Email Home: Monday, June 27, 2022

From: Kaitlyn.garcia@missionary.org
Date: Monday, June 27, 2022
Subject: One Last Time *cue George Washington*

Hello hello! Well we've officially made it, the last one. I don't know if I'll be able to send an email on the 4th so this could very easily be my last email to you guys. Now is not the time to get all sentimental though so let's get into it :) 

Monday was quite the pday haha! We had planned to go to the Mercado São José but when I woke up, I woke up to Sister Bradford throwing up so our pday was changed a little bit. Sister Feitosa and I got into our studies and I did 12 semanas with her while Sister Bradford slept. She pretty much slept and threw up all day so Sister Feitosa and I cleaning up the apartment real good. I also got some more letters written so I can leave them in the mission office this week. It honestly felt kinda nice to stay in and not be at the capela. It just felt like a good cleaning dau if that makes sense haha! I also got to call and talk to Chrish too! I haven't talked to him in forever so it was good to catch up for a minute :) We didn't have too many lessons go through though so that was kind of a bust but we were able to have a few unplanned lessons! AND Diogo told us thay he didn't drink coffee! Woot woot! God is too good :) 

Tuesday was a better day! Sister Bradford was feeling much better but she was still pretty pale too so we took it a little easier so that she could be 100%. Mostly I was just worried she'd throw up on the street or something. We also had interviews with President Nordfelt! I love interviews so much and I was so happy to be able to talk to him. I have a lot of feelings and emotions and it was good good just talk to him about what's in my head. He told me the rundown of how everything will work on my last day (well really my last days) so that helped a little bit. Presidente Nordfelt is seriously just the best and I'm gonna miss him and Sister Nordfelt:) We had lunch at the apartment too so that was abuuge blessing and she didn't have to eat too much. We got our studies done, called some of the Sisters, had the DL call, and then we were able to leave haha! We made our way to the capela to call some people and clean up our Livro de Area before trying to hit the streets. We stayed in the apartment all day on Monday so we figured we could go to the capela for a change of scenery haha! After staying at the capela for a while Sister Bradford said she was feeling better so we decided to street contact close to the capela just in case something happened and she needed a bathroom. We were able to find a few people but not too many. We also tried to visit members but no one was home or they've moved, it's not very bacana when they don't move their addresses. Tuesday night was really game time too haha! We had a super good lesson with Henrique and the Sisters that found him in the South. We talked a little bit about the Plan of Salvation and it was super good. He seriously has so much potential and I'm excited to keep talking to him. We had so many lessons marked too so we got to calling and everyone that we called told us to call another day or a different time. Ughhh! We were able to call Diogo too and talk to him a little bit with Irmão Marcos about the Priesthood. He's seriously so excited for baptism :) We finished up with him and tried to make some more calls but nada. It was kinda a run around trying to get calls all done but it all worked out! It was a good day :) ALSO, here's the rundown for my last days! Monday (the 4th) I'll leave Camaragibe around 9am-10am and go to the mission office; I'll have my last interview with President Nordfelt; I'll participate in a self reliance course with all the other missionaries; I'll go to the hotel to drop my suitcases and get ready for dinner with President and Sister Nordfelt; one last dinner with President and Sister Nordfelt. Tuesday (the 5th) I'll get up and do my studies and eat breakfast; head to the airport around 9am and get a plane. He said the same thing you already told me about the plane ticket and everything but he said that I'll probably be home on Wednesday (the 6th) around 12pm-12:30pm. 

Wednesday we had to go to the mission office for a follow up for all the new missionaries. It was so cool to see how much they've all grown and developed, training is the best. Presidente Nordfelt also had the best advice for them but it hit me hard too. Sister Nordfelt found me and we talked for a minute and it hit me just how much I'm gonna miss the mission. I knew I was going to but now it's all getting so real. I also took a minute to drop my letters in the cubbies for all the missionaries I wrote to and I realized just how many friendships I e made here too. We had our little meeting and then we all ate lunch together. Sister Nordfelt even made us some yummy brownies and they were so good :) While we were eating Elder Mata decided to play a really mean joke that isn't a joke, he told me that my flight plans just got sent to him. My heart literally dropped haha! And he said it in front of everyone! What's up with that?! After we ate we called an Uber and we made our way back to Camaragibe. This is when I looked at my flight plans. It's gonna be a long day so if you have any suggestions on what I can do on the plane or at the airport send em my way haha! This is also when poor Sister Feitosa started to not feel good. By the time we got back to the apartment I was sure she was going to throw up. Poor thing! We got our studies done and tried to play it cool to help her feel better. It also started to rain so much! The street in front of our apartment was flooded and we had doidos driving! We also got to call our homie Cesar and we had a really good lesson about the Book of Mormon. He said he would read it and pray, he's seriously so open :) We decided to head to capela too just to get out of the apartment, Sister Bradford doesn't like to stay in the apartment very much. It was raining still so I decided to bust out my rain jacket thay I've literally never used haha! It was a good time :) When we got to the capelabwe just worked online but we were able to talk to Daniel. He's still not my favorite but what can you do? I'm really trying to love him but it's hard when he's low key creepy haha! By the time we made it back for the night poor Sister Feitosa was not doing good, we told her to go take a shower and get ready for bed a little earlier. I just feel bad that she's not feeling good. Vamos ver né?? 

Thursday was the day haha! We were July able to talk to one family but we got the moms number and it all worked out. We made our rounds and stopped at a meeting place to meet one of our members but he totally spaced we had planned with him and didn't show up. We called it and made our way back to Camaragibe before it got too late. We were right outside the capela and I crossed the street and there was a guy there so I said Boa noite, like a normal missionary would, but boy was I not ready haha! Sister Bradford and Sister Feitosa were behind me and this guy goes, "Do I know you from somewhere??" I talked to him for like 2 minutes and I could tell he was nervous and it was just super awkward. Long story short, he told me thay I had pretty eyes and that after I said boa noite he decided he wanted to talk to me but once he learned that I'm a missionary he didn't want anything else to do with us. Love that haha! We made it back to the apartment and were able to call a few people before the parties started on the streets. We were able to talk to Daniel too and finish up a few other things. It must've been a test Sister Garcia day too because Daniel also asked for my Instagram. Not cool, not cool. We finished up everything we needed and then the parties got started at 9:30pm. São João is so big here and there were fires, fireworks, music, and churrasco. I think I need to come back just to see everything agian :) Friday I learned that São João was in full swing haha! We got up and decoded to visit one of friends right off the bat. We uonstely didn't know if he was interested so it wad more of a test to see if he would progress. He just wanted to talk over us and tell us about his church though so it didn't go over that well. But we did have a tiny miracle haha! Sister Bradford lost one of her notebooks that she always has in her bag and we've been looking for it like mad men. We haven't been able to find it until Friday. It fell out of her bag the last time we were there and they saved it for her and she was able to get it back. I don't think ove ever seen someone so happy to have a notebook again haha! We left and the streets literally had no one. The worst is that we had planned to do some street contacting, that got changed to say the least haha! We tried and tried but no one was home or they were drunk. Sister Bradford wanted more candica too and thankfully there was a lady that was selling it. We actually managed to get her contact info and we started to talk to her already. Tender mercy for sure :) On the way back we saw this guy walking on the street so of course we talked to him! After chatting for a minute we learned that he's somehow related to one of our members but he isn't a member. We got his number and he went on his way. We tried to work online at the capela but it wad a total bust. It was seriously like working on Christmas and New Years all over again. One of our members showed up with some decorations for Festa Junina and asked if we could help with the setup a little bit. We ended up helping for linger than I thought but at least it was more productive than just being left on voice-mail. We also got to call Henrique! We finished up the Plan of Salvation with him and he was super receptive. He even told us a little bit more about his baptism story and he doesn't really feel baptized. After a little more talking he accepted to prepare for baptism! Woot woot! It was such a good lesson too and he has so much potential. The only sad thing is that we learned that he doesn't actually live in our area, he just works in our area. We're gonna have to pass him to the Elders in São Lourenço but it's okay :) We then got to talk to Diogo for a minute too. We decided to go over the baptismal questions with him and I had such high hopes but it went way different than I thought. He had a problem with coffee that he's doing so good with but this is when we learned that he also drinks. He drinks socially but he never said anything to us. Ughhhhh! We talked to him for a minute and tried to explain to him again the word of wisdom. It was a little frustrating but he sair that he's willing to try :) We made our way to the apartment and I could tell that both Sister Bradford and Sister Feitosa were sad so I wrote em a note and tried to make it a little more light hearted. 

Saturday was a better day! I can't believe how fast this week has gone too! Don't know how I feel about it. We got up and studied and then headed to the capela to help more with the setup for Festa Junina. It looked so good too! We went to our lunch and then decided to gist a few less actives in Bairro Dos Estados. It was a hot one too and we literally walked in the middle of the jungle, kinda fun! We ended up finding this irmã named Raquel and her sons. She's been praying for answers and then we showed up, it was such a good visit and she even said she would come to church :) We finished up at her house and then we met up with irmã Conceição and man was it an adventure haha! She's a little old lady thay loves the church and she literally called her friends to repentance haha! Her friend said that she was already baptized and irmã Conceição looked at all three of us and told us 'people are just so stubborn and so wrong' and then we left. You're kidding haha! It was quite the time to say the least :) It was a little harder to find people on Saturday too I can't lie, but it was okay. We ended up getting back to the church for Festa Junina and boy was it a good time! Not only that but we had 3 friends there! Daniel, Diogo, and Henrique all came and they had such a good time. I also wanted to dance so hard haha! Presidente Nordfelt told us specifically that we couldn't dance for Festa Junina but there was a LIVE band and it took everything in me. It was such a good night though and I was so happy to see our three friends there :) 

Sunday was a good day as always too:) We didn't have anyone at church, members or friends :/ but it was a good Sacrament meeting nonetheless. We also got to talk to the youth a little bit about missions and how they can help us. Our lunch was with our MLA, Irmão João Paulo and his wife Irmã Milena. It was such a yummy lunch and we even got to talk about missions. I love the mission and man am I gonna miss it :) All of our lessons that we had planned ended up falling through but we had some time to call some RC and read the Book of Mormon with them so that was good :) We had a quick weekly planning and called it a night! I can't wait to talk to you guys (for the last time on video call!) You guys are the best and I hope you know how much I love you!