Email home: Monday, April 11, 2022
From: Kaitlyn.garcia@missionary.org
Date: Monday, April 11, 2022
Subject: A horse named Calvin and too many feelings
Hey hey hey there! How are you? How was your week? I can't wait to hear all about getting to Hawaii and how things are going:) This week was crazy and went by so fast so I'm just gonna get into this!
Monday was a pretty normal day I can't lie. We didn't have too much to do, just a few things to clean up around the apartment. We made a quick pitstop to get some stuff for our exchanges this week but nothing too crazy. Im glad that I got to chat with you and hear about your week and what you had going. I need to know about the bulletin board too ;) Anywho, I talked to a few people, painted my nails, and wrote in my journal (I'm very behind haha!) Nothing too wild ;) I did have to be therapist Sister Garcia for Sister Scioli too, I don't really have some solid advice but I can listen haha! Pday came to a quick end and we had some new announcements from President and Sister Nordfelt. We got a quick training on using the baptismal form in Area Book instead of paper. A big change but itll be good and I think more organized too so I'm hoping it'll help! Anywho, our lessons on Monday fell through so that was sad but we made a few calls to some yellow dots to fill the time. It was a good day to just relax and get caught up on some stuff. This week is absolutely jam packed so I just soaked in not having too much haha!
Tuesday was exchange day woot woot! Well honestly I wasn't too excited about this exchange but you gotta go what you gotta do. This time around I went to Casa Forte with Sister Roza, shes one of the sisters that we have a lot of troubles with... When I got to Casa Forte it was pretty clear that she doesn't like me and doesn't trust me or Sister Scioli so that made for an interesting day to say the least. Sister Roza is pretty controlling too and the more time I spent with her the more I felt bad for her sweet companion Sister Bügs. It was quite the exchange to make it short haha! We did have like a rescue lesson though. They marked this woman for baptism and while we were ate lunch she sent a message saying that she doesn't want to meet anymore. That meant that we got to go over there and chat with her. It was a really spirit filled lesson and I'm hopeful that it helped her and that she'll keep meeting with the sisters. We tried to get some other lessons but like I said, Sister Roza is a little difficult and just wasn't really having too much. It was kind of tense I wont lie. She didn't really open up to me either and all of her answers were short and dry, man did I try though. She's never liked me though and when I confronted her about it she said that she did like me. Mhmmmm... When we got ready for bed that's when she wanted to talk. But not about important things, she just wanted to talk about mission gossip. You're joking me! I love her but she very much is still in the beginning of the mission and has the mentality of a young girl instead of a 20 year old missionary. It made for a long night haha! The light was turned off and I was falling asleep but she still kept talking, and I thought that I talked a lot haha! She's sweet but it was a harder day and not my best exchange.
Wednesday we made our way back to Torreão to end our exchange and man was it a whirlwind. After talking with Sister Scioli we both knew that we needed to call and talk to President Nordfelt. It was really that bad. But let me give ya a funny real quick ;) I got in the elevator and Sister Scioli told me she had something to show me, automatically I thought something happened in the apartment! Well I was wrong, she got her flight plans and showed me. The video is pretty funny because it was super unexpected. I'm actually really sad that she's leaving, I'm gonna miss her! I just hope I get to stay with her until the end. It was after this that we had to call President. It honestly went over pretty well but we're laying a little low with the sisters just to be safe and give them some space. I also had this feeling about the sisters in Madelena so we decided to call. I know Sister Morais isn't okay but I know she won't say anything with her companion right there too. Ughhhhhhh seriously being an STL is just being a mom haha! Anywho, we had quite the task in front of us on Wednesday. The system that creates people in Livro de Area was down so we got to create every single person we contacted and taught for all the media referrals. It was quite the task and wayyyyyy more work and it made things go by so much slower. I also got to talk to a literal little kid that just kept laughing while I talked haha! We did have a little bit of a hiccup though, gotta love it. We got a message from the sisters in Vasco saying that one them is sick and we can't have an exchange but not only that, they were rude and it really got to Sister Scioli. She tried to hide it but I wasn't born yesterday and I knew something was up. When I asked her she just broke down and it broke my heart, she just feels like she's failing as an STL. I decided that we needed to stop and take a break to walk through everything. We ended up getting some ice cream and chatting for a minute until tears were dried. It ended on a good note but kind of a rocky day haha! Also I seriously loved the cookies you sent, they look so so good!
Friday, friday, friday! Friday we had some big plans but I think the Lord had some other plans haha! We didn't end up having an exchange like we had planned but I think it was for the better. But still kinda sad and now we won't be able to have an exchange with those sisters, we really did try but sometimes it just doesn't work how we plan. Sister Nordfelt also called me on Friday and we had a nice little chat haha! She said basically the same in the email :) Friday we had a super cool discussion at lunch too! The member asked if we knew what our purpose was. I thought, 'well duh' but then he asked us to stop and think about us personally, what is the purpose of my mission? We had a good discussion and it was super cool to chat with him for a little bit :) After we left from lunch we got to work on the street! The area is hard but I love to be out on the street. We tried a few grey and yellow dots but the majority were a bust Haha! But we did mark with a few people to come back another day so I'm hopeful that it'll actually go through :) We also had a lesson with Ana Paula and her kids! We talked about Dia do Senhor and read from 3 Nephi. It was actually super good and we got Analice and Anderson to commit to come to church woot woot! It was good and I'm glad they actually want to come, the only thing is that Sergio and Ana Paula don't have that desire yet. We're gonna keep pushing forward and hope that they have that desire :) When we got back Sister Scioli was going through some stuff so we made some calls but not too many so she could just vent. With transfers coming I just gotta trust that the Lord knows what He's doing. Life is complicated and the adversary works hard, but it's more fuel for me to just keep living the gospel haha! I just hope that these next 6 weeks will be good to Scioli because man she needs it:)
Saturday was media again, I feel like you're probably tired of hearing about it but it's life right now haha! We had such a good day though of lessons! Saturday we also had lunch at the chique restaurant that's close to our apartment. One family always takes us there for lunch and saturday was their day :) We got to talking about culture stuff between the states and Brasil and I think it'll be weird with a few things like 'bom dia' and 'boa tarde' but we'll see haha! I'm just determined to not be that weird missionary haha! While we were at lunch the Elders sent a message and asked if we could go to the chapel and help fill the font because they have a baptism tomorrow. But they were doing transfer stuff so they didn't have a ton of time. Luckily we're back in our capela too! Man it's been a minute haha! But we were able to go and fill it up a little for them, they'll just have to top it off. It was after that when we really got to going on our media stuff. It wasn't anything too wild but we had spent lessons with people! It was so good to teach them and not get hung up on. It was super good and the people were actually very receptive and only 2 lived in Recife Sul. Total win! We also needed to get some change for Sister Scioli so that we can pay our fast offerings so we ordered some açaí so she could get some change. We also cleaned up the apartment a little bit because in Monday it's gonna be literally insane with so much stuff. It's limpeza profunda, possible transfer news, and a hospital stop for Sister Scioli's knees because it got moved. It'll be interesting haha!
Sunday was just a day holy cow haha! Let's just start with the beginning haha! We were able to go back to our caplea!!! Woot woot! It was fun to go to the Stake Center but it was hard to get our friends to come to church because it's outside our area. I was so happy to see that message that said we could stay in our area haha! Not only that but Analice, Anderson, and Pedro came to church with us:) I was a little sad knowing that Sergio and Ana Paula weren't coming with us but 3 people is still amazing! Analice and Anderson could be baptized but Pedro is only 6 and man does he have a lot of energy haha! I don't think that I've ever prayed more for a kid haha! I just wanted him to be still for church and it really happened. He was running all over the place as we walked to church but as soon as he sat down he was totally still and quite. Milagres sao reias!! Analice and Anderson really liked the classes too so it was a total win :) We walked them back to their house and on the way to alomoço is when things got a little weird. We had some guy start yelling at us that prophets aren't real but that the spirit of prophecy isn't dead and that he is a prophet. I think he may have been just a little tipsy haha! We kept going and we were stopped again by some guy that asked if we were the sisters. Sister Scioli and I both said yes but then he asked if we were walking alone and I was a little put off. He then continued to tell us that he had heard of the church and even talked with Elders in the past but that he stopped. We asked if we could chat with him later and he passed his contact to us. Super crazy! THEN just as we were turning onto the street for almoço we heard 'Sisters!' When we turned to look it was a man and a woman carrying groceries. Long story short, the man is from Olinda and his sister is a less active that lives in our area. We were able to get her contact info and sent her a message. It was wild! We also had a yummy lunch with the Stake President and his family. I seriously love Presidente Oliveira and his cute family :) The afternoon was going pretty well and we got our weekly planning done and even had our correlaçao meeting. It was as we were getting into our calls that Presidente Nordfelt sent a message asking if he could call us. Transfers are this week so of course everything is up in the air and to get a message like that doesn't help haha! Well Sister Scioli was in the bathroom and I've never seen her run so fast haha! We called President and man was it a call. We had exchanges earlier this week with Casa Forte and soon after those Sisters had interviews with President. There were some thoughts shared between Sister Scioli and Sister Bugs but after interviews Sister Bugs basically stabbed Sister Scioli in the back. It was not good and Sister Scioli was in tears. It's hard because I'm responsible for these Sisters but also my companion was bawling next to me. It was news but it's just a huge high school game and it's so dumb! We had a good talk with President and he even told us some transfer news..... But in all honesty, it was a good phone call but I know that Sister Scioli is pretty hurt. That wasn't even the end of it though. We had one last call with all the Sisters and Sister Scioli was not having any of it so I got to take the lead and it was probably the worst Sister call but what can you do? I tried haha! It was quite the day and let's just say that I'm ready for pday haha! I can't wait to talk with you! And thanks for being a serious rockstar and doing everything you can for me on the mission and for doing everything you can to talk to me too :) I love you to the moon and back!
