4 Trainers, 3 Areas, 2 Countries, and 23 Weeks Later

I'M FINALLY DONE WITH TRAINING! I don't think anyone understands how stinking happy I am! For missionaries there is a program called "The First 12 Weeks" that is a training program for the first 12 weeks in the field. I've done it twice. I was literally being "trained" for the first 23 weeks I was in the field. TWENTY THREE! Needless to say, I'm super grateful to be done with that. 

On to the next piece of news. TRANSFERS! We got a transfer call! Sister Henrique Lima: continuing in Ponta da Praia. Sister McEldowney: CONTINUING IN PONTA DA PRAIA! Also, we're now in a trio! The two of us stayed, and we're now in a trio with Sister Mendez. I'm up for the challenge!

Truly, I can't remember a whole lot from this week. It was a lot of street contacting and trying to contact formers. Welcome to the real life of a missionary: trying to find golden investigators after you baptized all of yours. 

Oh wait! Can we all take a second to appreciate that General Conference is this weekend?!?!?!?! I'm through the roof! We get to hear from the prophet! People, we have a living prophet who receives revelation directly from God for us. He receives revelation for us, right now! We are so blessed to have a living prophet and to be able to hear from him and the apostles every six months.

I'm so stoked for conference and can't wait to watch it. I hope you all take the opportunity to watch it. I promise you that you will not be disappointed. 

Well, there's the week that Sister McEldowney had. Hope you all have a great week! And don't forget about General Conference!

Amo Sempre,

Sister McEldowney

P.S. I can't send pictures from this computer, but I will next week

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From the keeper of this blog -

Just in case you're interested in watching General Conference, I've included a couple of links below. The first is a brief history of General Conference and the second is the link to stream it live from LDS.org. The link to stream it live is on the splash page typically the day before the sessions (there are 4 - 2 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday) are scheduled to begin. They are broadcast from Salt Lake at both days 10-12 and 2-4 Mountain Standard Time. Hope all is well where you are!

A Brief History of General Conference

Watch General Conference

So. Many. Things.

I seriously never have time to write anything! Someday, someday. Maybe...

Anyway, it's another bullet point week. Sorry all! I'll send pictures too though!

This week:

-I made cookies last Monday...again! I love love love baking!

-We did a whole heck of a lot of street contacting. That's what happens when even your back-up plans fall through. Like I said last week, it's a really good thing I like to talk!

-I taught a lesson on the bus. It may not seem like a big deal, but I managed to teach a lesson by myself (and with a lot of help from the Spirit)! #ICanPortugueseSometimes

-I rubbed ketchup into my hands for an object lesson in district meeting. Never again. I smelled like ketchup the rest of the day. It was a neat object lesson though!

-Sister Aston knows me so well! She called me this week just because she missed me and she wrote me a super legit note! Little did she know that was exactly what I needed to start my week off right! I have the greatest friend/first companion ever!

-We did weekly planning right this week! Food galore! Pictures will follow.

-We had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches this week. Such a simple thing, but I loved every second of my sandwhich. I miss the little things. And by the little things, I mean food hahahah!

-BATISMO! Caio got baptized! Happy happy happy day! Baptisms are the best! It's such a blessing to see someone make their first covenant with Heavenly Father. It's even more of a blessing to know that greater blessings are ahead so long as they keep those covenants.

Well, that was my week in a nutshell. I hope all is well in everyone else's neck of the woods! Have a great week!

Amo Sempre,

Sister McEldowney

Cookies!

Planning done right!

Batismo do Caio!

A Happy Place and An Accomplished Goal

I never have enough time to write everything that I want to, but I'm going to give it my best shot this week!

Nope, just kidding! I have ten minutes!

Bullet points for the win!

-My district leader is the best and constantly helps me find new ways to improve my language and be a better missionary. He's pretty fantastic!

- I accomplished my mission goal! I was determined to stand in front of a full bus and invite every single one of them to learn about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Guess what sister missionary did that this week! #missionarymoment #livingthatBrasillife

-People think I'm from Argentina because of my accent when I speak Portuguese. Success! I don't sound like a gringa!

-We found 3 golden investigators this week! #stoked #blessingsofobedience

-BATISMO! Yuji, who has been an investigator for about a year, is officially a recent convert! Saturday was great and the Spirit was so strong!

-My happy place is officially the kitchen! I've missed baking so much! I went to a member's house this week and we baked cookies and I about cried tears of happiness! I miss baking and cooking! something to look forward to in a little under a year.

-Oh yeah, I'M SIX MONTHS OLD!!!! 1/3 of the way through my mission!

Also, everyone should read 3 Nephi 11. Christ comes to the Americas and it is a super powerful chapter!

3 Nephi 11

Love you all!

Amo Sempre,

Sister McEldowney

I'm About Out of Witty Titles!

I can't think of any witty titles for my email today, so this is what y'all get this week. My brain really hurts. I blame the fact that I'm still trying to learn how to speak another language all while actually speaking said language. Yeah, my brain hurts. #cantEnglish #cantPortuguese #cantWords

Anyway, on to the part I'm sure you're all waiting for.

Monday:

We literally cleaned our apartment for 5 hours. I about died. I guess it's nice to not be living in a house of dust bunnies anymore though.

Tuesday:

We didn't have any appointments, so we spent all day doing street contacts. Good thing I like to talk! #praticandoportuguês

Wednesday:

Zone Conference! Zone Conference was great! Presidente Cabral is an inspired man and the Spirit is so strong when he speaks. He's great! We were talking about our role and responsibility as missionaries. Our call letters all say that we are here to baptize those who are prepared. We aren't here to convince people the gospel is true, we are here to convert them to the gospel they already know is true. My call as a missionary, as a representative of Jesus Christ, is so much more than to find, teach, and baptize; my call is also to strengthen my relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ. How can I represent someone I don't know or have a relationship with? It made me think of our families, too. We bear the names of our families. Our surnames are the names that our families have borne for years. What are we doing with that name? Do we know our ancestors? Do we have a relationship with the people who bear our same name?

As a missionary I visibly bear two names every day when I put my name tag on. I am Sister McEldowney, my name tag says that right up top, but the only thing that is bigger print then my name is the name of Jesus Christ. I pray every day that I am acting in a way that would make my Savior proud of me.

Thursday:

We had a huge storm! The power was out for 8 hours! Talk about a difficult wekly planning session! When I say huge, I really do mean huge. The winds were blowing at 80 km/h at one point. How insane is that?! On top of that, it was pouring rain. Welcome to winter in Brazil I suppose. Tuda bem, I'm alive and see sunny days in my future.

Even with a crazy morning (and afternoon) we had a major miracle happen! We were walking down the street after weekly planning and we saw one of the young men (boys age 12-18) in our ward. Well, he was sitting with someone we didn't recognize. Guess what! Turns out he was an investigator the elders were working with who fell off the face of the planet for a bit! His name is Yurgi. We had a super solid lesson with him about the Book of Mormon, the importance of reading it, and prayer. We also committed him to go to church on Sunday! #milagre

Friday:

We went to go visit a man we had been teaching who accepted baptism last week. I was so stoked to see him again! We planned everything to have daily contact with him in the week leading up to his baptism, and he dropped us when we got there. I wanted to cry! What's comforting, though, is knowing that he has all the resources he needs when he is prepared for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Some day, hopefully soon, his heart will be softened and he will have a desire to follow Christ.

Saturday:

Lots of tracting and street contacts. We need to find new people to teach. That's literally what we spent all day telling ourselves.

Sunday:

Yurgi went to church! I screamed a lot inside! So much joy! HE ALSO ACCEPTED BAPTISM!!! #September12 I'm so stinking excited! He's so solid and I'm dying! September 12th needs to get here quick!

We're also teaching a 9-year-old who's getting baptized the same day! Apparently my entire mission I will be teaching children. Tuda bem! I can do it! They're fun to teach.

Book of Mormon!

I was reading my favorite book this week, also known as The Book of Mormon, and I fall more and more in love with it every day! This week I was reading in Helaman and I got to one of my favorite chapters, chapter 5. The verses that seriously stood out this week were 10-12. Take a look, read it, and let me know what you got out of it! I'll report next week!

Helaman 5:10-12

10 And remember also the words which Amulek spake unto Zeezrom, in the city of Ammonihah; for he said unto him that the Lord surely should come to redeem his people, but that he should not come to redeem them in their sins, but to redeem them from their sins.

11 And he hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance; therefore he hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which bringeth unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of their souls.

12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

Helaman 5

Love you all! Have a great week!

Amo sempre,

Sister McEldowney 

Fixing My Illiteracy and Learning a New Area

Before we get into the meat of this week, I need to fix some things from weeks past and fix what seems to be illiteracy for Sister McEldowney here.

1. I did not eat a brigadeiro and moreno. I ate a cupcake with brigadeiro and morango! Moreno means brunette and morango is strawberry. I don't always pay attention to what I write, but I do know the difference.

2. I'm not serving in Pontal da Praia, I'm serving in Ponta da Praia. That was just a slip of the finger. It's that whole typing fast on different keyboards thing.

Ok, I think those are the only glaring issues.

As for this week:

Monday

TRANSFERS! I'm now serving in Santos in the Ponta da Praia Ward! I had to travel for 5 hours by bus to get here and was a solo missionary for a bit trying to get to my companion, but I made it!

Tuesday

Lunch fell through, then it didn't! #miracle

Wednesday

I saw Sister Aston! Serving so close to her area makes surprise visits a whole heck of a lot easier!

Also, we work like there's no tomorrow and it's awesome!

Oh yeah, my companion is Sister Henrique Lima. She's from Alagoas and she's awesome!

Thursday

We had some intense wind and rain and it was making the waves hit the rocks and jump the barrier. Well, we were walking down the boardwalk and this guy got totally soaked! We just about died laughing!

Friday

We had reunião de districto and it was great! I learned how to invite people to be baptized in the first lesson and during a contact. It was grand! Also, I ran into Sister Aston on the street and it was great!

Saturday

We met a super solid investigator that the elders left for us. His name is Ian and we committed him to baptism and put him on date. I'm pretty stoked! #batismo

We were on a role with meeting people today and just working our hardest! I love being a missionary!

Sunday

I'M SERVING IN A WARD! No one has any idea how much of a blessing that is for me. I was almost crying when we walked into sacrament meeting and we had more than 20 people! Also, there were young men passing the sacrament and more than 2 people in Gospel Principles! I'm in heaven. For those people either serving in a ward or living in one, DO NOT TAKE IT FOR GRANTED! I have a new appreciation for wards!

Alright, no time left!

Love you all!

Amo sempre,

Sister McEldowney

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São Sebastião at night!

Reunited!

Mission!

São Sebastião Sisters! Last District Meeting!

Beach!

New companion!

20 Things From The Week I Turned 20

This week has been super eventful, thus, my update is coming in list form! I love lists and I think that 20 things is both reasonable and timely! Let it begin!

1. The energy was out for over an hour last Monday and apparently that happens regularly! I didn't believe it until it actually happened. Strange, strange place Brasil is. But, I love it!

2. Ilhabela is so pretty! I love getting to take a boat there, too! I know I've said it before, but I'm totally a water baby! Explains the water polo and swimming without a doubt. Don't you worry though people, I'm being obedient and not touching the water.

"not touching the water."

Restrictions keep missionaries safe. One hard and fast mission rule is that there are to be no recreational water activities. Good job, Kayla!

3. Last district meeting of the transfer! I can't believe it's already the end of the transfer! The days are long, but the weeks really are short.

4. We had two sisters who are preparing for missions go teaching with us on Wednesday. They're rockstars! It amazing how their enthusiasm rub bed off on us. Missions are the best! Sometimes I forget that, but a gentle reminder always gets me back into gear.

5. Missionaries get a lot of details about a person's life. I have never felt so involved in a person's life! It's not just one person, it's tons! Something about this nametag I suppose.

6. You wouldn't think that beans and rice taste different, but there is a  sister in this branch who makes some of the best rice and beans I have ever had. So grand!

7. I learned how to eat fish...the proper way. Apparently I don't use my hands enough when I eat, so I need to work on that. It's a suggestion from a member's wife, so it must be true, right?

8. My district leader and his companion are the best! Elder Richards and Elder Haygood called me at 6:20 (before I was even awake) to wish me a happy birthday and sing "parabens!" I love them! Talk about a great start to my birthday!

Sung to the tune of Happy Birthday, the song Parabéns pra você is the song most commonly sung in Brazil to celebrate someone’s birthday.

Parabens

9. Sister Amorim made me a super cute birthday card! Eu amo ela!

10. Sister Aston sent me a birthday card, which I waited to open until my actual birthday, and I cried tears of happiness, and laughter! I love love love her! 

11. Rebecca, one of the members of my branch who also happens to share my birthday, made me a cupcake filled with brigadeiro and a strawberry! Heaven in a cup!

12. Lourdes, our AWESOME investigator, made super delicious hot dog type things and bolo! She's awesome!

I believe "bolo" is a type of bread.

13. We got to meet this awesome returned sister missionary! She made us fresh açaí and I'm in love now.

14. Lourdes' neighbor sells these super chique, Brazilian hot dogs and gave us two (for free) and I was so genuinely pleased with life. It was so good!

15. We climbed a huge hill. There aren't a lot we're brave enough to climb here, but our less actives are so worth it!

16. I'm getting transferred!

 

17. My current area is getting white-washed and I'm white-washing my next area. Two areas in a row that I'm white-washing! What the what?!

I called a recently returned missionary and asked her to define "white-washing". It's when two missionaries, both new to an area, are transferred into that area to be a companionship. Typically one missionary is transferred and the other stays in the area and gets a new companion. 

18. I will be serving, for at least the next 6 weeks, in Santos, in an area called Pontal da Praia!

19. Alma 37:45. There is an invitation and promise in that one verse. Will you accept that invitation?

45 And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.

Alma 37

20. I love the Book of Mormon! I have never found so much joy in one book. I know that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. I know tht it is the word of God. There are promises of so many blessings if we abide by its precepts. I seriously encourage each and every one of you to pick it up and read it. I promise you that it will change your life for the better. What other book comes with a promise so great as the one found in Moroni 10:3-5? 

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

Moroni 5

I can answer that question right now, no other book! I love The Book of Mormon with all of my heart! If you have "even a desire to believe" (Alma 32:27) act on that desire! Talk to your local missionaries, talk to me, talk to your Father in Heaven! 

I want each of you to know how much I love this gospel. I would not be giving 18 months of my time to serve the Lord if I did not know, with every fiber of my being, that what I am sharing is true. My life has been changed for the better and I know it can do the same for you.

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Amo Sempre,

Sister McEldowney

A Love I Didn't Know I Had

I love Brasil so much! Every passing day gives me something new to love! Whether it be the crazy and wonderful sisters I live with, the incredibly spiritual experiences, the pure beauty, the kindness of people, the interesting stories, EVERYTHING! I seriously feel so blessed to be serving in such a great place! Heavenly Father knew exactly what I needed when He assigned me to serve in Missão Brasil Santos! I love it here!

Alright, I have very little time and am writing in an Internet House where I can't send pictures, so I apologize in advance. I'll make up for it next week though (:

Monday:

Nothing really happened. I colored, so that was cool. Also, I talked to a lot of people, but I do that every day.

Tuesday:

We have an investigator, Lourdes, who is the mother of a menos ativo (less active member) and she is so solid! She asked us for her own copy of O Livro de Mórmon and is so stinking excited to have us come teach her! I love her tons!

We also went to acompanhar (follow up) André e Flávia (who are our 2 other solid investigators) and when we got there, they told us they hadn't read O Livro de Mórmon lately and so Sister McEldowney here got to use everything she's been learning the past 5 months and I asked them if we could read with them. They said yes! Woohoo! That's not even the most exciting part! I INTRODUCED THE SCRIPTURE, READ, AND APPLIED IT TO THEIR LIFE!!!! IRA was applied in my missionary life and in português too! Life is so grand!

Wednesday:

Reunião de districto (district meeting)! I love them so much! My district is awesome! It's even better because I speak enough now that I can participate, and laugh when someone says something funny. I never thought I'd be so excited to hear someone's really cheesy missionary humor! I've hit that point though.

Thursday:

I had to go to Santos and I made it safely. Guess what else? I WAS REUNITED WITH SISTER ASTON FOR A NIGHT! Sister McEldowney heaven! Pictures will follow next week.

Friday:

I'm now officially in Brasil legally! After spending all day in Santos at the Federal Police station I am legal and very pleased with life! Woohoo! 

Saturday:

Lourdes made us um bolo de brigadeiro e moreno (a chocolate cake, I think). Heaven again! She also committed to read more than we left and go to church!

Sunday:

Lourdes came to church! We did weekly planning too so nothing new to report for Sunday.

I love you all and have no time left!

Have a wonderful week!

Amo sempre,

Sister McEldowney