Week 76 - July 23, 2018

"I cannot say the smallest part which I feel." (Alma 26:16)

That pretty much sums it up. There's no way to express what it is to be a missionary. When you try, it comes out sounding cliche and cheesy. But I'm going to try anyway: A lot of people seem to think that missionaries are very brave for making this great sacrifice, for leaving their family, home, friends, and everything they know to live in another part of the world and preach the gospel. They think that missionaries deserve some kind of "congratulations" for this great sacrifice. But I think the thing that all missionaries learn is that it is no sacrifice. It is the greatest and most incredible privilege that our Heavenly Father could give us. It is an enormous blessing, to represent our Savior, to serve Him in the most intimate way, to see the Spirit change the lives of those around us, to watch ourselves and our friends become more capable servant in the Lord's hands. I've never been so happy in my life than in this period of time- at the same time I don't think I've ever been so scared, stressed, or uncertain- but that's what makes it so great. Bringing people to the gospel path, being an instrument in the Lord's hands, feeling the Spirit work through you to help other people return to God's presence, is the greatest thing a human being could do. 

We have a Heavenly Father who is so merciful. The fact that He counted me- a flawed, imperfect, impatient, scared, timid little girl- to be worthy and capable of being a representative of His Son and His Church, is the greatest miracle. I am still so flawed and imperfect, sometimes I still lose my patience and get scared, but I am not that same little girl that I was. I can say that I feel that I've become a better disciple, teacher, leader, friend, daughter, sister, and will be a better mother in the future, because of the things I've been through here. My mission was, is, and always will be a reminder of the love that God has for me and all His children, and it's what gave me a testimony that will last me an eternity. As everyone says, not a day will go by that I won't think of my mission.

There's so much more I want to say, but I don't know how, so I'll use the words of some great missionaries who came before me: 

"I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance, that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. Yea, and now behold...the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors." (Alma 36:24-25)

"And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work." (Alma 26:3)

"My joy is full, yeah, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God." (Alma 26:11)

"And behold, when I see many of my bretheren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayers, yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me." (Alma 29:10)

"[She] cast [her] eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld that they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon [her] as if they would ask [her] to tarry a little longer with them." (3 Nephi 17:5)

"Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that recieveth understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together." (D&C 50:22)

"Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For the light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry, which I have recieved of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." (Acts 20:24)

"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as I child: but when I became a [missionary], I put away childish things." (1 Corinthians 13:11)

And finally, what I'll do when I get home:

"And it came to pass that [she] returned to [her] home at [North Carolina]; and [she] cast [herself] upon [her] bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which [she] had seen." (1 Nephi 1:7)

For one last time, I love you all. Thanks for everything.

Com muito amor,

Sister Coleman

Week 75 - July 9, 2018

"E ao terminar nossa grande missão, descanso teremos na bela Sião.... Adeus, ó Babilônia, nos vamos partir, sagrada missão precisamos cumprir."

English Translation:  And at the end of our great mission, we shall have rest in beautiful Zion .... Goodbye, O Babylon, we are going to leave, sacred mission we must fulfill

(Lyrics to Elders of Israel in Portuguese, makes me cry when I sing it, super beautiful, go look up what it means if you don't speak Portuguese.)

Sisters Amazonas and Coleman

Well, folks, the end is near, two more p-days after this one. I don't know how many more of these public updates I'll be able to send, because it seems that everyone who neglected to write me for my whole mission is now trying to make up for it, so I don't have as much time to write everyone. Therefore, I think this is the second to last update I'll be sending. I would like to thank all my faithful readers (even if you are just one of my cousins whose parents forced you read it every week) for sticking with me to the end. I've not been able to express even a portion of what I've learned and felt and experienced on my mission, but I hope you've been able to feel how much I love these people, this country, this mission, this gospel, and most of all, my Savior. I've come to know Him and love Him more than ever, and little by little, I'm learning to be more like Him, which is, after all, the purpose of all this.

With Pres. & Sister Souza, new mission president.

A quick update on what's happened the past few weeks: two of the daughters from that Native American family we're teaching got baptized, Natiele and Natiane (17 and 16 years old). We're still working with the parents and other two siblings, but it looks like the family will be moving to another part of Porto Alegre in a few weeks, so I hope the missionaries there will take good care of them, because I feel so strongly that the whole family will be baptized and one day sealed, because they truly deserve the blessings of an eternal family. 

Natiane's Baptism

The baptism of Natiele was an especially touching experience for me. She told me afterward that, as she entered the water, all of her sins and mistakes were running through her mind. And in the moment the bishop (who was baptizing her) started the prayer, she started saying a prayer in her mind, really asking God to forgive her of everything and let her be clean and free. As she prayed, she started crying, and as she was lifted from the water, she says she felt better than she'd ever felt in her life. Clean, pure, light, forgiven. 

Natiele's Baptism

This was a great reminder to me that what we do in the church- get baptized, take the sacrament, go to the temple- doesn't have any meaning or magic in and of itself. It all depends on us, on our attitude and understanding and obedience and how we act to fulfill those covenants we make. The baptismal waters aren't magical, it's just water. And the sacrament is just bread and water. And the church is just a building. Unless we choose to make it something more, unless we humble ourselves and make that baptism, sacrament, church meeting, etc., something life-changing and significant. Natiele became a new person, she was born again, because she was willing to take the necessary steps to abandon her sins and mistakes. Do we go through that same thought process every time we take the sacrament or perform another ordinance? That girl really is a great example to me.

Young Women at Ward Activity

Some other things that have happened: everyone's sad because Brazil lost the World Cup, but I'm low key happy about it because it means people won't use "watching the game" as an excuse for not letting us in their houses anymore. We had a conference with our new mission president last week. They're both very spiritual and excited to be here, I like them both a lot, even though I won't get to work with them for very long. 

View from the top of a hill near the
Native American Villiage is located.

Hope you all have an excellent week :)

Sister Coleman

Week 74 - July 2, 2018

No update from Sister Coleman this week.

Week 73 - June 25, 2018

Soooo this week was crazy emotional. President and Sister Cruz are finishing their mission next week, so they had this big conference to say goodbye to all of us. And I'm pretty sure I was crying from the minute President started talking until the end, haha. They just talked about the memories and good moments they've had with us on the mission, and how much they love us, how we've become a part of their family. Then they put up this slideshow with pictures of all of us and "God be with you till we meet again" playing in the background. I don't think there was a single person in the room not crying. At the end, they just said, "This isn't a goodbye, this is a see you later. We'll all be together again someday." 

They've been the absolute best, I know God needed me to come to this mission at this time, even if it was just to serve with them. (Although obviously it was for a lot of other reasons too.) Okay, I'm gonna stop talking about this now or I'll start crying again.

So, I'll be serving with the new president, President Souza (from São Paulo) for just a few weeks. But obviously he'll be great too, because he was also called by God to serve at this time....but there's still no way I'll get as attached to him as Pres. Cruz.

Other than that, not much out of the ordinary happened this week. Lots of rain here, and Natiele (from that family of Native Americans that I mentioned a few times) decided to get baptized next week! We're still working with the rest of the family, because they're all amazing, but not totally sure that they want to get baptized. But we're so happy for Natiele and proud of her courage for being the first of her family to get baptized. (She's 17). 

I realized that I didn't say anything about my new comp in my last letter...oops. Sometimes I forget what I've written in my journal or in cards or in my weekly update, so if I write about something in one of those places, I feel like I've already written about it in others. Anyway, her name is Sister Amazonas, from Manaus, which is in the state of Amazonas (what a coincidence, huh?). She's been on her mission for 4 months. 

Well, love you all. Até logo (um pouco logo de mais)!

Sister Coleman

Week 72 - June 18, 2018

I love my Heavenly Father so much. He is so merciful and willing to help us in anything and everything. Recently we've been having difficulty in bringing a lot of people to church, especially because of the cold and rain. This week we worked our butts off trying to invite and follow up on everyone we could. Sunday morning, we woke up at 5:30, got ready super quick, and went to pick everyone up. Sadly, almost no one went with us. Most of them didn't even come to the door, just kept on sleeping. Luckily, two investigators went with us, which was great, but we'd really prayed and worked to have more. To our surprise, when we arrived at the church, we saw more investigaors waiting for us. We'd asked a member to pick up two investigators, sisters, who live super far away.  These sisters had ended up inviting a bunch of family members and friends who went with them, and 6 people came from that family! Then, out of nowhere, the YW president arrives with a young woman we'd been teaching- and who had wanted to be baptized- but stopped visiting a few weeks before because she'd said she didn't want to go to church anymore. We had no idea, but the YW president went to visit her with some of the YW from the ward to invite her to church one more time, and she went! 

In short, we ended up with a lot more investigators at church that we thought, and almost none of the people that we'd planned to bring. I think the Lord just saw our efforts, he knew we wanted to bring more and that we were willing to sacrifice everything we had to do it, and so we blessed us. It was a great experience for me. If anything, my mission has really shown me that we have to really be willing to sacrifice, pay the price, to show our faith, and afterwards, the blessings come.

In other not-so-good news, our heated shower head stopped working this week, so we're now taking showers in freezing cold water (and we're in the middle of winter here). Actually, I've started heating water up on the stove and taking a shower with a cup and a bucket, but it's much better than cold showers :) 

Well, I love my mission. I love my Savior, more than anything. I love these people. And I love you guys, too.

Sister Coleman




*** Side note from Tiffaney. I have been told about these electric shower heads by  several people who have lived in Brazil as well as some returned missionaries. Many places (at least everywhere Madison has lived) do not have hot water heaters. So either they take cold showers, or they have these electric heated shower heads. Water and electricity don’t make for a good combination. And I’ve heard of many being literally shined while showering. 

Week 71 - June 11, 2018

Well, today is yet another transfer day. These transfers are going by way too fast, huh? It seems like yesterday that I wrote that I was transferred to Cristal. My mission is really flying by (so much that I'm now entering in my last transfer of the mission, but we're not gonna talk about that). I'm staying in Cristal, but Sister Coon was transferred- and it looks like she'll be going to Dom Pedrito, one of my old areas! She'll love it, and they'll love her. But I'm sad she's going, she's for sure been one of my favorite comps. I still don't know who my new companion will be, I'll find out in a few hours. I would have liked to train again, but there aren't any new sisters arriving to our mission this transfer, only elders. :(

We had a baptism this week! A teen named Nathaly (pronounced Natalie) for sure one of the Lord's elect. We've actually been teaching her for awhile and wanted to baptize her a few weeks ago, but she went to her mom's house (not our area) for awhile, and she doesn't have a phone, so we had no way to talk to her or know when she was coming back. So at the beginning of this week, we prayed and fasted that she could come back to our area so that she'd be able to be baptized before Sister Coon left. And, because God is wonderfully merciful, we just happened to come back this week and still had the desire to be baptized. Nathaly is super special, I remember that in one of our first lessons with her she said that she'd felt this warm feeling that she couldn't describe when she read the Book of Mormon, and again when she went to church. I love watching people have some of their first spiritual experiences, and even more when they recognize them.

A few other miracles from this week: A couple we're teaching decided to get married and the boyfriend, who didn't want muchto do with the church before, decided that he wants to get baptized with his girlfriend after the wedding. Also, the trucker strike has finally ended! Things are finally back to normal. But not for the long, because the World Cup starts this week, and literally everyone in Brazil loves soccer and treats the world cup games (especially when the Brazilian team is playing) as something sacred. 

I gave a talk in sacrament meeting yesterday, and one of the counselors in the bishopric said afterwards, "Your Portuguese is very good, I would give it 99%. But you still have an accent." Well, yeah, okay, I guess I'll kind of have to give up on the dream of speaking without an accent before the end of my mission. But I want to find out what that 1% is, haha.

I think that's it for this week. Tenha uma boa semana!

Sister Coleman

Carpooling to Church

Week 70 - June 4, 2018

This week was FULL of miracles. First, through a lot of prayer and fasting and A LOT of walking, we were able to bring a sizable number of investigators to church, despite the fact that it was FREEZING this Sunday morning (and usually, the ward attendance- of members and investigators- significantly drops in the winter here, because no one wants to get out of bed). We also had a ward activity on Thursday, a ward family night, to which we'd invited all of our investigators. Well, the majority of them said they wouldn't be able to go, but one family (that one that lives in the neighborhood where everyone is of Native American descent) said they would. The three sisters and their mom showed up, but the surprise was that they all brought their boyfriends and some friends and aunts and cousins. We ended up having 14 investigators at the activity! It was so COOL. 

We also started teaching a golden investigator this week. His name is Júlio, his girlfriend is a member, but had been inactive for a few years. He had had some serious problems with substance abuse a few years ago, but his family helped him go to a rehab center that focused a lot on God and religion. When he left rehab, the first thing he wanted to do wanted to do was search for a closer relationship with God. When he told his girlfriend that, she knew it was time for her to come back to the church and bring him with her. And now we're teaching him and they're so cute and I love them so much. I love seeing how the Lord prepares His children to receive the gospel, I think that's been my favorite part of serving a mission.

Oh, also, included in the photos I sent: We found this CRAZY wall of graffiti in our area. Just look at the picture and you'll understand why it's crazy. We think that the artist somehow ended up with a pass-along card and decided to repaint it, but we're pretty sure that he/she had no idea they were painting a scene from the BoM.

The not-so-good part of our week: the trucker strike continues. Luckily it's not affecting us personally, but Jean Bingham (Primary General Pres.) was gonna come to our zone conference, and now she's not because of the food/gas storage :( And apparently the truckers are letting a little bit of gas come into the city so that people can still get to work and such, but there's not enough for everyone, so cars are waiting in lines stretching for like 10 blocks to get to the gas station. A member told us that she stayed overnight for 12 hours in a line to get gas. 12 HOURS YOU GUYS. This really is the apocalypse.

But, it really was a great week. I still love Brazil! I love my mission! I love all of you!

Sister Coleman

Week 69 - May 28, 2018

So, the apocalypse in Brazil has begun.

Photo taken from internet.

Not really, but it feels like it. All the truckers in the country have gone on strike, which may not sound like such a big deal, but it turns out modern society is super reliant on things that are transported by trucks. Like, food and gas and stuff. So there's not more gas at the gas stations. Most people have stopped using their cars. Most of the buses have cut down their hours or have just stopped running all together. Taxi and Uber drivers stopped working. Grocery stores are also running out of bread, milk, and eggs. 

So yeah, things are kinda crazy. But we're fine, we stocked up on extra food, and we just use our legs to go almost everywhere, but it's becoming kind of difficult to get all our investigators to church since a lot of them need rides. And the bus we take to district meetings, which normally passes by every half hour, is now passing by only every hour, so the buses are getting a lot fuller. And for those of you who've never ridden a completely people-packed bus (to the point where you can hardly move your arms), I don't suggest it. But it's kinda good for contacting people, they can't walk away from you.

Oh yeah, and it randomly got crazy cold this week. Which actually makes since, because it's winter, but just last week was still super hot, and then out of nowhere I had to pull out my boots and winter coat and gloves. Sister Coon and I have fallen in the habit of singing Christmas songs, but then we remember that the cold here does not mean Christmas is close, so then we get kind of sad. 

Also, I don't know if any of you remember me talking about Alex and Márcia, a couple from Areal (my last area). We helped them get married and then baptized Márcia, but Alex was still working through some difficulties. Well, I found out that he finally got baptized! About two weeks after I was transferred from the area. I was so happy to hear it, that family is crazy special to me.

I also discovered the name of that language that the people of Native American descent speak hear: Kaigang. Apparently it's spoken by some of the tribes in southern Brazil, but mostly in Rio Grande do Sul. They taught me how to say a few words in Kaigang, but I don't remember any of them.

Well, love you all! Enjoy your available food and gas for me!

Sister Coleman

Week 68 - May 21, 2018

This week was amazing- super hard, but super rewarding. We were having a few difficulties with the ward, trying to involve the members more with our investigators and recent converts and encouraging them to participate more in the missionary work. There were some confusions and complaints from the leadership about some of the people we were teaching, which kinda made us feel like crap for a few days. But Sister Coon and I prayed a lot to figure out how to resolve the problem and gain the trust of the leaders, and we ended up writing a letter to the Bishop, which sounds like something kinda pathetic and not very helpful, but we felt like it was what we should do. As soon as we left the letter at his house, miracles happened. Several members started apologizing for not working with us more and suggested ways that they could help us. The Relief Society President (Carla, one of the best human beings I've ever met) stopped by our apartment to give us cookies and tell us we're loved, and the Bishop called us to say he was sorry for any misunderstanding and that he was very grateful for our work. Then, on Sunday, he gave a talk in sacrament meeting about missionary work, encouraging the members to participate more. I felt so grateful and humble for these leaders and members and the opportunity I have to work with them. They remind me that this really is the church of Christ, and that the more we try to be like Him, the more miracles we'll witness. It was also a very spiritual experience for me, seeing how God is really in the details, inspiring us to write just a simple letter. This work is so wonderful.

Kauã, Junior, and Victoria´s baptism 

Also! I finally got to go to the temple this week...for the first time in more than a year! All my other areas were too far away from the temple, so I was never able to go, but now that I'm finally in Porto Alegre, we get to go once per transfer. It was great, the temple always brings we so much peace. I was surprised to discover that the POA temple is basically identical to the NC Raleigh temple, inside and out. So that was kinda cool, and weird, because it felt like just another youth temple trip.

Porto Alegre Brazil Temple

Pure Joy!

There's this little village/neighborhood in our area with only people of Native American descent that I went to for the first time this week. It was super cool to see, one of the people we were teaching makes and sells baskets and dream catchers for a living. As we were teaching her and her family, her husband walks in and they start arguing in a language that was definitely not Portuguese. (I don't know what tribe they're descended from, so I have no idea what language it was). After the lesson, I said to Sister Coon, "That was so cool! I wish I spoke two languages!" She just kinda looked at me for a minute....

Well, that was my week. Hope y'alls was good too (I'm already practicing my Southern for when I get back.)

Love,

Sister Coleman

Cristal - Minha linda e maravilhosa área

Week 67 - May 16, 2018

Note:  We had such a great visit with sister Coleman on Mother’s Day. She is genuinely joyful and focused on her service. She is doing well, and living her mission.   She also got to attend the temple on Monday, which is why her update is late.  LOVE THIS GIRL!!

What a crazy good week!!! First, we had the baptism of Dhyeron (13) and Sofia (8), a brother and sister who are just the darn cutest. Dhyeron was a street contact, and when the sisters went to his house, they found out that he already knew about the Book of Mormon because his dad was a member that had been inactive for a long time. And that very next Sunday, Dhyeron and Sofia showed up at church with their dad and grandma (also an inative member), all because Dhyeron asked them all to go with him. Ahhh, eleito!! 

And this last week when we were going over the baptismal questions with him, we asked him about the law of chastity, and he pulls out a mini "For the Strength of Youth" pamphlet from his pocket (that someone must have given him at church) and turns immediately to the right page to be able to answer. Like, what, this kid is gonna be an amazing member. And future missionary. And probably bishop or mission president or something too. 

Also, on the night of the baptism, we found out that all the child-sized baptismal jumpsuit things (I don't remember what we call them in English) were dirty, so Sofia ended up having to use an adult size and just roll up the pant legs a whole lot. Poor thing. But she just thought it was funny. And after the baptism, both of them were saying, "I feel so light! And clean. What a blessing Baptism is. 

Then, on Sunday, the recent converts and investigators that we went to wake up and take to church took awhile toget ready, so we were gonna be late for church, so we had to call for an emergency ride from a member. Luckily this member is amazing and wonderfully willing to help us, because it was only one car, and like 6 people to bring to church (not including us two). So that was an experience, but we all got to church, which is the important thing :)

Finally, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! I hope all the mothers out there remember how much power and importance and influence you have in the lives of others and in the plan of our Heavenly Father. And I hope the rest of you remembered to thank your moms for everything they do for you. (Speaking of which: thanks Mom! I love you! You're amazing!)

Boa semana por todos vocês! Até mais!

Sister Coleman

Week 66 - May 7, 2018

THIS WEEK WAS AWESOME! Cristal is an awesome area and Sister Coon is an awesome companion and I am just loving it here. A few highlights from this week:

We had 3 baptisms! First, Kauã, 11 yrs old, whose mom never wanted to let him get baptized but we planned a special lesson for her this week and prayed a whole lot and she finally let him. He was so excited, every day during the week when he saw us he goes, "Sisterrrrrsssss, Saturday is my baptism!!!" Then on Sunday morning when we went to walk with him for church, he goes, "When do I get the gift?" We were like, uhh, what gift? "The Holy Ghost! Duhh!!" That kid cracks me up. The other two baptisms were Junior and Vitória, siblings, 15 and 13 yrs old. They're kind of crazy and hilarious, and were gonna get baptized in a few weeks but they already love the church and wanted to get baptized, so yeah, basically a great start to a new transfer.

Also, funny thing this week. Most of our investigators live in two different neighborhoods here, so Sunday morning it would make since to go to one, pick everyone up there, then go with them to the other neighborhood that's closer to the chapel and pick those people up and then we all go to church together, right? Ok, but there's kind of a big drug war going on between these two neighborhoods, so people living in one can't enter in the "territory" of the other or they run a high risk of getting shot. But a lot of the investigators from both are teens or kids, so they can't walk alone to church. So, we literally spent like 30 mins Saturday night trying to strategize how to get everyone to church. We finally came up with what we call our War Plan, because we felt like Captain Moroni or Helaman coming up with all their clever little battle plans. Let's just say the plan involved a lot of walking, getting up super early, and our ward mission leader basically acting as a babysitter for a little while, but it all worked out and we were able to bring a sizeable group of people to church. Totally worth it. The Lord makes things work when we do our part.

Well, that's about it. I LOVE CRISTAL! I LOVE MY MISSION! I love you all too.

Sister Coleman

Week 65 - April 30, 2018

I can now say, with almost complete certainty, that I have just been transferred for the last time on my mission. You never know, but seeing as there's only 3 more months on my mission, I'm pretty sure I'll be staying in my new area until the end. I am now- finally- serving in Porto Alegre, in a ward called Cristal (meaning crystal) with Sister Coon- a super fofinha sister from Queen Creek, Arizona who's been on the mission for 3 months. I haven't seen much of the area so far, but there's lots of hills 😐 and fancy-looking houses, which I'm not used to. 

I am super excited for this new transfer, I'm absoutely certain that miracles will happen. Why? Because I'm gonna work harder than I've ever worked. Something that President Cruz says a lot, especially as he too is coming to the end of his mission, is that the hardest and most important parts of the mission of our Savior were at the very end. Those were the moments that He needed the most strength and courage and diligence, and the moments that He literally gave His all. So, of course, as I'm trying each day to be just a little bit more like my Savior, this is my time to give it my all. 

I feel so blessed and privileged for the experiences that I've had so far on my mission. As much as I don't ever want it to end, I know that Lord has other callings and plans for me afterwards. So while I'm here, doing what I love most, I'll make the most of it. 

I hope you all are doing great, loving life, following the gospel, all that good stuff. Amo todos vocês!!

Sister Coleman

Week 64 - April 23, 2018

Sorry, today will be another short update day because I'm almost out of time. A girl who got her call to POA (Porto Alegre) South asked me for some advice, and I had a lot of emails to respond to....in short, my time is shorter today. 

But I'm doing great, nothing's out of the norm. Oh, the mission office called this week to ask which airport I would be getting off at because they're already buying our tickets :( 

 I can honestly say that your's and dad's influence is a primary reason that we're all still active and have our own testimonies. You've always encouraged us to know for ourselves, but have also taught us with love the importance of the gospel. We had an online fireside kind thing with the Brasil presidency yesterday, and they talked a lot about family scripture study, and I started thinking a lot about how we always read scriptures as a family, as long as I can remember. I even remember when G couldn't read and we had to whisper the words for her. But that's so important, you've set such a good example for us. Thank you for that. I love you!!!

Week 63 - April 16, 2018

Some people here have been telling us that basically the third world war will be starting because the US dropped a bomb on Syria....since we have no access to the news, and everything that people say here isn't always accurate, tell me a little about what's happening and if I actually have to worry about another big war happening.

This week was kind of disappointing, we had a lot of baptisms lined up but they all fell through and I'm kinda getting frustrated, so I don't have much to say. But I love everyone and I'm still doing great. 

Week 62 - April 9, 2018

What a great week! And an incredibly busy one.

The sisters that are working in the ward next close to ours have now moved into our apartment- one is from Peru and just arrived on the mission last week, the other is from Maceio (Brazil). They are both super cool, but sharing one bathroom between 4 sisters that all have to get to bed by 10:30 has been an interesting experience. Also, we had a bunk bed waiting for them in the other room of the apartment, but when they moved in we discovered that the bed frames of both were broken. The mission office told us to go ahead and throw those beds away and that they would send new ones, but the beds didn't fit through the doorway to take them to the trash bins, and there was no way to take them apart.....so we kinda ended up throwing the beds out the window. Fun mission experiences you guys.

That investigator Andriel that I talked about last week went with us to church again this week, and afterwards shared his Easter candy with us :) This kid is so funny, he was telling us about how his grandma attended an Evangelical church that doesn't let women shave their legs, and she prayed so that God would make her leg hair fall off. In telling us the story, Andriel goes, "I don't know everything about God, but I don't really think He works like that." 

Yesterday was fast and testimony meeting, and I heard a very touching testimony from one of the members. She said that this was the first Sunday in a long time that she was able to bear her testimony, because for years and years she hadn't been allowed to because of her personal worthiness. She said that the feeling of being able to really express her feelings about Christ and church for everyone after all this time was the most wonderful, freeing feeling. She really made me think about how I'm sharing my testimony, if I'm really appreciating the privilege that I have to bear it so often during the week. Our testimony is the most precious thing we have, and sharing it with others will help both their's and our's to grow. So while we can, let's share what we know. 

Boa semana por todos vocês!
Sister Coleman

Week 61 - April 2, 2018

In case any of you missed it, ONE OF THE NEW APOSTLES IS BRAZILIAN. YUSSSSSSS. Elder Soares will be amazing, and Elder Gong too, of course. The funny thing is that I got more excited than the actual Brazilians watching conference with me when Elder Soares was called. The fact that the Quorum of the Twelve is getting more and more diverse is so cool to me- what a blessing it is to be part of a worldwide church, where people from literally all nationalities and races and countries are working together for one great cause, the greatest cause that could ever exist, in fact.

Click here to learn more about what General Conference is and why it is such an important event for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

What a marvelous conference we had, you guys. I recieved so much revelation and inspiration and felt the Spirit so strongly. General Conference is such an amazing blessing. I especially loved the music from the choir of young adults in the Saturday afternoon session...it made me really miss singing in choir, haha. And how cool is it to have conference on Easter Sunday, what a perfect way to celebrate the life and sacrifice of our Savior. One of my favorite talks was Elder Uchtdorf's, when he said that the most importante day in the history of the world was the day that Christ overcame physical and spiritual death for us, and that the most important day in our personal lives is the day we learn to really understand the sacrifice He made, and what we need to do in return. I hope during these next few weeks- and months- as we reflect on the messages we heard (as our prophet asked us to do) that we can think more about what we can do to show our gratitude for the Lord's atoning sacrifice, what our own sacrifice can be.

We had a wonderfully busy week, running around trying to invite everyone we talked to General Conference. One of the investigators we brought to watch with us, Andriel, is only 11 years old. Pobrezinho, I was sure that he would get bored (I know I did when I was 11), but afterwards he said he loved it. This kid is awesome, we met him and his family door knocking a few weeks ago. As usual, we gave him a Book of Mormon and promised that he'd recieve an answer to know it's true if he prayed and asked; a few days later he saw us walking on the street and goes, "Hey, I still haven't recieved my answer!"  We were like, "Okay, well, did you read and ask?" He admitted that he still hadn't read, and now he says that as soon as he reads and gets an answer i it's true, he'll get baptized. 

Hope you all had a great week!

Love,

Sister Coleman

Week 60 - March 26, 2018

One more transfer has passed, both Sister Carlota and I are staying here in Areal, and I am now only 3 transfers away from coming home. The end is near and I am nowhere near prepared, but I am fully intent on making the best out of these last few months. Rio Grande do Sul ain't seen nothin' yet.

This week we had a number of cool experiences: We were saved from being mugged twice (long story, don't worry, we're fine....let's just say God really does protect His missionaries), a random man on the street asked for a Book of Mormon and for us to visit him (that never happens), and we somehow survived somehow survived all the streets flooding after this huge storm the other day. We've discovered that's it's quite common for the water on the street in Pelotas to reach up to the knee after the storms, so we're gonna have some fun times this winter. The bad thing is that we can't see where we're walking with so much muddy water; one elder in our district even stepped on a nail because of it....so....prayers that I'll still be able to walk when this is over!

Ahhhhh, Easter and General Conference are this week!!!! Can you believe it! It feels like such a short time ago that we watched conference the last time, but I'm so excited to be able to hear the counsel of President Nelson and receive some answers. I hope we can all spiritually prepare ourselves to receive the guidance that we're needing in our life through the inspired words of our leaders. And I especially hope that we can all take time to reflect on the life and sacrifice of our Savior during this Easter season, and even more so, the sacrifice that He asks of us in return. A few scriptures from the Book of Mormon about Christ that I especially like:

Alma 7: 11-13

I Nephi 19: 9

Alma 9: 26-38

Love you all! Enjoy this splendid opportunity that we have to hear the words of a living prophet!

Sister Coleman

Week 59 - March 29, 2018

Before Baptism of Jaqueline and Wellington

We had some super excellent experiences this week. First, the baptisms of Jaqueline and Wellington, a 14 and 11 year old. These kids are so clever and I've grown to love them so much. All the elders before us were visiting them too, since about a year ago, but they never wanted to get baptized. They're in the process of being adopted by their aunt, who's a member and brings them to church every week. 

After Jacqueline and Wellington's Baptism

Jaqueline even went to Youth Conference and bore her testimony in sacrament meeting one of my first weeks in the area, but she still didn't want to get baptized. (????) Finally, last week we had a super spiritual lesson with them, and kind of out of nowhere they decided to be baptized. I cannot even express how happy I was, I can see SO MUCH potential in these kids, I am so sure that they will go on to do amazing things for the church and for their Savior, and I'm so blessed to be able to see the start of their journey on the gospel path. The baptism of Jaqueline was one of the most spiritual experiences I've had on my mission so far; I know it was a miracle from the Lord that they finally took this step. 

Sister Missionaries at Zone Conference
(Week 58 Update)

Also, my companion and I were asked to speak in sacrament meeting yesterday. I talked about the reasons why we have to share the gospel and why it's necessary for our exaltation. Sister Carlota talked about how sharing the gospel is our greatest expression of love for our Savior. Right after sacrament meeting, several members came right up to us and gave us some referrals of friends or neighbors that they wanted us to visit (I guess the talks worked, right?). These members are fantastic...I hope I'll be staying here for the next transfer! (Transfers are next week.)

Camily's Baptism
(Week 57 Update)

Side note: I found a little bakery here that sells amazing cupakes- the first time I've eaten cupcakes since I've been on my mission (they're super rare here since they're an American dessert). I also found a used book store downtown, where I bought a few of my favorite books in Portuguese to read after my mission. I'm so happy here, you guys!

Making S'Mores
(Week 58 Update)

Espero que todos vocês estejam bem. Continuem a ser exemplos por aqueles no seu redor, e sempre compartilhem o evangelho!!!  (I hope you all are well. Continue to be examples for those around you, and always share the gospel !!!)

Com amor,

Sister Coleman

After Alex and Márcia got married.
(Week 57 Update)

Márcia's Baptism
(Week 58 Update)

Baptism of Nores
(Week 58 Update)