Hey everyone! (March 24)

Oi!

So this week was pretty swell again! There's been a drought here in Brazil, but it finally rained this week, which is good for the earth and plants and stuff, but bad for missionaries. We were trying to be diligent and obedient, and we were caught in a straight up tempestade, and the streets started flooding there was so much water and the lightning was going and everything. It was awesome. We decided that it was probably stupid to be walking in the middle of a thunderstorm with a metal umbrella, so we went to the house of a member nearby, and when we got there she took good care of us. She made us tea and gave us towels and everything. It was absurd how wet we were, but it makes for a good story, I guess :) Something funny about people here, people don't let us come in when it's raining, other than members, and they just stand at the door and shout, "don't you know it's raining?!" Like we don't know! Anyways, it's just pretty funny :)

This weekend was awesome! I sent you pictures of Danusia at the temple! It is so amazing to be in an area close to the temple where we can bring our investigators. Danusia just adored it! She loved being there (despite what she looked like in the pictures, she really was happy - she just really hates pictures!) We bought her a triple [combination] in giant print and wrote a little note in the front, and she loved it! She also asked if she could buy 4 copies of the picture of the temple to give to all of her kids. It was really cute! She absolutely loved being there, and she felt the spirit without a doubt! It was awesome!

Later that night, we had an awesome lesson with Alan and Leni! They are so golden! The lesson we taught was at the chapel, and a couple from the ward, Karina and Robson, were there as well. It was the most amazing lesson I've had on my mission so far. It was so awesome! We taught about the plan of salvation, and Alan and Leni just loved it! Alan made a comment that we were teaching the same things that his mother had taught him when he was little, and that he knew it was true. Both Karina and Robson are converts, and they bore their testimony at exactly the right time about their conversion. They talked about how the missionaries found them and everything. After they were done, Leni started talking about how much she loved us and loved our lessons. She said that she and Alan were talking about how honored they felt that we chose their door to knock on and they don't understand why them, but that they were so happy to be introduced to the gospel. They said they felt like they've known us forever, and that we're family. It was awesome, and a definite tender mercy from the Lord. At the end of the lesson, Robson, who recently returned from his mission, invited Alan to offer a kneeling prayer. It was such a sweet, and simple prayer, but it was sincere and powerful. He stopped in the middle to ask his wife if there was anything she'd like to add. They're absolutely golden and I love them so much!

On Sunday, we had 6 investigators at church! That never happens! It was such a miracle! We found this one man, Neto, while we were walking in the street. We invited him to church and said a prayer with him in the middle of the street, and then he actually came to church! It was such a miracle! He's so excited about church, and excited about baptism as well! He's just flippin' adorable! He always says, "opa!" when he's excited. We asked him if he wanted to be baptized, and he said, "Opa! yes!". It was just too cute. Of course Danuisia was there with her friend, as well as three other people. We also had 7 less actives there! The ward was so excited to see everyone, and they were so great about going up to them and introducing themselves. It was so awesome!

This area is going so well, and we had so many tender mercies this week! As we know, the Lord loves to throw us curve balls, so tomorrow, both Sister Howell and I are being transferred and the area is switching to elders. It's going to be so hard to leave, especially since we've been having so much success. But, there are a lot of young returned male missionaries who will be able to work with the elders much easier than they can with us. I think it's actually a very inspired decision. I'm still going to be so sad to leave! I've learned so much from the people in this ward, and from the wonderful people we've had the opportunity to teach. I've also learned so much from my wonderful companion, Sister Howell! I just love that girl! She's amazing and I'm going to miss her so much! We even have a cheese-y companionship handshake! Good thing is, she lives in Gilbert, so we can see each other when I get back home!

                                           Sister Pennington and Sister Howell on the bus
I love being a missionary so much, and I know that this is His work. I'm excited to serve Him wherever he needs me!

Love you all!
Sister Pennington

Hello everyone! (March 17)

Esta semana foi fogo!

This week was awesome!

Let me tell you all of the things that I loved about this week....

- first of all, we found 5 new investigators and three now have baptismal dates! One of them, Lual, is a single dad of 2 kids, and he is so open and so friendly. He is extremely intelligent, he does some sort of accounting or something, and he understood everything so well that we were teaching. He's also really spiritual, and he's really excited to learn more, and he accepted baptism in the first lesson. He's great! Also, his little 1 year old daughter is adorable. The other investigators with a baptismal date, Alan and Leni, are just the cutest couple in the history of the world. They're so cute! We taught them on Saturday, and we brought a member with us, Vera, and she was so great! She bore her testimony about eternal families, and the spirit was so strong. We set their baptismal date as well! They're so wonderful! Also, they made us dinner after our lesson with them, and it was delicious. I'm so excited for them!

- We had a churrasco (BBQ) at the Bishop's house, and it was so great! We helped put the meat on sticks to grill. Here in Brazil, they really like to eat chicken hearts, so that's what we put on the sticks. Don't worry...I'll send pictures!

 

- We had 4 investigators at church, and all of them are awesome! Danusia came again, and this time she brought a family member, who absolutely loved church as well. It was awesome!

- I'm starting to remember people's names in the ward! It's pretty sweet!

- I was asked to give the opening prayer in sacrament meeting, and I was really nervous because I don't speak Portuguese, but I didn't fail, so that was awesome!

- We started teaching an awesome investigator named Davison. He's so great! There's a security system here, called Vigzul, and they have young people go door to door and sell it. They all live in the same house together (the "vigi-house"). 80% of these people are members of our ward and they're great. A lot of them are returned missionaries, and they are so eager to do what they can to help missionary work. Anyways, Davison is one of the people who works at Vigzul, and he's not a member. He came to church with the "vigi-boys" last week, and he set up an appointment to meet with us after church this Sunday. He studied "teologia" which essentially means he was a bible studies major. He knows the bible very well, and he had LOTS of questions. He's studied a lot about the church, and he wants to know more. We made sure to establish our purpose very clearly at the beginning of our lesson, explaining that our purpose is to teach people how to learn the truth through the spirit. This whole experience was very humbling for me, because I realized how reliant I am on the spirit. I'm a 19 year old kid who knows relatively little about the scriptures. I had 6 weeks of formal training for my mission. And here I was in a lesson with a guy who had an extensive knowledge of the Bible and I was trying to do so in a language I'd only been using for a month. But, I was, in fact, able to teach Davison and help him feel the spirit. It was ONLY through the spirit that I was able to do this. I know that Heavenly Father is mindful of us. My mom sent me a letter in my 3rd of 4th month on my mission that said, "The Lord helps when we say 'yes' in faith". I wrote that on a sticky note and put it on my wall. How true that is! When we're willing to do what the Lord needs us to do, he will prepare a way for us to do it. I love being a missionary, and I'm so excited for what the next 10 months have in store!

I love all of you so much! Have a great week, and always take the time to recognize the help we get from our loving Father in Heaven.

Sister Pennington

Another wonderful week in Brazil!! (March 10)

Hello, Family!

This week was really great! We taught a lot of lessons! It was awesome! We found an amazing couple, and they're just the cutest things in the world! We're teaching them again of Saturday. I'm so excited!

We had an amazing miracle happen yesterday! We have an investigator, Denusia, who's been taught for 4 months now, and she hasn't been able to go to church because of work. She had already asked for work off on Sundays, but her boss wouldn't allow it. This Saturday, however,  she told her boss that she wasn't going to go to work the next day, and she came to church and loved it. At the end of sacrament meeting, she leaned over to my companion and said, "this whole time, I was just thinking about how much I want to be baptized"! She's so awesome and has such a desire to follow Christ. She has a bit of a complicated situation that will prevent her from being baptized immediately, but when she finally has the opportunity, it will be like the people at the waters of Mormon in Mosiah 18 that clap their hands with joy. Sister Howell was especially excited because she found her and started teaching her. We almost stopped teaching her a few weeks ago, because she couldn't progress anymore without coming to church, but she finally decided that she's ready to really prepare. She is so happy and so excited to be baptized!

I just love Sister Howell to pieces! We're working so well together, and things here are really starting to get going! It's really exciting!

I know that this is where I need to be, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be here and to be a part of this wonderful work!

Love you all! Have a great week!
Sister Pennington

Yet another week (March 5)

Hello, family!

So sorry that I couldn't write you on Monday, but everything was closed because of carnival! It's interesting being a missionary during carnival. I don't know what you know about the holiday, but it's the weekend leading up to Ash Wednesday and lent, and it's a time when people just go crazy pants. I heard (and I really hope it's not true), but I heard that in Rio during carnival, they cover the Cristos statue so that he can't see what they're doing...that doesn't make a ton of sense, but anyways, that's carnival. Things here are much more tame...apparently, however, here in Barao Geraldo near the church, there were some 200 police officers trying to stop the craziness- there were people breaking windows and they set a bus on fire...sounds like a good way to prepare for lent to me! (don't worry - we have to be in by 9, so we never saw any of this!)

This week has been great! We've found some new people to teach, and we're trying out a new way of helping the members share the gospel with their friends...hopefully it will work!

                                     Sister Pennington making friends with the local cats ;)

I don't have a lot of time to write, but I'll send some picture that we've taken! I'll write a better e-mail next week!

                                        Sister Pennington and her companion, Sister Howell

Love you all so much and hope that y'all are doing well!

Sister Pennington

Another week in Brazil! (February 24)

Hello everyone!

Hope y'all have had a good week!

It's been hot and hard work here! In this mission we keep track of the number of contacts we do each week, meaning the number of people we talk to and invite to church or to listen to our message. We did 112 this week in addition to 13 lessons! We talk to a lot of people! A lot more than in Tennessee for sure! It's really easy to talk to people here, and they're all very willing to listen to our message. It's a lot different than tn! The people here are very European. Our area includes 2 big universities, so we have a lot of young college students who are very polite and willing to listen, but really have no interest in religion. We've been trying to work with member to find people to teach, because of those 112 contacts, none were really interested. So, we've been inviting members to think of friends or neighbors they could invite to a family home evening or something to introduce them to the church a d to see if they're interested.

Members are so important in missionary work! We can't doing anything them! Something I feel to be very important is k owing the names of each member of the ward where you serve. I knew the names of everyone in poplar creek and La Follette, and at least one fact about them. I'm trying to learn the names of everyone here, but it's so hard because they all have really hat Portuguese names and I can't remember any of them! There Re ward members that I know I've already asked 3 times what their names are, and it just won't stay in my brain! By the end of this transfer, I'll learn everyone's name. I might have to take pictures of them on my camera and write their names underneath their pictures, but I will learn their names!

I was under the impression that I would loose weight here in Brazil because we walk so much, but that is certainly not the case! The food here is awesome! We had lunch with a lot of members this week, and all of them were such awesome cooks! It's a lot of rice and beans and meat. It's real good! I think the members must think that we're starving or something...they always say, "pega mais, sister!" get more sister! It gets a little ridiculous after the 2nd or 3rd helping. Their desserts are awesome! Mom, you would love it because they use condensed milk with everything! And their condensed milk is a lot thicker and sweeter then ours - basically caramelized sugar!

Anyways, thinks are going well. I'm writing y'all from the tablet of the stake president here from his mansion. It's a little ridiculous, but I'll be sure to send pictures next week!

Love y'all loads and hope that you have a great week!

Sister Pennington

Barao Geraldo - Semana 1 (February 18)

Oi, familia!

After 9 months of waiting for a visa...at last, here I am in Brazil! I don't even really know where to start...

So the plane ride actually wasn't too bad, and I slept most of the ride from Atlanta to Brazil. There were so many missionaries on that plane! There were at least 20 of us, probably more! My estimating skills are lacking! There was a creepy old Brazilian man on the plane though, who said that he wanted to marry me...I pretended I didn't understand what he was saying and kept the conversation to a minimum...

We got to San Paulo, and then drove with 4 other missionaries to the mission home in Campinas. When I thought of Brazil, I thought developing country status...It might be in some places but Campinas is so wealthy! It is an absolutely beautiful city! The mission home is a gorgeous mansion in a beautiful neighborhood! Anyways, we had lunch, and then went to the mission office to meet our new companions. My companion is Sister Howell from Gilbert Arizona! She's been out for 14 months, and she's an awesome missionary and speaks nearly flawless Portuguese! I'm so excited to serve with her! So my first day in the mission here, was actually the hardest day I've had on my mission thus far! I was surprised how much I missed my mission in Tennessee! I was also feeling a little bit overwhelmed, because I felt like a greenie all over again, and I hit my 7 month mark yesterday. I was struggling hard core the first day, and the assistant to the president noticed, and gave me some good advice. He told me that I shouldn't compare missions, and I've slowly been getting better at that this week. I adored my experience in Tennessee, and I know I'm going to adore my experience here! Quick side note about the missionaries here...30% are Brazilian, 30% are American, and 40% are Hispanic. There are only about 25 sisters in this mission. It's way different than the TKM!

I'm in the Barao Geraldo ward, which is 15 minutes from mission headquarters. It's a great ward and a great area. My first day, I don't know how far we walked, but we walked for 7 hours straight! I got 5 super impressive blisters on the bottom of my feet! I got home to take a shower and the end of the day, and I was so tired that I left my watch on...luckily it still works! I woke up the next morning and my feet were so sore and oozing (sorry for the graphic image, but that's what they were like!) and I wasn't sure if I would be able to walk another 7 hour day. I said a prayer that morning that I would be able to do the work in this area I was called to, and I was miraculously able to do the work! It was such a testimony builder to me, and reminded me a lot of Ether 12:27 :)

I also realized that I can't speak Portuguese! I'm trying so hard to understand and to learn how to speak in a way that people understand, but it's really quite hard! When we're actually teaching lessons, it's a little bit easier, because I actually know the vocabulary of the gospel in Portuguese, but it's the small talk that gets me. But it's all good! Everyone says that in the next month or so, I'll feel pretty comfortable with the language. I sure hope so!

This whole week has been a very humbling experience for me, (which is good...Sister Pennington needs a good humbling every once in a while!) and I was reminded of a Mormon message I watched in the MTC. I can't remember the title, so bear with me as I try to describe it so that maybe you can find it and watch it. I believe it came from a talk by Elder Cook, and he was telling a story about a gardener who had a little current bush. The bush was growing and getting bigger, and just when it really started to get big the gardener cut the current bush. The bush exclaimed, "why did you do this to me? I was growing so well!" And the gardener explains that he was cutting it down to shape it into what he wanted it to become. [Here is a link to the message]

I definitely can relate to the little current bush! I was starting to feel really comfortable with the mission in Tennessee - with the people, the other missionaries and the work there in general. I was then cut down and sent somewhere completely new, where I felt completely uncomfortable and inexperienced. The Lord saw it fit to cut me down, to help me grow to become the little missionary He wants me to be.

I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve here, and pray that I might be able to serve here in the way that Heavenly Father wants me to.

I love all of you so much, and hope that you have a great week!

Love,

Sister Pennington

*Note from Christie- sending packages to Brazil is a bit more complicated than sending things stateside.  The mission put out this information on how to successfully send packages to ensure they make it to Tessa.  Check it out before you send a package.  Thanks for all your support!*

Hey y'all! (February 3)

This is probably the last week where it'll be okay to say that...better use it!

Anyways, I'm going to keep this week's e-mail pretty short because I'm running a tad low on time, but I'll hit the main points...

- As mentioned last week, we really did count the homeless this week on Tuesday. One of our members, Sister Riggs (who's a fantastic human by the way) came with us. It was wicked early and FREEZING!!! But, it was actually very educational, and it was very eye-opening. We found a lot of dwellings homeless people lived in, but we only talked with one actual person. He was sleeping under a bridge, and we went and brought him some water and breakfast bars. It was really sad to see someone so destitute. We offered him the help of the homeless coalition of La Follette, but he didn't say anything in response. It was really sad. After the homeless count, Sister Riggs took us home with her, and she made us a hot breakfast. Grits with cheese #southerncooking

- We got to see Elder Perry this week! He also brought with him Elder Rasband, Elder Zwick and Elder Kapiscze (I'm not sure if that's how you spell it) of the 70. It was a leadership training for stake and ward leaders for how to use ward council more effectively. His main theme of the whole meeting was "hastening the work" (D&C 88:73) and that 92 year old man has more energy than I do! He was so energetic, and so enthusiastic and hilarious! It was awesome, and it got everyone pumped up about doing missionary work. It was really cool to have Alley with us. She said her favorite part was when the congregation sang together. She said it was really powerful to hear that large number of members singing! It was really cool!

- My very favorite experience we had this week was on Wednesday, and all of our plans and our backup plans fell through. Plans cancelled that we didn't expect to cancel, and so we LITERALLY had no plans for the entire day. We had time, so we took our mormon.org hour, and I came across a talk that I really liked and printed out, called, "cast not away therefore your confidence" by Elder Holland. It was really powerful, and I usually don't print talks out, but I felt like I needed to print that one out. We had a thought later in the evening to try to contact a less active, who is nearly impossible to get a hold of, and she "happened" to be home, and we were able to meet with her. The night before, she had had a really spiritual experience while she way praying, and she felt excited and ready to get back into church and to build her testimony. She said that she had wanted to call us, but she assumed we were too busy to go and see her. We had an awesome lesson with her, and the talk that I had printed out that morning was exactly what she needed to hear. It was such a big testimony builder to me, of the truth that The Good Shepherd will leave the 90 and 9 to go after the 1. I know that Heavenly Father loves each of us individually, and I've always had such a strong testimony of that, but it was a very powerful manifestation of that truth when I got to be the Lord's hands in moving heaven and earth for one of his children.

- This Sunday was fast and testimony meeting, and one of our members, brother barber, joined the church 11 years ago, and has never shared his testimony over the pulpit because he's deaf. He decided he wanted to share his testimony, so he practiced and prepared for over a month. He even wore his best tie today to look his best. He stood up and said, "I believe in Jesus. Amen". And it was the most powerful testimony I've heard in a long time. He is such an amazing example to me of faith. It was really awesome.

I love this gospel, and I love being a missionary. It is the most important and rewarding thing I have ever done, and will probably will be for my entire life. I'm so grateful to have been able to serve here, and look forward to being able to serve in Campinas!

I'll e-mail y'all from Brazil!

love,
Sister Pennington