Email Home: Monday, May 9, 2022

From: Kaitlyn.garcia@missionary.org
Date: Monday, May 9, 2022
Subject: Whatta week...

Hello hello! This week was busy so I'm just gonna hop right into this :)
Monday was a good pday! Crazy with the Zone but still good :) It's always good to get to hangout with everyone and see them. I even got to sign Elder Cowley and Elder Evans ties that you sent them haha! It was a good time and Elder Cowley told me that we're friends so I call that a win! Riverton vs. Herriman doesn't exist anymore haha! I was so glad that I was able to talk to you too! And Brynlee :) Pday just went by super quick and full of contacts for media stuff. It was a good pday and I'm so super grateful for you guys too! :)
Tuesday was a day of rain haha! Apparently it's going into winter here so that means rhat it just rains a ton. I like the rain but I decided that I could never live in a place that it just rains with no sun, it's so depressing! Anywho, Tuesday we had exchanges with Casa Forte! Not gonna lie I was a little nervous about this exchange just because we have ine Sister there that kinda made a mess of things last transfer (phone calls with Presidente kinda mess) I got to stay here in the area with Sister Bügs and it actually wasn't as bad as I thought. She really likes to talk and she knows English so she kept switching from English to Portuguese, that may or may not be me when I get home haha! It was a good exchange and I'm glad that I was able to get to know her a little better and make my own opinion of her instead of just going off of past experiences. We had so many things fall through too so we spent all day on the street contacting people but of course none of them lived here. Not only that but no one really wanted to pass their number or anything. I was a little frustrated just because we contacted so many people and nothing :/ But what can you do? It was a good day and we had a lot of good moments. We also got some really yummy açaí;)
Wednesday Sister Scioli came back to Torreão with me and we got to work with our referencias and did our little exchange download haha! All in all it wasn't too terrible and we were able to chat a little bit about how we can help the Sisters more. We had pur studies and Presidente Nordfelt asked us to study something specific specific prep for our special DC we're having on Friday. I got to study President Nelson's talk about how our faith can move mountains. It was super good to read it again and overall a really good study:) Would highly recommend! We didn't have anything too wild for our referencias on Wednesday. Sister Scioli is still loosing her voice a little bit so I did most of the talking because no one understood her haha! It was good though. We also got to chatting a little bit just about transfers and I have no clue what's gonna happen, maybe I'll ask President what he thinks. It was a long night of phone calls and lessons but it was good to get to teach! We have new ads that talk about baptism so it was fun to get to change things up :) I alsp realized that this week marks only 2 months until I come home, how freaking wild is that?!
Thursday would normally be a DC day but President Nordfelt wants to have a special DC so it got moved to Friday. Friday is busy day but I'll get into that a little later ;) Thursday I finally got to do some exercise! I haven't been doing anything lately because we've been busy and it carries into the morning sometimes. It was good to get loving though and I think it will continue to be a habit for me after the mission ;) Friday we had a lot going on haha! We had a Brasil wide technology meeting in the afternoon but President Nordfelt was in interviews so he didn't send the link and we had to get it from Recife Sul. Woops! It was good and then after we had a meeting with just a few people in our mission to talk about what we learned and how we can apply it. We then started brainstorming for our Zone conference training that's next week. I've been racking my brain on that and another activity for the ward for next Saturday. We then left to go to all of our lessons. We went to go visit our pal Carlos but it turned into a contact bwcause he didn't have time. We decoded that while we were close we should stop at Paula's house. She's the sweetest little old lady and I love her! She lost her husband and her son this past year and of course it's been really hard on her. This is only the second time we've met with her but the lesson was so good :) We talked about o Plano de Salvação and it was so so good! It just kinda flowed too, she was just asking all the right questions and we had àll the answers. At the end of the lesson she even offered us some juice, how sweet is that?! We then bumped a few things down and made  quick phone to a Vindeacristo.org referencia that's so solid! I'm actually super excited about her :) We then made our way to Sergio's house to try and talk to them again. It was a mess to say the least. I'm just so frustrated with them. Mas pelo menos Analice talked to us and apparently she's going to some kind of camp with the YW on Saturday. I don't even know, if she goes she goes and maybe it'll be good :) We were in our way back and Sister Scioli told me that she needed to stop at the farmacia to get some girl stuff  because it was not a good day. Little did I know though that the people in front of us were gonna buy the whole store! They literally took so long I can't even tell you! It all worked out though and we got it all taken care of haha!
Well, Friday was a day that I never ever thought would happen on my mission. Friday we were doing our studies and Sister Scioli told me that President Nordfelt was calling so of course we answered and boy was I not ready. President Nordfelt had news that Sister Scioli's Aunt passed away early in the morning. He really wanted to do it personally but because there were already missionaries in the escritório he couldn't leave. There were a lot of screams and Sister Scioli was having trouble believing and breathing. There were a lot of tears and it broke my heart for her. It was a lot and definitely a heavy morning. I told her to take all the time she needed and let me know if I could do anything. She changed and went to lay down but that didn't last long. She said that she wanted to get out of the apartment and go to our district counsel with President. We got all of our stuff and called an uber. I think it was good for her to get put of the apartment but literally everyone asked if she was okay. She was just super quiet and was a little more reserved. I tried Mt best and took the blame a little too but I had no idea what to do. District counsel was super good though and we talked a ton about Faith IN Jesus Christ. It was really good but I was still very very aware that Sister Scioli was hurting. We were eating lunch when her mom said that they had arrived wt the funeral home and all that stuff. We left lunch and went to down to the escritório so that she could call. It was a lot and a few elders walked in so a few of them knew. It was a long day. We ended up staying at the mission office so we could contact people and have our interviews. We were able to contact some people, well I did haha! And then it was time for our interviews. I don't think I've ever wanted interviews to happen more in my whole life. I had a whole list of questions but when I sat down I ended up just word vomiting to President haha! He's just the best though and listened to everything and gave me some advice. He told me he wasn't expecting Sister Scioli's reaction and that he was glad I was there for her. It was really good and I felt better about stuff after I talked to him. I also got to have a mini interview with Sister Nordfelt! I love her so so much and she's seriously like my mission mom. Oh! President Nordfelt told me that he has a friend that's a PA and told me that if I needed a mentor or fellowship or even a letter of recommendation that he could introduce me to him. How wild is that?! We finally left the mission office at 6:30pm and made it back to the apartment. It was a really long day emotionally I can't lie.
Saturday was another longer day :) Let's back up a little though, I told Sister Scioli to wake me up if she couldn't sleep and Let's just say she kept that promise. She woke me up in the middle of the night so I started to talk to her but then she fell asleep! To say I was a little sleepy on Saturday would be an understatement haha! It's all good though :) Saturday we had a super fun lunch with the little old lady in our ward and her family. Her house smells like old lady too! It was good to get out of the apartment and talk a little bit with members. Saturday we also planned our Zone Conference training and we actually used a lot of what President Nordfelt talked about on Friday. I just hope that it'll go over well this next week :) We also had some solid street contacting! It was so good and I think the Lord was putting more people in our caminho to help Sister Scioli;) We also fulfilled our bucket list item to pet a horse! He was hurt on his ear so I was nervous he was gonna be angry with us but he laid down and we were able to pet him ;) We also ran into a lady that was trying to give him some water and ended up getting her number and inviting her to church. It was just a solid lily moment ;) We came back to the apartment and made some calls but one of our friends has the same name as Sister Scioli's aunt and we were gonna talk about the Plan of Salvation.... that lesson was on me. After we called her Sister Scioli called her mom to talk a little bit and I had some time to prep my talk for Sunday. Oh yeah, I'm speaking on Sunday haha!
Sunday was just another say full of much needed miracles! :) God is so so good! For starters my talk didn't go too bad and our members were super sweet and told me that it was good haha! But that wasn't wasn't the best part! When we got to the capela there was this guy sitting there and we thought he was from the Elders but we didn't know for sure so we went up to talk to him. Turns out he lives in our area and just decided to come to church.... what?! He recently moved here and was passing by. We got his contact info and sat with him. His name is Felipe and he seems super open! He stayed for everything too! While we were sitting in RS we got a message from one of friends saying that he was coming. We only had 15 minutes left of church but what can you do? He showed up and told us that he was working and that he would for sure be on time next week. But he did give me this awkward side hug and then proceeded to give me and Sister Scioli flowers to remember our moms.... okay then that's for sure a first haha! We then walked back into church (now with flowers haha!) and sang a quick song for the irmãs for mothers day. Imagine 4 missionaries who don't know how to sing, singing in front of everyone haha! Sunday we also had a super yummy lunch with one of our favorite families! It's our stake President and he's just the best :) We even got to meet his brother in law and he's so cool! Kinda hippie but so fun! We mostly just had some weekly planning and a few people for media referencias, nothing too crazy. Im glad that I got to call and talk to you though! It's always good when I get to call a little bit more ;) I can't wait to talk to you guys! I love you forever and for always