Novinha!!

An apartment complex named after Erika!!!!

I bet you´re just dying to know how transfers went. Well...like President Prieto said, I was suprised...and more than just a little. I got a phone call this morning from our Zone leader and he said that no one was going to be transfered from our zone. I´m staying in Rio Verde with Sister Chipman! He then added that Sis. Chipman and I need to catch a bus to Goiânia tomorrow so I can pick up my “novinha.” Yup... I´m going to be training again!!!! I was super suprised and still can´t believe it. This puts a TON of pressure on me because I´m going to be in the field with the 2 newest sisters in the mission. We´re going to be a trio instead of a companionship and I know I´m going to learn a lot. Just when I think that I´ve dealt with the hardest part of the mission (training an American) the Lord throws me a curveball and now I´m training an American and a novinha! I´m really greatful for the opportunities I´m having here on the mission to learn and grow and I know that I´m going to give it my all; President Prieto is really trusting in me to turn these sisters into powerful missionaries. It really is a little overwhelming, but I know with the Lord´s help I´ll be able to live up to the expectations of both President Prieto and Heavenly Father. (Keep me in your prayers!)

But I´m super excited to be staying in Rio Verde! We have a few people that are progressing SUPER well and for sure will be baptized this transfer. The members here are amazing and I love all of them! Sis. Silvera is going to love it here...oh my novinha is Sis. Silvera and I think she´s from São Paulo...we´ll find out quarta-feira (Wednesday).

This past Sunday we had 6 investigators at church. The best part was that 3 of them came on their own and the other 3 were brought by members. Nuria brought one of her friends that is deaf. But she had to leave after the sacrament was passed...which meant I was left to “interpret” for her friend. Ya. Maybe it´s a good thing that I talk a lot with my hands, and it´s even better that he knows how to read. I wrote down key phrases the speakers were saying and showed it to him. It was going pretty well until one speaker told a story about how geese fly in a “V.” How do you describe geese? I don´t know that word in Portuguese and I didn´t understand what word the speaker was using. Oh well. I think he got the gist of the talks and liked the fact that at least I was trying to help him out. But super great that Nuria is sharing the gospel with others!

Take note that I´m getting over my fear of bugs. After killing 5 cockroaches last week, I think I´m getting the hand of living in Brazil. I learned that you need to kill them on the first try...kill them before they run or fly, because they run/fly super fast

The girl in this photo is my twin. We were born on the same day in the same year! She got her mission call to Curitiba and is reporting the CTM this week. She liked my jumper (Note: Erika made her jumper) so much that she borrowed it and had an Irmã in the ward sew one for her...twinners!