Gift of Tongues is Real Yall

Olá amigos!!! 

 

FINAL PDAY IN THE CTM!! 🚨🤘

I am breaking out of the CTM next Wednesday! Surprisingly it is not to go to Taco Bell, but to go love and serve the people of Florianópolis. I couldn't be more excited! #holla holla

 

I saw my first cochroach! And it was as horrible as I feared. I think my heart stopped for a second I am not going to lie. Thank goodness I didn't have to kill it. I know I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me, but thank goodness he didn't have to strengthen me to kill that cochroach. Shout out to Sister Figuera- she reminded me of Captain Moroni going off to battle. After that night, I started praying for my future companions to be blessed with the same courage as Sister Figuera. I figured praying for the extinction of the whole cochroach species was maybe too big of an ask. 

 

All jokes aside, this week was genuinely lovely. The gift of tongues is real. I have felt it within my own life. In class we were speaking in portuguese about how we came to know Christ personally and how we have used the atonement in our lives. After my group was done, we asked our teacher to bear her testimony. She is known to speak super duper fast! Most of the time when she speaks at her natural pace, my brain goes on autopilot and I miss every word. So when she said she was going to speak normally, I kind of expected myself not to understand. But when she started talking, I was able to understand every word. I didn't even realize what had happened until after when she asked us what we understood and I was able to recite it back to her. It was mind blowing. In that moment, I knew the gift of tongues was real. The best part about what she said was, "When we start to understand the atonement, is when we decide to use it in our lives. It is a decision." I am so grateful that God trusted me enough to give me agency to make my own choices. I am so grateful that I have the choice to utilize the atonement. I am so grateful for my Savior, who made all of this possible. 

 

Small jots: 

- Cute lil surprise b-day party for Sister Roberts! 

- Got to sign the STL guitar! (Cute tradition for the STLs here at the CTM.) 

- Acai is the best thing I have ever eaten

- Last week in the CTM!! 

- No pday next week :/

 

God is real and he loves you! I do too!!

🕺🥳🤠💖🤟

Com carinho, 

Sister Whiting  

I am a Gringinha Yall

Olá gente! 

 

I hope you all had a lovely week! I hit one month on the mission yesterday AND I only have 12 days left in the CTM!! I also got called a gringa for the first time!! Well actually I got called gringinha- same thing (ish). Check that off the bucket list haha. 

 

Nobody from my district went to the hospital this week! One of my comps had a fever yesterday- but she didn't go to the hosptial. A win is a win! Instead of sickness spreading, a new sort of illness is spreading around the CTM. All of the American elders started buzzing their hair. Every elder in my ward has a buzz cut. It is an epidemic. 

 

This week we got a new comp! Sister Woods is genuinely one of the kindest people I have ever met. Instead of splitting us into two and two, the mission leaders left us as a quad!! Pretty cool if I do say so myself. My classes are now only in portuguese. Buckle up buttercup. One of my teachers wrote all of our names on the board with three hearts next to each name. Every time we speak in english we lose one heart. When all our hearts are gone we have to go into the hall and write 10 sentences in portguese before we can come back in. When we come back in we get 3 new hearts again. It sounds mean, but she is one of my favorite professors here at the CTM. Last pday she told me she thinks I am going to marry a Brazilian after my mission. I think she is a silly goose. 

 

Yesterday during language study I had the opportunity to study Doctrine and Covenants 122 in portuguese. I loved the last verse of the chapter. It says, "..fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever." There are so many things to be uncertain of, but the one thing you can always be certain of is that you have a Heavenly Father who loves you so very much and he always will. He will be with you forever and ever. 

 

Small jots: 

- HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY COMP SISTER ROBERTS!! I love ya!

- Tried brazillian sushi for the first time and it is divine

- Had to say goodbye to Sister Michel, Sister Valensuala, Sister Miguel, and Sister Hauranga - so bittersweet but they are going to bless so many lives 

- Sister Alcântara told Elder Mitchell and I that we taught the best lesson she has ever heard at the CTM!! #hollaholla

- Temple once again was the best day of the week as always 

 

I love you!! Jesus loves you! 

🕺🥳🤠💖🤟

Com carinho, 

Sister Whiting 

I Had A Hamburger Yall

E aí pessoal!! I hope you all had an awesome week!! 

 

I HAD A HAMBURGER. I have missed hamburgers so much. I know that sounds ridiculous but it is the truth. Imagine my joy when I walk into the cafeteria for dinner and lo and behold a beautiful hamburger. It was glorious. I don't think I have ever eaten anything so fast. #bestnightofmylife. 

 

This week was crazy!! It feels as if my district took the Come Follow Me from this past week about the 10 plagues of Egypt a little too literally. "This week we learned about the 10 Plagues of Egypt. This week at the CTM we lived the 10 Plauges." -My comp Sister Roberts. I don't think I can even count how many priesthood blessings of healing have been given, but I do know for a fact that it is an unhealthy amount. I still haven't gotten sick and I am SO grateful. It seems as if everyday we wake up and someone from my district has something new ailing them ultimately sending them to the nurse/hospital. My comp Sister Roberts went to the hospital and they wouldn't let Sister Aston or I go with her because they are still processing our visa's and we need ID to enter the hosptial. Sister Michel got sick as well and was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. Even though she was barely concious, in her time of need, she was still caring for others. While she was getting weeled away to the ambulance she yelled "Sister Whiting, I love you!" I love you too Sister Michel!! I was so relieved when both her and Sister Roberts returned safely to the CTM. And about two days ago Elder Banda got shipped off to the hosital too. Basically District 12 here at the CTM is slowly perishing. Maybe this is a lost episode in the Hunger Games series? And instead of an arena they just put us up against food and germs here at the CTM. 

 

Even though this week has been stressful, I have felt the divine power that comes from prayer. In every time of need, the Lord will always be there for you- no matter what, no matter where, and no matter why. It made me think about one of my favorite characters in the Book of Mormon, Enos. He prayed all through the day and all through the night. And he was comforted by God. I have felt comforted by my Savior this past week through prayer. I know that he is there for me when I struggle. I know that he is proud of me. I know he is there to help me walk when I feel like I can't go any further. He is my Savior, my Brother, and my Redeemer. And I know that in him I shall rest. 

 

"And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen." (Enos 1:27)

 

Small jots: 

- Happy Birthday Kyden!! I hope you got a freez-y from Taco Bell :) 

- Complimented a lady's hair clip at the temple and she gave it to me. The people here are the most giving and loving people I have ever met. 

- Comps and I got called as STL's! Wild!! Pray for us please! 

- Went to the temple twice again!! temple = Lizzie is so happy 

- Got a new roomate Sister Clark who is from South Africa! She is the coolest and I love her. 

- I love my comps. They are literal angels on earth. 

- I am grateful for eternal families 🤍

 

Never forget, Jesus loves you and I do too!!

🕺🥳🤠💖🤟

Com carinho, 

Sister Whiting 

 

Link to my google photos album!! 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/hJXwqYbXxtmWUGvY9

 

It's Hot Here Yall

Oi pessoal!!! 

 

I hope you all had an awesome week!! The people here are some of the nicest people I have ever met!!

 

The flight to Brazil was pretty long and it was delayed for 2 hours before we took off. And for some reason mission travel sent Elder Banda and I by ourselves instead of with our district the day before. I am not sure why... hahaha but we had a good time. If you ever wondered, Subway at the Atlanta airport is pretty yummy. When Elder Banda and I got to the São Paulo Airport we couldn't find the person who was supoosed to pick us up.... So that was a little silly! We eventually found them after about 30 minutes of searching and now I am officially at the CTM!! The food here is like nothing I have ever experienced before :) And 90% of the air conditioning units are broken. I don't think I have ever been sweatier or smelled worse in my life haha. I kind of feel like a dog. But in a good way...? I am just sweaty and hot all the time but I am also super happy- like a dog! Anyways moral of the story is it beyond hot here yall. Even so, I don't think I have ever been happier either. I sincerely love it here. 

 

For some reason my whole district except for Elder Funk and I got sick our first week here at the CTM.  😂 Lots of priesthood blessings of healing have been given and lots of prayers as well!  #pleasepraythatIdon'tgetsick

#alsoprayformydistrictcuztheyarethrowingupeverywhereanditisgross

 

We got to go to the temple twice in this past week!! I WAS SO HAPPY TO BE AT THE TEMPLE! My two favorite places in the whole entire world are the temple and Taco Bell. Unfortunately, I haven't been to the Taco Bell here in São Paulo ... yet. I might break out of the CTM just for some nacho fries. I would do anything to eat some nacho fries right now. But being at the temple reminded me how grateful I am of the covenants I have made in the temple and how lucky I am that families last beyond this life. But most of all this past week I was grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ. It can be a little intimidating to move to a different country and speak a language I don't quite know yet, but even so I know that my Heavenly Father is watching over me and he is helping me overcome whatever may come my way. And I know he is watching over you too. Don't forget to look for the little blessings that he puts in your life every single day! I promise he is involved in the details of your life because he truly cares deeply about you :)

 

Small jots: 

- General Conference was level flame thrower of fire. 

- Found a snail, named him Larry 

- Hermana Valensuala loves my troy bolton shirt lol

- Hermana Hauranga and I got to trade Taylor swift bracelets!! 

- My district is dope and I love em!

- Happy late Easter!! He is risen. 

 

Never forget Jesus loves you and I do too!! 

🕺🥳🤠💖🤟

Com carinho,

Sister Whiting