If You Pray for Rain, Take Your Umbrella

BOM DIA!

This week was top

Wednesday was Brazilian Independence Day and we had a big service project with our zone. We went door to door informing people about the Zika mosquito and helping them take the steps to avoid disease and seek medical treatment at the first sign of symptoms. This Zika thing is crazy. Luckily we bathe in repellent <3

I realized how crazy patriotic Americans are because I think I only saw one Brazilian flag in the street and maybe heard 2 fireworks explode. It was a weak celebration, but at least I´m learning the national anthem- haha

We found an awesome couple this week! Daniel is an inactive member and lives with his girlfriend, Jamile. JAMILE IS AMAZING AND I LOVE HER. Anyways, she already received and answer and is so excited to get baptized after she gets married. Oh yeah! They´re going to get married!! #CASAMENTO YAASSS.

She went to church all done up and beautiful yesterday and said she wants to get baptized as soon as possible. She´s wonderful.

We were super pumped for yesterday because our friend Lucielton was all prepped and ready to be baptized. But at the last second he decided he wasn´t ready. He took off and never showed up to his baptism. It was kind of a huge bummer, but we´re hoping to help him feel more comfortable for this next week.

We learned a lot about faith this week. I remember a few months ago Pres. Bonini said to me - you can pray all day for God to send rain, but if you don´t leave the house with an umbrella, do you think you really have faith? 

If we don´t put our faith into action, our "faith" is of little worth. We must trust in God and act. I realized this week that only by acting in faith can we see God´s miracles. 

Love from Brasil,

Sister Chamberlain

12 Months

Bom Dia!

I HAVE BEEN A MISSIONARY FOR OFFICIALLY 1 YEAR!

This week was CrAzY

We had an Area 70 come to our mission (Elder Geraldo Lima) and we had a huge mission conference with him and it was awesome. 

Zone Conference - August 2016

About 2 weeks ago, the  Assistant to the President's (AP's) called Sister Andersen and Sister Andrade to tell them that the day before the conference, Elder Geraldo Lima would be coming to the area to spend the day proselyting with them. Well about a week later, the AP's called again and said that since Sister Andersen would have complete a self-sufficiency training because she´s finishing her mission this week, Elder Geraldo Lima would be going proselyting with Sister Pontes and me. (cue nervous stomach)

We cleaned and fasted and prepared to not cry in front of him - haha

Thursday morning, we were all prepped (kinda) and ready to go (as much as you can be to go proselyting with a 70 and your mission president). We spent the whole day nervous and trying to be the best missionaries on the planet as we waiting anxiously for the phone call saying they had arrived. At about 6:30pm, the cell rang and we both had a heart attack. It was Sister Bonini. She told us that they were super far out and there wouldn´t be time to make it out to our area that day.

So that´s the story of how I almost went on splits with a 70.

Sister Mish and me at Zone Conference

So that was exciting.

This week we have been pondering a lot about authority.

How Christ came with great power and authority to do everything He did, and gave this same authority to His apostles. The authority to act in God´s name. By this authority, He let the blind see and the lame walk. He multiplied bread, returned life to the dead, and commanded all to follow Him. He organized a perfect church, His church, that all could receive the ordinances of salvation, such as baptism. All of these things were to be executed by His perfect authority. But when He was sacrificed, and all of His apostles were also killed shortly after, this authority died with them. It did not exist on the Earth, and the power to act in the name of God was lost. Nobody could be healed in God´s name. Nobody could be baptized for the remission of sins. The world was trapped in darkness for centuries because the people had rejected the world´s greatest Prophet - The Savior, Jesus Christ. But God, in His infinite love and goodness, gave light to the Earth again, and called a young prophet to restore the organization of the Church of Christ. He gave to Joseph Smith the same power and authority, with the promise that never again will the authority be taken from the Earth. It is complete. Miracles exist today by this same power, and men can be cleansed from sin by the ordinance of baptism. This is the truth, and oh, how I love it. 

The perfect church of Christ has been restored! I know it.

What a miracle <3

LOTS of love from Brasil,

Sister Chamberlain

Getting Your Life in Alignment (Even When Your Back Is Not)

Bom Dia!

This week was exciting (and next week will be even bigger!)

Sister Andersen is getting ready to finish up her mission, so we all went to the huge center market in the heart of Fortaleza to help her get all of the things she wants to take home. In the whole process I ended up getting *drumroll* another hammock!! Yay! I love hammocks. I prob will never sleep in a bed again... okay that´s a lie, I always wake up begging for a chiropractor... but like I love them a lot.

I got to see Sister Corell this week too when we went for splits in her area - Aguanambi! I love Aguanambi! And it was so fun to see sisters that I've already lived with again.

Funny things from this week:

- Sister Andrade trying to play with the bishop´s 4 year old son, João, and get him to give her a high five. João is super sassy and every time S. Andrade tried to call his name, he would look straight ahead and avoid looking at her, not crack a smile and pretend not to hear her.

"João! High five bud! João! João! High Five!" Hahaha nothing. Hilarious.

- There´s a 16 year old kid in our ward who´s a piano prodigy and this week we were eating lunch at his house with his parents and he busted out "Turn Down For What" on the piano. haha. so great.

I LOVE WHEN INVESTIGATORS GET ANSWERS! Our investigator Cilani this week was praying everyday asking God if the Church was true. For her, God worked through other people to give her an answer. While she was on the bus, she started reading one of the lesson pamphlets and some woman leaned over and started asking her about it. Cilani said she was studying the doctrine to see if she wanted to be baptized and the woman told her to keep studying! She said that the Church is wonderful and she should keep looking for God there. Holla. Thank you bus woman.

In other news, we´ve started teaching a guy named Belfor. He´s so happy! And he really liked church yesterday (#itstrue). He´s taking the steps to be baptized and we´re praying for him so he can be prepared this Sunday!

I love commandments!

7 For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you.

Heavenly Father knows literally everything. And He knows me better than I know myself, so He also knows what I must do to achieve the greatest happiness possible (aka live with Him again with my family). That is why He gives us commandments. They are our guidelines to be happy eternally. And the best part is, when we obey what He has commanded us (which we should just do anyways because He´s God and supreme over everything... and yet He lets us choose), He blesses us even more than we imagined.

I love helping people understand how much better their lives become when they are aligned with the commandments of God.

being a missionary is the greatest <3

Next time you hear from me, I´ll have been out officially 1 YEAR!

omg.

Love from Brasil,

Sister Chamberlain

Accepting God's Will & Timing

WE FOUND A FAMILY! YES, A FAMILY!

I´ve never wanted someone to understand the gospel and be baptized so much.

I´ve been studying the August Liahona and it´s SO GOOD. 

My favorite talk is from Elder Bednar - accepting the Lord´s will and timing.  Take a read:

https://www.lds.org/liahona/2016/08/accepting-the-lords-will-and-timing?lang=eng

  “As we confront ourown … trials and tribulations, we too can plead with theFather, just as Jesus did, that we ‘might not … shrink’—meaning to retreat or to recoil (D&C 19:18). Not shrinking ismuch more important than surviving! Moreover, partaking of a bitter cup without becoming bitter is likewise part of theemulation of Jesus.”

Recounting the story of a newlywed couple battling the husband´s vigorous cancer, Elder Bednar asked him if he had the faith to not be healed. It seems counterintuitive but essentially he was asking if the couple had enough faith in God and in His plan to trust in Him whatever the outcome, even if it be death. This courageous couple wrestled with this question but ultimately decided to trust and have faith in God´s outcome.

Christ is our perfect example in all things. He was patient, and submit to the will of the Father. In face of our own difficulties, we are to be patient, and accept the timing and will of the Lord.

His plan is supreme and His will always triumphs. I´m learning how to have more faith in this and trust He truly knows all and sees all.

We are sad that some of our great investigators have decided not to continue their search for the truth. But we know that the Lord always has a very beautiful plan prepared for them and hope that one day they will allow their seeds to bloom.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this scripture. God’s plan is simple, not always easy, but simple.

“O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look, we may live forever.”

My companion shared these thoughts in a lesson this week and I had never considered the differences quite this way before; Satan does not have manners. He barges in, doesn´t ask permission. He destroys and tempts and lies and steals. Christ invites. He knocks. He whispers. He asks. Christ is respectful and well mannered.

Being a missionary is so great

I love the Book of Mormon

I love His Church.

I LOOVE His Plan

Boa semana xo

Love From Brasil,

Sister Chamberlain

The Wheels and the Miracles Go 'Round and 'Round

Bom Diaaaa!

This week was fuuuuulll of MIRACLES. Yesssssss.

I got to go to Itapipoca for splits this week! it was so nice to go back and see everyone! I think the happiest hug I´ve ever gotten was from Erenice and Ellen <3 

On the way back to Jd. Guanabara, Heavenly Father blessed us so much. We left the house at 7:02am to catch our 7:05am bus back to Fortaleza. The bus left late and we got on without any problems! We planned to go all the way back to the main bus station and then grab a different bus to the terminal that´s closer to our house. Then toward the end of the trip we heard the bus driver yell out - "TERMINAL - ANTONIO BEZERRA!" We were like... what the heck!? It was the terminal closer to our house we needed to get to! We made it to the terminal to find our exact bus waiting with doors wide open and basically nobody on board. It was the greatest morning of miracles.

We´re really excited because we´re teaching three new couples! We´re hearing wedding bells for all of them! Somebody break out the wedding cake <3 I love when we get the the follow-up lesson and they have prayed and received a powerful witness of the Restoration! It´s the greatest thing.

I love being a missionary <3 I never want it to end (but like, I still miss you guys sometimes too)

Love From Brasil,

Sister Chamberlain

Portuguese Is My Jam, Chicken Hearts Are Not

Bom Dia!!

This week flewww

Tuesday was a miracle day on the language front. I´ve been fighting my whole mission (and life actually) to be able to roll my Rs. Then all of a sudden on Tuesday I was like wait a sec. I´m able to say "pra" which is the shorter version of "para"... so maybe I´ll be able to say "tra" with the right R sound if I sit here trying to say "tara" really fast. I´m pretty sure my comp was super annoyed with me on Tuesday hahha because I only said "tara" all day long in the street. And then, it started happening! it´s like a super weak R but at least it´s better than it was before. So yea, I was hecka pumped about that. Also, I realized that Heavenly Father is so good because I wanted so desperately to speak Spanish before, but Portuguese is waay better. I would be so frustrated in Spanish with all of the Rs that they roll. Portuguese is my jam.

Wednesday I gave my first treinamento (training) in our district meeting and it actually worked out okay. Haha. We did that Holy Ghost dynamic game that rocks when you´re in Primary—where one person closes their eyes and another guides them across the room whispering while everyone else makes a ton of noise and creates obstacles. Nobody grows out of Primary <3

The Olympics are on everybody's TVs here. I'll have to watch it when I get back home. I'm collecting the Olympic coins. Brazil has these limited edition ones with all the sports. There's like 18 and I've collected 9 so far. 

Hey, I tried a new freaky thing! I ate chicken heart this week. Kinda gross... I don´t recommend it. Haha. But it was pretty good for a street shishkabob.

This week was a little slow but toward the end we started finding some new people. We gotta keep following up to make sure they keep being solid. We were sad because our baptism fell through this week. But this next week´s gonna be show.

I loved what Sheri Dew said about repentance:

“Repentance is, frankly, just plain smart, because sin makes you stupid: Stupid because you are deaf, dumb, and blind to the ways of the Lord. Stupid because habitual sin drives the Spirit away, leaving you outside the protective influence of the Holy Ghost. Stupid because it makes you incapable of drawing upon the powers of heaven. Being stupid costs a lot.

Sin costs a lot, too. It can cost time, money, peace of mind, progress, self-respect, your integrity and virtue, your family, the trust of those you love, and even your Church membership.

Sin is just plain stupid. And the cost is off the charts. So repent now. Repent daily. If you want to be sanctified, repentance is not optional.

Obedience, on the other hand, is brilliant, and its fruits are endless—one of which is happiness. The only way that I know to be happy is to live the gospel.”

I love that we can try again and again and again to be better. He requires our obedience but when we fall short, which we always will, he only wants us to try again. We can always start over. When we repent, God promises to forget our sins. To Him, it´s as if they never even happened. We can be cleansed and sanctified and made new through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I love this glorious truth <3

Love from Brasil,

Sister Chamberlain
-----------
p.s. No pictures. For the 5th time, the computer shack destroyed my flash drive with all of my pictures.

The Glowing Side Street & the Guy that Looks Like my Dad

Bom Dia!!

Quad Squad

This week was exciting!

Before the transfer, I made a huge bet with Sister Rosbach. I was positive that Adam Sandler was the guy in Night at the Museum and she was positive that Ben Stiller was the guy in Night at the Museum. I was so sure, I put $R100 to the fancy chocolate store on the table. I LOST! and we bought lots of chocolate hahahahaha Brazilian money rocks because that´s only like $25US bucks. Holler.

I got transferred again! I´m back in the city of Fortaleza and we´re hittin´ in Big. The neighborhood is called Jardim Guanabara and it's awesome. The area is a big triangle and there are lots of little streets and lots of little homes. My comp is a native of Brasil named Sister Pontes. She´s 31 years old from Curitiba, Paraná (a big city in Southern Brazil).

This week was a little slow, getting to know everybody and the area. We were really excited for Rosália to be baptized yesterday, but it didn´t work out, so we´re trying to help her feel more comfortable for this coming weekend. Saturday was awesome because while we were walking, we passed by a little side street and seriously it was like it was glowing. We started knocking on all of the doors and met Ausenir. Turns out she´s been inactive for 30 years and now lives with her boyfriend Raimundo. We started the lesson and seriously this guy is awesome. First, he looks a lot like dad which is spooky (But like obviously dad is way more handsome). But anyways, the spirit was super powerful. I like Raimundo because he studies the Bible a lot. We taught him about prophets and the apostasy and the restoration and he was so focused and interested. We showed him how everything is based on the Bible and how he can pray to confirm if it´s true. He was excited to get his very own Book of Mormon to start reading. I love how Heavenly Father uses us to find his children. It is so strange to be an instrument without even realizing it and then looking back and seeing His inspiration. 

I love the gospel. I love the Book of Mormon!

Thank you for the love and support from so many friends and family. I appreciate the emails and letters I have received! I love you all!

Love from Brasil,

Sister Chamberlain

The Power of Our Agency

Bom Dia!!

This week was a week of walking. I´m pretty sure I walked at least 50 miles this week.

But we also had lots of fun. Sister Rosbach celebrated 1 year in the mission, so of course we ordered pizza and cake :)

I spent lots of time in the other area this week with Sister Santos again. We´ve been teaching Felipe who´s progressing toward baptism and Luan who´s so great! I´m really excited to hear what happens with them. 

Time´s short today but I´ve been thinking a lot this week about something I read in one of Sheri Dew´s talks. She said that there is only one thing the power of God and the power of Satan have in common: Neither can influence us unless we allow them to. I´ve been able to see this almost every day. This week we went to visit a less active kid who got baptized last year. I had to keep it together to not cry in the lesson, because he had distanced himself so far from God, and given into his doubts to the point of negating that God even exists. I felt so sad for him. He had seen the fruits of faith in his life and then all of a sudden he let all of it go. But faith is truly a choice we make every day. Our agency is powerful. We can choose to let God´s grace work in our lives and see the miracles or give in to skepticism and temptations. It´s a lot of trust that God gives us to believe and to always do what´s right. I´m grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who blesses us and takes care of every aspect even when we are blind to His love. I love the Gospel. I love being a missionary. I LOVE BRASIL. A LOT.

Love From Brasil,

Sister Chamberlain

Faith First

Bom Dia!!

Somebody please tell me you drank a free slurpee for me on 7/11

This week was super exciting. For starters, my homie Sister Rosbach came home on Monday night with news that she has a scorpion (aka a guy who´s not just interested in the gospel...). Anyways we were all sad/nervous because usually when this happens there´s an emergency transfer. But we just waited it out to see what would happen. Tuesday morning we all piled on the Ônibus to head to Fortaleza for a Zone Conference (which was amazing). We got to see all of the other sisters and then everyone went to get dinner at McDonalds (KitKat Mcflurries are a big deal).

Wendesday night we packed up and headed back to Itapipoca <3

Since Sister Rosbach´s got a scorpion, we had to make a little switch up... so she stayed in my area with Sister Mish and I went with her comp, Sister L. Santos to the other side of Itapipoca all Thursday and Friday. It was awesome! They have lots of really great investigators that I got to meet aaaaaand also Sister Santos took me to a place that sells the best coxinha in Ceará. I know I´ve said this of other coxinhas, but I was wrong before. This one took the ...frier? okay.

Our investigator Karen got an answer this week! Karen´s mom was baptized about 20 years ago but then fell away from the church, married, had three daughters, everything. A few weeks ago we found her and she told us that she had been baptized. umm what? you bet we visited her. We´re currently teaching her whole family. Anyways, Karen has been reading the Book of Mormon and praying everyday to know if it´s true. She still hadn´t felt anything so we did a little experiment with her and everybody knelt down and we had her pray with us there on the spot and then take 1 minute at the end to sit and feel. She told us she felt a strong energy and a happy light inside of her. She said she felt her answer. Yes, I cried.

I was thinking a lot about faith this week. Reading in Ether this week, I liked that faith always precedes miracles. Answers, signs, miracles, cures, none of it can happen if we don´t have faith first. I love seeing fruits of faith in the work. Finding amazing investigators, watching them use their faith to love the gospel. It´s perfect.

Love from Brasil,

Sister Chamberlain

Baptisms, Bracelets, and Brevity

Bom Dia!
 

4th of July was... kinda cool but we didn´t do much. We had a cute picnic. That was fun.

ERENICE AND ELEN GOT BAPTIZED YESTERDAY! YAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSS!
 

I bought a cool Brazilian bracelet from a street hippie.

Not much time to write today.

Hope all is well back home <3

Love from Brasil,

Sister Chamberlain

Red, White, and True

HAPPY 4TH OF JULYYYYY

I live in a house with 2 other Americans... so you know we´re all decked out in red, white, and blue. We´re going to have a sweet picnic today up by this little lake in our area today. Pics to follow next week <3

This week ROCKED.

So we all know I´m weak for cool new ethnic food right? Okay so one night this week we were walking down the street and I saw a man with a turban making food in a huge clay pot (i was like, oh heck yeah). I asked him what he was selling and he told me it was Acarajé which is like a bean sandwich thing with meat sauce (okay that description sounds gross, but I was intrigued.. and for only R$6? of course I bought one) so we went to say hi to one of our investigators while he was making it and then we ran back to pick up my Brasilian/African surprise. When we got there, there was a lady also waiting for her Acarajé, so we invited her to come to church with us this Sunday. She was SUPER excited and receptive. We started teaching her the next day and she told us that her mom died last month and she´s been super sad. She woke up in the middle of the night and started asking God to send her a sign of what she should do, asking for consolation and messengers of the truth. The next day she ran into us. Erenice is wonderful and she LOVED church yesterday. After hearing about lots of less actives in the branch, she told us she felt sad to know of so many people who found the truth and then gave up on it (um yeah me too WHOA). She has already promised to never miss a Sunday and when we gave her her very own Book of Mormon, she said she would keep it safe for the rest of her life. We are SO EXCITED TO SEE HER GET BAPTIZED. It is amazing and humbling to see how the Lord works through small means. I feel so small and I know I´m a pawn in His beautiful plan. I love how Heavenly Father inspires us and uses us as we are to find his lost sheep. I love that God knows me and he trusts us to do his will and act. I love finding the prepared and seeing them taste the truth and love it.

I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love watching it bless people´s lives.

I LOVE being a missionary, it´s the greatest <3

Love from Brasil,

Sister Chamberlain

Miracles and Tarantulas

Bom Dia Gente!!

This week was killer

Actually this week was pretty slow and kind of frustrating but then yesterday was a game changer and it rocked.

We´ve been struggling to find really good people to teach. We´ve been finding lots of people that are so-so (aka mole) and who let us in to talk about Jesus but don´t commit to do anything (not even pray, what the heck people?). On Tuesday, I think 3 of our investigators in a row told us they were going to die Catholic.

But this week we tried out a new little trick. Sister Mish and I both prayed for inspiration and then both of us took a look at our area map. I picked 5 streets and she picked 5 streets and then we checked to see if any of them matched. two of our streets matched up so we´ve been working a lot on those two streets this past weeked. HOLLER. Seriously, we found a single mom with two kids, an curious 18-year old girl, and *drumroll* an inactive woman of about 20 years who let us in to teach her husband, and 3 daughters. They all accepted baptismal dates! I was like "what the heck!? I would have been on this street in 0.2 seconds if I had known there were so many people ready to be baptized here!" It was theeee coolest.

On Wednesday, we went to teach our beautiful couple, Raíssa and Michel, who are saving money to get married. They´re awesome! We were talking about the sacrament and then all of a sudden everything turned into slow-mo. A huge, hairy, black, horrendous tarantula spider came cralwing accross the floor of the living room. Seriously. I´ve never seen anything so ugly. GUYS IT WAS LIKE THE SIZE OF A HUMAN HAND. I LIKE TO EXAGGERATE BUT THIS ONE IS NOT AN EXAGGERATION.

So that was exciting.

In other news, Sister Mish celebrated 7 months as a missionary! So of course we had to have cake (duh).

On Saturday, President and Sister Bonini came to Itapipoca! it was awesome! We´re about 4 hours from the city so we appreciated seeing them :)

I LOVE PRESIDENT BONINI SO MUCH HE´S THE GREATEST. They went to our apartment while we left for the night to go to our appointments, and we came back and they had ordered pizzas for us and left us little notes on our whiteboard haha They´re the best people ever <3

This week I´ve been reflecting a lot on charity...

45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

 46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

 47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

Mom always says that love conquers all. It´s so true. Sometimes I complicate being a missionary (shocker :)) I get anxious about dates and numbers and being obedient and maintaining the spirit and loving my compaion and blah blah blah. Being a missionary is simple. It´s about Love. If you love God, you´ll keep the commandments and you´ll serve Him with all of your heart. If you love your mission president, you´ll obey the mission rules and do all it takes to serve diligently. If you love the people, you will desire their success and salvation. You´ll grow with your companion. you´ll work hard. And the Spirit will always be there. It´s easy. and it´s all about Love! <3 yay

MUITO amor do Brasil,

Sister Chamberlain

Gallery Block

These are example images. Double-click here to replace these images with your own content. Learn more

I LOVE Itapipoca.

Bom Dia!

Itapipoca. Rocks. I´m in love with the interior. (We are a 4 hour bus ride from any major city.) My first night we passed by a bunch of houses and an old guy was sitting in front of his house in his rocker and offered me popcorn (aka pipoca... in ItaPIPOCA...yas.)

My new companion is Sister Mish. She´s super cute and happy and from Maryland. Two Americans in the middle of nowhere Ceará. haha We stick out a bit, but everyone wants to talk to us and find out why the heck we´re here (well let me tell ya!) I´m pretty pumped because this week like 4 people asked me if I was from São Paulo... hoping that means I lost my American accent and sound more native :)

This week was really great. Jardim America was like the smallest area in our mission and I´m willing to bet Itapipoca is one of the biggest. We´re walking LOTS. Our branch has tons of potential and I´m really excited to watch it grow. There are several inactive families that are coming back to church and helping strengthen the branch and it´s incredible.

We´re currently teaching a MARVELOUS couple. Seriously, they´re so cute and perfect. i love them. They already want to get baptized, the only thing left for them to do is get married!! THEY´RE GOING TO GET MARRIED. (Raíssa + Michel = forever) 

Please let me be the flower girl 😍 Raíssa woke up with Chicangunha this week (that sketchy mosquito virus). She couldn´t get out of bed, she had a fever for 3 days straight, and had horrendous red itchy splotches everywhere. We asked the branch president and his counselor to go and give her a blessing. That same night after the blessing, her fever finally broke and she was able to sleep. She´s already getting tons better which is seriously a miracle because the joint pain can last up to a year they say. Anyways, Raíssa and Michel were able to see the power of the priesthood in their little family and it was so wonderful.

Also this week, our friend Samuel got confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and received the Holy Ghost as his constant companion. He was so happy! He´s very excited to know the truth and to keep learning. I can see him as a future missionary and it´s so cool.

I can feel myself growing more in this area already. It´s a new challenge but it´s going to be a great transfer. Excited and grateful and determined :)

The Church is true! Hooray!

Love from Itapipoca,

Sister Chamberlain

I ALMOST FORGOT. THIS WEEK I MADE BEANS. LIKE LEGIT BRAZILIAN BEANS. IN A REAL BRAZILIAN PRESSURE COOKER! AND IT DIDN´T EXPLODE. I plan to eat rice and beans for the rest of my days <3

Bus Ride to Zone Conference last week.

Clear Pipes. Full Heart. Can't Lose.

This. Week. Was. Packed.

First, today I found out that I´m getting transferred! To Itapipoca! Packing it back to a little interior city :)  I´ll be with Sister Mish, my first American companion <3

This week was AWESOME. On Tuesday morning (very very very early), our mission joined up with Fortaleza Leste in a super mega mission conference with Elder Craig C. Christensen of the presidency of the 70. 

Wednesday I got to go to the Federal Police station to find out that I´m getting deported.

Just kidding! I renewed my visa and everything is good and smooth :) But on the way home things were not so good or smooth. Sister Meira and I missed our bus stop, so we had to stay on the bus for like another hour and half until it completed its route, went back to the bus terminal, and circled back to the street where we needed to get off. If you remember previous descriptions of the Fortaleza city transit, you´ll remember that spending an hour on the bus feels like riding Tower of Terror like 8 times. My tummy felt like scrambled eggs, and Sister Meira didn´t feel so hot either haha. Only the tender mercies of the Lord helped us keep it together until we got home.

In other news, our kitchen sink has been jacked up and not draining right. It´s been clogged up and taking hours to drain. I turned into the dad of our house and had to unscrew the nasty pipe to figure out what kind of horrendous thing was obstructing the drainage. Nothing. So then I removed the hose from the wall and found a small mountain of grey food (if you can still call it food) stuck in front of a spoon that (seriously? how does this happen?) somehow got washed down the sink. Luckily, the sink is working beautifully again and everything is in good order haha. GROSS!

This week we were super excited for John John and for Cleillson (old investigator) who were both working really hard to be baptized this weekend. The week started off strong but by Thursday things were falling apart. John John and his girlfriend have been fighting and he´s been super depressed. He didn´t even let us in the past few days. There wasn´t enough time to finish teaching him, and then yesterday he like disappeared and didn´t even go to church.

Cleillson also started acting weird and we found out that it was because he relapsed and let his addictions get the best of him. We were pretty sad that things didn´t work out this week, but it´s all in the hands of the Lord.

I´M SO PUMPED ABOUT THE BOOK OF MORMON THIS WEEK. IT´S THE BEST! I LOVE IT. 

Aside from the fact that I fell in love with Captain Moroni, I´m super hooked. I started reading more every day so I can finish by the end of this transfer and it´s changed everything. I remember when i struggled to read one verse everyday at home. And then today I realized that I read for like 40 minutes and then was irritated that I only had 20 minutes left haha :) I love reading the Book of Mormon. I love feeling Heavenly Father´s love for me and seeing this love expressed in every little detail.

Love from Brasil,

Sister Chamberlain 

The Path to Perfection

Bom Diaaaa! 

This week was good and a little frustrating but mostly good :)

Our teaching pool has dried up a little bit so this week we´re going to focus on talking to anyone and everyone and finding some new people to teach :)

This week our zone had interviews with President Bonini (every-other transfer) and it was awesome! He´s the greatest and I love him.

I realized on the way there that i´m feeling hecka Brazilian... I don´t even get nervous to hop on the city bus anymore. I´m basically native... except for the eyes. The eyes always give me away ("are you from Germany?" asks literally every random stranger in the street)

Anyways, this week I also got to go to the neighboring area to go on splits with Sister Wilhelm <3 She´s wonderful and I love her and there´s the best bakery in Fortaleza in her area... so safe to say I was pumped. (coconut cake people <3)

I´m glad Christ had our eternal progress in mind when he commanded us to be perfect (Mathew 5:48). We can only be complete and perfect through Him and our progression toward perfection is the exact reason He came. President Packer expressed his gratitude for the Atonement, "that can purify all stains, no matter how hard they may be, or how long it takes, or how many times it is necessary. The Atonement can free us to continue on, pure and worthy."

I´m grateful for a loving and patient Savior who has my eternal potential in mind. He knows where I am and where I can go and what I can be.

wishing you a great week <3

Love from Brasil,

Sister Chamberlain

Faithful Steps Forward

Bom Diiiiaaaaa

WEEK OF CELEBRATION!

This week we´re celebrating 1 year as a missionary for Sister Meira, 9 months for me, and Sister Garcia´s 20th birthday!

There will be cake.

Actually there already was cake... and pizza... and a birthday donut...

Let´s be real, you can´t over-celebrate :)

This week was especially happy because Levi was confirmed yesterday!

We got to church with our investigators and we started searching for Levi so we could get everything situated for his confirmation during the opening announcements and stuff before the Sacrament. He wasn't there.

We waited and worried and worried and waited for him to get there before the sacrament hymn, but the meeting continued and still no sign of Levi. Literally 10 seconds into the sacrament hymn Levi showed up. We were super bummed thinking he would have to wait a whole other week to get confirmed. Then, Bishop Araújo was the last speaker. He got up, paused his talk, confirmed Levi, and then continued his talk (which was incredible btw). Haha! It was AWESOME. Levi was so happy.

Our investigator John John is progressing a ton this week! John John is great. He´s from Guinea-Bissau, Africa. (I have absolutely no idea how to spell that country). Anyways, he´s awesome. He´s been pretty nervous to accept our invitations, but he´s been coming to church anyway. yesterday night he told us he´s feeling something about the church and that everyday he feels more and more that it´s a good thing and it´s the right place.

 I did a jig in his sketchy alley :)

We´re hoping to help him feel sure enough for his baptism marked for this Saturday.

Sometimes I get feeling like a little piece of trash in the street, like I didn´t teach well enough or explain clear enough, or love someone enough, or do all I could to help. It´s not uncommon for inadequacy to hit. But this week I read a great talk that said: "we fail only if we fail to take another faithful step forward. We will not, we cannot, fail if we are faithfully yoked to the Savior - He who has never failed and will never fail us."

It reminded me of Elder Holland´s talk at the end of conference when he said:

"Please remember tomorrow, and all the days after that, that the Lord blesses those who want to improve, who accept the need for commandments and try to keep them, who cherish Christlike virtues and strive to the best of their ability to acquire them. If you stumble in that pursuit, so does everyone; the Savior is there to help you keep going. If you fall, summon His strength. Call out like Alma, “O Jesus, … have mercy on me.”7 He will help you get back up. He will help you repent, repair, fix whatever you have to fix, and keep going. Soon enough you will have the success you seek."

I´m glad I can try again everyday to be better than I was yesterday and trust in the Savior´s example.

Love from Brasil,

Sister Chamberlain

Miracles at Every Corner

PantssssPantsssPantssssssssss

Just kidding. My mission will not be #SistersInSlacks but I´m very happy about it because I´m already living a sweaty life, I can´t imagine using pants haha.

This week had miracles at every corner.

My favorite was with Levi!!

Levi is awesome. He has been preparing for baptism for the past month and was all set and ready to get baptized this weekend. Except when we started talking to him the night before his baptismal interview, he didn´t seem so solid that Joseph Smith was a prophet and a few other little doubts. We were pretty nervous when we left. We felt like he needed a little more time to prepare, so we canceled his interview with our district leader.

The next morning we went to follow up with him and see how things were going.

He told us that after we left he started thinking a lot and decided to pray and ask God if Joseph Smith was a prophet. He told us that before, he felt it was true, but now he was certain. Literally the most beautiful words I´ve ever heard. (Miracle #1 with Levi)

MIracle #2 happened later that evening because our zone leader had already planned to come to our area to interview an investigator being taught by other missionaries. It was perfect! We showed up with Levi and he was interviewed and it all went so smoothly!

Yesterday he was baptized after sacrament meeting--with the entire Young Men´s organization in the audience cheering him on.

Happiest of Happys!

This week I studied a lot about faith. Alma 32 rocks.

Thinking a lot about faith as a seed. Alma teaches us that we have to test out our faith in Christ and in His church. It could be good or bad, but if you never even put the seed in the ground, you´ll never know if it will grow. 

"28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me."

We can´t keep the seed out of the ground and then blame it for not growing. We have to give it a shot, give it a place in our heart to grow and experiment. 

"33 And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good."

After we have done our part of the work, we can take a look at our seed and see if it was good and true, but not before we give it a fair chance.

When we use just a tiny bit of faith to make an experiment, we will soon feel a growing peace and happiness within our hearts which is the truth of the restored gospel.

I´m so happy to see the gospel change hearts and lives and be an instrument in the process

Love from Brasil,

Sister Chamberlain

P.S. Here is a choice video from Jeffery R. Holland, an Apostle of Christ. In it he testifies of Christ's divine mission.

Out of the Woodwork

Boa Tarde <3
Hey hey you you!
This week was bumpin?
All of a sudden we have loads of investigators coming out of the woodwork. Holla.
I'm particularly jazzed about Levi, Nayara, and Gabriel. Levi is 13 and super cool. He likes to play soccer and laughs at the bad jokes I try to make in Portuguese (so obviously he scored some points there). He has a huge fat furry cat that sleeps on my lap during the lessons. Levi is already super homies with all of the youth in the ward and even a few in the other ward. He's really great and is all prepped and ready to be baptized this Sunday!

Nayara and Gabriel are AWESOME. They went to church yesterday for the second time and loved it even more. They read the Book of Mormon together at night and love to ask us tons of questions. Their dad is super nice but he owns a bar and is always working so we haven't been able to talk to him very much. But luckily he's very supportive of his children going to church and preparing to be baptized (end of May!) soooo hooray for May!

This week I'm obsessed with Toddy <3 it's basically Nesquik... but it makes for velvety chocolate milk. It's the best. Today I bought 1 kilo for R$11. (about$3.75 US) Holla atcha girl.

In other news, I learned that the indigenous language of Brasil is called Tupi-guaran? and I'm dying to learn it.

Also loving on Joseph Smith-History this week:

"So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.
After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.
 But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction-not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being-just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other-This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" (Joseph Smith)

Feeling grateful for the moment that brought light to a confused world in darkness.
I love the Restoration and being able to share it with every person in every market, house, and street corner in Jardim America.
Hooray for May
Hooray for being a missionary!

Love from Brasil,
Sister Chamberlain

My Companion and Nadynne from my congregation.

A Marvelous Week and a Wonder!

Marvelous week in Jardim America, Fortaleza Brasil.

Mostly because i got to talk to my MÃE!!

But this week was super great.

We´re finding lots of people to teach!

Remember Allan? Well, now we´re teaching his grandma, Eudeneia! She´s a tough lover but she makes really good cake. She´s loving the Book of Mormon and seeing the joy in her life more and more every day.

Mother's Day dinner. Muito delicioso!

We found Nayara and her little brother Gabriel this week. They went to church with us and loved it. They´re little sponges and soak up everything we have to teach them. It´s really amazing all of the questions they have and how interested they are. We´re working with both of them and their dad to get baptized at the end of the month <3

Thursday was super cool. All of our lessons were falling through and we were searching for a reference in some apartment complex. Luckily, a cute old woman (Hilmar) let us in to look for her. She wasn´t home so we went back to talk with Hilmar. Turns out she was praying this week that someone would come to her house to pray with her because she has to do some health exams and she was feeling super unsettled and was hoping for someone to help. Then, we showed up! We prayed with her and talked with her about God´s plan for our lives. How right now is our time to be tested and tried, but we are promised that if we are faithful we will live in joy and rest forever and ever. She loved it and is crazy to get baptized. She´s wonderful <3

Awesome scripture case I had made in Brazil. 

Loving the work

Loving learning

Loving seeing changes in people as they learn of the Savior <3

Love from Brasil,

Sister Chamberlain

1 Baptism, 2 Bathrooms, and 7 Lives

BOOOOOM DIIIIAAAA

Holy smokes, this week was enormous.

Jam packed. 

For starters, we went on splits this week! I got to go to the neighboring area for the day and hang out with Sister Aguilera (no relation with Christina) who´s super great.

I saw Sister Corell! And got açai for free! And got to help teach her wonderful investigators! it was lovely.

WE MOVED THIS WEEK. Praise the Senhor. Seriously. our new apartment rocks. It´s huge! (but anything would be huge compared the other one). AND *drumroll* it has 2 bathrooms! Woohoooo! we´re pumped. And grateful for elders who did all of the work.... :) yay

Allan got baptized Saturday night and was confirmed yesterday during Sacrament meeting. It was perfect and he looked super happy.

This week´s heartbreak is named Socorro. We found out she would be moving out of our area... like the day of her baptism. We got permission from President Bonini to baptize her in our area and everything was going good and smooth after that. 

We got to the baptism, Allan went first, then it was Socorro´s turn, and we learned that she has an extreme fear of water... She would not under any circumstances let them dunk her head under the water. We felt horrible, especially because she gave no indication of being afraid of the baptism. After at least 7 attempts, she gave up and said she didn´t want to get baptized anymore.

The next day she didn´t want to come to church with us and we don´t know if we´ll be able to see her anymore because of the move. Sad face.

I learned a lot about planning this week. It is critical. Haha.

I read an awesome talk this week by Elder Dallin H. Oaks about revelation and receiving guidance from Heaven.

He said:

"We will get promptings of the Spirit when we have done everything we can, when we are out in the sun working rather than sitting back in the shade praying for direction on the first step to take. Revelation comes when the children of God are on the move.

So we do all we can. Then we wait upon the Lord for His revelation."

I like that impressions come in the course of acting. When we are seeking to do what´s right we will receive ideas and light that aren´t completely ours. They are guidance from Heaven leading our steps.

This week was awesome and so busy. I feel like I´ve lived 7 lives. Haha

Speed mode is awesome

Super pumped for Mom's day!

Love from Brasil,

Sister Chamberlain