WEEK 11: August 27, 2018 "I have a slight allergy to cats"

Me and Sister Lins at the temple

OLA!!!!!!! Y’ALL I AM A MISSIONARY WHOO HOO!!!! 

This week was AWESOME!! I gained a HUGE love for this country and these people and this language and this work and I am just so EXCITED to be here!!! I wake up every morning and get to clip on a tag that says that I represent the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!

This week we did a lot of finding. And now we have more people to visit than we have time for! Which is fantastic!! So I have gotten the chance to actually run a little bit. I miss running for sport, but running to teach people is good too! Our mission changed the rule on who we can actually count as an investigator, so now someone has to have committed to a date for baptism before we can count them as our investigator. Which is good, because it is a more accurate representation of who is interested in the gospel, but it is hard because we don't have a lot of "investigators." But we have a lot of people to teach!!!

Me, the member who drove us to the temple and Sister Lins

Last week we went to the temple! I am so blessed to have a temple near me. It was awesome. We got a member to drive us and it is always a blessing to go to the temple. PSA (public service announcement) for all my Utah peeps! Take advantage of having a temple near you!! It is such a blessing! 

So in Brazil, the big meal of the day is Lunch. So we have lunches with members instead of dinners. I love the members in our ward. They are all amazing. So yesterday we had lunch at Vanessa’s house. She has 3 cats. I walked in and saw them and thought, "I am allergic to cats, but it isn't bad so I won’t worry." Then about 10 minutes later I feel my throat start to close up a little bit and my nose starts feeling like crap. So I said a little prayer that I would be able to make it through lunch without a huge problem. MIRACLE. All the symptoms went away after that until we stepped out of the house and then it hit me like a brick wall. Sister Lins says that I looked like a zombie for a solid 2 hours. but yes. I am allergic to cats. 

We got a reference this week for a family that is friends with a member. We went over there and they got super excited to meet an American because one of their sons works at pizza hut! He got super excited and is going to make me a pizza to try when we return and tell him how close it is to an american pizza. But at the end of the lesson we asked if we could say a prayer. And the mom said, "No. I will not pray with you. I don’t worship Joseph Smith. I will not pray to Joseph Smith." And so we explained that we don’t pray to Joseph Smith we pray to Heavenly Father. And she said, "Then why did the other missionaries tell me that you pray to Joseph Smith?" We were so confused. Finally we found out that the ELDERS that were here before us, told her that we pray to Joseph Smith and taught her to pray to Joseph Smith!! UGH ELDERS!!!! But we explained that that isn't true and are returning this week!!

Sorry for the long email. I just am so dang happy to be a missionary!!!! This is the best work and it is awesome!!!

This week I again, have a challenge for you! So this week I was having a little bit of troubles with my companion. So I decided to just focus all my effort on helping her. I stopped worrying about what I needed or what I wanted or if I was comfortable and just 100% focused on her. I made her food, and made her bed, and cleaned the kitchen and bathroom so she wouldn't have to, I let her teach the parts of the lessons that she was more comfortable with, and just focused everything on her. And a miracle happened! Our relationship changed 150% and we both are just so much happier. We love each other and the work is so much easier. So I invite all of you to choose 1 person in your life; someone you see often and spend a lot of time with, and try to spend 1 day completely focused on helping this person. Fulfill your responsibilities, obviously, but just try to make their life better. I promise your love for them will grow and you will feel the love of Christ work through you. 

Sorry again for the long email! I love you all so much!!

Love,

Sister Rebecca Hammond

Extra: Mom's questions answered

How are my emails to you? Too long? Too short?  Not enough about the family? etc...
I love hearing everything you have to say about the family! I do wish you sent more pictures!!! I love getting pictures and I use my camera to take pictures of the pictures and look at them later.


How’s Mary?
Mais ou Menos agora. She has interest in the church and loves the gospel, but she thinks the things of the world are more fun and she won't be able to have fun as a member. We are working on it and I have faith!! Her dad is hard too because he thinks he knows everything and doesn’t have an open mind but I think as we testify with the Spirit he will be able to have a desire to learn about the gospel.


About what percent of what people say do you understand?
95% right now. I understand almost everything but every once in awhile there is a word I don’t know so I ask and learn new things everyday!!


Are you going to make a serious effort to learn Spanish too?
I am going to try really hard! I am not putting in a huge effort right now, because I am still trying to learn Portuguese. But my goal is at my 6 month mark to use half of my language study time to study spanish. Right now I am using about 1/4. But if I can speak Portuguese, Spanish and English I can communicate with 90% of the members of the church and I think that would be awesome! Because I want to travel a lot and to be able to speak 3 languages, I could communicate with a lot more people and hopefully share the gospel more!


What is the best thing you’ve eaten there?
They make this dessert where they make pudding, not the cold kind, but the hot kind, and pour it in a pan and put maria cookies in it and then chill it. It is AMAZING. Also they eat avocado as a fruit here and think I am so weird for putting it on eggs and salads and stuff. But there is this drink that they make for me a lot because I LOVE IT. Avocado, lemon, sugar, water in a blender. It is like a smoothie and it is SO GOOD! but also the avocados are like 4x the size of the ones in the US.


What is the worst?
I havent really eaten anything awful. They do have this medicine for upset stomachs that tastes like salt but also like mouthwash and it is awful!


What Brazilian tradition or item do you think you will miss when you come home?
I think chimarrou. I drink a lot and we drink it with all our members and investigators. But also everyone kisses on the cheek when you greet people and it is awesome and very sweet.


Where do you write your emails?
it is this very dark and creepy place where you pay to use the computer. It is quite an experience!


How do you do laundry?
We have a laundry machine. Not a dryer and nothing really dries so I wear half wet clothes a lot.


Have you made any friends with the other sisters there? Who?
I am friends with the other sisters in my zone. They are very sweet but we dont see them super often. Also all the sisters from the CTM!


What would you tell Andrew to do to best prepare to serve his mission in a year?
Keep the commandments. Satan works really hard to tempt missionaries who are going to serve. Also go to seminary. Know the scriptures. You have to share a lot of thoughts so know the scriptures.


When are you happiest?
I think when we are walking around right now. I love the sun, I love the rain and jumping in the puddles. Sister Lins thinks I am crazy because I am always jumping in puddles. Also when we are teaching and I get to testify! I love feeling the spirit testifying through me. But recently I really have been happy 97% of the time. I just love this country and these people and this language and being a missionary!