Brasil: Week 29 - Would you like toppings on your pizza?

Well, I might not be a good English teacher but i am a pretty good English Translator! This past week I met this older couple from Lehi, Utah that is teaching english here in Poços De Caldas. They are seriously the first Americans that I have seen in 7 months. That was really weird...... Anyways, they went to Stake Conference with us and since they know absolutely no Portuguese I offered to translate for them. (Thank goodness I have had experience with translating in sign language!!) Translating is definitely is a lot easier in Sign language because you can actually keep listening as you "talk" But, I think it went really well! I did the whole 2 hours of Stake Conference (I had a headache afterwards :) and they said that I did really well translating for the first time! Woohoo!

We also had our mission tour this week and Elder Antunes came and spoke to us. He spoke about things that I needed to hear. Cool how that happens, right? Side note: I was asked to be the chorister and everyone commented on how well (I honestly think there is no such thing as a bad chorister....) and powerful my conducting was. hahahah All I was thinking was, thanks to being a Drum Major!

During Stake Conference and the mission tour, I have been thinking and learning a lot about prayer. Isnt it amazing that we have an opportunity to talk to our Father in Heaven anytime that we want? I think sometimes we take it for granite and our prayers become robotish and short "orders". In Preach My Gospel it talks about how sometimes our prayers are like ordering a pizza. You "call" and "order" and wait for the pizza to arrive. Elder Lima talked about praying for things and people specifically. When we pray specifically, we will get specific answers. Then, after we pray we need to go and do! He also talked about asking the missionaries who you can pray for and how to help (because lets be honest, sometimes members dont know ANYTHING about the missionary work in their ward and missionaries are afraid to ask for help). I love praying and I love getting to know my Father in Heaven better through prayer and knowing what He wants and needs me to do and become. I encourage you all to pray more fervently and more specifically. I know that it will bless your life more than you can imagine. You will feel the love God has for you, His child, more than ever before. 

I hope that all of you have a wonderful week doing the work of the Lord. 

Sister Keeler

I may need some duct tape... haha(:

Brasil: Week 28 - I FORGOT HOW TO ENGLISH

I learned a new english word this week because of my American companion that actually remembers English. Sibling is when it is your brother or Sister but nibling is when its your nephew or neice! Weird, huh? hahah

Anyways, speaking about english. We had our english class this week and I learned two things

1. I was NOT born to be a teacher

2. When I say I dont remember english, I am NOT kiddding. It was an hour of "lets laugh at sister Keeler because she forgot her native language" hahaha

There were not a lot of people there for the class but two of our investigators came so that was pretty sweet!!! I hope more people come with time. It was really fun and the people that did come said they learned a lot. (The non member guy that actually requested for our english class wasnt even there! but he came to church on sunday and said he would remember to come this week)

Well, this week I got sick with some kind of virus and had to go to the doctor. First time in my whole mission! People have always said that I am stubborn..... well, yesterday I finally realized that these peopel are right. I didnt feel very well after lunch but since I had to stay home one day already because I was sick I insisted in leaving to go visit people. Well, lets just say my body wasnt too happy with my stubbornism. We would go to a house, and before we knocked I would throw up... what a great present, neh? hahah I was throwing up all afternoon in the road but I DID NOT want to go home. In fim, we taught a bunch of lessons and it was a good day :) hahah and dont worry, I did not throw up in anyones house!!! ha

I heard a new church this week "bola de neve" aka ball of snow. I have yet to find out what they believe but when I do, I will tell you about it!

Well, I have decided to use my last couple minutes to send pictures. So next week I will send a longer email!

I hope you have the most blessed week ever!!

P.S. as of this week, all of my "moms" of the mission are home. Weird! 

Sister Keeler

Brasil: Week 27 - Comic relief from the coolest mission in el mundo

Well, transfers are this week and I am finally staying in the SAME area with the SAME companion! WOOHOOO!! (I am going to knock on some wood right now...... :) Last time this happened, I had an emergency transfer. ha! I am super excited for this transfer especially because I am going to live with just americans!!! hahah So, of course with 4 Americans we HAVE to have an english class. Ha. But, really. We are starting an english class. I am SO excited!!! I hope it goes welll...... I dont remember english at all.

This week definitely was a trunky week! Sister Bispo (who was one of the 4 sisters in our house) went home this week and an Elder from our ward here came home from his mission in Fortaleza Brasil. It was such a weird week because I was thinking so much of how it would be to "go home". And, I have decided that the best thing to do is to never go home :) I will be a missionary forever! Ha. But seriously. I never want to leave Brasil or the mission. Sorry mom!

Because you all need comic relief I will tell you a story of the coolest district in the world, Poços de Caldas. One of the Sisters in our district heard it was the birthday of our wonderful District leader. So, because we are a district of only sisters and we are the best ever, we decided to SECRETLY bring a cake and hot chocolate (its winter here) and a birthday card to district meeting this past week. After district meeting we brought out the cake singing happy birthday (in Portuguese of course) as LOUD as we could! Our distrtict leader was seriously SO surprised! It was great! But, then, when we finished singing he just looked at us and was like " thanks you guys... but my birthday is after Christmas..." oh my goodness! we all lost it! We couldnt believe it! We were laughing so hard! haha Aparently he had his MISSION 1 year anniversary this week..... not a birthday. But, we all had a really good laugh and ate wonderful  cake. hahah

We taught this really old lady this week and she was the cutest thing ever! When we said that we were going to say a prayer she was like, I dont know how! Do we need to stand? Do we need to go to the other room? She was so nervous. So, I explained how to pray then I told her to fold her arms and close her eyes. Well, she proceeded to TRY to fold her arms but she couldnt do it! hahah she was so confused how to fold her arms. Man. It was the cutest and humbling experience ever. Dont worry, I helped her to fold her arms :)

We had a pass-a-long card activity this week with our ward. And it was really cool! All the members that came got into groups of 2 or 3 and we taught them how to give someone a pass-a-long card then sent them out close to the church to make contacts for an hour. Everyone LOVED it! It was a really simple activity but it made me think of how easy member missionary work is! Just simply giving someone a pass-a-long card can change someones life more than you think!

I am so thankful to be a missionary. Especially here in the beautiful and blessed land of Brasil. I hope you have a wonderful week!!!! 

Sister Keeler

Brasil: Week 26 - BAPTISM! YAY!

Sister Davis and I decided that if we lived in Brasil we would have a bakery se chama Ja Pao. Okay.... we thought it was funny. Hahah

Anyways, besides being the most hectic moment of my life, WE HAD A BAPTISM!! His name is Jonathan and he started going to church because of his best friend.... who is a member. He has the sweetest testimony in the world! 

We had some REALLY cool lessons this week! Yesterday we had our first lesson with the girl we met in the art gallery and she is amazing! She read the whole pamphlet of the restauration and also answered the questions in the back before we visited her! Wow. That honestly has never happened to me. ha. She had some really great questions and she believes in everything. She is just awesome. The other day we had a lesson with a step daughter of a member, who is also an amazing investigator. Towards the end of the lesson she asked us how we received our answer that this church is true. That was really cool to share my experience and my testimony. Also, this week we taught G., who is an 18 year old of a family that is all baptised.... but not him. We set a baptismal date with him for the 7th of Setembro and told him to pray about it. We had a lesson after church yesterday and oh my goodness. It was a POWERFUL lesson. I even cried during the lesson! That never happens! I asked him if he prayed and he said yes. Then I asked what his answer was, and he looked at me about to tear up and was like, com certeza esta igreja is true. Wow. The spirit was so strong when he said that. Oh my goodness. It made everything in my mission worth it. 

We had a lesson with this reference of a member and she said something really interesting. We asked her How God shows his love for her. She said that God show her love by giving her trials in her life. God loves her enough to help her grow through trials. How profound. Wow. It made me think a lot. The mission is not easy. Not at all. If someone says its easy then they didnt do anything. There are a lot of trials but I know that God loves me and I am so greatful that he loves me enough to put trials in my life to help me grow and become the person that he knows I can be. 

I hope you all have the best week ever!!! LOVE YOU!!!!

Sister Keeler

The church is true. I know it, I live it, I love it!

Brasil: Week 25 - Monkey's gone wild

MONKEYS

So, the coolest thing happened today as we were walking to the Lanhouse. Well, we wanted to go to an art gallery today because Sister Davis studied art in college and I love art.  Well, we saw this small art gallery and decided to go there. We were talking to the lady that works there and after we talked about art she asked us what we do and we explained that we are missionaries yada yada yada. And she got so excited! She was like you NEED to come visit me! (ofcourse!) Then she was like, “you will not believe this,. This morning I asked my mom to pray for angels to visit me today. And you two are the first people that came into the art gallery and I know that you are the angels that God sent me.” Wow. God really does answers prayers! 
Yesterday, we had a big surprise! One of the less active members that we started teaching 2 weeks ago came to church! She hasnt been to church in about 8years! Oh my goodness! I was so háppy! We left her a note last night in her mail box and she said that she found it this morning and loved it and decided to come to church! HALLELUIA!
I know that some of you a while back asked if I had seen monkeys yet. Well, today is the day! Because last week we went and saw monkeys (There is this place that is really foresty where they live) and it was the coolest thing ever! There were BILLIONS of monkeys! Good thing we brought billions of bananas! It was really cool! We had fun playing with monkeys and taking a lot of pictures and videos. Talking about videos, I was taking of video of Sister Davis and this other monkey attacked me!!!!! (I had the camera and a banana in my hands) well, this monkey saw the banana and jumped at me! It scared me so bad to have this monkey jump practically at my face!  Good thing we have is all on tape! Hahaha 
We had interviews with our president this week. And, one of the things he said was really cool. He opened John 15:14 and explained that when we do the will of God and keep his commandments we are his friends. Then we read Mosiah 3:19 which talks about the natural man is an enemy to God. When we dont keep the commandments and go against God we are literally an enemy to God. Think about that. 
P.S. We had a goal this week to contact someone on a bike. After the third time this guy actually stopped and talked to us! It was really funny! I felt really successful 

P.S. We have a baptism this week! I will tell you about it next  Monday!

Sister Keeler