Week 65 (02/19/20) New Area, FAR FAR AWAY !!!

 

Hey Family!

Hope you all had a great Valentine’s Day!

My Valentine’s day, eh, was good, almost got engaged lol, JK, but like seriously, I feel like people don’t really understand my purpose, and just see me as an American. Because of the transfer I’ll come home, it will only be a transfer of 5 weeks. Eh, like this past week was pretty calm but we didn’t end our weeks with our numbers high, but hopefully all will be well.

On Wednesday our friend Jessica, turned 25 years old, and so we took her out to eat. She grew much this transfer and it’s always a good thing. Because that’s the purpose of the mission, and life for that matter. We are here to grow into better devoted disciples of Jesus Christ, right?

We were teaching Jessica, a recent convert this week who is preparing for a mission. She asks us if we had visited a mom and son, who the missionaries had taught before. We hadn’t, so she showed us where they live, and we taught them that night with Jessica. It was good, but they were asking me all sorts of questions and excluding my companion from the conversation.

Well, we met again Friday night. We planned a spiritual lesson for them, but it didn’t go as well as we had hoped. There were some very deep, soul stirring questions we had prepared and have them respond to these questions in their head. To really visualize we ask people to close their eyes. Well, Marilda, the Mom, kept opening her eyes, and I repeatedly told her to close them.  Then because we live far from their house, and it was late, they offered us a ride. They also offered to buy us ice cream from the best place in Riberiao Preto called Gerald’s. Its almost 100 years old. Man, it’s delicious!! I got chocolate mint, and ovomartine which is a flavor of chocolate that I probably spelt wrong. So, we were talking, and like out of nowhere Marilda, the mom, starts asking about my love life, and how would it be if I were crazy about a Brazilian here. HA, look lady, I get what your trying to say- you want me to, then Sister Ferreira she had to open her big mouth, and comment about some things that weren’t super necessary, digging us further into this situation.

With that being said, I was just praying that I would be transferred to get out of this mess. Well Saturday rolls around, day of transfers. You’re always anxious what’s going to happen. 

Saturday evening, we were about to end a lesson, when at 8:15 PM I get a phone call, from one of the Assistants of the mission- Elder Mitchell. My heart drops, because I know of the sisters who’ve gotten this phone call:

He says- “Boa Noite sister- Tudo bem” 

Me: “Oi Elder- tudo. Voce esta bem”

Him- “Sim sister. Sister voce tem algumas moments?”

(in my head-*NO I DONT HAVE A FEW MINTUES*)

Me: “Sim, Elder.” 

Him: “Ta, Obrigada Sister, sister voce esta sendo chamado para ser uma sister lider treinadorar.

ME: WHAT???!!!! (In my head)

What I really said- “Oh wow, Elder. Porque? Tem muito outras pessoas que sao mutio mais quailificado.”

Him- “Sister, voce e quilificado. Parabens sister. Other things- and Boa noite sister.” 

me after I hung up: “haofh ef ggh grgjrigjreghrh r !!???COMO ASSIM!!!!”

(for those that don’t speak Portuguese: she was asked how she was and if she is ready to be a Sister Training leader, which Emma responded there are others more qualified. But he said Emma is qualified and now she is finishing training a sister in her new area ~Darcy)

Yeah, crazy right? Well in the middle of eating is when I received this phone call. And afterwards, I didn’t really have much of a desire to eat. Truly I feel underqualified, but I’m just praying a lot that the Lord will help m, know what to do and to say, because I have no idea!

Well fast forward when we got home, about 9:30 when we got the other phone call, from our district leader about transfers itself

This is how the following conversation went:

Him: “BOA NOITE SISTERS!!! Tudo bem?”

Us: “Tudo elder, e voce? Estamos bem tambem.”

Him “Sisteres, voces querem ouvir sobre transferencias?”

Us: “CLARO!!!!”

Him:” Ta- Sister Pierce- PARABENS!!!

Us: “Obrigado Elder.”

Him: “E Sister, voce- FOIIIIIIIIII.”

Me: “Para onde?”

Him: “BARRATOS A.”

You guys- Barratos is the Texas or maybe Pendleton of the mission. From what I’ve heard its SUPER HOTTTT!!LIKE REALLY HOTT! and if I’m not lying it has the biggest rodeo in the world. But an amazing area. And my new companion is Sister Nicestrom- I’m not sure if I spelt that right. And I think she’s from the US.  So, with me and her it should be pretty adventurous! So, I feel very privileged for this amazing opportunity, Heavenly Father has given me. And I only hope I can serve Him well. 

And sister Ferreira stayed back behind, with sister Biserra (think I spelt that wrong) 

She wasn’t too thrilled about it, but I hope they’ll learn together- peacefully. Because they both have strong personalities. And yesterday was pretty sad, saying bye to all my friends, and families that I taught while I was there. Sister Ferreira made a delicious lime tort at the house of a member- Rose. IT was SUPER YUMMY.

But I think that about sums up my week. The ONLY think I hate about transfers is packing my freaking suitcases. But I think I need all the things in the world with me and I DONT KNOW how to live simply with one suitcase. It should be interesting when I come home.

So last night I was up till about 2:30-3 am packing and finishing up some last-minute things. I set an alarm for 4:30 because Irma Rose and Joao were coming to get us at 5:15 so I could grab the bus at 6 am. Well they arrived and called us saying they were there. Ha I thought, strange why so early? I looked at my watch: 5:15am!!!! ARRRGGGGGG I hit Sister Ferreira, “FERRREIRA it’s 5:15!!!”  NEVER in the 6 weeks in the together have I seen her get up so quickly! HAHAHAHAHA 

I quickly finished some last-minute things, and basically threw my suitcases down the stairs, along with me, and I almost fell because when I was finished and got to the car it was about 5:40!  Yeah and my bus leaves at 6:00am sharp!!!! 

You could say my faith was never stronger at that point for the Lord to hear my prayers that I wouldn’t miss my bus. LOL!! But got there in the nick of time with 2 minutes to spare, and thankfully the elders from the office already grabbed my ticket and I ran to the bus.

And now I’m here writing, (Using her 30 yr old Alphasmart~look it up!) and it’s about 8:50am. Shortly I’ll be arriving in San Jose do Rio Preto, and then I’ll take ANOTHER long bus ride to Barratos, about 2 1/2 hours.

The drive so far has been very beautiful. The bus is a little bumpy and we already passed some cute towns, dropped some people off and got some more people. Well stay tuned for more!

Yeah stay tuned for more tuned into 3 days later, and full of surprises!

So, remember how I said that my companion would be Sister Nicestrom?

Yeah, just turns out that I didn’t understand super well, and my companion is Sister Kannar, from Australia, and I’m finishing her training (so I’m like her stepmom lol). 

(So, we got a call from Emma on Wednesday instead of Monday because transfers took allll day Monday with long bus rides to her new area, like Greyhound so nicer than just transit bus.  ~ Darcy)

But yeah- Australia people!!!! How cool is that????

You guys, she is a person FULL of love. I feel VERY privilege to get to know her. She is just-wow, amazing.  (Sister Kannar said the same of Emma when she said hello on the call)

And yes- she has an accent, and no- she’s not a mermaid lol. 

I know that my transfer with her will just be full of miracles. 

She has such a desire to learn, and she already speaks Portuguese very well for only being 2 1/2 months in the mission. She is exactly what I was needing. Someone who has a true desire to do what’s right, who strives to be obedient, and is humble, and is always serving! I am already loving my new area, and it’s just amazing here! The people are very open, and receptive. The members are incredible, and it’s such a cute town. VERY safe, like the safest area I’ve been in. The ONLY thing about this area is that I will be SUPER POOR!!! Like SUPER DUPER. I must take the bus for 2 1/2 hours just to go to our district meetings (wake up at 430AM) and pay about 32 reis, 16 there and 16 to come back. (That is about $8-10 American)

And don’t tell me about when I do splits. Yeah, I think I’m going to come home super skinny because I won’t have food to eat lol- because all my money will go to the bus. Just lots of top ramen and popcorn LOL!!

And remember what I said about it being really hot?? Yeah, it really is SUPER HOTTTT here. I put on sunscreen, and still burned! But at least I can use the joke of “Yeah, it’s hot here in Barretos, but it will be a lot hotter where you’re going if you don’t repent!” LOL

Oh, these past few days I was reading in Alma 5, which I recommend everyone read. What an amazing chapter! It teaches a lot about repentance.  I love when he was talking about the day of judgement, how would it be, to be in front of God with clean hands, and a pure heart!

Just some things for you to think about.

Have an amazing week (boa semena)

full of miracles!

With love, 

Sister Pierce