Email Home: Monday, February 28, 2022

From: Kaitlyn.garcia@missionary.org
Date: Monday, February 28, 2022
Subject: Transfer Week

Hello hello! How are you?? This week went by so fast I don't even know how it happened. It's also the last week of the transfer so I'm a little nervous for what's gonna happen I can't lie. Sister Scioli is going into her last 2 transfers so really the possibilities are endless as to what can happen right now. Anywho, to answer some of your email :) I don't mind exchanges but I like Sister Scioli so it's weird to leave her haha! I'm honestly ready to be home just so my skin can chill out haha! I just want normal water ;) I didn't know B was gonna have to do gum contouring! Kenna Scadden had to do that and I remember the aftermath. She just needs to eat ice cream and smoothies from Jamba ;) Does she still like those or was it just a thing because I worked there? I miss Brynlee more than I can say! I loved seeing that picture :) I think not seeing people for a while and being in a work environment is a little different that's for sure. Shes been sending me pictures of all the wedding stuff too. She responded to my email on Monday and said she got my letter and she would send me and you a website so I could pick a dress because she doesn't want them to be matchy. I saw that Kim White had a video made for Bronwyns homecoming! It made my heart so happy! But holy cow so many people haha! It did get my thinking though that Sister Parrish will 100% have a video and I can't wait to watch it :) One last thing, you know you sent that email on Christian's account right?? Haha! I was so confused but then when I read it everything clicked haha! Just a heads up ;) Okay now onto this week! 

Monday was kind of a lowkey kind of day here! Having 2 exchanges filled with some problems was a lot and Sister Scioli wanted to sleep. We did go to the grocery store though and we got stuff to make cookies. Sister Scioli has had a few American companions in the past and they've made cookies for her so it was my turn! She did tell me that mine are her favorite so I can officially die happy haha! Monday night wasn't anything too crazy though, the area is kind of slow I can't lie, but were sure trying our best out here. It's hard not working in the area all the time. We did call a couple of people though and had some lessons which was nice. We try and make the nights fun with singing songs and dancing but you can only do so much as a missionary ;) 

Tuesday we had our last set of exchanges with the Sisters in Jaboatão. But before I get into that, Sister Scioli told me that I talk in my sleep in PORTUGUES. I had no idea and I don't know if I really believe her 100% haha! Anywho, exchanges! I'm slowly getting better and better at them but still have 0 clue what Im doing haha! I got to stay here in Torreão with Sister Isaba. She's from Venezuela and has such a strong spanish accent. I learned that I remember hardly nothing from my years of spanish in school. Sister Isaba is in the last weeks of her training too so I got to play trainer again for a day ;) She's super quite but we started talking and she opened up a little bit. It's a little tricky with her though, she doesn't want to be here on the mission. She told me that she's here just because her patriarichal blessing says that she's supposed to serve a mission. It was kind of hard to talk to her because I genuinelly love the mission and it's hard for me to picture not loving it. We had quite the lunch too with Vivi, she's the less active that I had lunch with my first Sunday here in Torreão. She had a lot to say during this lunch and I felt kinda bad for Sister Isaba because she literally had no idea what she was talking about haha! Oh whale! We were on the social media project today too so we got to make a lot of calls. I just hope that I made it fun for her because she literally doesn't like anything about the mission. Que triste! She also told me that she doesn't like açaí but that she does like ice cream ;) You already know that we got ice cream Tuesday night haha! It was pretty good too! It was an interesting exchange to say the least just because of her attitude towards the mission but I tried my best and we did have some miracles. We had some solid people come through the website and we got them all sent off so that was nice! I don't think I've ever worried so much about other sisters in my while life that's for sure. We also have transfers this week and President said that I will most likely die as an STL so I get to worry until the end of my mission ;) But honestly sho knows, transfers are never what I think. 

Wednesday we finished up our exchange and I got my companion back haha! I seriously love Sister Scioli and we have such a good time together. Not only that but she goes home a transfer before me so we both are kind of jonesing together and it's a good time haha! Wednesday Elder Ritta told us that he was sending someone to fix our bathroom so we planned our whole day around this guy coming. The only thing is that he never came... that meant that we spend the whole day inside when we could have been outside in the area. Que pena!! We made a lot of phone calls and tried to still have our lessons but its so much better in person. During our lunch too we got to watch the LIVE of Sister Canhas fiance coming home from the mission. Sister Canha is the Sister that went home and I came here to take her spot. Her fiance came home and because it's Brasil they had a LIVE on Facebook so we watched it because it was lunch. It literally broke my heart to watch her shake his hand haha! It was just weird to see knowing that before they could hug and everything, but anyways that was something that happened today. We had some lessons with our friends today too! We did call one guy and when the phone got answered it was a girl that said that his number changed haha! So that was kind of a fun adventure, I love when things change like that. We ended up calling quite a few people on Wednesday and finding new people. We spent a lot of time talking about how to help the sisters too. Now that we've had exchanges with all of them we have a better idea of how to help them but it's still a little tough when they have such vastly different problems. We'll figure it out :) 

Thursday was such a good day! We had a virtual zone Conference today and I realized just how big of a blessing it really is to have zone Conference twice. We talked a lot about The Book of Mormon and just how we can use it better. Not only that but we talked a lot about the convite from Elder Uceda about talking menos and letting the Spirit really teach and testify of The Book of Mormon. It was super good and then President Nordfelt really just finished it off strong by talking about how no effort is wasted. It was so good and it was such a good way to start off the day. I love hearing thoughts from everyone and taking notes ;) I think all my studying and taking notes in High School is carrying over haha! Oh! I almost forgot too! Thursday morning for exercises Sister Scioli and I did a dance workout thing and it was so fun! I really wanna get into Zumba or something, maybe I'll just have to find something new ;) Anywho, we were on media today we had a lot of phone calls and actually a good amount of lessons too. Not only that but we really did have a miracle and our bathroom is now fixed! It was a bit of a nightmare and we thought they might have to break the wall down butttttt God is good and they got it all resolved. They have to come back to do something that I don't understand very well but the bathroom works and that's all that matters :) Sister Scioli and I were super grateful too because our lunch that we had did not sit well with us and we were both not 100%. It was this lasagna with chicken but it had a ton of cheese so we think that our barrigas were just not having it. But don't worry, we're all good now :) Thursday was a good day and I just have this huge desire now to really just work so much harder. We also had call ins with Elder Carneiro and it hit me that transfers are literally this week... I have ZERO clue what's going to happen haha! It's all part of the mission though :) We also had quite the adventure Thursday night to get Sister Scioli's fallen garment haha! She hung it up to dry by the wind blew it our the window so we had to go on a secret mission to get it haha! Remind me to explain the whole story haha! 

I seriously can't believe that this week is almost over. I swear we just had pday! Anywho, Friday was a day of big plans but they kind of all fell through. It's okay though because we were able to do a few other things that we needed to. So let me explain something real quick haha! Torreão used to just be one area, the AP area. Well with more missionaries President Nordfelt split the area into Torreão A and Torreão B. With that being said though, Livro de Area was a little messed up and sometimes the AP's still find people in our area so they send them. Well last transfer they cleaned their Livro de Area and sent a million referencias all at once. It was impossible for the Sisters to keep up so they just sat there for a minute. Not only that but Sister Canha started to get sick so that didn't help with the work, hence why she had to go home. Anyways, I'm explaining all this because Friday night we contacted so so many people and got them all contacted. It was a lot to do at once but I'm so glad to have it done and not have to worry about it. Sister Scioli and I were literally dead by the end of the night too. Our lessons fell through so it was sad but it worked out that we could do that. Friday was a good day though and we did find some new people on the street but they don't live in our area :/ that's one adjustment for sure haha! In Carpina the area was massive and because it's interior people don't really travel  but here in Torreão the area is smaller and has I think 4 or 5 areas that are within a 30-45 minute walking distance so finding on the street is fun haha! It was good though and it felt so good to get out of the house and talk to people :) I don't know how I stayed inside while I was in the MBM haha! The Lord really does bless us ;) I also read a really good talk today from this past conference for my studies. I have a goal to finish reading all the talks from October before the conference in April. All in all, Friday was kind of a busy day but it was good :) 

Saturday went by so quick too! Well during the day it went by fast but the night was a little long but again was a blessing in disguise:) Saturday we got a message from our DL asking if we could help with EFY this week. We didn't really know what it meant but we said sure and waited for more information haha! Basically this yest because of Carnival everything is super different. Carnival is still canceled because of the pandemia so EFY is hald online and half in person. Anywho, after it was explained to us we got it in our agenda and we were on our way. We had lunch today with a super fun couple in our ward too! They seriously are just like my parents haha! They just kept joking with each other and they had so many jokes for us. I actually really love them and it was a yummy lunch too :) Irmã Givanna also spent the whole lunch in just her garment top and some jeans so that was a little strange but I've seen stranger things haha! When we got back to the apartment we realized we needed to go to the pharmacy to get some stuff for Sister Scioli so we made a quick pit stop and then got back with just enough time for EFY :) Basically we got to call and do like a question and answer with a smaller group of kids. It was actually so fun and it went by super quick. I also decided that EFY in Brasil is probably better than in the states haha! They just know how to party ;) We had some good questions too and it was fun to get to chat with the youth in the stake. After our video call with them we got into our lessons. We had quite a few and we had some good times haha! Carnival started on Saturday so it was kind of hard to get people to answer or even pay attention. Carnival is technically canceled but people can still do stuff in their houses. We even had a musical performance outside our apartment on the street so that was kinda fun haha! We sat outside to do our lessons and we could hear fireworks and music playing all over but there was literally not one soul on the street. I really wanna come back just to experience Carnival honestly. We did manage to get some good lessons though so it was a good day and I we even had a mini dance party to celebrate Carnival and end the night. You'll see the video here soon ;) 

Sunday sunday sunday! I love Sundays! This Sunday we went back to the stake center because our capela got robbed :/ Last week it didn't have energy and now it doesn't have hardly anything inside. Also, we found put some news with some of the sisters doing stuff that they shouldn't be doing so we had to talk to the AP's before church. But because we share a ward with the AP's we also got transfer news before anyone ;) We got a new AP and he was in the ward today! He's from Idaho but I don't know him very well. He seems super cool though the only thing is that he's dying here in 2 transfers so I don't know what my last transfer will look like haha! Anyways, church was so good today and a recem converso taught in Relief Society so that was fun. She actually did a really good job :) Our lunch today was with the Stake President that's also in our ward. His family is so amazing and I even got to eat feijoada! We talked a lot and his brother actually served in the MBM a few years back and he lives in Orem right now with his wife. It was fun to get to know him and his family! His wife is a photographer and their house had such pretty pictures :) We had our weekly planning as usual after lunch and getting back to the apartment, but before we got started we had to call President Nordfelt. A set of sisters is breaking some major rules and we're at a loss and when we talked to the (3 haha!) AP's at  lunch they told us to talk to President. We called and explained everything and it got brought up that President Nordfelt just got off the phone with President Hart, well former President Hart. As in Taylor Harts dad! How rad is that!? I don't know if you remember but his dad served as mission president in Curitiba when we were in middle school. He came back for senior year and now he's serving in California! But for real I love Taylor and it was rad to have President Nordfelt bring that up haha! Anyways, we tried to get it all figured out and then got into weekly planning. We also had some solid lessons! We called our friend Manu and she was literally answering all of our questions and it was just a super good lesson but then when we asked if we could take her a Book of Mormon she told us that she recently moved and shes not in our area anymore :/ Que pena!! But we had a good night and it all worked out. We also had one last call with all the sisters that we take care of to finish off the transfer. I'm just praying that there will be good changes this transfer :) I hope you had the best week! I love you to the moon and back!