Mr. President, Mr. President 🇺🇲🦅

What's up my party people!! Here is another cute lil' update from my heart to yours!! 

 

MY NEW MISSION PRES IS IN THE HOUSE!! President Wellburn has arrived!! Word on the street is that we have new rules. I wish I could tell you if it was true but I lowkey dont know yet. We have zone conference this week so hopefully it will all be cleared up in a jiffy! 

 

But yah! This week was busy, busy, busy! We worked until we were literally pieces of dust!! But that's the way I like it. Tuesday night I got to sing with the Branch President's daughter at an activity in the new chapel and it was so lit! Wednesday was another Brazil World Cup game and best believe Brazil took that cake home 💪🇧🇷 Thursday and Friday we had exchanges in Itapema. It was SO fun! And Saturday we had the dedication of the new chapel!! And boy oh boy was that amazing. Some of our friends were there so I was very happy! The members have been waiting and praying for this chapel. And the moment has finally come. It was beautiful, I will never forget it. 

 

Friends, this week while I was packing for exchanges I found a paper at the bottom of my backpack. Now just think for a minute what might be on this paper. Perhaps it is a paper from the mtc or perchance a letter from home. Nope! ❌️ 🙅‍♀️ It is a paper from my Microbiology class at byu. At the top of the paper it says, "Dengue Heomorragic Fever: bleeding, shock, death." Gulp. When I tell you I laughed so hard. Of all the papers that I just happened to bring with me all the way to Brazil, it was a paper with details about dengue from when I was at college almost a year ago. Silly, silly, silly :) 

 

This past week the majority of the people we taught are going through really hard things. Most of our lessons, the people we were teaching were crying talking about their lives. They kept saying, "You guys are young- you don't understand." And I would always tell them, "Yup you are right. There is only one person who understands perfectly what you are going through." Because truthfully there is someone who felt what we feel. His sacrifice is all encompassing. In my personal study this past week one morning I read Jacob 5. For people who read one chapter a day, Jacob 5 is their enemy lol. But this has become one of my favorite chapters. I love the concept of our Heavenly Father constantly worrying about us and constantly looking for ways to help us. Constantly going to the "nethermost parts of the vineyard." He is in endless pursuit of you. One of my favorite parts of the chapter is verse 21, "And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: How comest thou hither to plant this tree, or this branch of the tree? For behold, it was the poorest spot in all the land of thy vineyard." That tree ended up bearing good fruit. All because he went to the poorest spot of the vineyard. He sees our potential. He doesn't veiw us as our mistakes, he sees what we can become. He went to the poorest spot in the vineyard and he went their out of love. During those difficult times, he will come. No matter where we are. All we have to do, is have faith in him. He will be in the nethermost parts and the poorest spots of our lives. He loves us. He grieves when we grieve. He is happy when we are happy. He is always looking for ways to do "more for his vineyard." Not one tree will be forgotten in his vineyard. He is my hope. He is my joy. He is my Savior. 

 

Small jots: 

- Sister Ascurra and I found a faster way to get more rain on our badges (we put them on our umbrellas - genius I know 😆😎) Our husbands are gonna be extra blessed in the looks department. 

- Taught someone about the Plan of Salvation and when I asked what kingdom in heaven they want to live in, they looked me straight in the face and said, "Terrestrial, cuz I am not that holy ya know?"

- Got asked if I am Venezuelan 4 more times this week 

- marmitas = life 

- Stl's made me a friendship bracelet and I thought it stood for "My Best Friend," but it actually stands for, "Mission Brazil Florianópolis." Haha they laughed really hard at that 

 

Big love for yall! Jesus loves you too! 

🕺🥳🤠💖🤟

Com carinho, 

Sister Whiting 

Ratatouille 2.0

Hey gang!! Hope you all had a great week! My week was swell 😌 

 

2nd transfer babbyyyy!! Started the week off strong by making crepes. Call me Ratatouille if you must because it was delish in a dish. My comp told me they tasted just like the crepes her mom made her growing up. So basically just put me on Master Chef. I will make 'em some yummy crepes and win the entire show. 🤠

 

Yall it is dengue season. Everybody start praying. Before the mission in a Microbiology class at BYU we were learning about viruses and I told my sister, "I hope I don't get called to South America for my mission because that is where the highest percentages of dengue is." Welp! Here we are!! Bug repellent is my best friend. I bring it with me everywhere. Holding on tight to the iron rod and to my bug spray. My comp thinks I am so funny because I re-apply generously and frequently, but I am terrified to get dengue. She has already gotten dengue twice poor thing. 

 

Tomorrow I will hit 3 months on the mission!! Holy cheese and guacamole! I still have mornings when I wake up and I am surprised I live in Brazil. Like a cute little surprise every morning! 🤗 But I truthfully love it here. The people here are genuinely kind and welcoming and their food is too! 

 

One of my favorite moments this week was when we stopped by the house of someone we are teaching to see if she had time to talk. When she answered the door she was crying and asked us if we could pray for her. We said a prayer and talked more about our identities as children of God. She was worried about her children and if she was a good enough mother. In such a tender moment, I truly saw how genuinley worried she was about if she would ever measure up and if God still loved her. I think sometimes we all wonder if we are good enough. I think we all have moments where we doubt ourselves and our abilities. Moments where we focus more on our flaws and our imperfections rather than our growth. But no matter what we think of ourselves, what God thinks of us will always be the same. He will always love us. Nothing can seperate us from the love God has for us. His love will always be there for us. No matter what we do, no matter how much we think we messed up, no matter the circumstances. I am grateful for the knowledge that my Heavenly Father is proud of me. He knows how hard I am trying. He knows my heart. He loves me. And he loves you too. 

 

"...Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

 

 

Small jots: 

- Had a cup of hot cocoa #scrumdidliumpcious (it is actually very cold here! Especially because I am close to the beach) 

- Deep cleaned!! (Clean freak and not afraid to admit it.) We aren't allowed to leave our apartment when Brazil is playing in the world cup because the people get a little crazy and drink lots of liquids...of which cause them to act a little silly... if you smell what I am stepping in...- so I cleaned! 

- One of the people we are teaching recently started calling me her granddaughter. I think it is the cutest thing ever! 

- Happy Fathers Day to my Dad!! I love you TONS and miss you BUNCHES! 

 

As always I love yall and Jesus does too!! 

🕺🥳🤠💖🤟

Com Carinho, 

Sister Whiting 

Hold on Tight Spider Monkey

Hey lovely people!! 

 

I hope you all had a wonderful, wonderful week! Yall!! I finished my first transfer!!!! Wow that sounds a lot like first trimester. I feel like this is where I put a photo of an ultrasound lol. Or is that a little farther a long? Although I am not pregnant and they are called transfers not trimesters, I am starting to understand why everyone always says the first trimester is the longest. It was full of so many silly memories and I am so very excited for the transfers ahead! 

 

I don't know if you knew but the World Cup is happening. I could hardly tell... the people here totally aren't excited.... at all... That is proabably the biggest lie of my life. It felt kind of like the Fourth of July here. All the shops were closed, everybody was in the streets cooking meat, and they set off fireworks every time Brazil made a goal or practically anytime they were on the screen. All I need is an American flag and a country playlist and BAM! I am back in Lander Wyoming on the 4th. #heaven 

 

I saw a cabybara this week! It was ginormous!! I don't know why but for some reason in my head I thought they would be small and cute but this thing was bigger than most of the dogs here. It was munching on some grass while chilling in a lake (de boa na lagoa). Kinda like a miniature cow honestly. But it was a joyous experience! 

 

This week as I was reflecting on my first transfer here, I thought about the thing that helped me the most. Everything changed but one thing. My testimony. Specifically of the Book of Mormon. Most days I walk through the streets of Brazil gripping the Book of Mormon with both hands, holding on for dear life. Legitimately, the Book of Mormon has been there for me in every time of need. Through the sad moments. In the happy moments. Moments I will never forget. Moments where I felt God's love for me so clearly I will never deny it. So in those times when I feel lonely and wish I could call my parents. Or those days where I wonder if I will measure up. Or when people don't want to hear our message. I hold on even tighter to the Book of Mormon. Because I genuinely know it is true. I wouldn't be here if I didn't. So here I am. Sister Whiting in Brazil. Holding on tight to the Book of Mormon like Bella holding onto Edward in Twilight when he says "Hold on tight spidermonkey!" And I wouldn't want it any other way. I love the Book of Mormon. I love sharing it with the people here. I love it's teachings. I love my Savior. 

 

"Cling to the Book of Mormon. In doing so, you will see that you are not alone. You will see that Saints of all ages have had to wander through a wilderness—often more than once and sometimes for a long time. You will also see that many wilderness moments have a purpose designed by a God of love who is preparing you for and taking you to—often through some of His greatest miracles—a magnificent promised land that could be enjoyed in no other way."  (Mathew Holland BYU Devotional) 

 

Small jots: 

- Pizza with chocolate crust to celebrate transfers!! (Glorious. Every single bite.) 

- Got asked if I was from Venezuela this week. I think I might be catching a little Spanish accent in my Portuguese 

- District council was lit! 

- Had a picnic by the lake!! 

- Stake Conference was awesome sauce! 

- Saw a BIG FAT spider on the sidewalk. I legit almost had a heart attack. Dont worry, I am making plans to go burn the sidewalk and anything near it. I just need to find a blowtorch. Anyone want to mail me one? 😏

 

All my love!! Jesus loves ya! 

🕺🥳🤠💖🤟

Com carinho, 

Sister Whiting 

Walking a Thousand Miles with Pepper Spray

Sup dudes! Whats poppin' and lockin'? 

 

You know that song A Thousand Miles where the girl sings about walking a thousand miles just to see someone? I have never related to a song more in my life. I am at a whole other level of understanding. Maybe after the mission I should join a walking club so I don't lose all this progress. (Shout out to Brenda and Becky- do I still have a spot on the team? 😁)

 

This week was pretty neat! One of my favorite moments was when we were teaching a lesson over video call and the lights in our apartment cut out. Apparently power outages here are pretty normal but it was so funny using my phone flashlight as a lamp during the lesson. I kinda felt like I was telling a scary story by a campfire. But the story wasn't scary and there was not a campfire. However, the message about the gospel was fire 🔥. I was joking with my comp that the power left the lights, but it didn't leave us 💪#takethatsatan. 

 

Pday today has been pretty dope I am not gonna lie. Sister Ascurra knows that I love to run and that I miss going for runs every day. So today we woke up early and ran alongside the beach. (She is the best). Not only did we get to run but we also visited Jesus! 🥳#party. Well, we visited a statue of Jesus. I think in real life he will have a little more color- what do you think? And after we got acai. So pretty much the best day of my life. It doesn't get better than this- preaching the gospel and eating acai in Brazil. 

 

This week was full of miricales that had to do with being in the right place at the right time. I honestly don't believe in coincidences. I truly believe that God is intimately and intricately involved in our lives- he truly cares about what we are going through. One night during planning I felt like we should visit a person that filled out an ad on Facebook two years ago asking for a Book of Mormon. Other missionaries had tried to contact her but had no success. I put her on our calendar anyway. When we arrived she told us that she lives in São Paulo now, but that she had arrived only an hour before to visit Barra Velha. She said that she had prayed on the drive here asking God whether or not she should go to church. She told us that we were her sign. We were able to give her the Book of Mormon that she wanted two years ago. She left back for São Paulo the next day. An hour earlier or a day later, she wouldn't have gotten that Book of Mormon. 

 

During a lesson yesterday night, we were trying houses close to the beach. Most of the houses by the beach only have people in them during the summer. But one of the houses we tried had a mom and a daughter who we shared a message with. At the end we said a prayer and when I finished talking and opened my eyes, the mom was crying. She told us that she felt like God really had sent us to visit her. She thanked us for coming to visit them. It truthfully is the small moments that make life so beautiful. All we have to do is look for them. Sometimes it is hard to see them but I promise that God has not forgotten you. There is a scripture in the Book of Mormon that I love to read in the moments when I have having trouble seeing the miracles God is putting in my path. 

 

"Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." (1 Nephi 21:15-16)

 

He has never and will never forget you. He loves you. 

 

Small jots: 

- The Branch President's wife told me I look like Taylor Swift. She is now my favorite person. She also makes THE best food ever. 

- Saw someone drinking out of a portable gasoline container. Like the one you keep in your car in case you run out of gas. My comp told me she thinks it was water... I am praying she is right 🙏 

- Recently learned that we have been walking through a flavela really late at night. #ghetto. But don't you fret, I have pepper spray and Sister Ascurra has a stick. 

- The Branch had a festa junina and it was awesome. Everybody dresses up like farmers (was so funny because I have seen farmers back in Wyoming and they didn't look like this haha) and we all eat food. I am convinced that the whole world would be happier if they knew how to throw parties like the members here in Brazil.

- Had the best cake of my entire life. I swear every bite was straight heaven.

 

Love yall and Jesus does too! 

🕺🥳🤠💖🤟

Com carinho, 

Sister Whiting 

Never Ending Tower of Babel

Yo! Happy pday!! 

 

This week was pretty great! I hope you all had a wonderful week. ☺️

 

On Tuesday we ate a member's house and I don't think I have ever eaten more food in my whole life. Everytime I finished what was on my plate she would look at me and then say "Come." It wasn't even "eat more" it was just "eat" 😂. After I thought I was finally in the clear, she grabbed my plate out of my hands and started piling food onto it. She piled it higher than the Tower of Babel. I am not even joking this was more eternal than the never ending soup, salad, and bread sticks at Olive Garden. It was the never ending Tower of Babel meal. So don't you worry, I am getting fed really well over here! And all the food here is absolutely divine! #loveithere

 

Saturday morning was a lil' silly! When my comp and I woke up she asked me if I remembered talking to her late during the night. I had no idea what the heck she was talking about. Turns out, I was rambling in portuguese in my sleep!!! Silly goose 🤦‍♀️ She said I was saying a bunch of words about the gospel. She thought I was practicing my portuguese because I couldn't sleep. I couldn't stop laughing because practicing the language when I can't sleep sounds like something I would totally do. I have no clue what I was dreaming about, but I hope they excepted my invitation to read the Book of Mormon! 

 

Best part of this week was on Wednesday when we asked one of our friends to be baptized!!! And he said YES!! What was even cooler was when we taught him about the word of wisdom and he said he is willing to give up coffee. I don't think I can even put into words how amazing it is to see someone make a decision to come closer to Christ. And not only that but to be willing to sacrifice something in order to have a stronger relationship with him. It made me think about sacrifices I have made or may have to make in the future. And of course I thought about the sacrifice of coming on a mission. Sometimes it is really hard to be here in a new place speaking a new language. Sometimes I feel like I can understand what people are saying and other days it feels like I don't know a single word in portuguese. It is definitely not easy, but a phrase I really like that I learned in portuguese is, "Nada que é bom é fácil." It means, "Nothing that is good is easy." Every time we have to sacrifice something, it is probably for something good. It is never going to be easy, but I know that God will help us through it. I knew when I submitted my mission papers that I would be making a sacrifice so that I could serve God's children. And even though I may have hard moments, I will never regret making this decision. In the moments I struggle, I remember that the sacrifice of my Savior is all encompassing. So much so, that he understands everything I am going through. Beacuse of his sacrifice I can look at my difficulties and challenges and know that everything will be okay. And I noticed that everytime I am having a hard day, God puts little miracles in my path. I promise that he is involved in your life. I promise that he hears your prayers. I promise that he loves you're than you know. 

 

Small jots: 

- Adventured up to the statue of liberty today! Met some pretty cool dudes and we took a photo haha 

- Went to MCDONALDS!! (it was glorious) 

- Saw a rat the other day. It was the size of my cat back at home. 

- Saw a 11 year old driving a motorcycle. Turns out that scene from the movie Rio is actually realistic. 😆

- Bore my testimony in Spanish twice this week!!

 

I love yall! And Jesus loves you too! 

🕺🥳🤠💖🤟

Com carinho, 

Sister Whiting