12 weeks out!

(Mel)
So...this week was a million times better....but still rough. I still don’t speak Portuguese well but it’s coming along. I told my mission president that I was having a really rough time and I thought that I was starting to get depressed. I didn’t want things to get any worse because I know that wouldn’t help anyone. So...anyway...we had interviews with him on Tuesday I think it was...and no, he doesn’t speak English, but I could understand most of the things he said to me. He kept it simple and he also talks a lot slower than all the rest of the people here (cause he´s not from Recife). So anyway...he told me that he was really glad to have me in this mission and that I would bless a lot of lives. He also said he knew it was hard to learn Portuguese but he knew I would learn. He showed me the board with all the missionaries and their companions and areas and he told me that when I first arrived as the mission president in July he was so overwhelmed with everything (I can only imagine) because he was supposed to do transfers and he didn’t even know any of the missionaries. He said he had to rely on the Lord for help and he was there and he made it through. He said I just need to do the same and everything will be fine. He is right. Everything will be fine. He also told me that my next companion would probably be an American so that she can explain more things to me so I can understand better. I was pretty excited about that. I ask sis bueno to explain things to me but it’s rough because she doesn’t speak English and I don’t always understand her Portuguese. Yeah anyway...I´ve been praying a lot of help and President Emerick gave me a beautiful blessing. I know everything will be okay and I´m fine right now. I hope you didn’t worry about me too much. I had a melt down last week but this week was much better. So...we have Taciana who is going on vacation tomorrow (I think) and she won’t be back until the 30th of this month but she told us that she wants to be baptized. YAY! Too bad transfers are on the 4th of February so I doubt she will be baptized before then...which means that I probably won’t be there for it. We have 2 other investigators with potential but one of them works a lot and we haven’t been able to teach her much because of it. Our area is ridiculously hard because everyone that lives in the city works, goes to school, or is at a party. It’s very difficult for us to find people in their houses. On another note....this city has a lot of gay people. It’s very strange when you walk up to the bus stop and think you’re standing next to a woman until you look closer and realize it’s a man. Ha-ha. It has happened on numerous occasions. Kind of interesting.

(Cindy)
I haven't done very well with the pics on your blog. It's so confusing while you are trying to put them on and then they show up really weird. I guess they are still there though. Dad doesn't know how to do them any better either so I'm on my own. Oh BTW he just had to leave he said to tell you he loves you.We had all 6 elders here last Thursday for dinner. They all sat and watched the slideshow of your mission pics on that new digital frame. It was very cute. I wondered if they were a little jealous that you were in Brazil and they were in stupid” Louisiana.

(Mel)
Those Elders should be thanking their lucky stars that they´re in stupid Louisiana! :) I kid. Brasil is wonderful but learning Portuguese sucks. I´m pretty sure it hates me. Anyway...tell them to be thankful to be in America with air conditioning and with nice apartments and nice beds and clean water and so on and so on. They are lucky. Although, I think I´ll have better stories :) Ask Jen about the Macumba people I told her about in the letter. I don’t have time to write about it again. I think my time is almost up. We´ll see what Sis Bueno does.... But I love you so much and thank you so much for all that you do for me and all that you are to me. You’re the best mom ever. I hope you know that. I love you more than you´ll probably ever know.

(Cindy)
Thank you Melissa, that means so much to me. Probably more than YOU'LL ever know. I love you too but you know that.

(Part of her letter to Jen)
It’s interesting because here, a lot of things remind me of Louisiana. There are a lot of similarities. Oh man...funny story. Okay, more like creepy. We were walking to visit someone the other day and there was this woman standing in the front of a house wearing a red tiered dress and she was arranging something on the ground. As we walked closer she got up and crossed the street. I looked down and I started to walk towards the thing she had put on the porch of the house and my comp pulled me away and we started walking faster. I was really confused for a minute. She had put some fruit (I think) arranged in a circle with flower pedals sprinkled on top. Apparently she is part of macumba....they worship the Devil. She was wishing bad on the house. Yikes! I was really creeped out...and then yesterday we were walking in the same general area and there she was again. My District leader told me that they sacrifice animals and they play music with drums and dance around fires dressed in white. Talk about creepy. It just made me think about life and what it’s all about. When we follow the teachings of Jesus and of the Gospel, we are following Jesus. Why would we choose to follow Satan? I certainly don’t want to be like those people. Why would you wish badly on anyone? We are all God´s children and we all deserve to be happy...but when we don’t follow the teachings of the gospel, we are following Satan. It just kind of made me think about how easy it is to slip into that. Slipping into sin is so much easier than keeping the commandments of the Lord but look at what happens when we do each thing. Completely different outcomes. Yeah, anyway...It was kind of eye opening for me.

(Mel)
My living arrangements....well, we started off in an apartment in our area. Very small...living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. Then randomly one day we had to move to another area and now we live with 2 other sisters in a place called Madalena. PS my mission only has 3 American sisters in it and one of them is leaving after the next transfer. It is rare to have 2 American sisters together.


(Mel)
So we walk between 10 and 15 miles every day...and it made me wonder...How much did the pioneers walk? Oh and Can you explain to me who Heavenly Mother is. I always understood it that we have a heavenly mother but her name is sacred so we don’t know it or talk about it. A recent convert asked me about it yesterday and I didn’t know what to tell her.

(Cindy)
Well I don't know if there is any doctrine on her but we have to know that she is there. It only makes sense. I always assumed that Heavenly Father doesn't want her name to be used in vain as his is, so that's why we don't speak of her. Just have to have faith that she IS.

(Mel)I didn’t know how to explain it to the convert so she asked the stake presidents wife....and she told her that it was Mary...which I was pretty certain that wasn’t correct but Whatever...I don’t know the real answer

(Cindy)
Oh my goodness. That is so not right. What the heck? You may want to pass that info on to your mission pres. Melissa you may have to help teach people like that, the people that have had time in the church. I know Nana and Papa had to teach the leaders in their mission and so did Kelly. Don't ever assume just because they are leaders in the local church that they know the correct gospel. You figure things out and try to give the correct info. If you are not sure but don't think they are either. Make sure to say that and tell them that you will find out and get back to them.
Gen 1:26-27 -strong case for a mother in heaven. And Joseph Smith taught the idea that was the inspiration for a song written by Eliza Snow hymn # 292 "O my Father". President Woodruff called it a revelation.
In the heav’ns are parents single?
No, the thought makes reason stare!
Truth is reason; truth eternal
Tells me I’ve a mother there.
When I leave this frail existence ,
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
In your royal courts on high?

Melissa also sent a tape last week. She sounds wonderful and actually was speaking Portuguese in the tape. She wasn’t as fast as her teacher (who was also on the tape) but she sounded good to me. Better Portuguese than when she left. It was awesome!