FELIZ NATAL

Hello everyone!

  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I did!  What did we do this week... hmm.

   We started out the week with `Natal Blanco` or White Christmas. Not like the ones I used to know... ha ha! Our zone had a night where everyone met at one chapel to have baptisms. We didn’t have any, and arrived too late, but there was one advantage. This chapel was right next to a HUGE Christmas tree of lights. It was absolutely beautiful! We climbed up on a wall to take a cool picture and almost killed ourselves, but it was worth it! I loved seeing the tree!

 Then we had our Christmas conference with all of the missionaries in this city. There were about 80 Elders and 4 of us Sisters. We shared skits, watched `Toy Story 3` (which was a real treat! Such a cute movie!! I died laughing when ken was trying on the clothes, and I LOVED the Spanish Buzz.. so funny! Things also become funnier when you don’t see movies for a long time. But I have to admit that I was trying so hard not to cry in the end in front of 50 young men. Ha  ha!) We had a big lunch, a great spiritual time with our president and then got little presents. It was so fun! Its always nice to take a day off and spend time with other missionaries.

   Christmas Eve we visited people and wished them a Merry Christmas. Everyone one the street received a `FELIZ NATAL!!` from us, and people here are so friendly that they always shouted it back. We ate dinner in a member´s house who is a chef at a nice restaurant on the beach. YUM!

  After, my companion insisted that we celebrate Christmas `Brazilian Style` or in other words, we stay up until midnight to open gifts and party. So I took her package and wrapped all her gifts, wrapped some odd things around the house for myself to open, and then arranged our little tree. She was already sleeping, so I read the Nativity story alone, and realized how grateful I am for all the things in my life. I am so grateful for my Savior, because without him, I wouldn’t have any happiness in my life. But because of him, all of the things I love and are of worth are possible to have forever. It was so great!

  So we opened presents at midnight and ate a ton of candy! It was really fun. Then slept..

 Christmas day I talked with my family and it was absolutely wonderful! I loved talking with them, and have never had 40 min pass by so fast.

 Well I hope you all have a wonderful new year and set good goals for this year. I am so excited for 2011!

 Love you all!

-Sister Gordon!

The Tree and the wall....





Ward Christmas Party






Me and My Missionary Companion




Singing for the ward Christmas Party


Another Christmas party




Christmas at Midnight

Christmas in a city named Christmas (Natal)!

MERRRY CHRISTMAS!!  Feliz Natal!

  This past week was pretty fun. I had a funny experience I need to share. So last p-day we were able to go to the mall for a little bit, which was a special occasion. We saw that the Santa line wasn’t very busy, so why not? When we finally got to sancta, he started asking a lot about the church. He was so sincere! He said that he had always been curious about the church, and was asking a lot about what we do and believe. Everyone was looking at us weird, Santa talking to two missionaries in the middle of the mall!!  Our turn was over, but he continued talking to us about the church as little kids were taking pictures on his lap. Ha ha! When my companion took down his address, i wanted to make so many jokes! She asked `where do you live? ‘I wanted to say `The north pole!` Then she asked, what is the best time to find you at home? He replied, Oh you know, this season is a little busy! I almost said ´of course! With the elves and present stuff, your schedule is a little tight! ` But it was a fun experience. Having Christmas in a city named Christmas, and baptizing Santa! HAHA!

 We also had an activity this week with both wards. We  made `gingerbread` houses! We used crackers and frosting to make the houses, and decorate. They had never done it before, and it turned out to be a huge hit! I had to explain to everyone that they weren’t for eating, but they didn’t care! We had a lot of fun, and I played Christmas music to bring the spirit. I just love the Christmas season!

 Well, this should be a fun week. We will have an awesome Christmas party with half my mission, and I am really excited! Then talking to my family and  Christmas dinners! Y ay! I hope you all have a wonderful week, and remember that I love you!

Love, Sister Gordon

A Cloud Cover........what a blessing!

This week flew by so fast that I don´t even know what to talk about. Time keeps going faster and faster, what is this? I have been trying to get into the Christmas spirit here, but it is so difficult when it feels like summer! I am amazed at how not big of a deal Christmas is here. It´s just a one day holiday, not a month holiday like in the US. So, I am putting on activities here to bring the Christmas spirit. I am pretty sure that my companion is sick and tired of Mormon Tabernacle Christmas, but oh well! I am enjoying it while I can!

  This week was a huge blessing, as far as the heat wave goes. It has been cloudy most of the week, and less hot. OOOO how wonderful! Maybe the Lord is blessing me with some Seattle clouds for Christmas. I am pretty happy. But nonetheless, I will describe how `normal` is here. The normal temperature in my house is about 86 degrees, and HUMID. Everything is worse when It´s humid. In the morning when I do exercise, I literally drip sweat everywhere! First time in my life! It´s disgusting.  (Sorry for anyone that didn’t want to hear that..oops!) But everyone says that it will still get hotter.. How can people live like this? ha-ha!

  A member here led us to a family of 7, who are all interested. The kids are more interested than the parents, but I hope that they will all be baptized together. My companion and I are working hard and time is passing so fast.

 I really don’t have too much to say this week! I love you all and please enjoy all the wonderful things about Christmas. Merry early Christmas!

-Sister Steph Gordon
The photo is everyone in my mission.................

A Great 22nd Birthday!

This week was better! Actually, we didn’t do much this week. My companion was pretty sick, so we just stayed inside most of the time. I didn’t mind too much, because it´s nice to relax and recuperate. She is doing better now, and we will start to work hard again this week!
My birthday turned out to be absolutely wonderful! I woke up to a big banner that my companion had made in the middle of the night. It said `Parabens Sister Gordon!`(or congrats!). She didn’t allow me to wash dishes, and made some wonderful doughnut like things for breakfast. Yum!
That afternoon we worked, and everyone fed us Ice cream, or yummy food here. It was such a hot day, that it really didn’t feel like my birthday. First time I´ve actually sweated on my birthday! Ha ha!

We stopped by this member’s house to pick up the cake I ordered, and she said she didn’t make it. I was a little sad, but hey, what can I do. So we headed over to the church to meet some people there. When I arrived, my dear friends Rayane and Jaine grabbed my hand and led me into a classroom. On the chalkboard was written “Happy Birthday Sister Gordon!”and they had a cake with snacks on the table. People from the ward partied with us and sang happy birthday to me. I started to cry! It was so wonderful.

 It felt good to know that even though I am far away from home, (and missing family and friends a little) I still am loved, and have a Brazilian family here. I was so happy! (and stuffed after the party!)
I hope you all have a wonderful week! I love you all, and you´re in my prayers.
Love,
the old 22 yr old sister gordon



Happy Birthday sign from companion!




Birthday donuts

Young Women at church.......


Yummy Birthday cake and goodies!

Patience and Faith

Hello Everyone!!

  I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I heard that it is snowing a lot and getting cold! Lucky ducks.

    I won´t lie in this email- I had a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad week. The worst day? Thanksgiving of course! This week we had lunches in member’s houses that were in the farthest and most difficult area. My companion and I became exhausted physically really fast. Walking in the thousand degree weather at noon day really takes away your energy!  So it became very difficult to work, but we kept working.

Then Thanksgiving day.. We walked to lunch, became extremely exhausted and everything fell through. At one moment during the afternoon, my companion looked over at me and said, “I am walking on pure faith”.  I completely agreed with her. I just kept thinking, “just put one foot in front of the other.”  Everything fell through that day. Every appointment- oops no one home! I finally sat down just to not pass out, and tried not to cry. Luckily, my companion helped me up and we made it through the day. 

 I am not sharing this to complain, but for you to realize how wonderful the Lord is. So, the next day (Saturday) was bad too. We had 3 baptisms marked and no one showed up to be interviewed. Then a Family Home Evening we marked with a family 3 weeks ago fell through. And, the lady forgot to make the wonderfully tasty cake that I had ordered from her for my birthday. Yet again, I wanted to cry. Ha ha! I thought “Why is this happening? My companion and I worked so hard this transfer, and we are almost dying. What did I do wrong??”

 But the Lord heard my prayers. Sunday, all 3 of the baptisms we marked were there in church and ready to be baptized. Luckily, everything worked out with their interviews, and we were able to baptize them all. It was a miracle! 

 I know the Lord watches out for us. He sees the hard work that we put into things. Sometimes we need to learn a lesson, like I did last week. Patience and faith. This isn’t my work, but the Lord´s work! 

We had transfers this week, and I will be staying here in the same area with the same companion! I have been here in this area for 6 months now- it’s my first area! I am happy though because I like it here. The only problem is that it is huge, and I don’t feel like I have strength enough to handle it this upcoming transfer. I will need your prayers more than ever! It will be the hottest time of the year this next month- I hope I will survive!

 Funny (but not funny story)- The other night my companion and I made soup. Oh it was so tasty. She was sick that night, so she didn’t eat any, but I pigged out! The next day at lunch, we started eating soup (in the daylight, might I add) and I realized that it was full of little worms! Sure enough they had entered into the soup mix and into my tummy. I wanted to throw up! This isn’t the first time, but I hope it will be the last. I guess it’s just extra nutrition? I put a picture on there for you all to see. We also had another huge cockroach enter into our room the other day, and my companion killed it. It was actually funny because it was flying around the room while she was trying to kill it, and she yelled `this feels like a horror movie!` Luckily I have wonderful companions who kill the bugs while I stay far away and watch :)

   Well I love you all and have a wonderful week. Happy 22nd Birthday to me- I will throw a little party for myself. Hey- these things are only as fun as you make it. Tchau- até mais!

Com amor, 

   Sister Gordon

The Cockroach.....eeek!!



Me and Lucia



Kaline and Eliana