Sowing Seeds, Reaping Rewards
  • Capstone Portfolio
    • Cultural Competence
    • Language Competence
    • Critical Thinking and Expression
    • Connecting Learning to Life
  • Home
    • Back to the Land of the Giants
    • Photos
  • MTC & CTM
    • Provo MTC >
      • The Journey Begins! Feb. 22, 2012
      • This is REAL LIFE! (Jeffrey R. Holland) Feb. 29, 2012
      • The MTC. I'm New Here...and Loving It! Feb. 29, 2012
      • "I Don't Know WHY We Love You, But..." Mar. 7, 2012
      • Stay tuned for the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Skirt" Mar. 7, 2012 >
        • More "Sisterhood of the Traveling Skirt"
      • Prayers ARE Answered, and Miracles DO Happen! Mar. 11 & 13
      • Is This What Foster Kids Feel Like? Mar. 14, 2012
      • Our 2nd "First Day" Mar. 19, 2012
      • I'll Be... Leavin' on a Jet Plane Mar. 26, 2012
      • Piecing Together Caveman Sentences Mar. 26, 2012 letter
    • São Paulo CTM >
      • I've Got a Stamp in My Passport! April 4, 2012
      • I LOVE Having Sister Dickson Here! April 11, 2012
      • My "Permanent Thumbs Up" April 18, 2012
  • 1st Area
    • Santa Margarida (May-June 2012) >
      • This is the Rio Life! Estamos no Brasil! May 1, 2012
      • There are Crazy Crazies Here. May 7, 2012
      • To Teach People, Not Lessons May 14, 2012
      • My Advice to All Prospective Missionaries May 21, 2012
      • The Crazy Crazies... Part 2 June 4, 2012
      • Manaus Has a Temple Now! June 11, 2012
      • My New Phrase: "Yep, Right There." June 18, 2012
      • The Responsibility of ALL of Us June 25, 2012
    • Santa Margarida (July-August 2012) >
      • A Superhero in the Neighborhood July 2, 2012
      • Let's Get Ripped, Spiritually. July 9, 2012
      • This is FUNNERRRR! July 16, 2012
      • Next-Door Neighbirds July 23, 2012
      • Is That a Peacock? July 30, 2012
      • Opposition in All Things August 6, 2012
      • Ye Olde Photographs August 13, 2012
      • A Challenge to My Dear Friends August 20, 2012
  • 2nd Area: Jacarepaguá
    • I Found My Smile! August 27, 2012
    • The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly September 3, 2012
    • District Fairytale?? September 10, 2012
    • Heavenly Hugs September 17, 2012
    • A Mission is SO WORTH IT! September 24, 2012
    • Growing Pains September 24, 2012 letter
    • An Up and Down Spring October 1, 2012
  • 3rd Area: Cabo Frio
    • Cabo Frio (October-November 2012) >
      • "Are You Brazilian?" October 8, 2012
      • More Advice for Prospective Missionaries October 15, 2012
      • Games Missionaries Play October 22, 2012
      • What a Pain in the Box October 29, 2012
      • You Win Some, You Lose Some November 5, 2012
      • Humble-Pied in the Face November 12, 2012
      • What a Weekend! November 12 & 13, 2012 letter
      • First Impressions November 19, 2012
      • You Are Never Alone November 19, 2012 letter
      • Faith For a Miracle November 26, 2012
    • Cabo Frio (December 2012) >
      • My House, My Rules December 3, 2012
      • Spurts of Sabedoria [Wisdom] December 10, 2012
      • SO Much To Do, SO Little Time December 18, 2012
      • Working For a 401 Miracle December 24, 2012
      • Almost a Heart Attack December 31, 2012
    • Cabo Frio (January-February 2013) >
      • Birthday Bash January 7, 2013
      • Unlike the Fat Personal Trainer January 14, 2013
      • The Best Day Yet January 21, 2013
      • I'm a Patient Woman January 28, 2013
      • No Time Today February 4, 2013
      • CarNATAL Yes. Carnaval NO. February 11, 2013
      • I Will Follow in Front February 18, 2013
      • Talent Show... Talent Hide February 25, 2013
    • Cabo Frio (March-April 2013) >
      • Leprechauns, Fedoras, and Ducks. It's Gonna Be a Good Day March 4, 2013
      • "WHO TOLD?!" March 2013 letter
      • Bloom Where You're Planted March 11, 2013
      • Being Me... a NEW Me March 18, 2013
      • Pneumonia Shpoomonia March 25, 2013
      • Hello Mom-o, Hello Dad-o April 1, 2013
      • TEEEMMMPLLLEEE!!! April 8, 2013
      • I'm the "LAUGH-ER" April 15, 2013
      • BIG, BIG NEWS! Drumroll, Please. April 22, 2013
  • 4th Area: Niterói
    • Fonseca (April-June 2013) >
      • We're Creating the IDEAL Here April 29, 2013
      • Hold Your Horses May 6, 2013
      • Let the Good Times Roll May 13, 2013
      • She's Gettin' Old May 20, 2013
      • Guns and Roses... with Thorns May 27, 2013
      • Oldsters Are the Greatest! June 3, 2013
      • And Lots and Lots of Love June 10, 2013
      • It's Not Us. It's God. June 17, 2013
      • And You Know What??? June 24, 2013
    • Worth the Wait July 1, 2013
    • Living Water July 8, 2013
    • I DON'T WANNA DIE!!! July 15, 2013
    • It's Not Abnormal to Feel Like Manure July 22, 2013
    • Splish, Splash July 29, 2013
    • Keep It Together, Man! August 5, 2013
    • Até Logo, Meus Amiginhos. August 12, 2013

It's Not Us.  It's God.

June 17, 2013

What The DAD!?
So, Father’s Day here is never the same as the U.S.  Sadness to the max.  BUT, this time I remembered to write something lovely about my father on earth.  He is quite a guy.  It seems as if all the spiritually strong men start to talk the same, no matter the language.  Their newly-sagging cheeks give a vibrating fullness to their words, and I can’t help but see my father in all of them.  GET BETTER SOON, DADDY!

TEGAN LITTLE SUPER GUY!
Pops out right before my eye! 
He’s so much bigger than I thought! 
And soon I’ll kiss him on the spot!

Graduation for a Giant Tradition
CONGRATS, BENJO, for “granduating!”  Thought that day would never come!  JKJK ENTER!  Loves.  Can’t wait to hang at your crib, TWOOO!!!

Shout-outs
I got a letter from a Singles’ Warder who put in an order for a Brazil jersey.  The only problem is... which one does he want? I haven’t even bought myself one.  But, yes.  We’ve got a deal, Dan.

TECK FISH’S brother has been in my mission this WHOLE time, and I didn’t even know it!  SAY WHAAAAA??!?!?!  Oh, I love track connections.  GO TEAM!

I thought of Jazzy when I found that piece of info out.  AND I dreamed about her last night.  I dreamed I was home and feeling weird not having a comp.  Then I looked to the side of me, and BAM, there was Hermana Bingham.  We were eating lunch at our boss’ house.  She was chomping down on cereal, and I was eating cake.  (Yes, only in my dreams do I eat sweets and COOKIES FOR BREAKFAST.)  We were planning on secretly getting in the hearts of the family of our boss and baptizing their whole family because they also live with their aunts and uncles.

There is a Mini Mik who is waiting for a letter from me in CRAYON.  I haven’t forgotten.  It’s coming.

Mary Felshaw, thank you for all your letters!  I feel like I got a letter from my grandma when you write.  Yes, that is a compliment.

Kelly Handy… You rock my world.  Can’t believe Alexa is already home.

And ANNA SCHLANT!  I wrote you and never sent it.  
0 for me.

Rachel still wins. 

And thanks to my MOM, our Zone Lunch with El Presidente had a marvelous show of “painted” cookies for everyone to eat.  The sad part was the cheesecake box The Diller gave me never set... boo.  So, we had painted sugar cookies and cheesecake goop.  Yumsey!

Favorite Quotes
When W was getting confirmed, I sat by his wife, Z’s, side. When André (my favorite counselor and potential future bishop) said, “Receive the Holy Ghost,” Z said, “Amen, I hope this relieves him of his anger.”  They have been improving, that spicy bickering couple.  It was so cute to see them dance a tiny bit for the Dia dos Namorados [Brazilian Valentine’s Day] ward party.  They even posed twice for a kissing picture. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only true power capable of uniting families not only for this life but for the life to come.

When Guilherme got confirmed (again by André), he sat next to me and said, “Ele virá padre.”  It was SO hard to keep reverent.

What Was God Thinking?!
So as you may have picked up on, we—as sister missionaries who work with, baptize, and reactivate families—have turned out to be family psychiatrists.  HUH?!?!  Only the true gospel of Jesus Christ can transform inexperienced single adults into family counselors in order to resolve problems and do it with a commitment for eternity.  Secret:  it’s not us.  It’s God.

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Likable Leaders
I haven’t talked much about my LD lately.  Elder Saigh is Jared Dominguez, Recife style.  He made my planner with a picture of President Lima in a top hat.  Not gonna lie.  He’s great.  Know why?  He has baptized 2 families, gotten the frequency of the ward to skyrocket to almost 100 (it was 60), and there are some YW [Young Women] leaving for missions.  Moral of the story:  Successful missionaries get YW to serve missions.  The.  End.

Prayer
One thing that really makes my mission is teaching people who have never prayed or never prayed out loud or have never prayed with their own words.  I have never described the power that first prayer is.  God listens.

Prayer is the key that opens the portal to God.  He not only listens, He answers.  Don’t do ANYTHING that would jeopardize your worthiness to have that portal open at all times.


Love you.  I just might not wanna come home.
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