Mondays are THE BEST!
Even though my Mondays start super early, I love every single second I get with this girl on the phone call! I mean look at that smile! Tell me that you wouldn't love just getting to listen to her share all the things that are going on in her life right now and all the experiences she is having!
Sister Garcia is doing well and is still very much loving Brazil. Her and Sister Da Mata continue to make progress with their friends they are working with and are hopeful to extend a baptism invitation this week to one of them. They were hoping to do so yesterday but this friend had dose #2 of the Covid vaccine and just wasn't feeling well enough to have the missionaries come over. I will for sure be mindful of this in my prayers.
Sister Garcia was given 'mystery meat' at a members home this last week and was told that she would find out what it was after the meal was over. Let me just say this...no way. Nope. Not even something I could do to try and be kind and/or respectful. This girl?? She went for it and she said that it wasn't bad. Something she thought Tyler would be okay to eat but me notsomuch. Wanna know what it was? GOAT! Freaking goat! She at a goat. Oh my gosh. GROSS! Sister Da Mata did not enjoy it which makes me value her opinion so much more and I don't even know her! HA
Sister Garcia spent Sunday with the sweet Primary kids, even though initially they were supposed to go with the Young Women. She loved every minute of it! She says the kids singing in Portuguese is the sweetest thing ever. :) I love that she has so fallen in love with all things Brazil and that the tenderness of these sweet littles has touched her heart in this way. She also said that she found some string (not embroidery floss but similar to that of Pura Vida) and made some friendship bracelets and also taught Sister Da Mata how to make them too. Well as you can imagine, the Primary kiddos really love them and have requested their own from Sister Garcia. So on top of her already super busy days she is going to work in a way to get a couple of them made for her sweet little friends. Who would have known that all of her friendship bracelet making days would pay off for her while on her mission? I love it so much!
Sister Garcia had some things that she recognized over this last week that she misses from home. She started giggling pretty good when she was about to tell me the first one. She misses the Scheels! The funny part? She actually does not enjoy shopping or even going to the Scheels when she is here. She says the only thing she can come up with is that it is 1. Close to the mall and 2. When she sees it she knows she is close to home. For example, if she is coming home from the cabin she can see the Scheels and know that she has about 20 minutes left until she is home. Landmark I guess if you will. It made me smile. Other things she is missing: being able to enjoy the music of The Forgotten Carols, watching movies for Christmas like The Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation. Simple regular traditional things that I am sure we all take for granted but as a missionary very relevant and black and white missing things.
Sister Garcia mentioned the best thing from her last week (well one of the best things she said) was that they got a new fridge. And it has a light that works in it!!! Isn't that funny? A simple small light inside of an appliance. And she even took a minute on our call to show me the inside and how huge it is. By the way...it is the smallest little fridge ever. It is so cute and I love that Sister Garcia thinks it is huge. It will be sure interesting to see what life looks like for her in her own adult world and space when it comes to memories of her mission compared to that of normal day to day here in the United States. She even mentioned that she helped a family unload groceries and was taken back at how much they shopped for and they were unloading. She has gotten so accustomed to shopping for her and her companion only that when she saw the amount of groceries it really stood out to her.
Sister Garcia has me a little worried this week. Not in the sense that I need to make any rash decisions or phone calls or what not but just in that she spoke a lot (almost 80% of our call) about things here at home. She is clearly missing her friends and longs to spend time with them. She has plans to surprise Sister Parrish and has given it enough thought that she was able to tell me how she wants it all to play out. She is looking very forward to being home and having that part of her life back. I am sure that it is all normal and I am sure I am putting too much thought into it all but I just don't want her to worry too much about here at home for now. She hit 10 months this last weekend and only has a short 8 months left. I don't believe she is 'trunky' at all, just missing life and her social part of what has made her who she is today. I just need to be mindful of these feelings and keep her in my prayers intentionally on this very matter. She is doing great things and I know she will continue to do so, I just want to help her in any possible way I can.
Sister Garcia challenged us as a family to read The Book of Mormon in 90 days starting today and ending on Brooklyn's 14th birthday in February. She is so looking forward to starting that and having us do that with her. Even Elder Garcia is starting today as well. I am grateful for the challenge she extended and I pray that here in our home there are good attitudes and that it will be a benefit all around for being in the scriptures each day.
I miss Sister Garcia oodles but I am so happy to know and hear of all the good things she has going while she is in Brazil. I'm grateful for her choice to serve and for her testimony that she shares with me each week. I am also incredibly grateful for her example in all things. Brazil is lucky to have her.
I love you to the moon and back,
Mom
