Week 43 - November 27, 2017

It's slowly getting hotter and I'm not liking it, you guys. I'm not liking it at all.

BUT, this week was super great. My new companion is Sister V. Araujo, from São Paulo. She is super, super sweet and very patient with me trying to figure out how to do this whole training thing. Sadly, we ran into this guys who was SUPER RUDE to us the other day while knocking on doors. Like, the rudest I've seen on my mission so far. Which normally wouldn't be a very big deal because as a missionary you kind of get used to is, but I didn't want that to be one of the first impressions Sister V. Araujo gets of a mission. Because for sure the good moments completely make up for the bad ones.

Also, I had to travel to Porto Alegre AGAIN today to renew my visa....because in a few months, I will have been in Brazil for a year already. HOW INSANE IS THAT. It also means that by the time I return to my area, I will have spent 24 hours traveling by bus. That's a lot.

But the week is going well. I'm continuing to adore what I'm doing. Missionary work is for sure the hardest and most satisfying thing I've ever done, and I want to be doing it for the rest of my life.

Also, some cool news for you. The other Sister Coleman finished her mission this past week, so I am now officially the only Sister Coleman on the mission. Which hopefully means I'll receive my letters more quickly.

Hope everyone is doing great! Tenham uma boa semana!

-Sister Coleman


**All of these photos are with Sister Hartman, Madison's former companion.

Week 42 - November 20, 2017

Ahhhhhh what a crazy week! 

Sadly, the three people that were supposed to be baptized this weekend didn't end up getting baptized because of...various problems. Word of Wisdom, parent that don't want to let their kids have a better life by getting baptized, idk. But it was a good week nonetheless. 

And today is transfer day! Sister Hartman was transferred to Porto Alegre, and I'll be staying in Arroio Grande with......a brand new sister! I'm gonna be training this transfer! Crazy! I'm kind of nervous because I have so many faults and flaws and so many things I want to improve as a missionary, but I think training will help me overcome a lot of those things and remember a little more the sacredness of my calling as a missionary. 

I'm incredily humbled to have this opportunity....pray for me that I don't absolutely screw up the beginning of this new sister's mission! I still don't know who it is that I'll be training, all the greenies will be arriving tomorrow, and we'll be staying in Porto Alegre for a few days to do some kind training course or something. 

I realized that I'm not at the point where my trainer, SIster Suárez, was when I arrived: 9 months into the mission, and starting to train for the first time. Now she's a sister training leader, and will be going home in 3 DAYS. Sometimes I still feel like I arrived in the field last week, so time sure does go by fast.

I don't have a lot more time to write, but just know that everything is going great, I'm continuing to love what I'm doing. Hope everyone has an EXCELENTE SEMANA!

Sister Coleman

Week 41 - November 13, 2017

Ohhhhhhhh, I'm halfway there...

Guys, I hit my 9 month mark. Literally halfway through my mission. How crazy is that. I'm not gonna lie, it makes me a little sad. Of course I miss my family and friends and some things about home, but I feel like being a missionary is all I've ever done and all I'm meant to do. I'm amazed at the privileges and opportunidades I've had, the people I've met, the growth I've experienced, and especially how I've felt closer to my Savior. I think the best part of being a missionary is having such a sure purpose. Knowing every day when I wake up that I'll get to help people that day. That I'm here to live for them and not for myself. Getting to see how the Spirit is changing their lives. So, anyone who's reading this who's still thinking about whether or not you want to go on a mission, just go. I promise you it's the best decision you could ever make. There are seriously zero downsides to this.

Despite the sadness of realizing I'll leave this all behind in 9 months, I think it's given me even more excitement for the work. I only have 9 months left to invite everyone to be baptized and call everyone to repentance and bring everyone to the gospel, so I'm going to take advantage of every moment.

A few cool things that happened this week: We had a zone conference in Pelotas, and to get there on time, we had to stay at the apartment of some sisters in Pelotas the night before. And it just so happens that one of the sisters serving there is Sister Pertab, my MTC companion. It's been awhile since I've seen her, and we got to pass our 9 month birthday together, which was great. 

Also, one of our recent converts, Gabriel (14 years old), has been struggling with some friends that are pressuring him to drink. He used to drink, like, A LOT, before he was baptized, but gave it up because he gained a super strong testimony. So now, while all his friends are drinking beer and crap, he drinks chocolate milk. Which I think is super cool of him. Now, whenever he comes with us on visits, we all buy chocolate milk to drink together. I'm convinved we'll start a trend and everyone in the town will drink chocolate milk instead of alcohol :) That would be pretty nice.

Also, Gabriel's dad is apparently reading the Book of Mormon! We've already tried teaching both his parents several times, but they never really wanted anything to do with the church. But the other day, Gabriel told us that his dad took the BoM to work with him and read a large part of it during his lunch break. He said he only didn't tell us earlier because he didn't think it was a big deal. We were like, um, yeah, it's a big deal!! Most people don't just pick up the BoM and start reading because they want to. Needless to say, we are super excited. We also have 3 baptisms marked for this weekend...so pray for us that everything goes right!! 

I think that's it. Eu os amo, tenham uma boa semana!!

Sister Coleman

Week 40 - November 6, 2017

You guys, I am seriously in a city of miracles. I can't stress that enough.

This weekend, our investigator Viraldo got baptized. We've been working with him since the start of the transfer, and he's been going to church every Sunday and living all the commandments, but he said he didn't feel ready to be baptized right now. But, we had a super powerful lesson with him a few days ago. We talked about the importance of repentance, and how it isn't complete until we're baptized. If we truly want to be better people and follow Christ, we'll have the desire to baptized (Moroni 8:25). The Spirit was crazy strong, I didn't even feel like I was talking. It was for sure just the Spirit speaking through us. At the end, we invited him to pray that night, simply asking God if he needed to get baptized, and pay close attention to how he felt afterwards. 

The next day, when we passed by, he answered the door with a huge smile on his face. We asked him if he received an answer, and he says, "I think I need to be baptized this Saturday. If you came all the way from the United States to baptize me, I should probably do it." I cried. It was awesome. God answers prayers, you guys.  His baptism and confirmation were super spiritual, it was such a privilege to be a part of it. 

We also had some cool cultural experiences this week. Thursday was the Dia dos Finados (Day of the Dead), which means everyone goes to the cemetery to decorate the graves of their loved ones with flowers and such. We stopped by quickly to see, and I was seriously touched to see the graveyard so decorated and so many people there remembering people they love. Several people throughout the day commented that they don't like the holiday because they think we should enjoy the time we have here with those that are alive. Which I think is true, but I'm also so happy to know that those who have passed on are in a better place, and that we can continue to help them here on earth through temple work.

Another cool thing that happened this week: there are a lot of youth here in the branch that like to visit people with us, and yesterday three of them came with us to all of our appointments from like 3 until 9 at night. It was awesome, I felt like we were a small, unstoppable army. Yeah, it was only 5 of us, but it was cool, and I was super impressed by their testimonies and willingness to help us (they were 10, 14, and 15 years old). 

I think that's about it for now. Hope everyone had a good Halloween. Since we couldn't use costumes, we just traded name tags and went as each other. Only a few people noticed.

Love you all!

Sister Coleman