HELLO

This week I followed the example of my trainer and wrote down in my planner everything that happened in the week that I wanted to share. We´ll see if I can fit everything in the time I have!
We had a wonderful girl we were teaching and preparing for baptism, but Satan snatched her away through the aid of her sister who was not a good support. It was really sad for me because she was so excited when we taught her. Now she doesn´t even answer the phone when we call. Anyways, it was depressing and I began to think that maybe our greatest work here in this area is to work with the members and strengthen them. Because if the ward isn´t strong, whoever we baptize isn´t going to stay strong. The problem is, I don´t really know how to reactivate someone. I´m just going to rely on the Lord and trust him b;c He knows exactly what they need. We are preparing some ideas to integrate the members and have a message, game, and food every week. ?Hopefully this will help them become better friends.
Where exactly do the pasqualin primos live? Didn´t mom say they lived here in Cuiabá? How my mission works is there are only 2 areas open to sisters. Those areas are only in the state of Mato Grosso. So, I will get to know these 2 areas really well in a year and a half!
I don´t have any more money for food as of today so I am going to have to exchange the money I brought from my account to eat. The mesada is really little here. I don´t know how I´m going to afford for shampoo, deoderant, tooth paste, etc. when I can´t even afford food! We created a report for the mission president and are going to give it to him to see if he will raise our mesada. I really haven´t been buying anything superfluous (not cookies, nothing!). Thanks be to SW for teaching me to economize! We´ll see how that goes because we have zone conference tomorrow. I´m kinda nervous because my mission president is really intimidating.
Good news is that since I´ve arrived, my companion and I have doubled our lessons taught with members--despite the fact that we haven´t met them all yet! Que coisa boa!
I need help my rm relatives! How do you go about helping inactives and recent converts? Most importantly, how do you get people to honor their compromissos? We invited 10 people to church last sunday and only one was there! I´m so tired of molhe pesquisadores! Oh well, we will just keep working to find the elect. Those who are prepared for this message will fulfill their promises. I´m sorry if I sound weird, but I´m already forgetting some words in english. I can only think in portuguese lots of the time!
We got the Liahona for this month and I was leafing through it and saw dad´s picture! He wrote an article on helping hte church in Brazil be mature. It was really good and I got a lot from it, so thanks dad!
Question--has there ever been a mission with sister missionaries in the office? They have elderly couples in the office right? Has there ever been a mission president who didn´t serve a full time mission?
Brazil is beautiful!! I really do love it here. Brazilians are hilarious! One funny thing, I think Buddy´s relative lives next door because I hear his bark every day! Or Did he escape from Grandma´s house? Haha!
I am working hard and giving the Lord my best. I do have a couple requests though. Tooth brushes, tooth paste, face wash, zit and wart cream, shampoo, deoderant, body spray etc. are all ridiculously expensive down here! Is there any way someone could be an angel and send me some? I didn´t bring a lot down here and I´m running out rapidly. I would just buy it with my own money, but like I said earlier, I don´t even have enough to eat. Help!
I love you all a lot! May God bless you! This Sunday, we are baptizing a 17 year old girl who is dating the son of the ward mission leader. She is awesome! She is very sharp and has a strong testimony. She has been attending seminary for the last 3 months and even goes when her boyfriend doesn´t. Now that´s dedication! We are going to sing a special musical number for her baptism and have the members bring food for it (it´ll be right after church). Her mom and brother are very strict catholics and wouldn´t even come to the family home evening we planned for them to break the ice a little. Yet, she continues strong.
Well, that´s all for now. Sorry but I am running out of time. Know that I love you all very much!! I wish I had time to write everything I want, but I don´t. Thank you for all your prayers, emails, etc.
Love, Sister Ellis III
P.S. Mom are you sending these on to my friends or no? Just wondering...They might not even want to get these in which case, that´s fine. Saves you time, right?