July 21, 2014

So this week was really great! It didn´t go at all how we planned it, but exactly as the Lord wanted it to go. Somehow in the midst of our travels, we were able to still work a lot in our area. But the members are helping a lot and we have a lot of new ideas to help them understand how they are missionaries and help share the gospel.

YES. The time is flying by so super fast. July 31st is around the corner. 1 year on the mission, the day of transfers. We will see if I stay here again or not. My companion will be going home next transfer, so she´ll probably stay in this area, I could stay with her too. I don´t know what will happen. 

Sunday I had a great suprise!! Halfway through Sacrament meeting a yound women walked in. I about screamed I was so happy! She was a member of our branch in Parintins, she was here in Manaus visiting family and decided to come visit me at church! It was so good to see her again. I really do miss Parintins. I think that has to have been my favorite area by far.

Before it I will be at home in your loving arms again!  I wrote Bruce today. I told him that I would really like to see and spend some time with him and the family after the mission. I also thanked him for helping out with school. I really do love your family mom. I have some of the best childhood memories with them. They have taught me so much! They really are a great example.

As for bringing home parasites, I hope that I don´t bring any. But, who knows? I remember how Remmi loved those shows! Maybe I will be one of those real life examples... :P

Ryan does have a good point to make. We just eat a whole lot more on the mission than we did before. We don´t have a choice to be lazy because mom won´t make us food. Here they make us food when we don´t even want it. lol. 

You guys are growing up so much.. I wont recognize you when I get home. But then again, you wont probably recognize me either I´ll be so tan.

This week, we hope to set a few more baptismal dates. Some of the Elders made a dvd for us with some mormon messages. We sat down and watched them for awhile with an investigator of ours. She is really stubborn, but just watching these movies she felt the spirit so strongly and started asking about baptism. Which was a miracle, because when we try to talk about baptism she just shuts down completely. Then while we were walking home (gosh, just thinking about how much we walk makes me tired) another miracle happened. This car pulled off to the side of the road and rolled down the window. We were fully expecting it to be some weird guy asking us if we wanted a ride again, but this time was different. It was one of my old investigators that I had in Gloria. The week we were transfered was supposed to be his baptism. It never happened. He was a perfect investigator! I asked him if he had been to church, and he said that he went one time, I asked him if he would go sunday. I hope he went. He took down our number. So I am hoping that he calls so that we can teach him and get him baptized. 

Well anyways, I love you guys!!! Before you know it we will be home laughing  and having so much fun. My companion always laughs at how blong I am. I am not that blond when I speak portuguese, but I am still the same dumb old me. lol. It gives us lots of reasons to laugh. :) 

Ciao, 

Sister Chatwin

July 14, 2014

I am so excited that youth conference will be in Nauvoo. We were watching some of the church history movies, and I really just love all of the learning experiences the saints had in Nauvoo. :) It really is a wonderful place!

Sterling driving? I hope he has improved a lot since that time he drove me around the parking lot in the jeep... Maybe he can drive me home from the airport in 6 months. That´s how it was when Warren got home from his mission, I got to drive him somewhere because I hadnt been driving before he left for his mission.

I bet mom and Remmi just had the time of their lives. I always loved my adventures with mom. :) She is a good travel buddy.

Send some rain our way! Once again it is summer time here, and it´s the worst. The sun can be so stinking hot. Like it is super super super hot during the summers here. It really stinks walking outside all day in this heat.

So this week we got to do some divisions. I feel like I spent more time on the bus than I did walking around on my feet. One of the sisters had to go to the hospital to pick up her x-rays and then talk about the results. Her area was so super far from the hospital. When we finally got back, I never wanted to step foot on a bus again. The bus we took was packed full of people, like sardines in a can. Sweaty gross people. Think about crowd surfing, and then doing that in a bus. Trying to get through the center aisle was death. Everytime someone moved I got squished and I only had one hand to try and hold on and not fall on the man that was sitting on the step beside me. I covered my arm in germ-x after we got off because of all the sweaty people that we squished against me. I am so glad that we have cars, and that the mass transportation is not by bus in the states.

The other area where we did divisions if full of hills. Not tame lame sauce hills,but calf killing hills. My legs were sore the next morning. There is a hill in our area that is huge and we call it death hill, but after visiting santa marta, death hill is tiny. In santa marta there is a hill where they had to cut of the top and re-level it, because the cars couldn't make it to the top. 

Our baptism this week fell through. His mom didn´t let him be baptized. It was really sad and we tried to do everything. This little boy was so excited, the only problem is that the mom is not letting him right now. We even brought our amazing ward mission leader, who still teaches like he is a missionary and we couldnt get the form signed. His mom just didnt want to come out of her room and talk to us.  We are going to be creative in trying to talk to her this week and see if we can´t help her understand a little more about the gospel. 

I am loving my mission and the things that I am learning. I love teaching the gospel, to the members and investigators. I love giving talks in church and sharing my testimony every fast sunday. I love playing the piano, conductiong, helping out in classes and what ever I am asked to do. I love being here in Brasil! 

Love you all! 

Sister Chatwin 

July 7, 2014

First of all, loved all of the pictures that you guys sent! Estou com muito saudades de suas adventuras. Mas tudo bom, sei que vamos ter bastante quando volta.

Looking at the family reunion, I felt like there were people there that I dont even know. It has been such a long time that everyone is growing up and I dont recognize them anymore. Especially my brothers. Eles são gato. :) Cuidado com as meninas gente!

That car [parade Jeep] is amazing. I feel like it could be moms car.

Soo you might have gotten a picture from Manuel again. We saw him at the temple and took a picture together. Out of the blue we decided to dye our hair last p-day. It was meant to only have the tips dyed blonde, but I guess the lady doing my hair changed her mind about that and put a lot more blond in my hair. Dont worry though, it looks good... Just that in the picture youll see from Manuel,, well that was a bad hair day. My hair was super dry and it looked like Hermoines, but I didnt really care because we were just going to the temple. I promise it looks a lot better when I straighten it. I actually have a picture of it, but my camera has a virus so I cant send any pictures until I find someone to take it off. 

So there is this family that I just adore here. Mainly because the two little boys are super rowdy and their mom is always yelling at them to settle home. Saudades, kkk. Anyways I just adore their son Lucas. Everytime we go to there house he yells, OÌ SISTER CHATA! Its so great. This sunday I was conducting again and I saw his dad tell him to go up and bear his testimony. He went up to the front and back to where he was sitting three times before he finally stayed and sat down. When it was his turn he just stood there and breathed into the microphone and started to shrug his shoulders. He mumbled something along the lines of.. I dont even know why I go to church! Then he said something about baptism, and ran back to his seat. No one could hold it in, we were all laughing! I just love little kids. :)

This last week was super busy. We had a bunch of meetings in Alvorada and we also went to the temple. So we hardly stayed in our area. This week and next we are going to doing divisions with the sisters that we take care of, so we will be doing some traveling. Our ward is great and they are going to help take care of our investigators. 

Anyways, things are going great here. I really love serving a mission, and my time here is running out. But 6 months is still a long time. :) I was talking this week with a young woman who was debating serving a mission because she didnt want to be far away from her family. I told her that you have to be far away from your family to serve a mission. Because you find parts of your family in the members and people you teach. That is what makes you love doing missionary work. 

I got a letter from Brother Halsey this week. I always like getting his letters! There is not a post office in my area, so I cant respond to any of them yet. 

I know i´m getting fat, but its not my fault I promise. These members, its like you dont have a choice! At lunches you have to eat until they are content. There are some Irmas, that want you to eat everything they make. They also have desserts at almost every meal. They seem to only drink soda. And there is always someone giving you snacks after lessons or having you come to dinner. They also get sad, de verdade, if you dont eat a lot. Every activity has food. All we do is eat. It´s just part of the culture with the missionaries They always say, COME MAIS SISTER. Its kind of funny actually. We were doing visits with an irmao, and when we were offered food, he just said that he didnt want any and the irma shrugged it off. We were kind of jealous, she even gave us the rest of the cookies walking out the door. I really do love brasil.

Anyways I love you guys a lot! :) :) I hope that you have a great week!

ENJOY THE SUMMER. 

Sister Chatwin 

June 30, 2014

Dude. So I am totes jealous of all of you. Jealous of Warren and Ivy having so much fun without me. Mom in the awesome cheetah costume. I miss doing overnights with her at the fireworks stand. Missing sterlings amazing concert. I can only imagine how great it was!! ALL OF YOUR CREATIVE ADVENTURES. 

Lislane was right in that comment on facebook. My tan lines are so freaking bad. I am on the lookout for a new bag, so that I can get rid of the tanline on my chest. When I take my bag off, half my chest is white, the other tan. When I wear my hair in a braid it is harder to see, lol. Good luck for my feet. The chacos tan is going to take forever to go away when I come home. Sometimes I am okay with that, other times I am not. Really guys, all the members of this ward keep telling me that my skin is the color of brasilians and not americans. It´s crazy how dark I am. 

Yeah. SO Manaus is great as usual. The ward here really likes to help with the work. We have some great investigators, but are really needing to give some of them a push to get baptized. As for my new responsibilities... We are going to meet the new mission president tomorrow when we have our leadership council meeeting. Basically as a sister training leader we just do splits with some of the sisters. We have like 4 sets of Sisters that we will take care of this transfer. 

So I really like Sister Crane. We are going to be best friends. She is super sweet and blonde. Blond hair and blond in the brain too. We combine really well. She goes home in September, so we have fun talking about all the things she is going to do etc. The city where we live ran out of running water this week. Something broke the water line in the streets, and rumor is that it is not going to get fixed until the end of July. We spent a few days without water, taking showers with a bucket...all that. Then we called the Elders in the office when we found out it was going to be a whole month without water. They had us switch houses with the Elders (our DL) close by, and moved the Elders to the other Elders house. Every time our DL calls he wants to know if the water has come back in our part of the area. EVERY TIME.  Oh. Sister Crane is from Dallas Texas. Her dad is a retired pilot. He worked for American Airlines. 

I am excited to get lots of pictures. Say hello and give big hugs to everyone at the family reunion for me!! Have a HAPPY 4th OF JULY!! Y´all are great!! 

BEIJOS, 

Sister Chatwin

**Really mom. That tiger suit is the best. I love those pictures.

June 23, 2014 - Transferred Again

Sounds like things are great! 

I was transferred. I should have seen it coming, but I just didnt want to leave Parintins. I had so much fun there and I was sure sad to leave. I am in Manaus again, the area of Noel. (Christmas is in the air) I will be a Sister Training Leader this transfer! My new companion is Sister Crane. She is really cool, we are going to get along great. It will be interesting being in the leadership this transfer with the new president and all. 

Sunday after Sacrament, the youth made me sit down on the bench and they sang God be with you till we meet again. I took lots of pictures and I would send them to you, but my camera has a virus and it wont let me open the pictures... The festival in Parintins is this weekend, I just barely missed it. They were beginning to put in all of the big monsters and so forth... I am glad that I wont have to be there during the festival. The streets were getting so crowded, and there were sooo many people. We also lived right by the stadium so during the show it would have been impossible to sleep with the loud music. I really wish I could send you pictures! Parintins is sooo pretty. 

I traveled alone yesterday, the other Elder missed the plane. When I arrived in Manaus it was filled with Americans for the game that night. IT was weird being around americans. They were all dressed so funny for the world cup and singing really loud. I stood outside waiting for my ride while they got on the busses. I kind of hoped for one of them to to yell SISTER! Would have been cool, but it didnt happen. Could have been that I was wearing a black shirt and you couldnt really seee my name tag. Also I look like a gaucho. ( The cowboys of Brasil) Everyone thought that I was Brasilian when I arrived in Manaus. lol.      

So the internet cafe will be closed this afternoon for the Brasil game. No one has emailed me but you... :) You will get a long letter today. When Brasil plays, no one is in the streets and nothing is opened. President allowed us to watch the game when Brasil plays, so we usually go to the house of a member and have a little party. Which sadly I will be missing in Parintins today. We always went to the house of Marcos and Irleia. We always made a cake with them and Marcos would make Pudim. I´m going to miss Parintins. It was a culture shock coming back to Manaus. Imagine how it will be coming back to the states. I prefer being in the small poor areas, Manaus is too much of a city for me. I need to see my trees and the river and the dirt streets. 

I am jealous that you get to go to Colorado! I miss it so much, and its cold. (I got so tan in Parintins...It was stinking hot) Bruce told me that I should put my pictures on a USB and send them to you. I would be doing that, but first I have to find someone to get rid of the virus. Give everyone a big hug for me! I miss going to the family reunions.

In relations to college. I am happy at BYU-I, but I also have been thinking about going to Mesa State. Only thing is its super expensive... but they have a good Geology program. Don´t know, just something to think about.

Send a picture of the snake skins! They sound really cool. I got to hold a baby Tambaqui last week. Its a fish. Sounds like Remmi is becoming an expert fishermen. I sure cant wait to have fun with you all again!!

As for the package..

• Pop tarts
• Cereal
• Peppermint patties
• Body spray

Okay, I love you!! :)

I´lll write more when I think of more to say. 

Beijo, 

Sister Chatwin

June 16, 2014

This week was awesome. I really love being here in Parintins. We have transfers this week, and I really dont want to leave. I am ready to kneel and beg to stay here. It´s crazy how fast I get attached to these people. I have a love so strong for them that I know it existed before this life. 

That makes me really excited that Sister Wallace's daughter is going to serve here! You will have to have her send me an email, and I will for sure think this week on things to bring! :) :) She is going to love it here, it´s stinking hot, but the people are amazing. 

Being the last week of transfers, and that last week that we have President Klein, he is coming to Parintins this Thursday to give a last trainging to the missionaries here, and a fireside to the members. I have learned so much from him and am excited to meet the new president. Really, I dont want to leave Parintins. My heart is here on this tiny island. 

Today was the best p-day yet. There is a couple that I just adore here and we spent p-day in their house.They we both the first elder and first sister to serve a mission here in Parintins.  The Elders made a churrasco for us, it was super yummy. After that we watched The other side of heaven. I love that movie, and it really made me think on the experiences that I have had on the mission and how much I have changed.... both physically and mentally. 

One of my friends from Flight Safety sent a picture that we took before I left on the mission.. I look like a little girl.

I am jealous that you are going on a cruise. You will have so much fun. I absoulutely just love the different cultures here in Brasil. I have been absorbing every moment of the mission, things will be different when I return home. There will always be a little brasileira in me. 

Things on the mission are not always easy, but you deffinitely learn how to work out the differences, work in unity, and give all you have to these people. I have been blessed to see so many miracles here. I get sad thinking that one day I will return home, the culture is so different. 

Anyways I better go, Hope that all is well with you and sending my biggest X´s and O´s. 

Beijos

Sister Chatwin

(I saw another alligator this week) I wish I could send you all of my pictures!

June 9, 2014

Remmington is getting so big! I hardley recognize him. Oh, I love you
guys so much!! :) :)
This week was a lot of fun. I got to do a service project! The Elders
had some investigators that were getting married, so I got to make the
cake!!! I was in heaven all day. It was so much fun and I missed
baking. Sad thing is, is that it was to stinking hot and we didnt have
an electric mixer in the Relief Society Presidents house, so the cream
cheese icing stayed really liquidey.
Even more funny was during the wedding, one of the Elders couldnt stop
dreaming about how his future wedding would be. He kept talking about
all of the proposal ideas he has seen, and how he just really wants to
get married. Its really quite funny, because he talks about it all the
time and he doesnt even have a girlfriend. 

I had to miss our baptism
this week, because I was making the cake. We arrived at her house 8 am
left for lunch at one, returned after lunch at 3pm, did splits with
other members so I could stay and make the cake, while Sister Nina
went to the baptism. It was a really good and busy week for us! We
were all dog tired come Sunday. My portuguese stopped working, because
I was practically sleep walking, and one of our investigator was
holding my hand as we crossed the streets. She was a little worried.
We had a good p-day too. Some of the Irmas spent the day with us and
painted our nails. My camera isnt being recognized so I didnt send the
pictures. We should be going to play dodge ball here pretty soon. Just
wanted to send my love! The internet was slow and not couperating with
me.

One thing I love doing on Sundays is teaching Gospel Principles. I
only have time during the week to read the lesson once, and some how
it seems like the lessons always last the time of the class. Most of
the time, I feel really unprepared because of the lack of time I
study, but I trust in the Spirit, and he makes up for the lack of
time, and somtimes lack of knowledge that I have.

Well, I better go and play dodgeball with the people we invited.

I emailed bruce, praying for Ryan, forwarded the picture of the cake!

Hope you are having a wonderful summer. I miss you lots, and am
excited to see you all again.

Sending a great big hug!

-Sister Chatwin

p.s. Congrats to Megan and her decision to serve a mission. It will be
the best thing she has ever done!