Dear Family,
Transfers are always crazy but this one more than ever before. Tuesday we showed up in Farol onde tem transferencias (where we have transfers). And President spoke and Sister Gonzaga spoke and the entire time I just wanted to find out if I was training or not. They finally got around to announcing the different duplas (companionships) which they do by area. They started with Sergipe and so by the time the got to Pajuçara I was really anxious. But they got to my zone and district. And said in Pajuçara Sister Smith Senior e Treinadora. Eu: WHAT. Presidente I think a mistake was made. I was told Sunday that I will stay in Pajuçara. Nope. Now I am in Cidade Universitario, a bairro in Maceio. It is a little bit more ghetto but I love this area already. The ward is bigger and the members are amazing. Our LO (leader da Obra) is amazing. But obviously the moment I found out I was actually going to a new area I got nervous because I will train in an area that I don´t know. But it turned out ok and I didnt have much time to worry because I need to go and pack my bags (which people usually do pday) and then pick up minha filha (my daughter-I think it means the junior companion). It was exactly like when I got my visa just one day before I left for Brazil. I didn´t have time to worry. I think the Lord knows that I can´t have a lot of time to worry about things.
Now about minha filha. This transfer was unique. Only two Elders arrived and 5 Sisters. 3 Americans, 1 Hispanic, 1 Brasileira. Well. I am training an Americana. Her name is Sister Barratt (photos to come next week. I have a lot to send). She is twenty and studied at BYU before the mission. She is from Dallas,Texas and tall and blonde. Needless to say we call a lot of attention to ourselves. I think more her than me. Her Portuguese is good for so short a time but I am still teaching almost sozinha (alone). This week I know the Lord as strengthened me to be able to understand and speak Portuguese better because I need to. This week was cool because after conversing with a member, He asked where we were from. When I said we were both Americans he looked surprised. He thought I was Brazilian. Made my day.
I now live in a house (that is PINK) with 3 other sisters. I am the oldest one in the house. It is strange to go from being really young in comparison to my companions to now being the oldest (the other two sisters are both 19 and Brazilian thank goodness because they help us with our Portuguese and know where members live so we can eat. Que Benção! (What a blessing!) The other duple is training as well. The other sister has 6 months on the mission as well. We now have over 30 sisters in the mission.
This week was full of blessings. It was hard with all the traveling and showing up in an unknown area and working right away. This week we estavamos fazendo contatos na rua (were making contacts in the street) when it started to rain. When we left the house earlier the sky didn´t have a cloud so we didn´t have umbrellas. Well we finished talking to this elderly couple and started to walk away. We didn´t get very far when the man stopped us and gave us a big umbrella for us to use. The people really are extremely nice and giving. There is always a smile to be found and a helping hand near by. It warms my heart.
I love you all very much and hope that every day you can see how Heavenly Father blesses our lives. The blessings are numberless. We just have to try to see them. I know that you all are busy and life is crazy but just continue!
Com muito amor,
Sister Martin
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