Well, my weekend was so jam packed with stuff that it just FLEW by! Friday night I went with some friends up to the golf course to have a putting competition on the green and then we just went back to my friend Kellan's house to watch a movie. My friend Garret took this awesome shot of the sunset and me putting.

I woke up early saturday morning and headed over to my friend Rondi's house so her parents could take us boating! It was SOOO much fun. I had a blast!

This is Katie and I on one of the tubes. It was intense and kinda hard to hold on to. I thought I was going to go flying off..but luckily, I didn't.


This is Katie, Erin, and I on a different tube. I liked this one a lot more. It was easier to stay in.


This is Natayla, Katie and I on our way up there. PS Katie is the great niece of the couple (The Bastians) that introduced my nana and papa in the church. Kinda cool.


This is the whole gang at the lake...left to right...Luke, TJ, Elisha, Natayla, Eric, Erin, Katie, Rondi, Heather, Me, and Garret's in the back, sitting on the boat. We had a blast!


It was Dylan's 2nd Birthday. I think he liked the present I got him. He acted like it, at least.


Jen had a luau for him. Here we are with our coconut bras and grass skirts! :)


After that Luau...I went to another Luau. We had a big 8-stake Luau for all the young single adults. It was kinda lame, but at least my friends are cool :) This is Rachel and I....she's my RS President.

The weekend was great! I just love weekends like this. NON-STOP FUN!!! :)

Well...ITS OFFICIAL

On July 3, 2008 at approximately 1:05 pm, I got a call from my nana telling me that IT CAME! I got my mission call, and after waiting for about an hour and half...we had everyone gathered and my parents on the phone and we opened it.

I am called to the Brazil Recife Mission and I report to the Sao Paulo MTC on October 22, 2008. HOLY COW! I couldn't even believe it when I read it on the paper. I honestly thought I'd be going stateside. It was such a shock. I'm so excited, but also terrified. Can I seriously learn Portuguese? I guess only time will tell.

Its killing me....

I'm literally dying inside. Each minute...I die a little more. I don't have the patience for this. I guess thats one of those things I should be learning and if I don't learn it now...I'll learn it while I'm out there. OH MAN. I think I want to know when I'm going just as bad as where I'm going. Holy Cow! This day is not going by FAST ENOUGH!!

Lucky 3's

My friend Corinne tagged me so here goes...

Name 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions / collections, 3 randon / suprising facts about yourself - then tag 5 people.

3 joys:
1. Family
2. The Gospel
3. Learning

3 fears:
1. That I'll get sent to Iowa on my mission....is that a valid fear?
2. Snakes
3. Getting something jammed in my eye. (I know, I'm weird but its true)

3 goals:
1. To lose about 15-20lbs
2. To be as prepared as possible before I get to the MTC (physically, emotionally, and spiritually)
3. To spend more time with my family.

3 current obsessions/collections
1. Going on a mission for sure. Its pretty much the only thing on my mind these days.
2. Travelling
3. Facebook (Yes, I will admit I have an obsession)

3 random or surprising facts about yourself
1. When other people plan things and something goes wrong, I have a habit of thinking that if I had planned it, it would be better. (I'm a horrible person, I know)
2. To go along with the last one....I love to be in charge, but I also hate it. I hate the stress part, but I like knowing if things are going to happen or not.
3. I hate not knowing things. I like to learn about things so that I can have an opinion. I hate when I don't have confidence to speak up about a certain topic because I don't feel like I know enough about it. I guess thats why I love learning so its less likely for that to happen.

I tag: Dad, Jen, and Emily

The Guessing Game!!!!

Okay...my papers are officially IN! I should receive my call next week unless something terrible happens and its delayed. haha. Lets hope not cause I'm already really anxious and I think I might actually die if I have to wait another week. okay okay...I'm exaggerating a bit. Anyway...I want y'all to guess where I'm going and we'll see if anyone can guess correctly. I think you should guess 1 foreign and 1 stateside and we'll see in about a week who the lucky winner is. Okay...GO!

Oh yeah...my guesses are
foreign: Spain
stateside: Michigan

Quick Mission Update

So...the dentist and doctor both had cancellations so I was able to get in a lot sooner than expected. Needless to say: My papers are done. I am working on making an appointment with the Stake President, which will be the final step in submitting them. I should have my call approximately 3 weeks from when that happens. How exciting!!! I can't wait. I'm trying to stay motivated at work and school but its been really hard since all I think about now is being a missionary. :) I guess thats a good thing though. Well, thats all I got. Hope everyone's doing well!

UPDATE: Sorry, this is an update from the original update. I have my appointment! I'm meeting with the stake president on Sunday this week....so my papers should be in shortly after that. How exciting! :)

Fun Times at Temple Square

A few friends and I decided to go to temple square on sunday and take pictures of ourselves. We had tons of fun. We tried out a few different things. I also doctored up the pictures a bit on the computer. Let me know what you think! :)


Tourists! We wanted to look like all those tourists that do peace signs in every pictures. haha

This was going to be a model picture at first...and we changed it at the last minute.


The fountain by the church office building! How pretty!


I absolutely LOVE jumping pictures. We tried a billion times to get this shot with the timer and it didn't work so we finally had someone take it.

My FAVORITE shot of the day. I think it should be on a church pamphlet or something.

Its Raining...Its Pouring....

So it was raining pretty hard the other day and I was driving back from the gym thinking "I wanna play in the rain!" So I texted a few friends to see if they wanted to...and the rest is history. We went around and splashed in puddles for a while and that was a lot of fun....but then we ended up at Mueller Park Middle School where the baseball fields are and we got all muddy! It was so much fun! I want it to rain more often cause we had a blast!

Here we are...Rachel, Me, Eric, and Rondi.


Rachel and I got each other in the face a couple times...it was pretty gross


As you can see...I got it pretty bad.


Yay for Mud!!


Surfing the gutter!