Doing some serious repenting.

March 23rd, 2015

I have like no time to talk today, but Sister Byrne and I got to assist two meetings with Elder Aidukaitis, Brazil area 70 and were burned to a crisp. We thought we were being the best missionaries we knew how to be, but it turns out we (at least I) were being too shy. So, we have done some serious repenting and we are doing contacts with the whole bus at once and then asking who is interested. (Editor here, Things are different in Brazil. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't go over as well on a bus in...say...Boston.) The people are surprisingly receptive of us taking shouting our messages in public. WE are deffinitely going to do more of this. I wish I´d under stood earlier how to be a great missionary. I´m not saying that I was bad, but I wasn't the best I could be. That's what burned the most. But you can be sure that I will take advantage of every second I have left. I love you so much!

Love,

Your Little Missionary

P.S. WE are back in BERTIOGA!!!!!!!!!! TO stay! WE have worked here one day and already have a bunch of people to teach! I love the Lord´s work in the Lord´s way!

Heavenly Father knows I am trying and always gives me what I need

March 16th 2015 

      We went to Bertioga for 2.5 days! We planned on Friday, did exchanges on Saturday and were obligated to stay home ALL DAY SUNDAY because Brazil was busy impeaching its president. Still don´t know if that worked out or not, but i`m sure someone will say something one of these days. In the mean time we´ll just keep working our butts off and hope that everything goes well. 

      So, while we were at home Sunday, we held our own meetings (with the exception of sacrament meeting. That would just be a little bit of apostasy) It was so great! We studied the gospel principles lesson on exaltation and got to learn a lot from the other sisters. Some people have a gift to be able to study and learn by the Spirit. I am not really one of them, but I do my best and Heavenly Father knows I am trying and always gives me what I need to do well in my calling. Afterwards we studied conference talks about prophets. Lastly, instead of having sacrament meeting we bore our testimonies. It was such a great spiritual experience and I know that Heavenly Father blessed us for doing our best to keep His Sabbath holy. 

Teaching at Zone Conference

      It was so amazing to come home to Bertioga (we have already left again) and see how much everyone has grown. There were a ton of people sick (including Sister Vergara) and everyone was running from place to place to help each other, including the less sick of the sick. So much has changed. People are stronger, there are many new members and miracles happen every day here. Even though we couldn't go to church, our investigators went and loved it. While Sister Vergara was sick in bed, the members of the branch filled our refrigerator with Gatorade and good food. They gave her rides to and from the hospital and called a bunch just to see how she was doing. 

      Sister Byrne and I got to have lunch with our friend Francisca and she took us to teach her neighbors and was so excited to see us back home. We were sad that it would be so short, but I will take you to meet her when you come. She is absolutely amazing. I want her to be your companion (Mom) when you serve. She is planning on serving a mission! I think she is almost fifty!

I lov eyoU! time´s up1!

Your Little Missionary

Mission President and Sister Cabral watching Karynne teach

Teaching at another Zone Conference

(Editor - she did not send pictures this week, these are all from the Missao Brasil Santos FB page Zone Conference Post.)

"I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that, I still possess." -Corrie

What a coincidence!
Found this in a member's home!

March 9th, 2015
Dearest Loved Ones,

     Keep writing. The things you write aren't distracting. I´m pretty hard core focused now. Today was transfer day, and Sister Byrne and I are still together as STLs. We are still doing rounds of the mission. We are still having a great time and we get to go on exchanges with our old companions this round! 

Exchange with my old companion Sister Andrade!!!
SOOOOO AWESOME! I LOVE THIS GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday I went with Sister Andrade, a missionary whom I have always admired. She is so wonderful and we talked about what we have learned since our time together and how much more we still have to learn. I have never met anyone so obedient or diligent in my life. She is a great example for me! A ton of sisters (12) are going home today. SO MANY! We have a net loss of four companionships and we are rearranging our schedule to give all the sisters time to adjust to their new companions before we go on exchanges. Tomorrow we go on exchanges with the sisters in BERTIOGAAAAA!!!! I love that place so much. This will be the second time in a month and a half that we go home. This time it will be for a full day! WAAAAHHHOOOOO! We are very excited. Our latest challenge is what to do to help the sisters who are having companionship problems. I think we should let them pray and fast and receive personal revelation to be able to work things out, but Sister Byrne thinks we can help them in the exchanges... that´s more her part... but I really like this quote that Sister Cabral put in Sempre Fiel today:

     "I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God´s hands, that, I still possess." -Corrie

      

Ilha Bela

     Yesterday we were walking in the street and it was POURING and we were so soaked and there was a man running from the rain and passed us under an awning. He stopped and asked if we were evangelists and we started to talk to him. We told him that we are here to help people come closer to God and he told us how he´s been trying to change his life for a long time, but every time he picks himself up off the ground and starts to go to church, it seems like something happens and he falls even further. We invited him to pray regularly and meet with the missionaries where he lives. He said he was so glad to have met us, because he was about to get himself into a lot of trouble, but when he started talking to us, he felt so peaceful and he knew he shouldn't. Sometimes our contact with people is so simple, but through the small things, come the greatest things of all.

Selfies on Ilha Bela

     Another great quote I heard in the Relief Society class this Sunday was this "The Lord does not take the people out of their miserable circumstances" as the world tries to do. "The Lord takes the misery out of us and we leave the miserable situations." This is so true. You can do everything in your power to help a person to be happy or to have a better quality of life, but a true change of heart is what makes the changes last. I love the Lord. He knows us so much better than we know ourselves.

Sanduiche! FOMEEEE!!!!!!!!!

I hope your week is great! Mine is going to be!

I LOVE YOU!

Love,

Your Little Missionary

p.s. (After hearing about our recent experience at the Brazilian Barbecue in the US...) Chicken heart is terrible. Chicken foot is not really worth trying either. Intestine tastes good, but it´s hard to swallow, because it feels like it comes alive in your mouth. It´s all watery and flabby and, well, I wouldn't choose to eat it.

Bus Sick- Driving on the windiest road you have ever seen.
It was like Tokyo Drift Windy.

We are having SO Much Fun!

It rained so much and there were rainbows everywhere.
This one has another rainbow over it,
but you can´t see it in the picture.

March 2nd
     This week has been so crazy! We went home for ten hours! It was so funny! We planned it all out and we would be able to help the sisters in Bertioga for a day or two, because there were going to be zone conferences that interfered with the exchanges. We were so desperate to get to the bus station on time we decided to take a taxi! We really wanted to make it home Monday night instead of Tuesday morning. So we made it just in time and took the bus home. We bought a ton of fruit to eat with the pancakes and real maple syrup that I received in my box from home! We bought a ton of food! Then we got home just a little before nine to make pancakes and surprise the sisters. We waited...and waited...and waited. At 9:30 we heard frantic running and laughter and the sisters burst in the door. They were so happy to see all the food and started telling us about all the amazing things that have been happening. They are out of money and have to walk all over the place, but they are bringing people back to church and the members are helping and people are excited to be baptised and it seems like a missionary´s heaven on earth. It was so great. So, we planned out how we would help them do all the visits tey needed to the next day! Wahooooo! Working in our own area! It was gonna be so cool! Then the phone rang and Sister Byrne excitedly told President Cabral that we were in Bertioga. He laughed a little nervous laugh and asked "Oh, really?" Then he said "I need you to be in front of the office (where we had just left) at 7 am tomorrow morning, because you are coming with me to all of the zone conferences." I didn´t hear the phone call, but I knew just what was happening from the look on Sister Byrne´s face. So, we slept in our own beds...for 4 hours and repacked much more light and went back to Santos. We are having so much fun. I am so blessed to have Sister Byrne as my companion, because she´s so calm and doesn´t whine. We are just laughing at all the situations we get ourselves into, because life is so fun!

We made sandwiches in the
bus station.
Life as usual.

     We got to see all but one zone conference, because President Cabral wants us to know exactly what we have to teach the sisters. We are currently on a beautiful island, the name of which is "Beautiful Island." There are 365 waterfalls here and my companion was bitten by a borrachudo. We had a great trip to the hospital in which we got the address of the receptionist and the doctor! The Lord works in mysterious ways!

     I got to see Durvalino, Loretta, and Luiz, recent converts from Santos. Also! My English class is being taught by members of the church! The missionaries just stop by to help out at the end! What?!?! YES!!!! I went on exchanges with my trainer! Everyone is so excited! We made sandwiches in the bus station and talked with lots of strangers and I READ IN THE BUS!!!

I think I already said this about five times, but we are having so much fun!

Life is meant to be enjoyed. I am learning so much and rereading the Book of Mormon again. This time I am reading with my focus on the prophets, because they talked a lot about sustaining prophets and having a testimony of the prophets in the last conference. Every time I read the Book of Mormon in blows my mind. It is so amazing. My understanding is expanded every time I read. I love it and I know it´s true!

I love you!

Love,

Your Little Missionary

p.s. I am working my new shoes off! I got one package with L.L. Bean mary Janes, pancake mix, maple syrup and brownie mix! It had already been opened, but at least I got it! Thank you so much! The shoes are so comfortable! and our fellow Bertioga sisters went crazy about the maple syrup. I told them they can use it while I`m gone and Sister Vergara was soooooooo happy! She was like "Oh, but your mom sent it, I don´t want to ...." and I said "Sister, there is a lot of maple syrup where i come from. I asked for it with you in mind." Then she got all happy and accepted it.

(Heather here- Of the 3 packages that were sent from home, Karynne finally received 1 which had been opened and contained only a few items, but they were from 2 different packages...? So I'm giving up on the others because they have obviously been opened and kept.)