A BIRTHDAY PIZZA!

HELLO FAMILY!!! Another week down!

I am still here in Maringá and loving serving with Sister Bilhalva. I dont have a ton to report this week but my birthday was fantastic! Skyping you guys was fantastic! Its cooling down here a ton! Rainy and gray skies- it reminds me so much of Oregon.

We met a family this week!! We met Mauricio knocking doors this week and when we returned, we met his wife, and 2 grandkids. Mauricio said they would go to church and when Sunday came- they actually came!!! He brought his wife, 2 grandkids, and their mom (his daughter) all in a tiny little car to the chapel and they enjoyed all of the meetings of church. They are such a special family with questions that the gospel of Jesus Christ can answer. Amazing!!!

We are working really hard to find more and more people to teach here in Maringá. We have stake conference next week and our mission president will be there. They are leaving in June and we will be getting a new president and wife. Sad and cool at the same time.

This week i have been studying and learning  A LOT about the Atonement. It is such a deep and complex yet beautifully and profoundly simple. My companion and i started personal progress together and we finished faith this week. We are working on memorizing the Living Christ in portuguese together (she already speaks portuguese though so thats good lol). Faith is the foundation of everything.

I testify of the reality of the living Christ and His perfect life and example. What a privilege it is to pass through challenges in His name. 

I love you all!

Love Sister Penni

Me and my comp on my birthday.

Transfers and Mother's Day!

Bom Día!

Today we had transfers and i am staying here in Maringá but my companion was transferred to Londrina, so I will be receiving a new companion! Thank you all for the emails and Happy Birthdays this week! This week was great and full of a lot of work! I love the people here in Brasil and it is a privilege to know their lives and stories. 

This week, one of the members called and asked me to come and speak at his english school and answer questions about life in the United States. That was a super cool experience. Outside views of what it is like to live in America are really funny. 

Also, this week it was SUPER COLD! what? Yes. Super cold. But it was a good week and I love my companion Sister Rocha. Here are some pictures of us this week. 

I have been thinking a lot about prophets this week. I heard a cool story about a group of people who walked by this house and saw a cat sitting in front. The Cat said warned the people that the house was going to fall. Everybody stood in awe that the cat was talking and continued walking. Another group walked by the house and saw the same cat. The cat warned again that the house was going to fall. They all were amazed that the cat was talking and moved on. One day, the house fell. Nobody was prepared because everyone was so stuck on the fact that the cat was talking, that they neglected to hear what the cat was saying.

Thomas S. Monson and all of the prophets, talk with God face to face and give us warnings and counsels that we NEED every single day. Are we spending our time in awe that he talks with God, or are we really listening to what the prophet says. 

I testify that Thomas S. Monson is the prophet of God on the earth at this time and that he talks with our Father in Heaven face to face and he knows what is going to happen. We must listen to his counsels because they are the counsels of God. I fully support our prophet and his counselors and all of the leaders of the church and I know that if we follow and obey with exactness, we will be protected.

I love you all!! Have a fantastic week!!

Sister Penni

Brooke, here! We got to Skype with Megan for 2. HOURS on Mother's Day. We were so blessed! It was seriously the greatest thing ever. We were a little unsure of when she would be calling us (we had heard a few different things) so we left church after Sacrament meeting to come home and be ready just in case she called. We are sure glad we did! I was eating jellybeans in the kitchen, Mom was making sandwiches, when suddenly from the living room Kendall yelled "she's calling!" Watching her face appear on the screen was one of the happiest moments I can remember. There were lots of tears mixed in with lots of laughing and telling stories. We miss her so much, but could not be more proud of her! I can't speak for my mom, but I would guess that this was the best Mother's Day yet. :)

Short Update and Pictures!

Hey everyone! Another week has passed! Today marks 5 months on the mission!

This weekend Dieujuste Mileon from Haiti was baptized. I already explained a little about him but he is a true miracle! He doesnt speak ANY portuguese and goes to church every singlesunday and accepted the gospel fully and was baptized. What faith!

This week we will be super busy as usual but things are going really well. We already have transfers again next week! I love my investigators and recent converts and love and miss all of you!

In the photo, we were eating lunch with a member and her pet came out and i thought it was pretty cool! Only in Brasil man...

Love you all! Have a good week!

Sister Penni

another email-maringa

Olá!!!

Hope everybody is doing well, we are doing super great here in Maringá! Here is a photo of me and my companion, Sister Rocha. She loves rock music, red lipstick, and we laugh a ton together. She is wonderful.

This week Fuanel (from Haiti) was baptized! He just is such an example of faith and accepted baptism and goes to church every sunday and is just great. There are a lot of Haitians here in Brasil looking for work for their families so it has been cool to get to know a lot of them.

Also- we saw a true miracle this week. We set a goal of two baptisms this transfer with a lot of faith. Maringá can be a very difficult area to work in and finding people to teach has been a challenge. This week at church a recent convert asked us to visit his friend who has come with him to church many many times. The problem is he does not speak any portuguese. Only Creol. We went there to teach him and his recent convert friend helped us translate. By a miracle, his friend Mileon accepted a baptismal date for this Saturday. I was so touched by his willingness to follow the example of the Savior. Just think about it- he has gone to church so many times and does not understand one single word of it, but keeps coming back. What a testimony of the power of the Spirit at church. He keeps coming back because of how he feels inside the church and is not taking the first step to return to our Father in Heaven solely with faith that it is all true. Miracles happen according to our faith and i know that only our Father in Heaven through the Spirit prepared Mileon before we even met him.

I received word from my old companion that one of our investigators Gabriella that we taught together accepted baptism! I am so happy that she is getting baptized! Miracles truly happen people! Its a real thing! Always plant a seed because you never know what will come of it otherwise!

Maringá is great and we are doing well! It is super hot, like usual, but im loving it. Miss all of you and love all of you! Read the scriptures. Every single day. Never let a day go by without opening those sacred books.

Love you all!

Boa semana pra vocês!

Maringa!

Hello Family!

I have arrived in Maringá and am with my new companion, Sister Rocha, from Rio de Janeiro. She has a 4 ish months left on her mission and she is super wonderful! 

We live in an apartment that overlooks a lot of cool trees and houses. I have met a lot of the Recent Converts here and they are all super cool, some of which are going to serve missions soon. Super Cool! I just arrived so I dont have a ton to report but this is going to be a good transfer. Because of mothers day, it is only 5 weeks long so the people going home are home before mothers day, so we only have a month left until transfers again!

Wasnt conference so great? I loved it. I am also excited to read the talks in english soon lol. Also, it was super cool to be in a country where a temple was announced. Belem is not close to here, but there was so much excitement in the chapel when another temple in Brasil was announced.

I dont have a ton of time this week but will work on taking some pictures this week! I am well and happy! Love you all! Read the Book of Mormon and dont let conference just be something that happened this weekend. Cherish the words of the prophet of God. 

Love you all!

Love Megan