This week has been really good! I give most of the credit to it being Valentines day. For a few weeks now I have brainstormed how I could celebrate dia de amor here in Brazil. I loved Christmas in the CTM so much so I have decided to find ways to make all the holidays here special and memorable for my companion and roomates, members and investigators. In the CTM Sister Bednar told us that we serve two missions here: one to the people in the country we are assigned to labor, and the other to the missionaries we are assigned to labor with and I decided that Valentines day was the perfect way to show my amor!
So I cut out lots of foam hearts and found uplifting quotes and scriptures about service, compassion and hard work. I gave them out in our lessons and explained that in America we use Valentines day as a chance to express our love to friends and family. I went on to say that this year they were my friends, and family and thanked them for their love and friendship towards me. Everyone loved it! I wrote notes and got little gifts for the girls in my house and made french toast and fruit for breakfast. It was great!! AND I got an incredible pink package from home with lots of chocolate so I am a very happy girl.
In my search for quotes I found one that I love very much. There is no denying that Albert Einstein was incredibly influential and we still use his knowledge and philosophies centuries after his death. There are probably many reasons for his success but this quote of his is definitely is one of them.
---Only a life lived for others is a life worth living.---
I really feel like Im bringing hope and joy to a lot of people here and I am very happy! I am finding that a mission is a unique opportunity to serve and be served by so many. I am constantly amazed at how many people are supporting me here. I feel the strength of prayers and love recieving letters and packages. Members are so kind and loving and since most are either first or second generation members, they know first hand what a change the gospel can have on lives and they want so much to help us. They make us great lunches, give us references and teach with us lots. The ward here is very special.
In other news, while my companion is one tough cookie, we really are becoming such good friends. I am amazed at her knowledge of the gospel as well as her spiritual and physical strenth. ANDD she is hilarious. We spend so much time laughing. Here are some facts about sister Valente so you can see why I enjoy here so much:
1. She sings... all the time. She sings lots of music but especially rock and she wants to marry Bon Jovi. And Im not kidding one bit.
2. This is closely related to the first. While she sings often, it is not exactly very good... In fact, she sounds identical to the Brazilian version of Alfalfa from little Rascals. Every morning we sing a hynm in Portuguese to start our companionship study. She always sings a portion so that I can figure out what song I will be learning and for the first few weeks here I was surprised by how many new songs existed in the Portuguese hymnal. I have since figured out that I have known these songs for years but she puts a whole new spin on them... different tune and all.
3. She loves to learn English so we spend time teaching each other every day. She has yet to grasp the difference between the pronunciation of the words world, word, ward, would but we are working it every day.
She loves learning funny words and phrases and a few of her favorites include moron, spread eagle, and third wheel.
4. Her dad died when she was 10 and she spent a lot of her growing up years alone because her mom had to travel a lot to support her family.
5. She loves adventures as much as I do and we are on a mission to find all the cool things to do for P days. Last week we went to a sweet street called Paulista. It looked exactly like NYC. And this week we are going to some place called 25 de Março. For the longest time I thought she was planning a special activity for next month. I had no idea it was the name of a street. my bad.
There are others, I am sure but adventure awaits. I am happy. The work is good. We have lots of investigators and most are progressing. Some at snail pace, others a little more rapidly. thank the heavens. (habits like smoking and drinking are very hard to break, i am finding) and I am learning so much! Yesterday I got the surpirse task of speaking in church and I wasnt quite so terrified as two weeks ago. I had more to say and I think I made less gramatical errors. I love being able to testify of the things I always knew and the things and I am learning. I love feeling the love God has for each of his children.
Love you all!
Ate mais!
Sister Lauren
p.s.
Thanks for emailing! I am so glad you and mom had a great time! I want to tell you and mom thank you for being such great parents. I had two experiences in particular this week that were very humbling for me and reminded me how blessed I am. First, we were teaching two young kids that seemed really excited about our visits and were keeping their commitments which is a miracle itself. But their parents forbid us from coming back.
Then we were walking down the street and saw a lost little boy, maybe two years old. Just then his dad found him and instead of being happy, he was very angry and whiped him with a belt right in front of us.
I am increasingly greatful for our wonderful family. thank you for raising us with love and respect. I am finding out how rare a family like ours is.
I will send pictures of my valentines party next week because of all the rotten luck my computer today doesnt have a plug for my camera. But I havent gotten the packages yet but we get mail every tuesday so I will look then. Transfers are every 6 weeks but for the 12 weeks we are guaranteed the same trainer.
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